Micky wrote:That tunnel and the 'Hotel curve' on the down side must have been the BLACKEST tunnels anywhere?
In 1932 a train slipped backwards and collided with the train behind. The inspector's report said that crews had to reach out and touch the wall to find out whether they were moving, and in what direction. Lights were added later.
Double heading was precluded because of the conditions created for the second crew and banking normally disallowed because the throat layout created pathing problems for the released loco.
Sadly I never travelled that bit of line myself but can recall N2s struggling to start artic stock from the inclined platform with a rush-hour load.
I worked down them tunnels a few times with N2s, I dreaded the Moorgate jobs. I think the Hotel Curve tunnel was the worst, pitch black, engine seemed to be swinging sidewards, I hated them jobs. If anything had happened I dont think we would have got out. What amazed me was watching the Hornsey Uboats (J50s) come spluttering out there, no condensing gear fitted, it must have been terrible working one of them.
kudu wrote:
Sadly I never travelled that bit of line myself but can recall N2s struggling to start artic stock from the inclined platform with a rush-hour load.
Kudu
Me neither, but after the last few posts I am beginning to regret that I didn't have one return trip to Moorgate on the 31 hauled non-corridor stock.
I loved the Moorgate jobs, all that swanning about in the dark!, passing the tube trains and seeing there lights through the arches around Farringdon St, the high retaining walls and the chest thumping reverberations of the exhaust as you came up and around Hotel curve, and also the fact you dragged the fumes of your exhaust halfway along the platform at KX, all added up to one exhilarating ride, even more so if the driver said to you 'Have a go, mate' at Moorgate.
I have just joined the site and I am not too familiar with forums so please forgive any glaring errors or poor protocol.
I was a passed cleaner at KX in 1964/65 so you can do the maths and see that I am not in the first flush of youth.
I remember a particular early turn (duty) that I worked on several occasions.
First sign on and then find your driver (invariably a passed fireman) walk over to the passenger loco and find the engine allocatted to the job. this would either be a Brush or Sulzer type 2 ( never have got used to the terms "Class 31,24").
Then you ran light engine to Potters Bar and coupled to a set of surbuban stock and returned working all stations to Moorgate.
The next part I cannot remember too clearly, either we waited for the stock to be removed from the platform and then backed down onto another set already at Moorgate or if we ran round. I do remember we then worked back to KX and were relieved at the top of Hotel Curve, it was certainly an experience coming up through there as the engine would be working very hard up the gradient and against the curve, I would hate to think what would have happened if a failure had occurred in that tunnel as there was very little clearance to the tunnel walls.
On arrival at KX it was back up to the signing on point and restroom on Platform 10 for your meal break. This room was always quite smokey (cigarettes) and down the far end was a range of either cookers or burners with big black kettles on them full of boiling water for your tea. God help you if you did not ensure that after you had made your tea in your can you did not ensure there was enough water for the next man!
After your break it was then travel passenger to Finsbury Park and walk to Ashburton Grove to shunt wagons. A 850hp (Class 08) shunter would be waiting and then it was just a question of getting on with it untill your finishing time.
I really used to enjoy the first part of this turn as it was a chance to "get out on the main line" although you were nearly always "Slow Road" being an all stations train.
The second part of the duty was not so clever as the wagons being shunted were from the refuse tip so I will leave the smell for your imagination, I term used for this turn was " Shunting the s**t at Ashburton Grove". Interestingly enough I believe this is now the site of the Emirates Stadium.
KX6465 wrote: " .... working all stations to Moorgate.
The next part I cannot remember too clearly, either we waited for the stock to be removed from the platform and then backed down onto another set already at Moorgate or if we ran round. I do remember we then worked back to KX .... "
Yes, welcome in indeed, KX6465.
Can't think that you would have run-round your own train - As far as I know, there were no facilities to do so: Only an engine spur off each of the 'Widened lines' platforms, 5 & 6.
So when 'your' train left, taken out by the previous arrival's loco, I'd have expected you would only have followed your train down the platform and gone into an engine spur to drop back onto the next arrival in 'your' platform, to work it away,
or if there were no more arrivals to come in that 'peak', when signalled away, gone 'light engine' back to KX.
And a very warm welcome to KX6465, always nice to talk to someone who had the joy of working at Ashburton Grove, most of the population don't know what there missing, as for all that S*** that is under the Emirates stadium !!
Also with all the kettles on the go, it was very steamy in the mess room, and your chair used to sink into the bitumen floor, those were the days, eh!
Micky wrote: " .... anyway the LMR were only using Derby Rolls Royce DMUs while the Eastern Region were using either Brush type 2 diesel hauled trains or Craven & Rolls Royce DMUs as well. "
How sure are you that Rolls DMUs off the GN were seen there Micky?
In 'Control' in the early-mid-'70s, only loco-hauled block-enders' and Cravens units were allowed to go to Moorgate, as Rolls and B.U.T units were always regarded as banned from going there because of the sharply-curved single-track Hotel Curve Tunnel on the "Down Met." line approach to KX Platform 16 (as was: No.14 by then) - It was said if they did go, that some of the many door handles would go missing in HC tunnel (sounded like a 'learned the hard way' rule), presumably from vehicle(s?)'s west-side outer ends, or their east-side centres (or both?). [ Andy W? ]
I wonder if there were / ever had been, some small piles of handles at the tightest spots in the tunnel?
Last edited by StevieG on Tue Jan 29, 2013 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
