On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:04:37 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:

Yes, I'd defo recommend a jaunt out to to Stratford and a trip on the
NLL even if one only goes as far as Hackney Wick then turns back just
to see for yourself what's happening (and has happened) at the Olympic
Park. You can also get some decent views from the GEML twixt Liverpool
Street and Stratford (though that's not right in the midst of it
unlike the NLL).

A good circular route - that I did in the opposite direction - is to
walk from Hackney Wick along the Greenway to the View Tube area then
get the DLR from Pudding Mill Lane. A bit industrial at first but
gets better on the foot/cyclepath proper. The DLR to Stratford runs
along the same GEML track after leaving the old goods chord from
Poplar.

On Aug 10, 6:53*pm, Ivor The Engine
wrote:

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:04:37 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:
Yes, I'd defo recommend a jaunt out to to Stratford and a trip on the
NLL even if one only goes as far as Hackney Wick then turns back just
to see for yourself what's happening (and has happened) at the Olympic
Park. You can also get some decent views from the GEML twixt Liverpool
Street and Stratford (though that's not right in the midst of it
unlike the NLL).

A good circular route - that I did in the opposite direction - is to
walk from Hackney Wick along the Greenway to the View Tube area then
get the DLR from Pudding Mill Lane. *A bit industrial at first but
gets better on the foot/cyclepath proper. *The DLR to Stratford runs
along the same GEML track after leaving the old goods chord from
Poplar.

Yeah, that's a good route, always good to check it out on foot a
little too - I know the Hackney Wick area a bit, it became something
of a popular haunt for artists what with the availability of spacious
cheap warehouse space and all that, (plus it is/was a bit gritty,
close to Hackney proper etc) - that's still sort of the case but less
so now, rent has gone up, a number of new trendy apartments have been
built nearby, the Olympic park is bang next door, the general thinking
is that it's all change.

"Ivor The Engine" wrote

The DLR to Stratford runs
along the same GEML track after leaving the old goods chord from
Poplar.

The DLR line, from All Saints up past Devons Road to Bow Church uses the
former NLL Poplar line, which lost its passenger service during WW2, though
retained freight trains to the Docks until at least the 1970s. There was no
connection with the GEML - the NLL went under the GEML at Bow Junction. Now
the DLR swings parallel with the GEML, while the National Rail line from Gas
Factory Junction joins the GEML - this latter gets occasional diversions,
though has no booked passenger trains (and I'm not sure that there are any
regular ecs workings)[1].

The NLL Poplar line from there to Victoria Park has been abandoned, but at
Victoria Park (near Hackney Wick station) the line from Stratford joins.

It was electrified as part of the Shenfield electrification. The idea was to
run shuttles from bay platforms at Stratford to Fenchurch Street, but this
never happened. One of the bays has never been used; another was used for
the DLR until the DLR's own 2 platform terminus was built at Stratford.

Apart from the interest in the Olympic construction, this area is full of
railway history.

Peter

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:28:12 +0100, "Peter Masson"
wrote:

Now
the DLR swings parallel with the GEML, while the National Rail line from Gas
Factory Junction joins the GEML - this latter gets occasional diversions,
though has no booked passenger trains (and I'm not sure that there are any
regular ecs workings)

Thanks for the history lesson! It's an area I know a little, but only
relatively recently. While I was down there last week, I saw the
Network Rail Measurement Train on the NR line, crossing the bridge by
Bow Church DLR station.