Kings Cross

[StevieG]

Good point sandwhich and Micky, about Down ECS trains queuing on the Goods road. My visits to Wood Green No.1 tended to be evenings and Saturdays in the late '60s/early 70s, and my mentioning the option of 'holding trains back' was about those on Down Slow No.2, probably on Sats., when this line tended to be free of passenger traffic and the DG didn't appear to see much use.

[Mickey]

Yes I remember occasionally seeing those ECS trains standing back from Wood Green No.1 back to Hornsey No.1 or Ferme Park North Down on the Down Goods line.

[sandwhich]

As regards the movements of 11 plus coaches of ECS from Kings Cross I have come across an early 1950s photo of a double headed N1 0-6-2 and a J50 0-6-0 climbing Holloway Bank. It seems that there were always problems lifting these trains in steam days. Double heading was obviously frowned upon with the added cost of engine and crew.

[Mickey]

I guess it was sandwhich.

[strang steel]

Another nostalgic photo for you. An ex-works Baby Deltic at Kings Cross loco in 1964.

http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mystery ... g=RE00541C

[Mickey]

I remember seeing several of those Baby Deltics on a back siding road at Stratford circa 1970/71?.

[giner]

Yes, a sad scene indeed, Micky.

Loved your account of the pull out of the Cross, though. I'd love to read a 'steam' version. Any takers?

[strang steel]

Never mind folks, in only a few months you can treat yourselves to this - http://www.irwellpress.com/acatalog/LON ... ILWAY.html

[giner]

That's the spirit, SS!

[Mickey]

Good one John.

[strang steel]

Yes, it was a sad scene - but mainly due to the speed at which it happened. If you had told spotters on the platform end in the summer of 1958 that ALL those locos in the yard (and at Top Shed) would be replaced by diesels in 5 years time, they would never have believed you, especially as some of the locos they might see were 10 years old or less, and some of the 9Fs had not even been built.

But, what saved the place for me was the variety of diesels that could be seen for the rest of the 1960s and the way that most of the infrastructure and operation remained the same.

The saddest change for me was the electrification and rationalisation of the station throat. After that, I could never really visit without feeling very depressed.

[Mickey]

I agree John I started to lose interest in Kings Cross from about the same time in 1977.

[Andy W]

D5909 was the only Baby Deltic to go blue and it was a near thing that it didn't get withdrawn at the time of overhaul. All the rest remained green until they were withdrawn. The slightly odd tinge to D5904 at KX in that linked photo is probably due to it both being a very sunny day and the film ageing over time. Nice to see a EE Type 3 on the Pass Loco too.

Nostalgic as I am for olden times, I would much rather go KX-PB in a 365 than a Cravens, a block ender or an eggbox Mark 1 TSO. We have moved on, not to everyones tastes but the kit now does huge mileages per year and is more reliable, brighter and cleaner than what went before. Mind you, everything has to be more reliable than a Rolls Royce unit!!

What is going to be remarkable is that the 313s, at this rate, are going to beat the quad arts to the title of the longest serving coaching stock on GN suburban work.

[Mickey]

An Egg Box Andy my train spotting friends and myself use to call DMUs such as the Craven units Bug Boxes!!.

[strang steel]

D5908 (at least) managed a BR double arrow bodyside symbol while green, so you may have seen that Micky from a distance and thought it must be blue.

I am not sure if any others had one, but the photos that I have seen of them after withdrawal show the old BR symbol.

As for a 365 to Peterborough, no thanks - you can keep them. I would much prefer a Mk1 of any description, but a BSO will do me fine. I can open the windows on a hot day, walk to the vestibule and look out the door windows when I fancy. A Cravens would be a bit less comfy, but if the driver had not lowered the blinds I could see where I was going, (or had been, if I sat in the rear car).

The block enders and Derby Rolls Royce units, I never travelled in a great deal, but with them it is the full sensory experience (and I am not being sarcastic). I remember being stopped at signals between Gasworks and Copenhagen Tunnels on a regular basis in the morning while travelling to Kings Cross in the early 1970s, while 31s powered up the hill with empty stock and Deltics overtook them on the fast lines. I didn't care if I was late, I was wishing the train to stop there all day just because the atmosphere was so wonderful.

Most probably, the Belle Isle signalmen did not share my enthusiasm, but that didn't worry me. Some people will pay vast amounts of money for an hour in space; I would rather pay for a trip back to those days of 40/50 years ago.