Come now jj all my memories are 100% fact, well maybe 99% are?.rockinjohn wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 6:41 am Hi don"t usually "buy in" to your signalling posts&memories, but read avidly, but noticed your "Down Poplar" line mention, I assume there was an "UP" also,..
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With regards to the 'Up & Down Poplar lines' at Victoria Park from my faded memory they weren't shown as such on the Victoria Park track diagram in early 1980 when I was at the box although around 1979 some 'track rationalisation' had taken place at Victoria Park and quite possibly the previous track diagram may have shown those lines as the 'Poplar lines' I don't know?. Anyway as for the changes at the box by about 1979 the old Up Hackney Wick sidings had been lifted. These Hackney Wick sidings were laid on a curve and running parallel to the Up & Down Poplar lines that were also laid on a sweeping curve and contained about 8 'rusty' roads when I recall seeing them for the first time around 1974 but by 1979 they had been lifted. Also the junction for either the Stratford direction or the Poplar direction had been re-modelled with the 'fixed diamond' crossing' being removed and two new facing connections worked by 'motor points' on two separate levers being installed leading from the Up Poplar to Up Poplar docks and another set of motor points a trailing/facing connection leading to the Up/Down Poplar docks line if that makes any sense?. Also the Up Poplar line 2nd home & junction signal(s) that were carried on a bracket post with two individual dolls (posts) was abolished and a medium straight metal tubular post signal that carried the Up Poplar line home signal leading towards the Up 'starter' a colour light no.18 lever from memory that lead towards the Lee junction/Channelsea & Stratford direction and a ground disc signal at the base of the Up home signal that lead on to the Up Poplar docks direction. Also coming off the Down Poplar docks line 'outside the box' by 1979 was a ground disc signal that lead into the Down I.B. section (Intermediate Block Section) and towards the Homerton and Western Junction at Dalton direction.
When I was at Victoria Park from early 1980 to access to 'Poplar docks line' the Up & Down Poplar docks lines had at onetime been a double-track line but was possibly singled around 1979(?) at Victoria Park the same time as the aforementioned 'track rationalisation' had taken place although there was still a number of lengths of double-track still laid in on the Poplar docks line on a 'raised bridge' section over a motorway below from outside the box to as far as a x2 lever ground frame at Old Ford. This few hundred yards of double-track had one road that was just being used as a 'run round road' for a train loco to 'run round it's train before or exiting the Poplar docks single line but to access the Poplar docks single line proper heading towards Poplar docks this ground frame at Old Ford which was possibly located maybe about 400-450 yards from the box had to be operated by the train crew. This Old Ford ground frame held a couple of levers that the train crews operated by themselves and that included a goods guard as well because the Monday to Friday daily goods train from Temple Mills to Poplar docks and the return working was always loco hauled (usually a blue livered class 31) and a 'loose coupled train' with x2 brake vans at either end of the train. This 'Poplar goods' was usually quite a long train consisting of bogie bolsters, mineral wagons and box vans. The x2 lever ground frame that was operated by the train crew at Old Ford was worked by a Annette's key to lock & unlock the Old Ford ground frame and also it doubled-up as the one train working 'single line train staff' as well and when not in the possession of a train crew 'on the Poplar docks line' was kept in Victoria Park box in a glass fronted wooden cabinet mounted on the block shelf.