Oracle
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RIP 2012
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Post by Oracle on May 27, 2009 22:32:54 GMT
I have just been sent some lo-res shots of street scenes around Oxford Circus, including one of the 'hump' built at the circus itself (which I remember). The works are in connection with the Victoria Line and may have been taken in December 1964. Does this date make sense please?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2009 23:37:55 GMT
I think it does - from memory, the sub-surface works at Oxford Circus were among the first to start and last to finish. I'm 99% sure the 'umbrella' was in place at that time - perhaps 1963-1966ish? - but don't have a reference book to hand.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2009 7:16:53 GMT
The "umbrella" was in place during the 1964-65 winter. I was visiting UK at that time, and saw this interesting device from the window of a first-floor tea-room above Oxford Circus.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2009 23:27:43 GMT
What was it, a mini-flyover?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2009 1:00:41 GMT
In a way. It was a steel structure that covered all the surface of Oxford Circus and carried the road traffic. Underneath, LT excavated to relocate services and build the present station and circulation area.
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slugabed
Zu lang am schnuller.
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Post by slugabed on Jun 16, 2009 1:54:14 GMT
Didn't they have similar "umbrellas" for the Jubilee Line Phase 1 works at Charing X and Bond St. too?
I seem t remember one being described at the time as being similar to the Oxford Circus one,which was presumably then (1975-ish?) fresh in people's minds.
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Post by Dstock7080 on Jun 16, 2009 16:32:08 GMT
Bit of confusion with the dates! The caption for this pic says: " One of the most visable signs of work on the Victoria Line was the Oxford Circus 'umbrella' bridge, erected over August Bank Holiday 1963. . . . . . The umbrella was removed in April 1968" ("London's UndergrounD" 8th edition 1996) tinyurl.com/l4k7akWhereas, this picture from the LT Museum collection has the caption: " This photo shows traffic passing across the Oxford Circus 'umbrella'. The umbrella was a 600-ton bridge built to carry traffic along Oxford Street . . . The bridge was a massive steel deck covered with 245 steel plates. Its construction took place during the August bank holiday weekend of 1966, and the road was open again by the Tuesday. This picture was taken in September 1966, shortly afterwards.tinyurl.com/lggsr6Someone must be right! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2009 17:42:30 GMT
I would strongly suspect 1963-6 is the correct period. Installation in 1966 wouldn't have given anywhere near enough time for construction.
Incidentally, the most recent example of this type of works I think was at London Bridge, for the construction of the Borough High Street ticket hall around 1995-7.
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Oracle
In memoriam
RIP 2012
Writing is such sweet sorrow: like heck it is!
Posts: 3,234
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Post by Oracle on Jun 16, 2009 19:03:12 GMT
Note the Rubery Owen-made plates! The bottom artic is a Bedford S-type, so 1963 is probably spot-on. The visible cars include an A60 and a Morry Minor, and there are no 'bread-and-butter' cars that might be associated with a later date, e.g. Cortinas.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2009 10:19:53 GMT
It was definitely in place in January 1965. I saw it (wiv me own eyes, your worship) and the only time I was in London around then was Jan 65.
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Post by Colin D on Jun 17, 2009 13:27:55 GMT
I remember the umbrella, I stated my first job was working at a jewelers on Regent St in '64. Just to add to the confusion I thought it was built soon after I started working but that doesn't match up with either dates shown on DSTOCK7080's post.
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Post by stanmorek on Jun 17, 2009 17:45:49 GMT
Summarising from "The Victoria Line", ICE Proceedings 1970, the "umbrella", a temporary prefabricated steel and concrete bridge system over the intersection between Oxford Street and Regent Street, was installed during the Bank holiday weekend of 1963.
The decking structure was supported by 35 foot girders spanning onto 40 foot deep by 3 foot diameter reinforced concrete bored piles. The piles had to be positioned to avoid the beams and columns of the new ticket hall and new tunnels for diversion of services. The piles also had to clear the existing sewer, escalator tunnels and passageways of the Bakerloo and Central lines. When the umbrella panels were in place existing services were excavated and temporarily hung from the umbrella steelwork. This allowed excavation for the new ticket hall to commence and the new permanent roof steelwork to be constructed.
Over the August Bank holiday weekend of 1966 the original umbrella was extended eastwards towards Argyll Street. This was to allow construction of the connecting passageway between the new and existing (now secondary) ticket halls.
The umbrella decking was removed during the Easter weekend of 1968.
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