Sign at Basingstoke station - what does it mean?

[tight5]

rs1952 said:

All railways in the UK are measured in miles and chains

scotland uses miles and yards .

Dogwatch said:

surprised in this day and age of political correctness, kow-towing to brussels etc that new signs have old fashioned miles and chains on them.

they use kilometers on overhead line structures -



BS - route
08 - km from start
44 - mast number in that km

[Yertis]

So three different measurement systems on one network?








Just as an aside, down where I live there is still a lot of broad gauge rail (not track) in use by the railway. Not for trains to run on, obviously, but for fence posts.

[tight5]

Yertis said:

So three different measurement systems on one network?

it gets worse ,
sectional appendix ( gives route information ) has the length of loops in SLU ( standard length units ).
TOPS list gives length of train in meters .
QTRON data recorder ( with a train length feature ) uses feet .

[rs1952]

Yertis said:

Just as an aside, down where I live there is still a lot of broad gauge rail (not track) in use by the railway. Not for trains to run on, obviously, but for fence posts.

There's a photograph of mine showing this usage between Calne and Chippenham, in Panoramio, that wasn't selected for Google Earth.

If somebody knows a way to get a photo ID out of Panoramio to post as a link, please let me know, because I can't find one

Now found a way http://www.panoramio.com/photo/73465486

Edited by rs1952 on Monday 16th July 16:17

[JB!]

tight5 said:

they use kilometers on overhead line structures -



BS - route
08 - km from start
44 - mast number in that km

Not true on West Coast Main Line, and elsewhere too:

"BY" - Gantry code, Nearest regional station? Bletchley is BY, Northampton is NN, Rugby is RY...
"35" - Miles from Low milage.
"07" - 7th Gabtry in that mile.

The ONLY people left on the railways who actively use chains are survey teams (& measurement trains), it's mad, everyone else works in miles & yards, chains are too innacurate for maintainace as 1ch=22y.

HS1 & 2 are KM based.

But "miles" on the railway are rarely miles, navvies were paid per chain, and it's easy to loose a link or two...

[Sprouts]

HHmmmmm, what an interesting thread. I've never heard of a chain. So it's a wicket ?

[Sprouts]

Ohhhhh, chain gang. With you now.

• gets back in bed *

[JB!]

Sprouts said:

Ohhhhh, chain gang. With you now.

• gets back in bed *

Or "length" gang. The railway is full of wierd measurements.

[tight5]

JB! said:

Not true on West Coast Main Line, and elsewhere too:

well it is true on east coast



pic taken just north of newcastle , no place around there that starts with 'E' .
the masts south of newcastle have an 'E' also .

JB! said:

"35" - Miles from Low milage.

definitely in kilometers ( on east coast )

JB! said:

The ONLY people left on the railways who actively use chains are survey teams (& measurement trains), it's mad, everyone else works in miles & yards

oh ?



weekly oprating notice , so drivers use it ( and thats from carlisle on the west coast )

JB! said:

chains are too innacurate for maintainace as 1ch=22y.

just as accurate as any other unit !

[JB!]

tight5 said:

East clash stuffs

Weirdos!

Our WON was always in miles an yards, and so were the work packs, Geogis, Ellipse work orders...

[W124Bob]

Fun that the NR rulebook went metric several years ago which still catches me out,mind you Im old enough to have worked loose coupled trains and steam heat boilers,still a few of us old gits around!

[JB!]

W124Bob said:

Fun that the NR rulebook went metric several years ago which still catches me out,mind you Im old enough to have worked loose coupled trains and steam heat boilers,still a few of us old gits around!

They teach the PTS in both metric and imperial now, infact all of my tickets use both!

[V8 FOU]

Love those "proper" units.
Chains, furlongs, rod,pole or perch.
I know what a thou looks like but 1/10 mm?? Dunno...

My customers still complain at being charged in guineas. VAT @ 20% does rather cock up Guineas tho....