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Old February 9th 04, 09:49 PM posted to uk.railway,uk.transport.london
Chippy Chippy is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Nov 2003
Posts: 27
Default A Couple of Odd London Queries.

During the last few days I've come across to railway-related items
that seem a bit odd.

Firstly, on the 'The Signalbox' website their is an exellent page on
Harrow No.2 signalbox:

http://www.signalbox.org/gallery/lm/harrow2.htm

What puxzzles me is the statement that:

"By the 1970's, there were no passenger booked trains to reverse here,
but the box opened once a day at lunchtime to shunt an Up mail train
to the Down platform. This move had been carried out every weekday
since the 1952 Harrow train crash which destroyed the lifts on the Up
platform."

Was there really a mail train on the Watford DC line? What stock was
used - was it loco hauled (ISTR restrictions on the line for such
trains), or an EMU?

Secondly, on the 'Derelict London' site, the entry for Dalston
Junction station ( http://www.derelictlondon.com/id374.htm ) says:

"This station was used in the 1959 film "Look Back in Anger" staring
Richard Burton. A launch party for the film was held in the station
buffet."

It seems extraordinary that a station like Dalsston Junction, with a
very frequent service but only a small miority of passengers changing,
would have a buffet. Is it correct that it did have one (I'd
certainly place less reliance on the accuracy of this site than on
'the signalbox'), and, if so, when did it close?