London Banter - View Single Post

Colin Rosenstiel · September 21st 07, 12:44 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article ,
(Tom Anderson) wrote:

I hadn't realised there was a time when that bit of line only ran
to Drayton Park; it originally terminated in underground platforms
at Finsbury Park (having been planned to go further and then
wrecked by corporate politics, as i'm sure we all know), and those
were taken over by the construction of the Victoria line, but i
assumed the line was re-plumbed into the GN mainline at the same
time. I infer that that happened later on.

Er, you've answered your own question!

This seems rather silly - having the line only go to Drayton Park
makes it almost completely useless! How long did that situation
last? Crumbs - according to CULG, from 1964 to 1976! It would only
have been useful as a local service from Essex Road, Highbury &
Islington and Drayton Park into the City, and for people coming on
the Victoria line from Finsbury Park or Blackhorse Road (the other
stations have direct connections to Liverpool Street anyway).
Luxury! What was the frequency like? With that kind of demand, i
would guess low enough that people would be better off taking
either a bus or the Northern from King's Cross instead.

The service, even when it ran to Finsbury Park when I first knew it, was
very lightly loaded off-peak. It used "Standard" stock, including the
last control trailers. The off-peak service was run by two-car (Motor
plus Control Trailer) trains, augmented in the peak to 6 cars by adding
CT-T-T-M. The depot was at Drayton Park (you can see the site next to the
station). Because it was the last line to use Standard stock much of it
found its way to the Isle of Wight, explaining why the Island had so many
control trailers.

The truncated service was running when I and friends did the Underground
trip in 1970. It was quite a pain to visit Drayton Park and Essex Road
stations. The others, being interchanges, didn't need their own visits.
We had to double back at both Drayton Park and Essex Road from Highbury
and Islington. In those days Essex Road had little or no public
electricity supply and the platform lights were fed direct from the
traction supply. This meant that the lights noticeably dimmed when a
train started. Most passengers wouldn't have noticed but we did while
waiting for the train in the opposite direction.

Did the link from the NLL to the GN not exist before the Moorgate
line was plumbed in? What did the railways round that area look
like in, say, 1965?

The pre-war Northern Heights scheme would have projected the Northern
City via surface platforms at Finsbury Park (adjacent to platform 1) and
then using the now demolished flyover across the GN main line to Highgate.
Some work was done at Drayton Park to provide a connection which allowed
access to Drayton Park from Highgate and vice-versa until 1970. It had to
be re-done to create the present direct route from the platforms between
1971 and 1976, though.

--
Colin Rosenstiel