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If you could...... ?
Posted: 13 Dec 2011 19:12
by Seeker
If you could run you own old rail line which one would you open?
Where would your services run from, via and to?
And what would you run on it? (Plus what would be your Headline Engine)
I'd like to see the line from Bletchley via Buckingham to Banbury Merton Street with my main station in Buckingham. And I'd run Black 5's
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 13 Dec 2011 20:50
by teccuk
Haha. Good topic.
Ok. I'd run Yatton to Wells via Cheddar. Not too bothered about rolling stock, but vintage DMU's would suit.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 13 Dec 2011 21:34
by Comm Cody
Chicago to Omaha Via Davenport, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.
Name would be The Cornhusker with P42 engine, Baggage Car, Cafe Car and 3 Coaches.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 13 Dec 2011 21:53
by orudge
If you mean reopening an existing line, then, hmm, maybe the Aberdeen - Ballater line? If you mean building a new line, I'd build a nice new high-speed line between my house here and Banchory, Aberdeen, Aberdeen Airport, Dundee, St Andrews, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Mold and Rhosesmor, perhaps. All the places I need to go to on a somewhat regular basis.

Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 13 Dec 2011 23:56
by Railwaymodeler
Comm Cody wrote:Chicago to Omaha Via Davenport, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.
Name would be The Cornhusker with P42 engine, Baggage Car, Cafe Car and 3 Coaches.
I grew up in Davenport as a kid, I, too, have had the same idea!
But why the GE diesel? Why not go for an E-7 or an E-8 and some 1940s streamline coaches? As long as were are talking fantasy, why not?
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 14 Dec 2011 00:18
by 61653
All I'd need right now would be a 200yard spur from the Huddersfield-Manchester line at the West end of Milnsbridge viaduct to my back yard, and running rights into Huddersfield platform 4 to reverse and visit family in Skelmanthorpe (would require a substantial change of gauge at Clayton West Junction, mind!).
As for rolling stock, a 110 'Calder Valley' unit would suffice, at least for the standard-gauge section.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 14 Dec 2011 00:50
by EXTspotter
I'd like new direct services from Guildford to Exeter and beyond, either running via Reading or the opening of a new 125mph route along the current west of england mainline. I'd like the service to be run by nice comfy HSTs.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 21 Dec 2011 20:41
by Ed,
Basicly reopen the disused lines with some small additions to expand Mersey rail

Site
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/watercity/Me ... sions.html
Anoraks pipe dream some of it will never be economical.
bits of it seem sensible and economical like running the Ellesmere port electrics through to helsby the current set up is insane.
Also the line between bidston and Wrexham could be improved greatly with some third rail it could run into Liverpool.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 24 Dec 2011 12:25
by 61653
The set-up in the Merseyside area is a bit odd at Kirkby, Ormskirk and Ellesmere Port: There's been longstanding pipedreams to extend electrification to the nearest junction stations in each case (Wigan, Preston and Helsby) along with the Borderlands line. However, recent announcements from Network Rail make the extension of 3rd rail unlikely, even on routes that'll only ever carry local commuter traffic in all likelihood. This of course means that any Merseyrail fleet replacement would require dual-voltage sets, the extra cost of which will probably mean the 507/508s will be replaced by the near-identical 313s...

Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 24 Dec 2011 20:26
by Elcamo
I'd extend the Boston MBTA's Blue Line out from it's current terminus, and have it stop in Lynn twice, then Swampscott, then a connection with the Commuter rail at a brand new Salem Station (Includes a 1500 space parking garage), and then have the tracks take over an existing freight line through salem, with a stop in Peabody Center and then with a Terminus at the North Shore Mall/Leahy Clinic. It would run existing Blue Line Rolling stock, with overhead power for most of the trip.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 26 Dec 2011 15:44
by Ed,
Dual voltage for the next set of Mersey rail stock is the way to go it allows cheaper expansion of the network. Also allows for phasing out the third rail in the long term then getting overhead wire trains next time.
The other thing I would like to see is running either two or all four of the Chester trains all the way to Crewe. Would need extra electrification but would save everyone on wirral a change on any southward journey and nicely replace the shuttle service that arriva trains Wales run between Crew and Chester freeing up some ideal stock for the heart of Wales line.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 27 Dec 2011 00:40
by 61653
Ed, wrote:Dual voltage for the next set of Mersey rail stock is the way to go it allows cheaper expansion of the network. Also allows for phasing out the third rail in the long term then getting overhead wire trains next time.
The other thing I would like to see is running either two or all four of the Chester trains all the way to Crewe. Would need extra electrification but would save everyone on wirral a change on any southward journey and nicely replace the shuttle service that arriva trains Wales run between Crew and Chester freeing up some ideal stock for the heart of Wales line.
That's a pretty good idea, though I'm not sure Crewe-Chester needs 4 trains an hour... Would also cause congestion East of Chester station as the Liverpool-Chester-Crewe services would need to cross from North to South, and there's unlikely to be much of a case for building a flyover!
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 27 Dec 2011 15:09
by Ed,
two would likely be better though i do wonder how the times would synch up
You would have to reorganise the way things enter Chester preferably having the cross over on the west side as its much less busy
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 08 Jan 2012 22:53
by dasy2k1
Re open Matlock - Buxton and run London St Pancras to Manchester calling at. Leicester, Loughborough, Derby, Belper, Matlock, Buxton, Stockport and Manchester picc.
As for stock how about a deltic with a rake of mk1s
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 10 Jan 2012 08:20
by teccuk
dasy2k1 wrote:Re open Matlock - Buxton and run London St Pancras to Manchester calling at. Leicester, Loughborough, Derby, Belper, Matlock, Buxton, Stockport and Manchester picc.
As for stock how about a deltic with a rake of mk1s
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
That line actually should be re-opened. Not necessarily to London of course...
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 10 Jan 2012 17:00
by Pilot
Make all the Tram Lines round Manchester, that were once Rail Lines back into Rail lines and Put Class 37's and Mk. 2's on it.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 12 Jan 2012 19:03
by Gord
There was a story on the front of our local freebie paper this evening about re-opening the line between Brierley Hill and Stourbridge Junction and using Parry People Movers. Says work could start within 2 years.
Where the hell did that come from? I knew about the plans for that line in the other direction...but not that section. A bit out the blue. (For me anyway!)
Mentioning it in this thread as it would be fairly useful for me if passenger trains used that line again.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 12 Jan 2012 21:02
by 61653
Gord wrote:There was a story on the front of our local freebie paper this evening about re-opening the line between Brierley Hill and Stourbridge Junction and using Parry People Movers. Says work could start within 2 years.
Where the hell did that come from? I knew about the plans for that line in the other direction...but not that section. A bit out the blue. (For me anyway!)
Mentioning it in this thread as it would be fairly useful for me if passenger trains used that line again.
How long a journey would that be? I'm not familiar with the area or the PPM, but whilst they look ideal for the Stourbridge Town branch, but I imagine for anything much further they'd be akin to buying brand-new Pacers...
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 12 Jan 2012 22:42
by Gord
47434 wrote:Gord wrote:There was a story on the front of our local freebie paper this evening about re-opening the line between Brierley Hill and Stourbridge Junction and using Parry People Movers. Says work could start within 2 years.
Where the hell did that come from? I knew about the plans for that line in the other direction...but not that section. A bit out the blue. (For me anyway!)
Mentioning it in this thread as it would be fairly useful for me if passenger trains used that line again.
How long a journey would that be? I'm not familiar with the area or the PPM, but whilst they look ideal for the Stourbridge Town branch, but I imagine for anything much further they'd be akin to buying brand-new Pacers...
It's about 3-4 miles long...reckon it would take around 5-10 minutes, so a PPM would be OK for it. I wonder how many passengers it would actually get as the line goes through what is now a lot of industrial areas. The plan is to a put a station near a local hospital, (Corbett Hosipital, where the line passes under Vicarage Road for those who know this area), and a very large housing estate would be right next to that station. It would be interesting. It could take a lot of people off the local buses if the stations are put in correctly...and ironically may actually take a lot of passengers off the Stourbridge Town branch as a lot of people from this end of town currently use the bus to connect to the train at Stourbridge Town.
They actually plan to start the service near the Merry Hill waterfront. Merry Hill really could use better transport links.
Re: If you could...... ?
Posted: 13 Jan 2012 07:59
by Pilot
Is the line or trackbed still there from when it was a freight line through to Wallsall(?).