Dalston Jn - Broad St. cab ride 70s

I wonder why that soundtrack ended up on that piece of film. Crazy! Turn it UP! From the film there looked to be enough space for 4 tracks over most of the route, which is nice.

I wonder if anything is going on at New Cross or Crystal Palace? New journey opportunities aside it's great that Crystal Palace station will have a bit of a higher profile with the ELL terminating there.

Poor old Broad Street eh...

The cab ride was definitely filmed in the 80's - the NatWest tower gives it away.
I lived in Shoreditch until 1983, and my grandparents lived there until 1996. I remember all the times I walked under the bridge at Old Street, saw the Kingsland Road bridge, watched trains going over the bridge at Lee Street etc. Yet, I never travelled on the line!

Will be quite a nostalgic event when the ELL opens, when I finally get a chance to ride on the line, although I will never get to go to Broad Street . . .

Am I right in thinking that the trains from here went as far north as watford? possibly ending up stabling in the depot up there?

The line from Broad Street to Dalston Junction (and round to Dalston Western Junction) was quadruple track (from construction or soon after), up until the 1960's or 1970's.



At one point (about 1910) there was a through service to Birmingham New Street, but I don't think it lasted that long. Through suburban services on the LNWR beyond Watford (to Tring) lasted until 1966 (by then diesel hauled).

Services onto the ex-GNR lasted until the GN electrification in 1976 (although pre WW2 services were NLR/LNWR/LMSR, in BR days they were worked by the ER).

Electric (third/fourth rail) service to Richmond was diverted to Stratford and North Woolwich 1985, service to Watford Junction (ran via Primrose Hill) lasted another year or so before diversion into Liverpool Street - by then this was peak hours only. Both these services were part of the 'North Western' dc electric system, main depot for which was at Croxley/Watford, until it became more integrated with other lines under Network South East.

etr220. Are you saying there was once a Broad St to Alexandra Palace/High Barnet service?

It is the Alexandra Palace, Northern Heights I was thinking of (via Highgate). I always thought the services came from Kings X or Moorgate (via York Road curve).

Interesting to say they came via the widened lines. What about via Canonbury tunnel? Was there ever any services from the Northern Heights that after Finsbury Park that went via Canonbury tunnel?

I think I am right in suggesting that the Down or Northbound line from Widened Lines was Hotel Curve, (thence up to one of the Kings X Suburban platforms) and the Up or Southbound which stopped at York Road platform, went via York Road curve and avoided Kings X. The Widened Lines to Moorgate and Faringdon can only be used by locos of Class 31, 33 and 73. I distinctly remember in the 1970s the 31s and suburban sets at Moorgate, whilst the LMR service was provided by DMUs. However I think Baby Deltics were used for a time and now I think of it I have seen a photo of a 'North British' which I think was heading for Moorgate at Finsbury Park. I am certain that I recall that the NBL locos also ran into Broad Street.

The single? connection ifrom the NLL into Liverpool Street that was built for the diverted Watford trains was the now rarely-used Graham Road curve.


Off topic but how did LMS and LMR trains from Grays (boat trains) get from the LTS at Barking , via the T & H , to St Pancras? They clearly went over the top of London and then down.

That might be the one that they are supposedly talking of reinstating then? If it is the one that I found on an aerial search a while back; obvious when you knew where it should have been but overgrown. Cheers Chris.

I am sure that's the location that I found, based on online discussions. I got the impression that the curve was to be rebuilt but was it wishful thinking?

From SEE HOW THEY RUN (rather out of date) I found this:

Stansted to St Pancras 2001 Apr 01

A train service between Stansted and St Pancras would require restoration of connections between Kentish Town and Upper Holloway and between South Tottenham and Tottenham Hale. An electric service would also require electrification of the track between Upper Holloway and South Tottenham
An electric rail service was previously considered as part of Thameslink 2000
In 1999, BAA believed that a Stansted-St Pancras service would happen in "the next 10 to 15 years"
In mid 2000, BAA Stansted wished "to identify the scope for a direct service into St Pancras via South Tottenham and Kentish Town"