The LNER Encyclopedia

After watching 'Alfie' (Michael Caine), it woul dappear that he is in theh Kings Cross Goods Yard under the Eastern coal drops.

has anyone got any pictures or decent maps of the drops and how wagons were used?

There seems to be very little info or photos on the internet of the goods yard operations even though it was extensive...

Thanks

There are some good pictures in the Irwell Press book on Kings Cross.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Great-Briti ... 1871608147

DaveGN wrote:After watching 'Alfie' (Michael Caine), it woul dappear that he is in theh Kings Cross Goods Yard under the Eastern coal drops.

has anyone got any pictures or decent maps of the drops and how wagons were used?

There seems to be very little info or photos on the internet of the goods yard operations even though it was extensive...

Thanks

Dave i watched that film about 5-6 months ago (personally i found it quite a 'depressing film' despite it being a fairly popular film in the 1960s with 'our' Cilla Black singing the main theme song, ''Wots it all about Alfie...??'' although i was only a youngster at the time when it was a hit single).

Anyway the scene near the beginning of the film where Alfie (Michael Caine) is with some 'bird' in a motor in a garage was i believe filmed around the back of st Pancras station, those 'concrete coal drops' (if they are the ones that i am thinking about?) are on Midland Railway territory in an area known as 'church yard sidings' just outside st Pancras station and were in use until the 1970s.

Ah right - yes you must be correct as they are indeed (looking at a map) on the LM side, but did the wagons come in from the KX side (Goods and Mineral Junction) and cross the bridge over Regeants canal?

I don't have access to the film (not seen for many years) but going by the above I can say that by 1870 there were two sets of coal drops separated by a road running north-south called Cambridge Street. The smaller set on the west side were accessed from the Midland (from the north - there were turntables to reach the traverser), but the larger ones on the east did indeed connect with the GN by going east and crossing the nearby Regent Canal (also running north-south at this point). By 1913 the Midland ones were covered over. (At least, that's my interpretation from the map - it doesn't show what's under the roof.) The Irwell Press book referenced above includes numerous pictures of the GN coal drops, the captions referring to "Camley Street". I think this must be the same street as Cambridge Street and could be an error. The MR drops closed in 1963. There's an excellent picture of them in horse-drawn days (even the traverser was horse-drawn) in "St Pancras to St Albans" (Middleton Press series). I can't say whether the MR or GN drops featured in the film - must check it out some time.

Kudu

Micky i posted on here a while ago but cant seem to remember the subject, i posted a couple of maps and pics of the area round the canal, traversers were used. The info came off my home pc im here on a laptop. Will try to find them.

Thats ok 52D DaveGN asked the original question as far as i am concerned the scene with Michael Caine was filmed in one of the motor garges in st Pancras road/Midland road at the back of 'Church Yard sidings' just north of st Pancras station.

Image 3 of 7 has a plan showing Mr. Plimsoll's coal depot..

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/virtualarc ... ngs-cross/

Thanks folks for allthe info - I have managed to get some maps and indeed the book Richard suggested. It does indeed appear on the map as Cambridge Strret and yet it is refered to by other sourses at Camley Street as Kudu has stated!

I worked at KX as a Messenger Lad in the 80's and delivered mail to the Shunters at 'Freight Terminal'. I wish I had taken my camera!

Here is one from the Motorail at KX, one of the few I did at least take!

DaveGN wrote: " .... Here is one from the Motorail at KX, one of the few I did at least take! "

Nice shot Dave, thanks for sharing it :
A view of which nothing now remains (in the fore-to-middle ground ; though of course, the background - St. Pancras's great Barlow trainshed and the huge edifice of the Midland Grand [now 'The Renaissance'] hotel survive firmly intact).

G'Day Gents

Yeah, good picture, so many hours sat on loco's in that yard, looks weird without the wooden platform, though

manna

For those who don't remember it, manna, where was the wooden platform? On the left where the cars are parked?

R. pike wrote:Image 3 of 7 has a plan showing Mr. Plimsoll's coal depot..

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/virtualarc ... ngs-cross/

Thanks for that. The plan has west at the top, so the GN coal drops are top left corner. The MR ones the other side of the street aren't shown, of course. Btw, in 1870 the MR had more coal drops on St Pancras Road. They must be v close to the new station (ie beyond the Barlow roof).

Kudu

That's a great picture of the milk dock in its latter days. The wooden platform (17) was indeed where those cars (and the habitual railway HA Viva van) are parked. They demolished 16 and 17, levelled the ground, made a gradient up to the road and punched a hole in the side wall in Cheney Road for the cars to gain access. It was meant to be a drivers car park and once in a while some old lag came down to check the permits.

You still had walking access to the hotel curve tunnel mouth via a wire gate as there was switchgear in there. Two of my M&EE colleagues had the unfortunate shock of finding a stiff down there. He was a tramp who had died there only the previous night, fortunately (for my colleagues, that is). Mind they weren't complaining - they got a days pay with full bonus for having to take a day off to go to Coroners Court!

The buildings that you can see behind the GUV are of interest and one of them is still there. Immediately behind the GUV, on the other side of Cheney road, is the German Gym, now fully restored and looking magnificant, if a little isolated. Immediately to its left you can see the upper floors and roof of Wellers Court, now demolished. The ODM used to have the ground and part of the 1st floor, the Civils had a lot of the rest and the GPO had the top floor before they fully decamped to the cab road (now platform 0) at KX Stn.

Getting back on topic (sorry, guv'nor!), Pink Floyd filmed part of "The Wall" in the goods yard, in the low level near the whisky bank.

Andy W wrote:You still had walking access to the hotel curve tunnel mouth via a wire gate as there was switchgear in there.

Yes - I took a photo of the old Hotel Curve exit too (1987)... a bit different from the days when the N2's used to storm out of there!