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Post by superteacher on May 26, 2020 21:45:27 GMT
The northbound Northern City Line track was diverted to the new platform in the mid 60’s to make way for the Victoria line. When this was done, was access still from the old GN&C station, with a new subway constructed? Did the new station building open on the same day as the Victoria line (1/9/68) or prior to then?
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Post by jimbo on May 27, 2020 5:38:29 GMT
'Original London Underground Lift Stations' by the late Jim Wright says the two Otis lifts were taken out of service on 8 April 1968, being replaced by two escalators linking from the lift landings to the new ticket hall. The two new northbound platforms are below the original platforms and accessed by stairs through the former lift pit. I recall the Northern City one opened unfinished and contrasted badly with the Victoria Line one, when opened, for some years. There has been talk from time to time of reusing the lift shafts for MIP access.
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Post by revupminster on May 27, 2020 8:47:21 GMT
In my 1969 book on the Victoria Line published by London transport and sold in some ticket offices the half mile diversion tunnel was completed and came into use 15 August 1965.the new station was built opposite side of Holloway Road and involved deepening one of the lift shafts for draught relief.  Highbury & Islington by Robert, on Flickr |
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Post by superteacher on May 30, 2020 12:27:26 GMT
'Original London Underground Lift Stations' by the late Jim Wright says the two Otis lifts were taken out of service on 8 April 1968, being replaced by two escalators linking from the lift landings to the new ticket hall. The two new northbound platforms are below the original platforms and accessed by stairs through the former lift pit. I recall the Northern City one opened unfinished and contrasted badly with the Victoria Line one, when opened, for some years. There has been talk from time to time of reusing the lift shafts for MIP access. The new northbound Northern City platform had bare tunnel rings visible and despite the fact it was new, had tungsten lighting rather than fluorescent tubes. It remained that way until taken over by BR. From 1968, the station must have been a very odd contrast of the sparkly, shiny new bits and the grimy, dim Northern City platforms with the 1938 stock. |
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Post by jimbo on May 30, 2020 20:37:08 GMT
After the Northern City line was cut back to Drayton Park in 1964 it became a quiet backwater, serving only a local purpose. With the introduction of cross-platform interchange at Highbury in 1968, it became in effect the City branch of the new Victoria line. With cross-platform interchange introduced at Finsbury Park also, it was in effect also a city branch for the Piccadilly line. Whilst the Victoria line terminated there the morning service used the southbound platform, and the afternoon the northbound platform to aid this. The double crossover was later removed, so emergency reversals there must now be in the southbound platform.
Since the branch no longer appears on the Tube map, has its use declined as a City branch, except to the In Crowd here?
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North End
Beneath Newington Causeway
Posts: 1,769
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Post by North End on May 30, 2020 22:33:55 GMT
After the Northern City line was cut back to Drayton Park in 1964 it became a quiet backwater, serving only a local purpose. With the introduction of cross-platform interchange at Highbury in 1968, it became in effect the City branch of the new Victoria line. With cross-platform interchange introduced at Finsbury Park also, it was in effect also a city branch for the Piccadilly line. Whilst the Victoria line terminated there the morning service used the southbound platform, and the afternoon the northbound platform to aid this. The double crossover was later removed, so emergency reversals there must now be in the southbound platform. Since the branch no longer appears on the Tube map, has its use declined as a City branch, except to the In Crowd here? The trouble with using it as a city branch is that nowadays the outer suburban service is very busy in the peaks, especially those emanating from the Hertford loop. The section between Finsbury Park and Highbury is generally crush loaded through the morning peak, though no doubt many decamp here which would create space for people going from the Victoria Line towards Moorgate. The 6-car fixed length platforms and thus trains are quite a constraint. It’s a surprisingly intensive operation during the peaks, though still sleepy and at times eerily quiet during elements of the off-peak. |
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Post by spsmiler on May 31, 2020 21:17:14 GMT
In my 1969 book on the Victoria Line published by London transport and sold in some ticket offices the half mile diversion tunnel was completed and came into use 15 August 1965.the new station was built opposite side of Holloway Road and involved deepening one of the lift shafts for draught relief. Highbury & Islington by Robert, on Flickr As is seen in the diagram, the Northern City Line (NCL) platforms are both on the same side, ie: if arriving here from the street the NCL is always on the right and the Victoria line on the left. What I did not see mentioned was that the new NCL tunnels were built large enough for mainline sized trains, even though (at the time) the line was only served by small profile tube trains. I wonder how the future fate of the line would have been had this not been the situation. |
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Post by 35b on Jun 1, 2020 8:08:37 GMT
After the Northern City line was cut back to Drayton Park in 1964 it became a quiet backwater, serving only a local purpose. With the introduction of cross-platform interchange at Highbury in 1968, it became in effect the City branch of the new Victoria line. With cross-platform interchange introduced at Finsbury Park also, it was in effect also a city branch for the Piccadilly line. Whilst the Victoria line terminated there the morning service used the southbound platform, and the afternoon the northbound platform to aid this. The double crossover was later removed, so emergency reversals there must now be in the southbound platform. Since the branch no longer appears on the Tube map, has its use declined as a City branch, except to the In Crowd here? The trouble with using it as a city branch is that nowadays the outer suburban service is very busy in the peaks, especially those emanating from the Hertford loop. The section between Finsbury Park and Highbury is generally crush loaded through the morning peak, though no doubt many decamp here which would create space for people going from the Victoria Line towards Moorgate. The 6-car fixed length platforms and thus trains are quite a constraint. It’s a surprisingly intensive operation during the peaks, though still sleepy and at times eerily quiet during elements of the off-peak. There’s not a lot of space created at Highbury in the morning peak - boarding the 313s for farewell’s sake last year, there was a real risk of being unable to board. |
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Post by superteacher on Jun 1, 2020 9:52:05 GMT
In my 1969 book on the Victoria Line published by London transport and sold in some ticket offices the half mile diversion tunnel was completed and came into use 15 August 1965.the new station was built opposite side of Holloway Road and involved deepening one of the lift shafts for draught relief. Highbury & Islington by Robert, on Flickr As is seen in the diagram, the Northern City Line (NCL) platforms are both on the same side, ie: if arriving here from the street the NCL is always on the right and the Victoria line on the left. What I did not see mentioned was that the new NCL tunnels were built large enough for mainline sized trains, even though (at the time) the line was only served by small profile tube trains. I wonder how the future fate of the line would have been had this not been the situation. I think that even in the early 60's when the new arrangement at Highbury was conceived, there were already plans that the NCL would be transferred to BR at some point. It was an awkward line to operate in terms of getting stock to and from it for maintenance, and I'm sure London Transport wanted rid of it. |
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Post by 35b on Jun 1, 2020 10:15:45 GMT
As is seen in the diagram, the Northern City Line (NCL) platforms are both on the same side, ie: if arriving here from the street the NCL is always on the right and the Victoria line on the left. What I did not see mentioned was that the new NCL tunnels were built large enough for mainline sized trains, even though (at the time) the line was only served by small profile tube trains. I wonder how the future fate of the line would have been had this not been the situation. I think that even in the early 60's when the new arrangement at Highbury was conceived, there were already plans that the NCL would be transferred to BR at some point. It was an awkward line to operate in terms of getting stock to and from it for maintenance, and I'm sure London Transport wanted rid of it. I thought the NCL was always intended as a through line, and conversion in the 1970s was long overdue realisation of the original vision. |
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Post by superteacher on Jun 1, 2020 10:21:24 GMT
I think that even in the early 60's when the new arrangement at Highbury was conceived, there were already plans that the NCL would be transferred to BR at some point. It was an awkward line to operate in terms of getting stock to and from it for maintenance, and I'm sure London Transport wanted rid of it. I thought the NCL was always intended as a through line, and conversion in the 1970s was long overdue realisation of the original vision. Yes, pretty much. I do wonder, however, whether the new tunnel would have been built to main-line size if the Northern Heights scheme had been completed. |
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Post by 35b on Jun 1, 2020 13:05:51 GMT
I thought the NCL was always intended as a through line, and conversion in the 1970s was long overdue realisation of the original vision. Yes, pretty much. I do wonder, however, whether the new tunnel would have been built to main-line size if the Northern Heights scheme had been completed. I think the transport map of north London would look very different had the Northern Heights scheme been completed. |
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Post by spsmiler on Jun 1, 2020 18:44:42 GMT
I think the transport map of north London would look very different had the Northern Heights scheme been completed. Yes, and the Piccadilly line would not be quite so overwhelmed in the Wood Green etc area. Even more so if the Palace Gates branch had remained open, and had that been the situation then the map would have been very different in east London too (Stratford - Canning Town, etc) |
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