Early DLR aerial shot
 

I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX35RTNXUAYGYKe?format=jpg&name=large

Now, of course, the left of those three docks contains the future Crossrail
station, the centre has the Jubilee station and the third one still is
still full of water.

The undeveloped Greenwich Peninsula is also interesting.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

"Recliner" wrote in message
...
I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the
skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX35RTNXUAYGYKe?format=jpg&name=large

Now, of course, the left of those three docks contains the future
Crossrail
station, the centre has the Jubilee station and the third one still is
still full of water.

The undeveloped Greenwich Peninsula is also interesting.

Many thanks.

The dying days of the Isle of Dogs !

PA

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On Saturday, 10 March 2018 16:54:53 UTC, Recliner wrote:
I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX35RTNXUAYGYKe?format=jpg&name=large

Now, of course, the left of those three docks contains the future Crossrail
station, the centre has the Jubilee station and the third one still is
still full of water.

The undeveloped Greenwich Peninsula is also interesting.

I don't have an aerial shot like that but I have a few photos of the Isle of Dogs in similar state when I had a walk round it in the 1980s. The DLR had progressed a bit when I took my shots as test trains were running. I have yet to scan the photos but they will end up on Flickr at some point. It's one of those classic times when you wish you'd taken oodles of photos given what the place has now become!

--
Paul C
via Google

Early DLR aerial shot
 

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Saturday, 10 March 2018 16:54:53 UTC, Recliner wrote:
I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX35RTNXUAYGYKe?format=jpg&name=large

Now, of course, the left of those three docks contains the future Crossrail
station, the centre has the Jubilee station and the third one still is
still full of water.

The undeveloped Greenwich Peninsula is also interesting.

I don't have an aerial shot like that but I have a few photos of the Isle
of Dogs in similar state when I had a walk round it in the 1980s. The DLR
had progressed a bit when I took my shots as test trains were running. I
have yet to scan the photos but they will end up on Flickr at some point.
It's one of those classic times when you wish you'd taken oodles of
photos given what the place has now become!


Yes, very much so. I don't think even the most enthusiastic proponents of
the LDDC could have predicted how it would develop. How easy was it to
wander around the Docklands area back then? Wasn't a lot of it fenced off?
That was one of the frustrations of the Olympic site, which was soon
surrounded by tall blue fences with no view of the transformation occurring
behind. The Greenway View Tube was the only publicly accessible place with
a decent View.

In the digital era, it's era it's so much cheaper and easier to snap away
with abandon, that I hope many more of this sort of 'before' shot will be
taken and survive. At least they don't deteriorate with age; indeed, if RAW
files are kept, they might even improve with age.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On 11/03/2018 10:41, Recliner wrote:

In the digital era, it's era it's so much cheaper and easier to snap away
with abandon, that I hope many more of this sort of 'before' shot will be
taken and survive. At least they don't deteriorate with age; indeed, if RAW
files are kept, they might even improve with age.

Yes, when I was using 2 1/4" square slide film,it used to cost almost a
pound every time I clicked the shutter whether the shot worked or not.
Prints cost a fortune....

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On 2018\03\11 10:41, Recliner wrote:

In the digital era, it's era it's so much cheaper and easier to snap away
with abandon, that I hope many more of this sort of 'before' shot will be
taken and survive. At least they don't deteriorate with age; indeed, if RAW
files are kept, they might even improve with age.

Okay, I'll bite. Why would RAW files improve with age?

Early DLR aerial shot
 

Basil Jet wrote:
On 2018\03\11 10:41, Recliner wrote:

In the digital era, it's so much cheaper and easier to snap away
with abandon, that I hope many more of this sort of 'before' shot will be
taken and survive. At least they don't deteriorate with age; indeed, if RAW
files are kept, they might even improve with age.

Okay, I'll bite. Why would RAW files improve with age?

The software to process them gets steadily better. I can re-process a RAW
file from 10 years ago and produce a significantly better JPEG now than was
possible at the time.

For example, sensors back then were much noisier than today, so even quite
low ISO images had significant noise. Now, much better,
computationally-intense noise reduction while processing RAWs is available.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

Paul Corfield wrote:
I don't have an aerial shot like that but I have a few photos of the Isle
of Dogs in similar state when I had a walk round it in the 1980s. The DLR
had progressed a bit when I took my shots as test trains were running. I
have yet to scan the photos but they will end up on Flickr at some point.
It's one of those classic times when you wish you'd taken oodles of photos
given what the place has now become!

Here's roughly the same shot from 1964:
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW130034
(lots more on that site, from 1920s onwards)

Theo

Early DLR aerial shot
 

Theo wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:
I don't have an aerial shot like that but I have a few photos of the Isle
of Dogs in similar state when I had a walk round it in the 1980s. The DLR
had progressed a bit when I took my shots as test trains were running. I
have yet to scan the photos but they will end up on Flickr at some point.
It's one of those classic times when you wish you'd taken oodles of photos
given what the place has now become!

Here's roughly the same shot from 1964:
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW130034
(lots more on that site, from 1920s onwards)

Yes, it's interesting to compare the three eras: working docks; derelect
docks+DLR viaduct; and today's completely reinvented, bustling skyscraper
city, with the expanded DLR almost lost in it.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On Sat, 10 Mar 2018 16:54:52 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX35RTNXUAYGYKe?format=jpg&name=large

Was that a power station on the left towards the top or an incinerator?

Now, of course, the left of those three docks contains the future Crossrail
station, the centre has the Jubilee station and the third one still is
still full of water.

The rate at which they're being filled in the Docklands name will soon become
a misnomer.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

wrote:
On Sat, 10 Mar 2018 16:54:52 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX35RTNXUAYGYKe?format=jpg&name=large

Was that a power station on the left towards the top or an incinerator?

I think it was Brunswick Wharf Power Station, which was demolished soon
after this picture was taken.

https://isleofdogslife.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-brunswick-power-station-at-blackwall/



Now, of course, the left of those three docks contains the future Crossrail
station, the centre has the Jubilee station and the third one still is
still full of water.

The rate at which they're being filled in the Docklands name will soon become
a misnomer.

The Royals still look like docks, but they're being developed, too.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:11:35 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
wrote:
Was that a power station on the left towards the top or an incinerator?

I think it was Brunswick Wharf Power Station, which was demolished soon
after this picture was taken.

Only around for 35 years. Seems like rather a waste of an expensive asset to
me given it could have been converted to run on anything and was right next to
the river for deliveries. But then we are rather short sighted in this country.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On 12/03/2018 10:27, wrote:
On Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:11:35 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
wrote:
Was that a power station on the left towards the top or an incinerator?

I think it was Brunswick Wharf Power Station, which was demolished soon
after this picture was taken.

Only around for 35 years. Seems like rather a waste of an expensive asset to
me given it could have been converted to run on anything and was right next to
the river for deliveries. But then we are rather short sighted in this country.

Half of Battersea operated for even less that...

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On Sunday, 11 March 2018 10:41:37 UTC, Recliner wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Saturday, 10 March 2018 16:54:53 UTC, Recliner wrote:
I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX35RTNXUAYGYKe?format=jpg&name=large

Now, of course, the left of those three docks contains the future Crossrail
station, the centre has the Jubilee station and the third one still is
still full of water.

The undeveloped Greenwich Peninsula is also interesting.

I don't have an aerial shot like that but I have a few photos of the Isle
of Dogs in similar state when I had a walk round it in the 1980s. The DLR
had progressed a bit when I took my shots as test trains were running. I
have yet to scan the photos but they will end up on Flickr at some point.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

Fairly typical life for a power station; Blyth, Bankside and Didcot ‘A’ lasted a fairy similar time for example. A much longer life, with sometimes several re-equipping during that life, such as at Lots Road, seems to have been quite rare, at least in more recent times.

Battersea was interesting. Planned in the ‘20s and the first half constructed in the ‘30s, then work held up by the war. ‘B’ side completed in 1953 I think. In 1964 there was a fire which put BBC2 off the air on its opening night, and the set which caught fire was never returned to service. The station closed sometime in the ‘80s, so while the station had a long history it only had all six sets operational for some 11 years.

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On Sat, 10 Mar 2018 16:54:52 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
wrote:


Great pic.

You can see my house from there... Well, you can't as it hadn't been
built yet!


I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX35RTNXUAYGYKe?format=jpg&name=large

Now, of course, the left of those three docks contains the future Crossrail
station, the centre has the Jubilee station and the third one still is
still full of water.

The undeveloped Greenwich Peninsula is also interesting.
--

Steve F.
London Docklands, E16, UK

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On 11 Mar 2018, John Williamson wrote
(in article ):

On 11/03/2018 10:41, Recliner wrote:

In the digital era, it's era it's so much cheaper and easier to snap away
with abandon, that I hope many more of this sort of 'before' shot will be
taken and survive. At least they don't deteriorate with age; indeed, if RAW
files are kept, they might even improve with age.
Yes, when I was using 2 1/4" square slide film,it used to cost almost a
pound every time I clicked the shutter whether the shot worked or not.
Prints cost a fortune....

2 1/4sq - maybe better known to younger brethren as 6x6 - was a luxury to me,
and I suspect most other photographers of my generation, reserved for very
special occasions.

Default was 35mm colour (Ektachrome, then Fuji) or B&W and roll film for B&W
(Ilford for preference).

Later years saw the growth of the 645 format (6cm x 4.5cm) which gives 16
shots on a roll of 120 film – popularised by the wonderful Bronica ETRS
range.

But with the growth of digital – and no longer having free and easy access
to my own darkroom – I abandoned film when someone helped themselves to my
Bronica kit.
Ken

Early DLR aerial shot
 

On Saturday, 10 March 2018 16:54:53 UTC, Recliner wrote:
I came across this historic image on Twitter, showing the just-built DLR
viaduct crossing the derelict docks at Canary Wharf, before the skyscrapers
were parachuted in. The absense of trains suggests that the pic was taken
in 1986 or 87.


Fascinating pictures. I don't think DLR construction is complete in this photo. Although the viaduct is in place, none of the DLR stations have been built yet. You should be able to see West India Quay, (the original) Canary Wharf (demolished and replaced without ever opening), Herons Quay and South Quay.
Interesting to see that the original docklands development buildings didn't last - The (under construction) building at the west end of Canary Wharf and the purple low rise buildings on Herons Quays are already demolished - being replaced with skyscrapers as I type.