SimonD’s workbench

[oldravendale]

Hi again Simon.

This may make for rather more interesting movements than I'd thought. (I planned to travel on the branch a month or so ago but the trains from Rothley were so crowded that I intend to try another day). However, there's a Youube on

At around 11 mins the movements to actually get on to the branch are featured.

Brian

 

[Richard Gawler]

had a look at that, thanks Brian

bit big for my purposes, but clear that a facing junction with crossovers is entirely prototypical

Georeferenced Maps - Map images - National Library of Scotland

aren't these NLS maps a fantastic resource?

cheers
Simon

I think it is incredible how the map makers 120 years ago could produce maps so accurately. The registration with satellite imagery is spot on.

 

[simond]

Nah, it’s all faked, everyone knows you can’t have satellites when the earth’s flat!

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I think it is incredible how the map makers 120 years ago could produce maps so accurately.

So much so even the marine charts surveyed, mapped and created by Captain Cook of the entrance to the St Lawrence River and Newfoundland (1755) and later during his three exploration voyages (1768-1779) around the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand and Australia form the basis of the marine charts used today with very few or no amendments.

Despite satellite navigation I read in one of my neighbours yachting magazines a few years ago an interview with the Danish captain of the Emma Mærsk (one of the largest vessels in the Maersk fleet) still likes to use charts.

Nah, it’s all faked, everyone knows you can’t have satellites when the earth’s flat!

Which I always thought it was supported by four elephants standing on the back of a tortoise...

 

[simond]

I’m very happy to use glass charts on my boat. But I do have paper, pencils and parallels, in case of need…

 

[Pencarrow]

I think it is incredible how the map makers 120 years ago could produce maps so accurately. The registration with satellite imagery is spot on.

Once you're familiar with how the map makers and surveyors worked (lots of triangles and checking of closing errors) it's not really a surprise that the maps are accurate. The tech may have got fancier over 120 years but the principles are the same now.

This has got to be the first great surveying project: Great Trigonometrical Survey - Wikipedia

 

[simond]

It’s ok if you’re standing on a hill and measuring angles to a couple of suitable marks.

It’s a totally different kettle of fish if you’re trying to take bearings whilst wobbling around in a boat!

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I’m very happy to use glass charts on my boat. But I do have paper, pencils and parallels, in case of need…

It always did cross my mind, and often discussed with my sailing neighbour, with so much reliance on electronic navigation aids how would one cope if all power failed unexpectedly and had to fall back on manual calculations, paper charts, parallels, sighting compasses, etc...and drawing cocked hats!

Let alone sextants and star charts in wide oceans.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

It’s a totally different kettle of fish if you’re trying to take bearings whilst wobbling around in a boat!

And keeping a lookout for other vessels at the same time! Apologies for the marine diversion....

 

[Alan]

Watching the programme about our new aircfact carrie r the junior officers still practice using a sextant.

 

[simond]

No need to apologise. I have been known to wander off piste on occasions.

 

[simond]

I have a sextant. Lovely thing, in its box. Complete with original sales receipt, screwdriver, oil, etc.

Not sure it was actually a bargain, but in the years since I purchased it, I’ve never quite got round to learning to use it properly. It’s not even on show. I really should do better…

 

[Boyblunder]

Here is my Davis plastic sextant. Its reasonably easy to use although definitely not intended for display. I used to carry it on my boat for North Sea passages in case the electronics packed up but the best longitude I ever managed in a sea way was 50 miles out! These days there are so many wind farms we can navigate to Europe by counting the windmills.

 

[SimonT]

If you find pointing a sextant difficult on the the bob bob ogin you could ,of course, take the automatic sextant out of one of those parked up SR-71s. Three star fixes while at Mach 3 anyone?

 

[Ian G]

I have not used a sextant since the late 80's, helping set up a Decca signal station for an Exercise a few weeks later

Ian G

 

[Jon Fitness]

I mentioned a green lever. Herewith from Wiki. Apparently in Ireland.

View attachment 183970

File:Leverframe.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

I’ve not knowingly seen this before. I’m sure its grounds for a joke or two…

Green levers were distant signals in Ireland back in the day.

 

[Rob R]

Green levers were distant signals in Ireland back in the day.

"Pull the green lever and visit the island of Ireland" to misquote a recent campaign for Irish tourism..

 

[simond]

"Pull the green lever and visit the island of Ireland" to misquote a recent campaign for Irish tourism..

I did say that this had the potential for a couple of jokes...

 

[3 LINK]

It’s ok if you’re standing on a hill and measuring angles to a couple of suitable marks.

It’s a totally different kettle of fish if you’re trying to take bearings whilst wobbling around in a boat!

I have a fishing boat, and although I do read the local charts I have now subscribed to this app and it takes the hard work out of locating wrecks and points of interest. Amazing piece of kit, tides, depth, wreck marks, etc. A bit like a Sat/Nav for your boat…



Martyn.

 

[adrian]

Can anyone point me at a station where a junction lets onto a private quarry branch. Ideally a rural, double track through station, with limited facilities, and a loop giving onto the branch, so the quarry loco can bring the train in, and hand it over to the company loco, and possible take away the empties.

I suppose it could have been a quarry, mine, dock, whatever, private branch.

ideas welcome, I’d like to understand how such things were arranged, and signalled.

Heapey station - it was a branch line off to a bleach works on one side of the station and there was a link off to a Royal Ordnance site the other way.

heapey_station

white-coppice.co.uk