Portal:Trains/Did you know/August 2019

August 2019

Portrait of George Stephenson

• ...that George Stephenson's conservative views on the capabilities of locomotives meant he favoured circuitous routes and civil engineering that were more costly than his successors thought necessary?

One of the U-Bahn platforms at Stephansplatz station in 2008

• ...that the Vienna U-Bahn platforms at Stephansplatz station station lie up to five storeys below the Stephansplatz?

Class 33-200 no. 33-212 leading a train in 1970

• ...that South African Railways' Class 33-200 locomotives built in 1966 and 67 were the first GM-EMD diesel-electric locomotives to be placed in service by the SAR?

Peterborough station sigh in 2017

• ...that in October 1981, the Steamtown Peterborough Railway Preservation Society operated the last steam-hauled train to travel the line between Peterborough and Quorn, South Australia?

An early Stephenson-designed locomotive circa 1814

• ...that some pioneering early steam locomotives used steam springs rather than leaf or coil springs for suspension because at the time high quality steel was so expensive as to be regarded as 'a semi-precious metal'?

The platforms and footbridge at Stanlow and Thornton station in 2012

• ...that Stanlow and Thornton, which saw only 40 passengers in the 2004-05 fiscal year, is the least used railway station in Cheshire?

A 1Co type truck on a class 32-000 locomotive

• ...that ALCO's loss of the bid for South African Railways' Class 32-000 locomotive because they would not provide a 1Co+Co1 bogied locomotive is credited as a major factor in ALCO's demise?

Leland Stanford in the 1870s

• ...that Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads, commissioned photographer Eadweard Muybridge's study of The Horse in Motion?

The preserved 1911-built Stanford, Kentucky, station building in 2008

• ...that the original Stanford train station was built in 1866 as part of Ambrose Burnside's goal of easier supply transport in central Kentucky?

A London Underground train at Stamford Brook station in 2014

• ...that when Stamford Brook station opened in 1912, it was served by both District Railway and London and South Western Railway trains?

South African Class 31-000 number 31-028 at Bellville, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, in 2010

• ...that the South African Class 31-000 type GE U12B diesel-electric locomotive, built by General Electric in 1958, was the first diesel-electric road locomotive type to enter SAR service in quantity?

PRASA Class Afro 4000 number 4012 at Table Bay Harbour in 2015

• ...that the Class Afro 4000, a Cape gauge version of the Euro 4000, was the first new locomotive type to be acquired by PRASA since its establishment?

Amtrak's St. Albans station in 1987

• ...that since the original station building was demolished in 1963, Amtrak set up its St. Albans station, Vermont, using a former switch house as a station building?

The extra-wide platform of St James station in 2017 with the two center track areas filled in

• ...that in the 1990s, the two island platforms at St James railway station in Sydney, Australia, were connected by filling in the space between them, resulting in one single, large island platform?

SAR Class 20 locomotive circa 1935

• ...that the only South African Railways Class 20 2-10-2 steam locomotive, assembled in 1935 using parts of former Class 19A and Class 8 locomotives, was the third locomotive type to be designed and built in South Africa?

A First Great Western train on the St Ives Bay Line in July 2012

• ...that the St Ives Bay Line, which opened in 1877, was the last new 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge passenger railway to be constructed in England?

Drawing of the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway bridge over the Liverpool and Manchester Railway

• ...that the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway, which opened in 1833, included the world's first rail-to-ship facility and the first railway bridge over another railway line?

First Great Western's 150122 calls at St Erth with a Penzance to Taunton service in July 2012

• ...that on an average weekday St Erth railway station sees up to 69 trains, making it the busiest station in Cornwall in terms of services?

Class 14A locomotive number 1911 pulling a passenger train in 1980

• ...that South African Railways' Class 14A 4-8-2 locomotives had nearly 6 inches (152 mm) less boiler diameter than the Class 14 to reduce the axle loading from 16 long tons 3 hundredweight (16,410 kg) to 15 long tons (15,240 kg)?

USA class locomotive No. 30073 at Eastleigh MPD in August 1966

• ...that the former United States Army Transportation Corps S100 Class steam locomotives purchased and adapted by Southern Railway (SR) to become the USA class were given the nickname "Yank Tanks" by SR crews?

First Great Western 43185 with a train for London Paddingotn passed under Network Rail's prototype plastic footbridge which was installed to replace an old iron structure in 2008

• ...that at the eastern end of St Austell railway station Network Rail replaced a nearly 150-year-old road bridge with a prototype modular fibre reinforced polymer footbridge?

The Badger in 2014

• ...that the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's rail car ferry SS Badger, now operated for passenger service, is the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes?

A South African Railways Class 13 locomotive

• ...that South African Railways' Class 13 4-8-0 tank and tender locomotives were rebuilt from Imperial Military Railways 4-10-2T locomotives?

35018 British India Line at Long Preston station in April 2018

• ...that Southern Railway's Merchant Navy class locomotive 35018 British India Line was the first of its class to emerge from a 1950s rebuild programme that influenced the design of the West Country and Battle of Britain classes?

Two sets of 3SUB trains and two extra unpowered cars in 1928

• ...that London and South Western Railway's class 3SUB electric multiple unit trains introduced in 1915 were the first trains on the LSWR not to offer second class accommodation?