8th December 2020 - Advent quiz - groups in common

[whole diary]

[grahame]

What have these sets in common?  Can you add any more examples?

1. Balloch, Uckfield, Sheringham

2. Altnbraec, Kilmaurs, Sturry

3. Llandeilo, Criccieth, Wootton Wawen

4. Abertafol, Errol, Lea Bridge and Groombridge

5. Loch Awe, Loch Eil Outward Bound, Flowery Field and Melksham

6. Ampress, Medina Wharf, Glencarron, Coed y Bleiddiau

7. Harling Road, Hagley, Hatton, Harlech

It's the nature of questions like these that members will come up with different connections than I had thought of - and that illustrates the wonderful variety in our railway

[bradshaw]

5 all opened/reopened in 1985

[froome]

no 1 - all are termini on branch lines that used to continue onwards. Balloch originally continued to Balloch Pier; Uckfield met up with the line to Lewes, and Sheringham continued onto the Poppy Line to Holt.

Have they all been resited as well? Balloch was after Balloch Central and Pier stations closed, and Uckfield was resited after the Lewes line closed. Was Sheringham also resited?

[grahame]

5 all opened/reopened in 1985

Yes

no 1 - all are termini on branch lines that used to continue onwards. Balloch originally continued to Balloch Pier; Uckfield met up with the line to Lewes, and Sheringham continued onto the Poppy Line to Holt.

Have they all been resited as well? Balloch was after Balloch Central and Pier stations closed, and Uckfield was resited after the Lewes line closed. Was Sheringham also resited?

Yes, and there's something even more specific following on from that.

[froome]

5 all opened/reopened in 1985

Yes

no 1 - all are termini on branch lines that used to continue onwards. Balloch originally continued to Balloch Pier; Uckfield met up with the line to Lewes, and Sheringham continued onto the Poppy Line to Holt.

Have they all been resited as well? Balloch was after Balloch Central and Pier stations closed, and Uckfield was resited after the Lewes line closed. Was Sheringham also resited?

Yes, and there's something even more specific following on from that.

They were all resited on the opposite sides of level crossings, (and possibly that meant the level crossings could then be removed).

[Oxonhutch]

No. 3 used to have direct services to Birmingham New Street

[TonyN]

No6 Where all stations provided for Private sites and are now closed

[grahame]

They were all resited on the opposite sides of level crossings, (and possibly that meant the level crossings could then be removed).

Yes, that's the connection I had

No6 Where all stations provided for Private sites and are now closed

Yes

No. 3 used to have direct services to Birmingham New Street

Hmmm  ..... maybe the did / do, but I have another connection - something which applies to those three stations and I don't think to any other.

[eightonedee]

Eureka! I think I have worked out no. 2 - their three letter station codes comprise consecutive letters of the alphabet (ABC, KLM^▸ (English name: Royal Dutch Airlines ) and STU)

[stuving]

Eureka! I think I have worked out no. 2 - their three letter station codes comprise consecutive letters of the alphabet (ABC, KLM^▸ (English name: Royal Dutch Airlines ) and STU)

Simultaneously, I was just looking up the codes of the stations in no. 3 - LLL, CCC, and WWW^▸ (World Wide Web) - must be something about those, I suspect!

[grahame]

Eureka! I think I have worked out no. 2 - their three letter station codes comprise consecutive letters of the alphabet (ABC, KLM^▸ (English name: Royal Dutch Airlines ) and STU)

Simultaneously, I was just looking up the codes of the stations in no. 3 - LLL, CCC, and WWW^▸ (World Wide Web) - must be something about those, I suspect!

Yes - there are just three stations with the same letter and only 4 with consecutive letters.

[grahame]

Just 2 left

4. Abertafol, Errol, Lea Bridge and Groombridge

7. Harling Road, Hagley, Hatton, Harlech

[grahame]

No6 Where all stations provided for Private sites and are now closed

Yes

Checking back - trains may still call on request at Coed y Bleiddiau ?? - not sure on this

[grahame]

No6 Where all stations provided for Private sites and are now closed

Yes

Checking back - trains may still call on request at Coed y Bleiddiau ?? - not sure on this

Yep ...

https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/coed-y-bleiddiau-50127/

Set at the heart of breathtaking scenery in the Snowdonia National Park, Coed y Bleiddiau is a small railway cottage at a remote private halt on the restored Ffestiniog Railway. It was built in 1863 for the railway Superintendent, T. Henry Hovenden. If you time it right, you might even be able to arrive here by steam train.

and

It has its own private platform, where you can alight from a steam train if you time your arrival to today?s timetable. (There is also car access within at least a 20 minute walk over an unmade footpath).

[plymothian]

4.  All officially closed in 1985