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British Railway Trivia

How much do you know about Britain and its railways?
Quiz by JackT418
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Last updated: January 24, 2024
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First submittedJanuary 24, 2024
Times taken13
Average score33.3%
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Question
Answer
What piece of legislation united the various companies into the Big Four?
The Railways Act of 1921
This system of notation is used to designate steam locomotive wheel arrangements
Whyte Notation
This scheme, formed by British Railways, was used to update signals and track plans, as well as get rid of steam locomotives
The Modernization Plan
What is the type of coupling used in Britain?
Screw link
What is the standard loading gauge on all mainline networks?
4 feet, 8 1/2 inches
This term, used for road-going vehicles in the United States, is used as terminology for rolling stock
Trucks
This term, called a throttle in the United States, is the name of the lever used to control speed in a steam locomotive
Regulator
This class of locomotive (hint: a diesel) is the most produced class in British history
Class 08
What member of the Big Four's London terminus was Paddington?
Great Western Railway
Question
Answer
This yellow-and-black circular device, adopted under British Rail, was mounted in locomotives as an advanced detection
AWS (Advanced Warning System)
What year saw the official end of steam locomotives in revenue-earning service on British Railways?
1968
This locomotive, which would be rebuilt into an A4 Pacific, would fail its testing and go on to be known by this quiet monacre
"Hush-Hush"
This locomotive, which was unimpressive and left a lot to be desired, was built by the LBCSR and went on to become the basis for a very famous character
Billinton E2
Where was the main workshop of the LMS located at?
Crewe
In locomotive design, larger driving wheels optimize speed, and are therefore given to engines that pull ___________
Passengers
This scrapyard in Wales was the resting place of countless steam engines, but it was also the place where many were rescued and preserved.
Barry Island
This locomotive, with a 2-10-0 wheel arrangement, was one of the most powerful steam engines ever built in Britain
BR Standard 9F
BONUS: What was the first ever preservation railway established in not only Britain, but the world as a whole? (Hint: narrow gauge)
Talyllyn Railway
1 Comments
+1
Level 55
Jan 30, 2024
4'8 1/2" is track gauge, not loading gauge. They are different. Loading gauge is the size of rolling stock that can be accommodated on a particular line and in the UK is identified by the letter "W" and a number, W5 being the smallest and W12 the largest. Other countries use different systems & there is also an international standard

There are several different types of couplings used in Britain, screw link is just one, BSI, Tightlock Dellner and Scharfenberg are some others in common use.