Gradient profiles of Heritage Railways - List in Post 1

Would it also be longest straight in the UK?

 

IIRC the longest straight is across the Nullarbor Plain in Australia.

 

And indeed your name is still credited on the diagram to this day! Funnily enough, a few months ago I was flicking through an old issue of Bluebell News in the lobby (would have been mid 1990s I guess) and there was an article discussing the lengths gone to to get an updated survey of the line, particularly the then-newly opened section north of Horsted. No doubt Robin has the article in her papers somewhere!

I'm still surprised that more lines don't publish gradient diagrams on their websites. One assumes that every operational heritage line has a similar diagram as I would have thought knowing the gradients on each part of the line would be considered safety-critical knowledge for operational staff. So given they must exist, I'd have thought publishing them could be a small - but cheap - marketing tool, particularly for those lines that are more challenging to work from a gradient point of view. To single out one example: The Mid Hants sets great marketing store by the tough nature of the gradients on the line, and how the locos have to work hard to get "over the Alps" - but then doesn't publish a simple diagram in which to actually demonstrate what those gradients are! Talking about gradients in marketing terms is clearly aimed at the enthusiast rather than the general public - which is fine, but why then not back that up with the definitive document that would be readily comprehensible by and useful to enthusiasts? It's hardly top secret information, nor expensive to do.

Tom

 

The longest straight in the UK is between Selby and Hessle (and on the Down only - the Up does a bit of a wiggle at Gilberdyke Jn). I have no idea if it's level or not though.

Before 1980 the second-longest straight was between Grimsby and Louth. Part of that stretch is now the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, presumably making that the straightest preserved line!

 

Best description is "Mostly level" - there is a Leeds-Selby-Hull gradient diagram in the Tothill Press edition (18B) and Ian Allan edition (NE7) showing some 17 miles of level track out of the 26 mile between Selby and Hessle; any gradients are minor, the steepest being 1 in 230 leaving Selby. In addition there are about 11 miles of level track west of Selby towards Leeds!

 

ELR gradient profile:-

http://www.elrdiesel.info/documents/ELR-Gradient-Profile.pdf

 

I'm sure there used to be a gradient profile on their website. Must have got left out of the current version as I can't find it now.

 

I am sure if requested the railway will add it to there website. It has probably been overlooked when the transfer of existing data to the new website occurred.

 

Has anyone yet made a 3d combined map and gradient profile of heritage line that could be viewed on a laptop? It probably wouldn't be that difficult with modern GPS surveying equipment or even a motorsport data logger.

 

I was confused for a moment until I mentally changed "3d" to "3D".
I think you have just volunteered to do the first one.

 

Mid Hants Heights & Gradients...
This is displayed in the waiting room at Medstead & Four Marks, so presumably shareable.

 

Thanks Tim - have edited the first post on the thread to include it. I knew there had to be an MHR profile somewhere!

Tom

 

http://www.llangollen-railway.org.uk/tripupthelinepage1.html

On the enthusiast website now following from a revamp to the main site.

 

Updated profile for the WSR, courtesy @West Somerset Wizard

http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-gradients.htm

Tom

 

Crikey, that looks more like the Snowdon Mountain Railway

 

Has anyone put different lines on the same chart ?
I would like to see
SVR
NYMR
MHR
and
WSR
On one chart so that you could compare them ?

 

Corrected for accuracy now that much of it is the A16

 

Only if you knock a zero off the gradients!