Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2008 1:52:55 GMT
Hi
Not sure if this is the correct place to post this but decided as it is 'historical' it is as good a place as any. I paid another visit to TNA at Kew last Thursday and as well as photting some more Met timetables (MRFS if you want an updated list let me know- I have photted 1903 amongst others..) I came across an MT6 file regarding a proposed flying junction at Baker Street and thought it might be of interest to some of you on here. The letter dated October 17th 1907 (stamped no 12890) signed by Mr A C Ellis of the General Manager's Office of the Metropolitan Railway is to the Board of Trade requesting sanction for the scheme.
The letter describes the rationale behind the scheme which was to provide a through double road from the St John's Wood Extension Line to the Circle Line so as to run through trains to and from the City Stations. It was considered impossible to work a double junction on the level without causing serious delay to Up Circle trains.
They go on to describe their intended solution:
"In order to overcome this difficulty we propose to make a flying junction by lowering the down Circle line to a sufficient depth to allow the down St John's Wood line, by a junction with the lowered Circle line to pass under the Up Circle Line and thence by rising gradients to join the existing levels of the St John's Woods Line about 2 1/2 furlongs from the proposed lowered junction."
The attached plan (to the letter as opposed to here) shows the new down St John's Wood line as passing roughly along the route of the present platform 1 (at a radius of 6.5 chains) and joining the down line well into the tunnel (under Park Road). It would also be necessary to alter the down Circle vertically. I would imagine that this would have radically altered the appearance and layout of the Circle line platforms with the down being at a lower level- there are no details as to how this would have looked but I wonder if it would have been built essentially in a box of sorts...
Unfortunately there was no more correspondence on this scheme (not that I could find attached at any rate) so can only assume that the scheme got rejected as a further scheme from Mr Robert Selbie dated April 30th 1909 was for approval for a further scheme to provide for a facing junction between the down Circle line and Baker Street East Platform 1 to "allow for a larger number of through trains from the St John's Wood Line to the City and vice versa." This seemed to be to the acceptance of the Board of Trade when Major Pringle inspected the new junction (points no 7) on July 5th 1909 worked by a new Baker Street Circle box and approved the scheme. The inspection reports that the improved service of approx 12 through trains in each direction morning and evening has relieved the pressure of passenger traffic on the up Circle platform. (Previous lengthy correspondence had been concerned with increased crowds on East Platform 1 spilling over onto the Up Circle Line with the inherent risk of someone falling under a train- which it seemed an elderly lady did indeed do suffering fatal head injuries.) It seems that even this measure was not enough as it was not long after this (ie 1913) that Baker Street East was rebuilt into its 4 platform state comparable with today- complete with flat double line junction on the Circle.
Next time I am at TNA I shall get this file out again and see if I can find a definitive answer. So many more MT6 files to go through and so little time!
Not sure if this is the correct place to post this but decided as it is 'historical' it is as good a place as any. I paid another visit to TNA at Kew last Thursday and as well as photting some more Met timetables (MRFS if you want an updated list let me know- I have photted 1903 amongst others..) I came across an MT6 file regarding a proposed flying junction at Baker Street and thought it might be of interest to some of you on here. The letter dated October 17th 1907 (stamped no 12890) signed by Mr A C Ellis of the General Manager's Office of the Metropolitan Railway is to the Board of Trade requesting sanction for the scheme.
The letter describes the rationale behind the scheme which was to provide a through double road from the St John's Wood Extension Line to the Circle Line so as to run through trains to and from the City Stations. It was considered impossible to work a double junction on the level without causing serious delay to Up Circle trains.
They go on to describe their intended solution:
"In order to overcome this difficulty we propose to make a flying junction by lowering the down Circle line to a sufficient depth to allow the down St John's Wood line, by a junction with the lowered Circle line to pass under the Up Circle Line and thence by rising gradients to join the existing levels of the St John's Woods Line about 2 1/2 furlongs from the proposed lowered junction."
The attached plan (to the letter as opposed to here) shows the new down St John's Wood line as passing roughly along the route of the present platform 1 (at a radius of 6.5 chains) and joining the down line well into the tunnel (under Park Road). It would also be necessary to alter the down Circle vertically. I would imagine that this would have radically altered the appearance and layout of the Circle line platforms with the down being at a lower level- there are no details as to how this would have looked but I wonder if it would have been built essentially in a box of sorts...
Unfortunately there was no more correspondence on this scheme (not that I could find attached at any rate) so can only assume that the scheme got rejected as a further scheme from Mr Robert Selbie dated April 30th 1909 was for approval for a further scheme to provide for a facing junction between the down Circle line and Baker Street East Platform 1 to "allow for a larger number of through trains from the St John's Wood Line to the City and vice versa." This seemed to be to the acceptance of the Board of Trade when Major Pringle inspected the new junction (points no 7) on July 5th 1909 worked by a new Baker Street Circle box and approved the scheme. The inspection reports that the improved service of approx 12 through trains in each direction morning and evening has relieved the pressure of passenger traffic on the up Circle platform. (Previous lengthy correspondence had been concerned with increased crowds on East Platform 1 spilling over onto the Up Circle Line with the inherent risk of someone falling under a train- which it seemed an elderly lady did indeed do suffering fatal head injuries.) It seems that even this measure was not enough as it was not long after this (ie 1913) that Baker Street East was rebuilt into its 4 platform state comparable with today- complete with flat double line junction on the Circle.
Next time I am at TNA I shall get this file out again and see if I can find a definitive answer. So many more MT6 files to go through and so little time!
