ST 3260 (full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3260

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 14^th Apr 2024

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. A startling especially anagrammatic puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and important feedback.

Trainload, the answer to the clue of 9a, fascinated me and to know more about the use of the word in Britain, I explored the net. I discovered that a sector of British Rail responsible for operating unit trains was created out of the trainload operations of British Rail’s Railfreight Division in 1988 and given the name ‘Trainload Freight’. It was responsible for trainload freight services. Based on the cargo carried, the division was further divided in four sub-sectors, namely, coal, petroleum, metals and construction. Other wagonload freight activities and containerised freight were simultaneously organised in the Railfreight Division. The trainload business formed around 80% of the total revenue from freight and 90% of freight traffic by mass of the British Rail. Trainload Freight was its only consistently profitable freight sector. In 1988, the company was authorised to acquire 100 Class 60 locomotives, at a cost of approximately £124 million. In 1992, the company had revenue of around £500 million and made a profit of £67.5 million, exceeding government targets of a £50 million profit. Returns on capital assets were typically over 8% in the late 1980s prior to the early 1990s recession. British Rail was able to charge a 45% margin on basic costs in 1989 for coal transport prior to the privatisation of the electricity industry, after which less profitable contracts were negotiated. From 1990 to 1994, the sector undertook further exercises to increase profitability; discriminatory pricing was employed. Approximately 10 million tonnes of unprofitable freight had been identified, of which 70% was retained under new working conditions and pricing arrangements; the remaining 3 million tonnes was lost, much of it being freight transport for the cement industry. Cost-cutting measures included a 20% reduction in employees, 50% reduction in locomotives and 40% reduction in wagons, resulting in rail freight transport being reduced to under 100 million tonnes per annum in the lead-up to privatisation, a modal share of under 5%. Approximately 250,000 tonnes of coal were being transported per day by the company by 1993. The company existed until 1994, when, after the Railways Act 1993 and as part of the privatising process of British Rail, it was split into three separate companies by region, namely, Load-Haul, Mainline Freight and Trans-Rail. Trainload services offered by Railfreight Distribution were also merged into the regional businesses. All three trainload companies were acquired by North and South Railways, a company set up by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central and became part of English, Welsh and Scottish.

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Across

1a          Wave behind swimmer ending on shore — a cracker! (4-7)
CODE-BREAKER: BREAKER (wave) as a wave broken on rocks or shore coming after or preceded by (behind) a combo of COD (swimmer) as any fish of the genus Gadus or the family Gadidae and the end or terminal letter (ending) on [SHOR]E guides to the definition of a person who tries to crack or solve the mystery of secret codes

7a          Regret the loss of flash vase (5)
MOURN: A charade of MO (flash) as a slang abbreviation for moment that can be represented as flash or instant and URN (vase) as a vase, especially for preservation of the ashes of the dead after cremation takes to the definition of a verb meaning to grieve for the death or regret the loss of someone

8a          Large amount in drain, a lot wasted (9)
TRAINLOAD: An anagram (wasted) of DRAIN, A LOT guides to the definition of the number of occupants or the amount of material that a passenger or freight train can hold and, by extension, a large amount, for example, “You just bought yourself a trainload of trouble.”

10a        Sauce that’s hot, while cold in boat, unfortunately (7)
TABASCO: The definition of a hot pepper sauce is arrived at from a combo of AS (while) as an adverb expressing while or when and C (cold) as the abbreviation for cold placed inside (in) an anagram (unfortunately) of BOAT

11a        With chest uncovered, slept so badly (7)
TOPLESS: The definition of an adjective used to describe someone, usually a woman, wearing nothing on the upper part of the body is obtained from an anagram (badly) of SLEPT SO

12a        Lift from bed, if yawning (5)
EDIFY: Part of or hidden inside (from) [B]ED, IF Y[AWMING] leads to the definition of a verb meaning to improve or uplift the mind of someone, especially in moral and religious knowledge

13a        Figure observed with episode screened (9)
SEVENTEEN: SEEN (observed) as a verb in the participle form meaning observed or viewed having (with) EVENT (episode) as an episode or one of a series of happenings guarded or shielded by putting inside (screened) takes to the definition of a figure or number one more than sixteen

16a        Group of stars, one of those making a huge splash? (3,6)
BIG DIPPER: The definition of a group of seven bright stars in Ursa Major resembling a dipper in outline that can be seen in the northern part of the world is arrived at from a large person or athlete jumping into a swimming pool (one of those making a huge splash)

18a        A horse goes back across hot country (5)
GHANA: A combo of A from the clue and NAG (horse) as a horse, especially a small one, returns (goes back) as reversals in the across clue placed about (across) H (hot) as the abbreviation for hot, especially with reference to water leads to the definition of a country in West Africa

19a        Old adversary quite devoid of it (7)
ANTIQUE: ANTI (adversary) as an adversary or a person who is opposed to a particular policy, activity or idea followed by QU[IT]E from the clue having IT removed (devoid of) yields the definition of an adjective meaning ancient or of a good old age

22a        1 Down wreck ignored (7)
ERODING: An anagram (wreck) of IGNORED takes to the definition of a verb in the continuous form meaning decaying, corroding or wearing away

23a        Protestant is delighted in German article (9)
DISSENTER: The definition of a person who disagrees, especially a Protestant, who refused to conform to the established church is reached from a combo of IS from the clue and SENT (delighted) as a slang term for a verb in the past tense meaning delighted or excited placed inside DER (German article) as the German definite article meaning ‘the’ that is used in front of masculine singular nouns in the nominative case and in front of feminine singular nouns in both genitive and dative cases

24a        Supposedly one won’t pay credit I’m due, ultimately (5)
CRIME: CR (credit) as the abbreviation for credit, I’M from the clue and the ultimate or last letter (ultimately) of [DU]E leads to the definition of an action or omission constituting an offence that does not pay ultimately as it is punishable by law; thus serving as a reference to the idiom “Crime doesn’t pay”

25a        Memorable name features in dancing all-nighter (11)
ENTHRALLING: N (name) as the abbreviation for name is included (features) in an anagram (dancing) of ALL-NIGHT, guiding to the definition of an adjective meaning holding the attention completely, spellbinding or memorable

Down

1d          Bit of bread and fish falling to pieces (9)
CRUMBLING: A charade of CRUMB (bit of bread) as a small bit or morsel of bread and LING (fish) as any of various fishes, such as a hake or burbot, of the cod family leads to the definition of a verb in the continuous form meaning decaying or falling into small pieces

2d          Case of dirty, filthy family (7)
DYNASTY: The extreme or outermost letters (case) of D[IRT]Y followed by NASTY (filthy) as an adjective meaning filthy, foul or squalid takes to the definition of a series of rulers or leaders of a country who are all from the same family

3d          Cheers excessive order in various pubs (7,2)
BOTTOMS UP: A combo of OTT (excessive) as the abbreviation for ‘over the top’ meaning exaggerated or extreme and OM (order) as the abbreviation for Order of Merit that is a British decoration conferred on civilians and servicemen for eminence in various fields placed inside (in) an anagram (various) of PUBS guides to the definition of a cheerful phrase or toast said before taking an alcoholic drink

4d          Done deed? Spot on! (5)
EXACT: A charade of EX- (done) as used to signify that the action of a base verb has been carried to a conclusive point or as indicating done or completed and ACT (deed) as a noun denoting deed or anything done or performed guides to the definition of an adjective meaning spot-on or correct in every detail

5d          Family doctor at home for head honcho (7)
KINGPIN: A charade of KIN (family) as one’s family, GP (doctor) as the abbreviation for general practitioner who is a doctor not specialising in any particular area of medicine and treating all types of illness and IN (at home) as at or inside one’s home leads to the definition of the most important person in a group engaged in an undertaking, such as a top banana or a head honcho

6d          European river where heron seen flying about (5)
RHÔNE: An anagram (seen flying about) of HERON takes to the definition of a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea

7d          Part of a computer with which relative fed up, reportedly? (11)
MOTHERBOARD: MOTHER (relative) as a female parent of a person followed by a homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) of BORED (fed up) as an adjective meaning fed up, uninterested or wearied by dullness produces the definition of the main electronic circuit board in a computer to which the microchips that perform important functions are attached

9d          A legend isn’t breaking free (11)
DISENTANGLE: An anagram (breaking) of A LEGEND ISN’T guides to the definition of a verb meaning to free from entanglement or disorder

14d        Irregular verb later appearing in a column? (9)
VERTEBRAL: An anagram (irregular) of VERB LATER takes to the definition of an adjective denoting belonging or related to or appearing in a spinal or vertebral column

15d        Looking at excavation, tool raised overhead (9)
EXAMINING: The definition of a verb in the continuous form meaning inspecting or looking closely at or into is arrived at from MINING (excavation) as excavation or the process of extracting ores or minerals from the earth preceded by (overhead) as placed above or earlier in the down clue AXE (tool) as a tool for hewing or chopping, having its edge and handled in the same plane that is seen moving upwards (raised)

17d        Novel isn’t about that Spanish investigation (7)
INQUEST: An anagram (novel) of ISN’T placed around (about) QUE (that Spanish) as the conjunction ‘than’ or ‘that’ in the Spanish language guides to the definition of an inquiry or investigation

18d        Dumplings Greek character provided after Conservative leader in Greece turned up (7)
GNOCCHI: The definition of a dish of small dumplings made from flour, semolina or potatoes, sometimes with the addition of cheese, and served with a sauce is reached from CHI (Greek character) as the twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet coming after or precede by (provided after) a combo of CON (Conservative) as the abbreviation for Conservative, a supporter or member of the Conservative Party and the leading or initial letter (leader) in G[REECE] in an upward direction (turned up) as a reversal in the down clue

20d        Refinement seen originally in gallery (5)
TASTE: The beginning or initial letter (originally) of S[EEN] placed inside (in) TATE (gallery) as an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries takes to the definition of a noun meaning the ability to discern what is of good quality or of a high aesthetic standard

21d        Access in between terraces (5)
ENTER: Part of or hidden inside (in) [BETWE]EN TER[RACES] guides to the definition of a verb meaning to access or log on or log in

Some of the clues that I liked in this puzzle were 1a, 16a, 23a, 1d, 3d, 4d, 7d and 18d; the topper being 1a. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Dada for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a good day.