Bridge identification

Graham Harrison wrote:
> Out walking over the weekend near Castle Cary I passed under the
> London/Exeter line several times. Most of the bridges had a notice
asking
> people to call a (Swindon) telephone number if they witnessed a road
vehicle
> striking the bridge.
>
> To identify the bridge there was a 3 letter code followed by some numbers
> (e.g. CCL 118.19). The numbers are (I'm assuming the distance (from
> London?)) but what does CCL stand for? Castle Cary Line?!

CCL = Castle Cary and Langport line.

> There are also several bridges (or just abutments) on the old Somerset and
> Dorset alignment which carry similar identification markings, in this case
> SAD followed by numbers (which is why I'm making the woeful guess on the
> meaning of CCL).
>
> Is there a list of such codes on the net somewhere?

Dunno.

Tony B.

"David Biddulph" <david@biddulph.org.uk> wrote in message news:<bt7483$fip$1@titan.>...
> > Is there a list of such codes on the net somewhere?
>
> Not on the net, to my knowledge, but you'll find them in Quail.

.... but the Quail books only have codes for "in use" lines (including
in later books preserved lines), so, for example, SAD (Somerset &
Dorset) and EBU (Evercreech & Burnham Branch) are not listed.

I have a list I compiled myself. There are 4268 entries, plus a load
of lines that (apparently) were never given a code. Many of these
were a sub-set of another line (e.g. Victoria Station & Pimlico
Railway, sensibly counted as part of VIR), some never BR-owned (e.g.
Tidworth Branch, War Department property), some I just don't know
(e.g. Ponkey Branch (I love that name!)).

PhilD

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PhilD wrote:

> "David Biddulph" <david@biddulph.org.uk> wrote in message news:<bt7483$fip$1@titan.>...
>
>>>Is there a list of such codes on the net somewhere?
>>
>>Not on the net, to my knowledge, but you'll find them in Quail.
>
>
> .... but the Quail books only have codes for "in use" lines (including
> in later books preserved lines), so, for example, SAD (Somerset &
> Dorset) and EBU (Evercreech & Burnham Branch) are not listed.
>
> I have a list I compiled myself. There are 4268 entries, plus a load
> of lines that (apparently) were never given a code. Many of these
> were a sub-set of another line (e.g. Victoria Station & Pimlico
> Railway, sensibly counted as part of VIR), some never BR-owned (e.g.
> Tidworth Branch, War Department property), some I just don't know
> (e.g. Ponkey Branch (I love that name!)).
>
> PhilD

They're to be found on some fairly thoroughly disused lines - such as
structures on the Hereford and Gloucester line at Ross on Wye - but I
suppose with a mile or so of that line still seeing trains it might be
useful to identify any incident of a bridge strike as being on the
disused bit ...

"David Biddulph" <david@biddulph.org.uk> wrote in message
news:bt7483$fip$1@titan....
.
> Mileages on that stretch are from Paddington via Newbury, and 118.19 would
> be about right for the bridge near Lovington.

Is that via Westbury and Frome stations, or the avoiding lines? When do
these date from?

> Mileages the other side of Castle Cary are from Paddington via Swindon.

Causing a sudden apparent drop in the mileage after CC. Presumably this
series only goes as far as Cogload Junction, does it? It's a long time since
I've been on that line.

Regards

Jonathan

"Jonathan Morton" <jonathan@removethisjonathanmorton.co.uk> wrote in message
news:btp6jb$lpj$1@sparta....
> "David Biddulph" <david@biddulph.org.uk> wrote in message
> news:bt7483$fip$1@titan....
> .
> > Mileages on that stretch are from Paddington via Newbury, and 118.19
would
> > be about right for the bridge near Lovington.
>
> Is that via Westbury and Frome stations, or the avoiding lines? When do
> these date from?
>
Patney and Chirton to Westbury (the Lavington cut-off) was opened in October
1900. Castle Cary to Langport and, IIRC, Curry Rivel to Cogload were opened
in 1906. The Westbury and Frome avoiding lines date from the 1930s.

Peter

"Peter Masson" <Peter.Masson1@> wrote in message
news:btpbr1$ceo$1@titan....

> Patney and Chirton to Westbury (the Lavington cut-off) was opened in
October
> 1900. Castle Cary to Langport and, IIRC, Curry Rivel to Cogload were
opened
> in 1906. The Westbury and Frome avoiding lines date from the 1930s.

Thanks. I knew about the first bit but I'd no idea the avoiding lines were
so late. Presumably therefore all of the posted distances are via Westbury
and Frome stations.

Actually this post got me looking at Jowett, and I see that there were two
routes from Taunton to Athelney, one via Durston and a shorter one via
Cogload. It looks as if the section from Athelney to Curry Rivel already
existed as part of the line from Taunton to Langport West and then Yeovil,
and that this section was used as part of the 1906 cut-off. Can anyone
confirm this? If so, I presume that the older alignment from Durston
Junction to Athelney was taken out of use when the new Cogload Junction was
opened.

Was Cogload a flying junction from the beginning in 1906? Again it's a long
time since I've been on that line but IIRC there's an Aynho-style girder
bridge and quadruple track from Cogload south as far as Taunton.

Regards

Jonathan

"Jonathan Morton" <jonathan@removethisjonathanmorton.co.uk> wrote in message
news:btpgc7$ggd$2@hercules....
> "Peter Masson" <Peter.Masson1@> wrote in message
> news:btpbr1$ceo$1@titan....
>
> > Patney and Chirton to Westbury (the Lavington cut-off) was opened in
> October
> > 1900. Castle Cary to Langport and, IIRC, Curry Rivel to Cogload were
> opened
> > in 1906. The Westbury and Frome avoiding lines date from the 1930s.
>
> Thanks. I knew about the first bit but I'd no idea the avoiding lines were
> so late. Presumably therefore all of the posted distances are via Westbury
> and Frome stations.
>
> Actually this post got me looking at Jowett, and I see that there were two
> routes from Taunton to Athelney, one via Durston and a shorter one via
> Cogload. It looks as if the section from Athelney to Curry Rivel already
> existed as part of the line from Taunton to Langport West and then Yeovil,
> and that this section was used as part of the 1906 cut-off. Can anyone
> confirm this? If so, I presume that the older alignment from Durston
> Junction to Athelney was taken out of use when the new Cogload Junction
was
> opened.
>
> Was Cogload a flying junction from the beginning in 1906? Again it's a
long
> time since I've been on that line but IIRC there's an Aynho-style girder
> bridge and quadruple track from Cogload south as far as Taunton.
>
Curry Rivel to Durston seems to have survived until Yeovil to Langport was
closed in the 1960s. A 1963 timetable shows a number of Yeovil to Taunton
trains calling at Durston. I think you're right that Langport to Curry Rivel
used the original alignment of the Yeovil to Taunton line, though presumably
this section was doubled in 1906. The GWR were into flying junctions with
their Edwardian cut-offs - Aynho, as you mention, Northolt, Ashendon. For
some reason they didn't include the one which would now be really useful -
Wootton Bassett. So I presume Cogload dates to 1906.

Peter

"Jonathan Condell" <jcondell@> wrote in message news:<btp53a$ee9$1@hercules.>...
> > I have a list I compiled myself. There are 4268 entries, plus a load
> > of lines that (apparently) were never given a code. Many of these
> > were a sub-set of another line (e.g. Victoria Station & Pimlico
> > Railway, sensibly counted as part of VIR), some never BR-owned (e.g.
> > Tidworth Branch, War Department property), some I just don't know
> > (e.g. Ponkey Branch (I love that name!)).
> >
>
> Is this list available in the public domain - if so where ?

Sorry, no. I've just about mastered email and discussion forums.
Having web pages is still some way off! (Stuff about being compatible
with different browsers doesn't help). Also, I'd have to modify the
format to make it more suitable for other people, who can't read my
mind and follow the presentation logic.

If ever I do put the list on a web page, I'll tell folk here.

PhilD

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