The LNER Encyclopedia

Apologies if this has been posted before, but there is a good thread on RMWeb about the hotel curve and the new canal tunnels#

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... rms/page-1

G'Day Gents

Fascinating thread, there's quite a bit I didn't know.

manna

I used to work at Kings Cross and the top floor of the west side offices was mostly empty rooms however there was a plan room where unfortunately somebody had been urinating but I found several plans of M&GNR stations and loads of other interesting stuff.

I observed from the top deck of a bus yesterday while travelling along York Way that runs along side Kings Cross station three adult train spotters maybe all in there 40s standing at the country end of platform no.8 (formerly no.10 platform) which is quite unusual to see these days on the usually otherwise deserted station platform ends. One of the group had a camera with a zoom lens attached and I wondered how long it would be before the station security goons would arrive to come and clear them away for so called security reasons?. How different it all was 45-50 years ago when especially on Saturday afternoons there was usually upwards of twenty to twenty five loco spotters gathered at the country end of no.10 platform socializing and watching the arrivals and departures from both the main line and suburban platforms plus the loco movements over in Passenger loco.

The usual diesel locos to be seen at Kings Cross 45-50 years ago were all the 22 Deltics (class 55) along with some of the very low numbered 1500 series Brush type 4s (class 47) and the very low numbered 5600 series Brush type 2s (class 31) and also several class 46 'Peaks' although there was always the chance of seeing a 'unusual visitor' that mite show up at from another part of the Eastern & North Eastern regions although the GE section 'toffee apple' Brush type 2s from Stratford loco in east London that didn't have a headcode box in there roof were never seen at Kings Cross back then.

I go back to the period between 1950 and 1955 when the Country end of Plat 10 was much more populated, mainly by quite well dressed boys in shorts and school caps together with a number of suitably attired business men. At that time, almost any pacific class, B1s, B17s and the usual inner London tanks could be seen in profusion; not an internal combustion engine in sight!

Fortunately I was at boarding school in the West end of London so together with some of my friends was able to take in K+, Euston, and Paddington with ease.

At Kings Cross the end of the old No.10 platform was the best vantage place to stand and watch the comings and goings and what was going on between the platform ends and Gasworks tunnel and it also gave a good view of the 'Passenger loco' as well although a few spotters would sometimes venture along towards the end of the main line departure platforms on No.7 & No.8 platforms but not many most preferring to be on No.10 platform. One or two loco spotters would stand towards the end of the 'Hotel Curve platform' No.16 which afforded a closer view of the Passenger loco and locos going into the Milk dock and then heading onto Passenger loco but most of the spotters at 'the cross' would gather at the end of No.10 platform. During the early 1970s on Saturday afternoons an older Stratford driver called Jack who has been mentioned before on the forum would usually arrive about 2:00pm with his briefcase full of photo-prints of steam locos that he would sell to the gathered loco spotters around him also he would get into conversations about railways with some of the older railway enthusiasts at the end of No.10 platform as well.

Mickey wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 7:28 am I observed from the top deck of a bus yesterday while travelling along York Way that runs along side Kings Cross station three adult train spotters maybe all in there 40s standing at the country end of platform no.8 (formerly no.10 platform) which is quite unusual to see these days on the usually otherwise deserted station platform ends.

If this was about midday Mickey, it was because Deltic 9009 Alycidon was on a rail tour into KX, it was back out later in the afternoon, and looked and sounded superb as she headed through Sandy.

Dave S wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:48 pm If this was about midday Mickey, it was because Deltic 9009 Alycidon was on a rail tour into KX, it was back out later in the afternoon, and looked and sounded superb as she headed through Sandy.

I think it was around 11:30am Dave or there about.

Kings Cross station and the area between the platform ends to Gasworks tunnel including the former Passenger loco, Milk dock and York Road station areas which have all been built on these days plus the simplified track layout with the OHL equipment have all become an 'alien environment' to myself I have no emotional connection with it anymore and if I occasionally pass by on a bus and glance down at the area I look at it with no feelings at all which is funny because between 1970-1975 I virtually treated Kings Cross station and it's immediate surrounding area as a second home as well as being a secondman at Kings Cross loco for a couple of years and being at the station almost daily.

Sounds like they are there for Alycidon. The GN society also had a tour of the old Goods area on Saturday, so it could have been a couple of members waiting for the start.

Compared to the 70's it is a boring track layout but I still enjoy arriving at the 'Cross' especially if it's in the main train sheds on 1-8.

Dave S wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:48 pm If this was about midday Mickey, it was because Deltic 9009 Alycidon was on a rail tour into KX, it was back out later in the afternoon, and looked and sounded superb as she headed through Sandy.

As a secondman I rode up the front on the Deltics a few times but not many times although at Kings Cross you either had to be in the 'top gang' no.1 link sometimes called 'the Newcastle lodge gang' or no.2 link 'the York & Leeds gang' to get a lot of jobs involving the Deltics but failing being in those two links the only other chance of getting a footplate ride on a Deltic was when the Kings Cross running foreman would collar you and your driver to maybe take a Deltic that had brought in a Up express that was sitting 'on the stops' in Kings Cross station and take it over to the Passenger loco for re-fuelling or bring a Deltic off the Passenger loco and bring it over to one of the main line departure platforms to work a Down express.

One week during the summer of 1975 when I was on a Leeds return working for about three consecutive days during one week me and my driver had a Brush type 4 (class 47) every mid morning on the run down to Leeds but the return working back up to 'the cross' was with a Deltic on the three consecutive afternoons arriving back in Kings Cross around 7:00pm. Also by chance around the same time one Friday night when I was spare and sitting in the train crews mess room I fell in for a 'Newcastle lodge turn' when the booked secondman for the diagram 'blew the job out' and the running foreman asked me to work the '1:00am Newcastle' down with a driver who was already on the loco with the train that was sitting up No.8 platform (formerly No.10 platform) anyway we had a Brush type 4 (class 47) on the run down arriving at Newcastle Central station about 6:00am that Saturday morning but our return working from Newcastle that Saturday night after spending the whole day in the West Parade Hotel near to Newcastle Central station was with a Deltic on the 1st Mails anyway arriving on the end of the station platform and waiting for our train the 'hum' of an approaching Deltic could be first heard and then seen before it came to a stand next to us on the platform anyway after a quick handover with the other loco crew who were either a Scottish or a Geordie crew and with a green on the end of Newcastle Central station and the 'right away' from the guard somewhere back down the platform we slowly pulled out of Newcastle Central station at around 10:30pm. I believe we stopped at York but that was the only 'booked stop' going back up to 'the cross' but I remember we stopped at Doncaster just to pick up a 'conductor driver' only because south of Doncaster we were turned off the ECML at Black Carr Junction for a moonlight ride across the branch re-joining the ECML at Werrington Junction for the final 80 miles up to Kings Cross although we dropped the conductor driver off at Peterborough then it was right away Kings Cross arriving up No.1 platform at 03:20am in a near deserted Kings Cross station on a quiet Sunday morning.

* * * I have sometimes wished I had made a note of the number of that Deltic that I rode up from Newcastle that night back in 1975 although I have a vague feeling that it was number 55 008 The Green Howards because I do remember looking at which Deltic it was but I'm not 100% certain all these years later?. * * *

G'Day Mickey

Good one Mickey, can remember my one and only trip to Newcastle, a class 46 on the Night Aberdonian and a Deltic back, I also know were your coming from with the 'Second home' in the early 70's I seemed to spend more time at the Cross, than at home, I can remember that time as if was yesterday, but have a job to remember what I had for diner last night, although, it's not as important as what was going on almost 50 years ago.

I didn't like the Deltic's much, to noisy, bit cold and drafty, and uncomfortable, although a pretty good view ahead, when you lifted the seat right up, there were a couple of jobs where we would take out empty stock to Hornsey and bring more in, but they were quite rare. But there was always plenty of shunting to do with them.

manna

Yeah same here manna regarding the Deltics and for that matter the Brush type 4s and even the few Peaks that were on the Kings Cross area as well back in the first half of the 1970s. Personally I always liked the Brush type 2s they were fairly comfortable to be on and easy to drive. When it came to the drivers & secondmen's links at Kings Cross I always preferred being in the lower links doing the ECS jobs from Kings Cross out to Ferme Park, Bounds Green & Hornsey carriage sidings or bringing in the ECS back up into Kings Cross and also the suburban workings like Kings Cross or Moorgate over the former 'Widened lines' via Farringdon out to Welwyn Garden City or Hertford North and there return workings back up to London. The 'Cambridge gang' 4A link was alright as well working the 'Cambridge buffet' jobs although the 'double Cambridge' diagram was quite heavy going I recall. In some ways the main line links working down to Leeds, York & Newcastle and there return workings back up to Kings Cross were fairly boring to be honest.

Meanwhile back at Kings Cross station in the early 1970s I use to like to occasionally frequent the British Rail station buffet that was located on the old No.10 platform by the foot of the old staircase that lead up to the old footbridge that spanned from platform No.10 over to platform No.1 on the East side. The 'Chef' who use to work in that buffet use to cook a mean sausage egg & chips or cod & chips washed down with a nice cup of British Rail tea. Funny those British Rail tea cups seem to be quite popular with Kings Cross train crews as well??.