[otd] 20th May 1892 - last through broad gauge train Paddington to Penzance

[whole diary]

[grahame]

https://www.nrmfriends.org.uk/post/the-end-of-the-great-western-railway-s-broad-gauge

The last through broad gauge train to Penzance, “The Cornishman”, left Paddington station at 10.15 a.m. on 20th May 1892. Large crowds to see the train were on stations en route including Swindon, Bristol, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Plymouth.

https://lionels.orpheusweb.co.uk/RailSteam/GWRBroadG/BGHist.html

At daybreak on Saturday 21 May 1892 over 4,200 platelayers and gangers were assembled along the line ready for the task. All broad gauge rolling stock and non-essential engines had been worked to Swindon, whereby at mid-day on Saturday 15 miles of specially prepared temporary sidings were filled with such a collection of rolling stock and locomotives as will never be seen again.

[grahame]

All broad gauge rolling stock and non-essential engines had been worked to Swindon, whereby at mid-day on Saturday 15 miles of specially prepared temporary sidings were filled with such a collection of rolling stock and locomotives as will never be seen again.

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I found myself wondering at the length of siding and wondering if that's really the case having seen photos of Papworth (Ely) sidings, Old Oak storage of Elizabeth Line trains prior to service and Long Marston storage of D76 stock for Vivarail.

15 miles is 24 Kms ... total length of HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet, 97 trains at (maximum) 8+2 x 26 metres = would be 25 Kms of trains but of course they've never been all together in one place.  Looking at pictures of Papworth - say 12 tracks of 15 carriages, mostly (as of last December) retired electric units with 23 meter carriages, that's only just over 4 Kms of rolling stock.   Vivarail purchases 226 carriages at just over 18 metres each - also just over 4 Kms of rolling stock.