Ian Jelf wrote:

Does anyone know why the Aldwych branch was built in such a way as to be
useless? From recollection the southbound branch tunnel is linked to the
northbound mainline tunnel whilst the other two aren't linked at all,
ruling
out both through services to Aldwych and using the branch for reversing
when
there are problem south of Holborn.

Because what eventually became the Piccadilly Railway was actually
conceived as two separate lines which joined together at Holborn. The
Northern of these two had been planned to continue south to "Strand" (as
Aldwych was originally called) and was built anyway, becoming one of those
odd relics of the Tube in the process.

That explains why it was built but not why the connection at Holborn is so
useless. Had it been built as a more conventional branch then it could have
been useful for diverting trains, relieving pressure on the system and as a
glorified reversing bay that the line sometimes needs. But instead any
regular through service (the theatre specials were a late night northbound
service) was scuppered from the point of construction.

In the very earliest days of the line there were through services from
"Strand" (not sure if it had been renamed at that point) to the then
Northern terminus of the Piccadilly to cater for late evening theatre
traffic. These ceased very early on and information about them is
patchy.

It was still Strand - the big round of renamings was during the First World
War. As I understand it the theatre through service was only one a night.

I can just about understand why the station was built in the first place,
but why wasn't any attempt made to make the branch in anyway useful? Not
that a through service would have been handy in the long run, but it could
have been more viable for extensions/creating a street interchange with
Temple and so forth.
Well, there was on at least one occasion and possibly more talk of
extending the branch under the Thames to Waterloo, which would have been a
big help but I'm not sure how serious these plans were.

How far along the Strand did the original Jubilee Line tunnels actually
reach? Had they made it to Aldwych the station would probably be working and
vibrant today.

In message , Tim Roll-Pickering
writes

That explains why it was built but not why the connection at Holborn is so
useless.

I suspect that by the time it was built, it was already obvious that
Aldwych would never be more than a rather useless stub. During the
planning stages it must have seemed to have had great potential to
extend to Waterloo - but an attempt to get as far as Temple was killed
off by the LCC and local landowners in 1902. Then a bill for a single
bore tunnel direct to Waterloo was killed off by parliament in 1905 - by
which time work had already begun on the Aldwych branch.

So I suspect that the odd crossover arrangement at Holborn was
eventually never seen as anything much more than a way of getting the
Aldwych shuttle car out onto the main line for repairs, etc. (despite
the very short-lived theatre through train).

--
Paul Terry

Paul Terry wrote:

That explains why it was built but not why the connection at Holborn is so
useless.

I suspect that by the time it was built, it was already obvious that
Aldwych would never be more than a rather useless stub.

In which case, a great lack of foresight. Had an extension later become
available then a Waterloo to King's Cross St. Pancras direct route could
have been constructed. (Isn't something similar floating about in current
official long term pipe dreams?) Even just as a reversing bay the line would
have been of some use - what are the current cut-off points for truncated
services on the Picadilly?

In message , Tim Roll-Pickering
writes

I suspect that by the time it was built, it was already obvious that
Aldwych would never be more than a rather useless stub.

In which case, a great lack of foresight. Had an extension later become
available then a Waterloo to King's Cross St. Pancras direct route could
have been constructed. (Isn't something similar floating about in current
official long term pipe dreams?) Even just as a reversing bay the line would
have been of some use - what are the current cut-off points for truncated
services on the Picadilly?

If you're referring to reversing points then we have (from east to west)

Oakwood (east to west move only)
Arnos Grove
Wood Green (east to west only)
Kings Cross
Green Park (west to east via Down Street sidings only)
Hyde Park Corner
Barons Court (west to east only)
Hammersmith
Acton Town
Northfields (west to east only)
Boston Manor (west to east only)
Hounslow Central (west to east only)
Hatton Cross (west to east only)
South Harrow
Rayners Lane
Ruislip
Hillingdon (via Uxbridge sidings)

There are also available to us:
Ealing Broadway (west to east)
West kensington (east to west)
in emergencies.
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)

Tim Roll-Pickering:
Does anyone know why the Aldwych branch was built in such a way
as to be useless?

I've never seen an explanation of that. Clive Feather has never seen
an explanation of that.

From recollection the southbound branch tunnel is linked to the
northbound mainline tunnel whilst the other two aren't linked at
all, ruling out both through services to Aldwych and using the
branch for reversing ...

Right. In addition, there was no crossover north of Holborn on the
main line that would have allowed the branch junction to be worked
as a "single-lead junction" even if they'd wanted to; they put one
at Covent Garden instead. Nor was there a crossover at the south
end of the branch, only near Holborn on the branch. Here's an ASCII
version of the diagram in Rails Through the Clay 2nd edition (RTTC2):

to Finsbury Park
| |
| |
| |#
* |#
/| |#
/#| |#
HOLBORN /##| |#
/# #| /
/# #| (
/## #|
_/ # # = #|
__/ # | |
__/ _ ) # | *
__/ __/ | /|
_* __/ |/ |
/ |.__/ * |
/# * | |
/# #/ | |
COVENT GARDEN | |
and on to Hammersmith | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
STRAND # | | #
(- Aldwych) # | | #
# | | #
= =


Ian Jelf:
Because what eventually became the Piccadilly Railway was actually
conceived as two separate lines which joined together at Holborn. The
Northern of these two had been planned to continue south to "Strand" (as
Aldwych was originally called) and was built anyway...

Tim Roll-Pickering:
That explains why it was built but not why the connection at Holborn
is so useless. Had it been built as a more conventional branch then
it could have been useful...

Exactly.

RTTC2 says the branch was originally worked using only the east track
off-peak and with a train on each track working independently at peaks.
By 1912 it was down to a single shuttle at all times, using the branch
crossover, and in due course the other tracks were lifted and this
became the only possible route.

In the very earliest days of the line there were through services from
"Strand" (not sure if it had been renamed at that point) to the then
Northern terminus of the Piccadilly to cater for late evening theatre
traffic. These ceased very early on and information about them is
patchy.

It was still Strand...

Yes, it changed in 1915.

As I understand it the theatre through service was only one a night.

Before the branch opened, this train started from Holborn and ran express
to Finsbury Park, calling only at King's Cross and Holloway Road. It was
then altered to start at Strand (Aldwych), at 11:13 pm (later 11:28).
From 1908 it called at all stations. [RTTC2] I don't see anything to
say when it stopped running.
--
Mark Brader "Remember, this is Mark we're dealing with.
Toronto Rationality and fact won't work very well."
-- Jeff Scott Franzman

My text in this article is in the public domain.

In message , Mark Brader
writes

( the Aldwych Theatre train):

It was then altered to start at Strand (Aldwych), at 11:13 pm (later
11:28). From 1908 it called at all stations. [RTTC2] I don't see
anything to say when it stopped running.

End of 1908, according to Croome's monograph on the Piccadilly line

Not altogether surprising, though - Aldwych is right on the far easterly
corner of "theatreland", so Covent Garden, Leicester Square or TCR have
always been more convenient for the majority of theatre-goers.

--
Paul Terry