The 1932 Kings Cross s/box & new PSB change over wk/end 1971

[Mickey]

I am pleased to report that i was there standing on the end of the old platform no 10 (platform no 8 since 1972) on a cold clear Saturday night going into a Sunday morning in September of 1971 to bid a fond farewell to the old 1930s signal box that bore the name board KINGS CROSS. Strange thing is i don't recall anyone else about on the end of no 10 platform with me?, even all the usually bunch of 'spotters' that hung about on that 'hallowed' piece of GNR/LNER tarmac at the end of no 10 platform had long since gone home!. When i mentioned to a passing railman/platform staff about the old signal box closing shortly his comment was "Is it mate?" and proceeded to walk on down platform no 10. One could tell that 'things' were going on because 'all the box lights were switched on' and a fair bit of movement was discernible from inside the box more i would say then the usual two signalmen and a telegraph lad that was nomally on duty, also S&T staff were walking up into the box and down the s/box staircase as well during the time that i was there. Over in the NEW KINGS CROSS PSB situated on the old York road station platform all the lights were a glow as well with plenty of movement detected going on from inside. If i remember rightly (it was 39 years ago!) a few minutes before 1:am the road out of no 10 platform was 'cleared' with the M1 indication in the roller blinds route indicator and a green signal light on the gantry displayed as well as a another green signal light at the entrance to Gas Works tunnel mouth for the 1:O'clock departure for Newcastle as the road was set up. On the stroke of 1:OOam the guards whistle was blown further on down the platform and a green bardic lamp was held high and steady from the end of the train by the guard. Slowly, the 1:00am Newcastle pulled her heavy train out of the station with a rake of BR mark-1 coaches and vans at the rear of the train across the points work to disappear from sight as the rear end of the train entered Gas Works tunnel!. At 1:15am the same procedure was re-enacted for the 1:15am departure for Newcastle via Sunderland with the same M1 indication in the roller blinds route indicator and a green signal light on the gantry and with another green signal light at the entrance to Gas Works tunnel. At 1:15am sharp the guards whistle blew and the last departue to be signalled by the old KINGS CROSS s/box departed slowly from Kings Cross station across the points work and under the green signal on the gantry which returned to a red and the roller blinds route indicator went from the M1 indication to 'blank' for the last time as a train to be signalled by the old Kings Cross s/box slowly passed into and through Gas Works tunnel. I presume once the 1:15am had climbed passed Belle Isle and into Copenhagen tunnel and away northwards into the early hours of a Sunday morning back in Kings Cross old s/box it would have been a case of "Right you can take the possession now, all the roads out to Holloway south down & south up are clear, when the blocks down S&T it's all yours!." "Open the DOUBLE DIAMONDS lads here's to the old box!." By the early hours of that Sunday morning i had left the far end of an empty platform no 10 at the 'Cross' myself and was on my way home. The footnote to this story is that at 'approximately' 19:00hrs on that same Sunday evening the new KINGS CROSS PSB had been commisioned and the first trains were arriving at Kings Cross station!. Now days a re-signalling change over like Kings Cross would take about ONE WEEK or MORE!. Micky GNR/LNER all the way...

[AndyRush]

Kings Cross signal box opened 02.10.1932, closed 26.09.1971

[Mickey]

Thats the one Andy. The old Kings Cross s/box stood for about 5 or 6 years after 1971 before it was finally dismantled by BR. I was watching a dvd called Kings Cross suburban or something like that by that Transport Video Publishing lot (you all probably know who i'm talking about?) and they showed some pretty good amateur film footage shot around Kings Cross in the 1970s anyway, the old s/box is in alot of it and the commentary says that "Kings Cross signal box closed in 1976." It just shows how my research they done?. Kings Cross old signal box (the 1936 LNER signal box) closed in 1971. Micky

[kudu]

Anyone know when the footbridges seen in first photo came down? A long time before 1971, for sure.

[AndyRush]

Anyone know when the footbridges seen in first photo came down? A long time before 1971, for sure.

The staff footbridge/signal gantry/cable bridge was demolished in the 'run back' accident 4 February 1945.

See: http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSum ... ?docID=838

Regards

Andy

[StevieG]

Anyone know when the footbridges seen in first photo came down? A long time before 1971, for sure.

The staff footbridge/signal gantry/cable bridge was demolished in the 'run back' accident 4 February 1945.

See: http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSum ... ?docID=838

Regards

Andy

I had understood that the bridge demolished by that accident was the one which carried the 'A', 'B', 'C', & 'D' Routes' up and down direction signals. These were all just north of the box, probably not far out of shot. I think the diagram at the end of the report bares this out.
The bridge in the photo is seen immediately south of the box and carried most, possibly all, of the Plats.6-15 departure signals (I think the portion that had the 12-15 signals lasted to the end), and I wasn't aware of that one 'getting it' as well at the same time.

Looking at the two B&W's of the old box; Note that the bridge of the second photo had also gone when the first one was taken ("1960").

[AndyRush]

Andy[/quote]I had understood that the bridge demolished by that accident was the one which carried the 'A', 'B', 'C', & 'D' Routes' up and down direction signals. These were all just north of the box, probably not far out of shot. I think the diagram at the end of the report bares this out.
The bridge in the photo is seen immediately south of the box and carried most, possibly all, of the Plats.6-15 departure signals (I think the portion that had the 12-15 signals lasted to the end), and I wasn't aware of that one 'getting it' as well at the same time.

Looking at the two B&W's of the old box; Note that the bridge of the second photo had also gone when the first one was taken ("1960").[/quote]

You could be right, but in the photo of the Passenger Loco foreman's cabin dated 01.09.1950, the bit to the south of the box should be in the background, but isn't. Perhaps the signal replacement they had to do after the accident resulted in all of these structures being abolished. The other shot attached shows the various bridges and gantries from another angle in 1933

Regards

Andy

[StevieG]

Thanks Andy; nice photos, and helpful.

The second one, GN01-00a-39.jpg, well demonstrates that the Accident Report diagram apparently doesn't show all of these various inter-connecting bridge portions (perhaps some had already been demolished by 1945?).
Anyway, the bridge shown as that which suffered in the accident, north of the box, in the Report diagram, is barely visible in this photo, and the route indicators only of its signals can be seen (those for A & B Routes are to the right of the box roof; the tops of those for C & D, just visible above the box roof.

[kudu]

Belated thanks for the answers to my query about the footbridges. There is no mention of their disappearance or of the accident in the Irwell Press book on Kings Cross. Neither is the accident mentioned in the Rolt book, though I note Alan Jackson ends his Kings Cross chapter in "London's Termini" with an account.

[Mickey]

That was a 'good book' London Termini' i can remember reading that book back in 1970/71 time it had a colour picture on the front dust jacket of an A3 in No 10 platform at Kings Cross with the train shed roof framed over the loco if thats the same book that you are talking about?. I thought it was a O.S.Nock book but i only thought it was i'm not sure that it was?. Anyway, what a really good book it was with all the London terminal stations track layouts shown even places like Broad Street, Fenchurch Street, Marylebone and the rest of them. Micky

[StevieG]

Belated thanks for the answers to my query about the footbridges. There is no mention of their disappearance or of the accident in the Irwell Press book on Kings Cross. Neither is the accident mentioned in the Rolt book, though I note Alan Jackson ends his Kings Cross chapter in "London's Termini" with an account.

If memory serves, That accident was the reason why Gasworks' centre bore gained that chain of white lights at close intervals (every 25 yards, I think) right through beside the Down Main 1, each one having a numbered plate below, and illuminated by, it, showing the distance from the tunnel's south end : This so that in any future recurrence of a train slipping backwards while the footplatemen thought they were still moving forward, would be quickly realised by the lights being seen starting to go the wrong way past the cabside.

[Mickey]

Deleted

[kudu]

That was a 'good book' London Termini' i can remember reading that book back in 1970/71 time it had a colour picture on the front dust jacket of an A3 in No 10 platform at Kings Cross with the train shed roof framed over the loco if thats the same book that you are talking about?. I thought it was a O.S.Nock book but i only thought it was i'm not sure that it was?. Anyway, what a really good book it was with all the London terminal stations track layouts shown even places like Broad Street, Fenchurch Street, Marylebone and the rest of them. Micky

You're definitely recalling the right book. It was published by D&C in 1969. Cost me 80/- (that's £4 in English).

The cover picture is looking straight into the departure arch of Kings Cross so you can see the glazing at the far end and the iron footbridge. Set in the late 1920s, it depicts Prince Palatine setting off from 8 with Sir Visto on 10, while C1 4417 is on the carriage road between them.

Inside there's a very clear plan of the Kings Cross throat reproduced from the Railway Magazine of March 1905.

Don't forget the book includes Blackfriars, Ludgate Hill and Holborn Viaduct, though they have to share a chapter.