On Fri, 25 Aug 2017 20:59:50 +0100, Graeme Wall
wrote:

On 25/08/2017 19:59, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2017\08\25 19:48, MikeS wrote:
On 25/08/2017 19:20, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2017\08\25 16:23, Robin9 wrote:
I've mentioned before how YouTube in-cab videos fascinate me.
One uploaded in the past 24 hours might hold a wider interest
because it provides a rare opportunity to sample the Hendon
Lines and the Brent West Curve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meFyw4OJ_HQ&t=15s

Oldskidmark - a most unfortunate choice of moniker - is obviously
a driver of freight trains, and he has uploaded several videos of
fairly obscure freight routes in the London area.

Thanks. I've just noticed that there's a "Hendon Chord" reversible
track just north of Hendon station between the fast lines and the
Brent Curve which leads to the Dudden Hill line. Does it get much use?

It's also amazing how much valuable land is wasted between the RAF
museum and Hendon Station. It might be a bit noisy for housing but
you'd think some use could be made of it.

I assume you are looking to the west as the M1 is mostly sitting on
former railway land to the east. Not much usable land to the west
other than parts of the old Met Police College which they have not yet
started developing. If you look at the topography I think you will
find plenty of embankments which are fine for trees but not buildings.

I meant between the tracks, and on the alignment of the Hendon Chord
which seems superfluous.

Not sure there is actually that much useable land with all the various
embankments. Road access to most of it wouldn't be easy and with the
Met college site available there's no great advantage in trying to
develop it.

Going by what I've seen south of the river, a lot more odd bits of
land seem to have been retained or purchased/re-purchased to provide
permanent access to the railway than occurred in the past. Many of
these are wide enough to allow vehicular access to the railway but not
for a public road with pavements etc. Other features (e.g. sewage and
rainwater don't run uphill without help) can also make single-entry
areas hard to use for non-railway purposes.