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Ken Wheatley · February 8th 11, 05:50 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 2011-02-08 15:00:26 +0000, d said:

On Tue, 8 Feb 2011 14:00:49 -0000
"Mizter T" wrote:
And if there'd been a 3rd rail to Drayton park the service would have been
able to continue to moorgate. To me that makes more sense than having a
small
bit of catenary down to drayton since if the 3rd rail system fails no
trains
will be run down there at the moment anyway. So with a 3rd rail to
finsbury
you just have one point of failure rather than 2.

The OHLE might then fail at Finsbury Park instead, perhaps blocking off a
whole platform with a stranded train.

It could fail there now. If it does the train will be going nowhere. However
if there was a 3rd rail there it could just reverse and potter off back down
to moorgate. At least the passengers would have the option of getting a train
from KX on another platform.

It couldn't just reverse - it'd have to do what the Moorgate - Finsbury
Park short workings used to do in the early days of the Great Northern
Electrics. They used the EMU reversing sidings then reversed over the
Harringay flyover onto the up goods before crossing to Finsbury Park
platform 1. All of that track would need a third rail to be laid.