Willesden Junction- Kensal Green Junction

I seem to recall it was the "City Loop" when I was first gricing or copping trains as we said back in 1968. Of course that doesn't mean anything! Here's an aerial of the location if that can assist! And it's nice to hear from a new member... we go through Somerset all the time on the A36 via Salisbury. I also envy you your job!

www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.532959&lon=-0.24136&z=16.9&r=0&src=msl

David

Thanks! And best wishes for your "stay" in these forums.

I have always known the line from Willesden Jn Low Level DC New Line Station to Kensal Green Junction to be called the New Lines. The line from Kensal Green Junction to Harlesden Junction to be called the City Lines.

This thread was started by Oracle asking about the City Loop. Were the New Lines once called the City Loop?

You mean Joe Browns atlas. I have just had a look and no it is not. I am going by my own knowledge of the names of the lines. They are also called those names in the LNW(S) Sectional appendix, but what their original names are I do not know.

mandgc, sorry to take so long to reply, but I have been away on hols.

Anyway, so any idea why the lines from Kensal Green Junction to Harlesden Junction are called the city lines?

Kensal Green Junction to Harlesden Junction Link.

I understood this was called the City Link as it was the route taken by freight trains between Willesden Yard and the 'City' direction ( Poplar, Temple Mills and Ripple Lane, etc.) via Hampstead Heath so avoiding the congestion around Camden and Primrose Hill

towerman I did see the news, thanks. I made no comments as I get annoyed with all the "sympathy" messages.

mandgc That sounds like a logical explanation.

Oracle I am a driver who signs that route. I have been over it this year with a pair of 47s (I do have photos of them in the bay at Willesden Low Level). I first learnt the road around there in 89/90. I have always known them as the new lines, which is also what they are called in the Sectional Appendix. If they were known as the City Loop, it must have been in the days of black and white.

For the record, the line referred to at the start of this thread was called the City Loop, it originally connected Willesden Jcn main line platforms to Kensal Green Jcn leaving the slow lines at Willesden No.2 signal box and passing across the area now occupied by the former Willesden Electric Control Room and the original Willesden Suburban portakabin signal box. The current City lines from Harlesden Jcn (formerly Willesden No.6 Jcn) to Kensal Green Jcn were originally called City Goods lines to distinguish them from the City Loop passenger lines. The building of the New Line severed the original City Loop, which was altered to give the current Willesden New Station to Kensal Green Jcn link.

On a lighter point, way back before 1970 the North London electric network was still run on the four rail system. This included the line covered by this thread and Euston to Watford as well. During 2007, a t/op was given a wrong stick at Willesden Junction and having took it, found themselves heading toward Kensal Green Jcn and off the juice. After a short visit and a little use of the gap jumpers the train returned to the platform for another attempt at heading south, successful this time. Also during the mid 1970's during the construction of Stonebridge Park depot a number of engineers trains ran, with pairs of battery locos. These ran from Lillie Bridge via Olympia, Willesden Jcn HL, Kensal Green Jcn (reverse) and over the link to Willesden Jcn LL. On arrival at Stonebridge Park they were run onto the depot, the signalman at Willesden kept reporting a signal failure (SP1 rte 2 and 3). This eluded the technicians at the time until it was remembered that a battery loco running on battery power was not detected on the negative shoe detector. This never proved to be a problem once the depot came into operational use with 38 ts 59ts and 72 Mk2 ts.

Battery locos on the WLL?

And here's to prove it...

www.flickr.com/photos/24772733@N05/2569926211/

www.flickr.com/photos/24772733@N05/2570751006/in/photostream/

Nice one, the evidence to prove I ain't gone loopy with age.

Third rail is only into platforms 9 and 10 at Euston.



As far as I have always known it the lines from Harlesden to Kensal Green (ELR KGC) have always been the City Goods Lines by local railwaymen and still are.

The lines from the junction at the south end of Willesden LL station, up to Kensal Green Junction (ELR KGW) are called the No1 curve.

Sorry to bump this thread up again. But I have just come across it again.

I am now starting to realise that the City Loop ran elsewhere and was replaced by the a new City Loop, hence the name, New Line (Thanks lnwrelectric). I have just looked at Joe Browns atlas and unfortunately the old City Loop is not shown on it.