Up The West London Line
After my visit to Clapham Junction, I came back via the West London line, taking a break to explore at the new Imperial Wharf station.
It is an impressive station as the pictures show. But I doubt it’s one I’ll use it very often, as it’s on the far side of London from me.
How To Improve A Station
Clapham Junction station is one of the busiest in Europe and on some measures the busiest station in the UK.
I had only been twice before. One was in the 1960s, when I was looking to see some of Bulleid ‘s steam engines, like the Merchant Navy class. The other was a few years ago, when I was going to Southampton from Suffolk.
Since those days, the station has had a makeover. The most impressive feature is the rebuilt bridge with lifts to all the platforms and the new south-eastern or Brighton Yard entrance to the station.
I’ve tried to annotate the pictures correctly, but if you have better captions please let me know.
I should say that in the future Clapham Junction will be important to me, as I will be able to get a direct train to the station from Dalston Junction using the Overground, which will mean, I can get to the south and south west without having to struggle to Waterloo or Victoria. Incidentally, the design of the Overground Platform 2, shows how with a bit of innovation, you can squeeze wide easy-to-navigate platforms into a small space. Once complete passengers arriving on the new East/South London line will just have to walk a few metres to catch the West London line and vice-versa.
Just like with Stratford, it shows how by using good design and a sensible amount of money you can create a good interchange to take the pressure off the main London termini.
I think it is true to say, that the new bridge is the most impressive feature of the redevelopment. If you are changing trains, at the station, it is the ideal place to wait with interesting views, cafes and shops. It is also well-provided with information and has lifts to all platforms.
How many other stations would benefit from a similar makeover?
West Hampstead – This has been proposed and probably will happen. I would certainly benefit, as I could take the North London line to pick up the Jubilee line or Chiltern line to Birmingham.
Hackney Central and Hackney Downs – This could be an important interchange in north-east London, as I indicated here.
Willesden Junction– Connected to both Stratford and Clapham Junction by the London Overground, it should be developed as a link to the north. Selected Virgin expresses should stop at the station.
West Croydon – This needs to be sorted and linked properly to East Croydon. At present it’s easy to go from West to East, but the other way is difficult.
Get these and other interfaces sorted and a lot of pressure could be taken off the main London termini.
The Memorial to the Kings Cross Fire
This clock is a memorial to those who died in the Kings Cross fire on November 18th, 1987.
The Memorial to those who died in the Kings Cross Fire
The brass plate above the clock has the words.
This clock has been given in memory of those who lost their lives in the fire at Kings Cross station on 18th November 1987 from all the Underground staff at sub-surface and tube stations.
The fire was one of the worst tragedies on the Underground in peacetime.
What Do You Think Of It So Far, Isambard?
I was walking through Paddington station to the Hammersmith and City line, when I noticed that the High Speed Diesel Train named after Brunel was stationed under the newly-restored roof.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel at Paddington
I wonder what he would have thought of his restored London terminus.
He might have found the pink interior to the carriage doors a bit much, especially as the Great Western used chocolate and cream.
Tottenham Court Road Station Reopens
Today they reopened the Northern line platforms at Tottenham Court Road station.
The pictures show some of the unique mosaics in the station by Eduardo Paolozzi. One picture shows the naked Northern line platform. Will it get the proper treatment or something very anonymous?
It would appear from this page on TfL’s website, that the murals will be complimented by more artwork from Daniel Buren. This is an extract.
Buren’s is the second piece of permanent artwork to be installed at Tottenham Court Road station, complementing the now iconic 1984 mosaic designs by the late Eduardo Paolozzi. The majority of the Paolozzi mosaics are being preserved in the upgraded station, whilst some smaller sections will be carefully removed and displayed elsewhere.
Let’s hope it all works out! I suspect it will!
A Proper Map at Ipswich Station
I’ve never really checked out Ipswich as to how easy it is to get around by walking or public transport, so I checked on Saturday.
A Proper Match at Ipswich Station
There is no excuse for maps of this quality and size to not be displayed at the railway station. And probably several other places in the town or city as well.
Note that the map has a five minute walking ring and an index to all the streets. The tourism information office is also properly shown.
About the only thing not on the map is the hospital, which is some way on the other side of the town from the station. To be fair to the hospital, they have a page, which describes how to get there by train.
One thing that is different at Ipswich station to many I’ve visited in the last few weeks, is that you walk out of the station and you can see the town in front of you.
Ipswich Town Centre from the Station
The picture, shows the bridge over the River Gipping, the council offices and the football group. You are naturally drawn the right way towards the town centre.
I know, I know Ipswich well, but few towns I’ve visited draw you in in a purposeful way from the station. Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Wolverhampton do to a certain extent. One of the best was Huddersfield, which also had a free town centre bus. But others such as Bristol, Manchester and most of the new towns haven’t got their acts together. Burnley was one of many places where a simple map, some fingerposts and a bit of thought could really improve things.
Analogue Computing at the Science Museum
There were reports in the papers this week about James Lovell selling the checklist that he used to correctly setup the lunar module to get them back home.
What is always missed out in these discussions, is that all of the calculations for the Apollo moon landings were done on a simulator, built using two PACE 231R analgue computers linked together.
At the Science Museum, they did have Lord Kelvin’s differential analyser, but although it was impressive, with lots of impressive engineering and brass gears, there was little to indicate, what this type of machine grew into by the 1960s. Without analogue computers to solve the complicated dynamics of the moon landings, the Americans wouldn’t have been able to get there when they did. Digital computing didn’t have the capability to match a PACE 231R to solve the simultaneous differential equations involved until the mid 1970s.
I was lucky enough to work with a PACE 231R and there are pictures of the one I used here.
There doesn’t appear to be a working PACE 231R anywhere in the world. But to get one to work would be a lot easier than say to get an early digital machine working. An analogue computer is basically a peg board that links a series of amplifiers together. Now I know that these amplifiers are thermionic valve and not transistor, but a typical machine would have a hundred or so of them. And as they use something very akin to 1960s audio technology, finding someone to fix them would not be difficult. Our machine at ICI Plastics in Welwyn Garden City, was carefully looked after by one Eddie Kniter, a Pole, who walked his way to Switzerland to escape the Nazis.
I wonder if the Science Museum has one of these machines in its reserve collection. Getting it working, would really show kids how differential equations are useful in real life.
Returning to Apollo, I remember that the magazine, Simulation, published by Simulation Councils Inc., had a detailed description in one issue of all the simulators and simulations done in connection with the project.
I’d love to get hold of a copy.
Looking For Maiden Lane Station
After reaching York Way, I carried on going north, with the intention of seeing, if I could find any trace of the old Maiden Lane station on the North London line.
It was quite a walk and I think those who are proposing that the station be reopened to serve Kings Cross Central are mistaken. On the other hand reopening York Road Underground station, shown in the pictures, might be a possibility.
So did I find any trace of Maiden Lane station? There’s just a little of it left by a railway bridge. After I took these pictures, I took the North London line past the spot and couldn’t see anything by the track-side.
King’s Boulevard
These pictures show the new King’s Boulevard which leads from King’s Cross station to the Central St. Martins College of Art and Design.
It is the first part of the development at Kings Cross Central to be completed. Note the maps, which set a whole new standard.
The New Kings Cross Starts to Appear
I took these pictures today and they show how the new Kings Cross station is starting to appear.
There is more about what is going on here.
The Anonymous Widower 