FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES
100 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 1921 Railway Electrification Report
THE Electrification Committee appointed by the Ministry of Transport has now published its final report. This embodies the interim report published last year, and which recommended direct current for future electrification schemes, with a special exception in the case of the Brighton Company; 1500 Volts was to be the standard pressure for new schemes, with 750V or multiples of 1500V if approved by the Minister; and threephase current at 25 or 50 cycles was proposed for generation.
It is pointed out that while the top contact rail is now generally used for 600750V, the under-contact type has also been largely used, and, in the opinion of the committee, possesses advantages both as regards interference by snow and ice and also as regards protection of men working on the line.
50 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 1971 Steam ban relaxed
IN what would appear to be a relaxation of its ‘steam ban’, British Railways is to allow preserved 4-6-0 No. 6000 King George V to travel under its own steam from Hereford to Tyseley on October 2, hauling an excursion train composed of the five Bulmer Pullman cider exhibition coaches and additional BR coaches for a limited number of passengers. The train will run via Severn Tunnel Junction, Didcot, Oxford and Banbury and will be on display at Tyseley on Sunday,
October 3 for the joint BR/SGST ‘At Home’ event there.
On October 4, King George V will haul its train, with passengers, from Birmingham Moor Street via Banbury to Kensington Olympia, where the cider exhibition train and locomotive will be open to the public on October 5 and 6.
On October 7, the locomotive will steam from Olympia to Swindon, where it will be on show at its birthplace for one day, and on October 9, the last excursion of the series will steam from Swindon to Hereford. The series of excursions has been arranged to ascertain the practical difficulties involved in operating steamhauled excursions over British Railways tracks.
Bletchley-Bedford inquiry held
PUBLIC inquiry into the British Railways proposal to withdraw passenger services from the Bletchley-Bedford St Johns line was held on July 28. It was stated that in the event of closure to passengers, BR would retain the line for freight working but would single it. About 100 people attended the inquiry.
Southern services to be cut
BECAUSE of a reduction by one-third in the number of commuters using London Bridge Station, from October 4 some 36 services on routes into London Bridge will be withdrawn – mainly on the Epsom line. Loss of traffic was principally from inner suburban stations.
20 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 2001 Work starts on St Pancras International
THE major alterations needed at St Pancras to accommodate Eurostars have begun in earnest. Over the next six years, the ex-Midland Railway terminus and its surrounding area will be completely transformed into a world-class international station.
No fewer than 13 new platforms will be built, the six for the international services being 400 metres long, approximately twice the length of the present ones.
The finished St Pancras will have 16 platforms, which will be dedicated as follows: 1-2 Thameslink; 3-7 Midland Mainline; 8-13 Eurostar; 14-16 Kent domestic.
The opening date is set for January 2007, by which time the Victorian-Gothic main station building and trainshed roof at St Pancras will have been restored.