On 01/07/2013 18:09, Robin9 wrote:

'Stephen Furley[_2_ Wrote:
;137762']"Robin9" wrote in message
...


'Stephen Furley[_2_ Wrote:--
If the curve towards Kentish Town and St. Pancras hadn't been
obliterated
could any case have been made for a service via that route to
somewhere
on
the Southern. South to East travel in London often seems to be poorly
catered for. That curve could not now be re-instated.--
-
Which curve are you referring to? Scanning an old Ian Allen gazetteer,
it seems that once there were two leading off from between Upper
Holloway
and Gospel Oak going towards Kentish Town. Are they both closed and
unrestorable?-

Yes.
-
Long, long ago I occasionally travelled from Leyton Midland to St.
Pancras.
From Upper Holloway, we took the descending line which is still used
by-
-
freight trains. We came to a junction immediately prior to tunnels. One
tunnel lead to Kentish Town and St. Pancras and the other lead to the
Midland
Line going towards Cricklewood.-
-
I've often wondered if the route towards St. Pancras is still
navigable.
As, in order to maximise utilisation of the Thames Link route, several
improbable services have been suggested, it seems to me that a
Barking/Upper
Holloway/St Pancras International/South London service might not be a
bad idea.-

The freight line leaves the route to Gospel Oak at Junction Road
Junction,
and joins the route towards Cricklewood at Carlton Road Junction. There

used to be a triangle here with the third side leading to Kentish Town
and
St. Pancras. I think the other two junctions were Engine Shed Junction
and
Mortimer Street Junction.

The Barking service was cut back from St. Pancras to Kentish Town long
ago;
I don't know when. At some time, probably in the late '70s or early
'80s
the service was diverted into Gospel Oak, as a connection with the North

London was thought to be more useful than terminating at Kentish Town.
The
third side of the triangle was lifted and filled in.

I'm not sure what the other route to Kentish town was used for; depot
access? I've only seen it on old maps.

I don't remember the triangular arrangement. That may have been before
my
time. I seem to recall a straightforward junction. If the route towards
Kentish
Town was filled in, can that be reversed or has the land been built
on/put to
other use? Presumably the tunnel was not filled in even though, I
imagine, the
entrances were bricked up.


The line used by the Kentish Town - Barking trains ran across what is
now a builders depot to reach Mortiner Street junction. Reinstating the
route would split the depot in two, leaving half of it rail-locked, and
is probably not feasible. (The depot incorporates some of the former
Kentish Town engine shed.)

Incidentally there was a second route from Kentish Town eastwards. It
left the Midland line on its west side and then crossed it on a bridge
to reach a junction east of Gospel Oak. The route may still exist but
is useless for sering Thameslink! (The line was used mainly by St
Pancrasd - Tilbury boat trains.)