Green and Pleasant Land

The canals are not idle they are in use constantly by the leisure industry, which with canal enthusiasts have restored and now maintain most of the system.

The government would only have to encourage their use. Private industry is already there see here.

Yeah, I remember that post. What I meant was that they're not generally being used for what, logically, should be their main purpose: heavy, non-time critical transport. As you've pointed out, modern-build narrowboats can hold 100 tons: the same amount of goods as two or three HGVs.
As you say, its not that the canals - and rivers - aren't in use at all. I did live near the Thames until recently, you know - Staines was only a short journey from Egham. Plenty of narrowboats along there...
 
Wnat do GC, GB+ etc stand for?

W6 is the standard UK gauge hence BR W6 but of course is no longer BR but Railtrack.

There are also Ws 7-11 with 10 & 11 w.

!0 10w 11 & 11w correspond to the European gauges UIC "A", UIC"A+", UIC"B" and UIC"B+"

These are the GA GB and GB+ on the diagram.

GA+ is not shown

GC is UIC "C"

That is the gauge for Eurotunnel and the double deck TGVs.

I am not sure about the universal as I cannot get into the site I originally sourced that diagram from. It was out of date then and it would be even more so now.

The most important thing on that diagram though is the standard shipping container. As long as that fits the system works.

Then there there are the clearances for high speed trains and potential double decker trains to put into the equation.

The term loading gauge I am not using correctly when I refer to the infrastructure as that is properly called the clearance gauge the loading gauge referring to the rolling stock.

I have attached a copy of the strategic Rail Authorities Gauging policy for reference.
 

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Bugger me Dean, you certainly know a shitload about trains.

Is this 'ultra-realistic' are you taking a few personal indulgences?
 
Bugger me Dean, you certainly know a shitload about trains.

What I don't know I look up. Books and the internet can make one appear very knowledgeable. I know more about general goods transport as it was my living for over twenty years.

Is this 'ultra-realistic' are you taking a few personal indulgences?

Everything I have proposed so far would work, much of it did and was rejected or abandoned. Of course I would love to drive a 150 ton express locomotive or coxswain a barge up and down the length of the UK and get paid for it, but that does not diminish the practicalities of G&PL.
 
From todays defence news on the MOD website.

The Ministry of Defence has awarded its Strategic Rail Capability and Mainline Rail Freight Services haulage contract to EWS Network in a deal worth £28 million.
EWS railwaymen at work
[Source:MOD]

The contract, awarded to EWS following a competitive tender process, will last for four years and also covers the maintenance of the MOD's wagon fleet.

EWS Network will supply locomotives to pull the MoD's own fleet of railway wagons, as well as providing specialist services utilising the EWS wagon fleet as required. In an average year the MOD utilises around 8,000 wagon movements on Britain's rail network.
Brigadier Jeff Mason, Director Defence Supply Chain Operations and Movements (DSCOM), said:
"The national railway network is a vital strategic transport asset for MOD. We will take full advantage of it under this contract to continue to move by rail a wide range of armoured vehicles and material. Moving these items by rail saves on road transport costs and exploits MOD's existing rail assets. It also meets the MOD's commitment to greener issues."
Gerry Jones, Account Manager for EWS Network, added:
"Whilst it is a demanding role, it is a prestigious contract to win and an honour to provide rail freight services for the Ministry of Defence. We are delighted to have provided the right combination of flexibility, commitment and value in our tender response which has met their requirements."
 
Damn, I killed another thread.

I assume your point was either "FFS, talk about privatisation",
or
"Hey, look: the Army's using railways. Cool!"
 
Damn, I killed another thread.

No, not quite, I am poised, ready to burst into action.;)

Everything seems to take so long.:(

"Hey, look: the Army's using railways. Cool!"

It is indeed cool, the Army used to have it's own railways, now long gone, and have abandoned extensive use of the railway for years. It is significant that as the road system's capacity is at saturation point and military activity in the UK is at a heightened level the RLC is returning to the railways for long distance and bulk transport.
 
Is the loading gauge anywhere in Britain able to work with double-stacked containers, by any chance?

And if that answer is no, could it be made to work?
 
No, not quite, I am poised, ready to burst into action.;)

Everything seems to take so long.:(



It is indeed cool, the Army used to have it's own railways, now long gone, and have abandoned extensive use of the railway for years. It is significant that as the road system's capacity is at saturation point and military activity in the UK is at a heightened level the RLC is returning to the railways for long distance and bulk transport.
'Scuse me? The Army used to have its own railways? How cool is that?

"I work on the railways. For the MoD. On their railways, you understand."
:D
 
OK! OK! I give in, I'll stop pissing about and get on with it.:eek: Sheesh, can't a guy get any peace around here?:(
 
OK! OK! I give in, I'll stop pissing about and get on with it.:eek: Sheesh, can't a guy get any peace around here?:(
I forget... did you re-boot this or something?

If so, was it "Green & Pleasant Land mk2" or similar, or under a different title entirely?

If not, it shouldn't just languish...
 
Been reading a book by Adrian Vaughan called 'Railway Blunders', he suggests that the network we saw prior to Beeching was largely a result of private companies building a new line between two existing companies knowing that one of them would have to buy the line even if it duplicated what they already had to prevent the opposition from getting it.

Also it seem tha personal spite stopped the UK gauge being 5ft 6", this is what the Rennie brothers wanted but Stephenson went for the gauge we have today. The Rennie brothers it seems were total ******* and the Rennies and Stephenson despised each other but this was the one area they had a bit of sense in.
 
I wonder how HSR in the UK will come about ITTL.

Looking at the timeline I drew up it would have started in the early 60s. BREL were developing tilting trains then and the motive units that I suggested for this TL would have been able to power HSR. I'm still wondering whether the HSR network for G&PL would be standard-gauge, broad-gauge or mag-lev though.
 
Interesting to see a timeline like this, especially as I've been a railway worker for over 20 years. A non privatised, non hacked to pieces transport infrastructure serving the country and it's people. Ah bliss!

It would've affected our culture and way of life in so many positive ways I think.
 
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