The Site Of The Hall Farm Curve
I was travelling north on the Lea Valley Line and just before arrival at Tottenham Hale station, I took these pictures of the site of the Hall Farm Curve.
The Class 315 or 317 train in the last picture is a Chingford Branch train on its way to Hackney Downs and Liverpool Street stations.
This Google Map shows the Lea Valley Line from where the Chingford Branch crosses over the top to Lea Bridge station.
Hall Farm Curve And Lea Bridge Station
The scar of the old Hall Farm Curve connecting the two lines clearly shows.
Note the new Lea Bridge station will be built, where the Lea Valley Line crosses Lea Bridge Road.
London Just Carried On
Ten years ago today, I published a post on my old blog entitled Carry On London, as a reflection after the bombings earlier in the day.
I make no apologies for repeating it today.
Tuesday, I went to the funeral of a friend. Alex died young at 48. Life is cruel. But even the funeral was not a sad affair! Alex wouldn’t have wanted it so and stated it probably many times before she died!
Wednesday, I was in Trafalgar Square, when my fair and beloved city, London, was announced as the winner of the 2012 Olympic Games. Life can be so sweet.
But then we have the bombings of today!
Thousands of times, I’ve travelled through the tunnels under London. Many times, I’ve done the stretch between Kings Cross and Russell Square, where most of the casualties occurred. Occassionally, I’ve used the two parts of the Circle Line, where the other two bombs went off.
Am I bitter? Angry? Sad? Vindictive?
Not sure!
Sad yes! As why would anybody want to do such a thing! How would I feel if one of my sons did that? I would know I had failed. How would I feel if one of my sons had got caught in the blasts. I don’t know! But thankfully they didn’t.
So it has to be sadness at the moment. Vindictiveness only follows the old eye for an eye maxim, which means that we all go blind!
But perhaps, the greatest thing we can do is just carry on, remembering those that died and vowing to be more vigilant so that it won’t happen again.
Fay would have done that. She worked for my father and during the Second World War, the shy girl from North London, worked as a conductor on the buses. One day, the bus she should have been on, was hit directly by a German bomb. Everybody died! She just remembered the tragedy, I suspect she cried long and hard, and then she carried on.
A few crackpots, who take the good name of Islam in vain, should never be able to bring London to its knees, when the evil Hitler and the Luftwaffe failed.
A last point for Bush and all those who think that the death penalty is a deterrent in these sort of cases. I’ll ignore the fact that the London atrocities may well have been suicide bombers, which are usually pretty difficult to execute. But as I am someone who has no belief in any religious being at all, I do believe that we should do all we can to preserve reasonable life here, as there is nothing more to come. So if we ever execute anybody, then we are losing our own humanity and descending below their level.
Carry on London.
A lot has happened to me since that fateful day of the 7th July, 2005.
My wife of nearly forty years and our youngest son, both died of cancer. I then had a stroke, which left me unable to drive. So I’ve moved back to London and almost ironically, I now live close to the route of the number 30 bus, one of which was destroyed with the loss of thirteen lives in the bombings.
But London has looked after me, as only one of the world’s great cities can.
And London has carried on, just as Fay believed you should.
Should London Take A Leaf Out Of Syriza’s Rule Book?
Tomorrow and Thursday in London, the Underground is on strike.
The strike is to try and get a greater increase in salary to work the new Night Tube, when it opens in September.
If I was Boris, I’d call a referendum with this question.
Do the residents and visitors to London want a night Underground service on Friday and Saturday?
I certainly do! But then the Unions want to rerun the 2015 General Election, where the electorate didn’t like the Labour Party.
Obviously, if it’s a No! vote, then the Mayor and Transport for London would drop the idea of the Night Tube.
Crossrail Station Index
My post on Custom House station got me asking the question – In how many Crossrail stations, will there be a central island platform with two platform faces or a shared area possibly with platform edge doors serving both lines, rather than two separate platforms with the tracks together in the middle?
Crossrail is effectively a two-track railway and only a few stations have more than two platforms that will be used by Crossrail trains.
This is an index of all Crossrail stations, with links to their page on the Crossrail web site and Wikipedia.
Note that at present not all stations, have their own page on the Crossrail web site.
Abbey Wood Station – An existing station with two new Crossrail platforms. – Crossrail Wikipedia
Acton Main Line – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Bond Street – A new two-platform station with possibly a shared area between them. – Crossrail Wikipedia
Brentwood – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Burnham – An existing two-platform station with an island platform. Crossrail Wikipedia
Canary Wharf – A new two-platform station with a shared area between them. – Crossrail Wikipedia
Chadwell Heath – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Custom House – A new two-platform station with a shared area between them. – Crossrail Wikipedia
Ealing Broadway Station – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer, that will be rebuilt. Crossrail Wikipedia
Farringdon – A new two-platform station with a shared area between them. – Crossrail Wikipedia
Forest Gate – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Gidea Park – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Goodmayes – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Hanwell – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and subway transfer. Wikipedia
Harold Wood – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Hayes and Harlington – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer, that will be rebuilt. Crossrail Wikipedia
Ilford – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Iver – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Langley – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Crossrail Wikipedia
Liverpool Street – A new two-platform station with a shared area between them. – Crossrail Wikipedia
Maidenhead – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and subway transfer. Wikipedia
Manor Park – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Maryland – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Old Oak Common – A new station to be designed and built after Crossrail is completed. Wikipedia
Paddington – A new two-platform station with a shared area between them. – Crossrail Wikipedia
Reading – A large existing station, which has been future-proofed to act as a terminal for Crossrail. Wikipedia
Romford – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Seven Kings – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Shenfield – An existing station with three separate Crossrail platforms and subway transfer. Wikipedia
Slough – A large existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
Southall – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer, that will be rebuilt. Wikipedia
Stratford – A large existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and subway transfer. Wikipedia
Taplow – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Crossrail Wikipedia
Tottenham Court Road – A new two-platform station with possibly a shared area between them. Crossrail Wikipedia
Twyford – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer. Wikipedia
West Drayton – An existing station with two/three separate Crossrail platforms and bridge/subway transfer. Crossrail Wikipedia
West Ealing – An existing station with two separate Crossrail platforms and bridge transfer, that will be rebuilt. Wikipedia
Whitechapel – A new two-platform station with a shared area between them. – Crossrail Wikipedia
Woolwich – A new two-platform station with a shared area between them. – Crossrail Wikipedia
The Greek Finance Minister Had The Crash Helmet
What made me laugh yesterday was a picture of the now-resigned Greek Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, riding away from the problems on his motocycle.
He was wearing a crash helmet and his bimbo-on-the-back had to make do without!
A Greek metaphor on the lines of I’m alright, Jack!
I think the video is on this page in the Guardian.
The Mail says the lady is his wife!
Custom House Station – 5th July 2015
Custom House station has been progressing and now even has some glass in the windows.
You can also see that the Crossrail trains will go either side of the central building. It now appears that this is the preferred way to design a new station.
At Custom House station it will mean that passengers arriving at the station from Excel or on the DLR, would appear to go to the same platform, which will have two faces; one for Central London and one for Kent.
When you consider that London Underground deep-level stations since the 1930s have been designed this way with a central platform, it puzzles me, why we have such uninspiring recent station designs like the Thameslink platforms at St. Pancras.
Where you have a two-track railway, the layout must be more affordable, as you only need one set of lifts/escalators/stairs and other services.
On the other hand, you need a bridge over the tracks or a subway beneath them, where the railway is on the surface. Obviously in some places the geography of the area, will make this easier. For example if a station is in a cutting or there is a road bridge.
At Custom House a large proportion of passengers will arrive at First Floor level either from Excel or after taking a short escalator up from the DLR, so there will only need to be access from the street up to the First Floor circulation area, from where I took these pictures. At present the DLR uses steps and a lift. I’m sure the completed station will use an elegant solution with probably escalators instead of stairs.
Greeky Bum Time
The Sun can always be relied upon for a catchy headline.
Do Politicians Make Too Much Fuss About Currencies?
The Needs Of People
I travel extensively across Europe and after trips like my Home Run From Krakow or my Home Run From Stockholm, I end up with a walletful of assorted zlotys, crowns etc.
But it won’t always be like that, as increasingly contactless cards and smartphones will take over from cash. How long will it be before a lot of public transport in the world uses the London model, where you just touch and go?
So I suspect cash will become very much a method of payment that will not bother visitors.
Other developments will also help.
1. Using Coins
Vending machines, toilets, left luggage lockers and other places that need small cash payments will get intelligent and probably respond to the local currency and a selection of others, like one and two euros, pound coins and dollar quarters.
So a visitor to Europe, would just make sure they topped up their one euro coins.
2. No-Commission on Credit Cards When Used Abroad
The credit card I use abroad, is a Nationwide Select Credit Card and this page on their web site, describes its use abroad. And so far, they’ve done what it says on the tin.
As the card was recommended by one of the Personal Finance Experts on the BBC, it can’t be that much of a con.
All credit cards should be like this!
3. Late Rooms et al.
On my trip to Poland, I used lateroom.com to book accomodation and some of the hotels were paid in zlotys. But I paid in advance in Pounds Sterling.
All of these systems are giving both the seller and the purchaser a bill in the currency they want.
Summing Up The Needs Of People
All people want is a system that buys that drink, meal or rents that room or sun lounger giving them a good rate with no hassle.
The Needs of Business
When it comes to business, I’ve just paid two overseas bills using SWIFT from my Nationwide account. I got charged £20 for each one, which was a bit steep in my view, but these days you can transfer money pretty easily.
The Greedy Bankers
So I come to the conclusion, that on a small transaction basis and that probably means anything under a couple of grand, transactions should be possible on what we have today.
Just look at what you can do with PayPal and an eMail address.
But would greedy bankers and their friends in Central Banks allow multi-currency transactions to become the norm for money transfer between consenting adults or companies?
The Innovators
Just look at how finance has changed in the last few years.
Nothing is cast in stone and who’s to say what will be the financial flavour of 2016.
Every problem is an opportunity for an innovator. And this type of disruptive innovation often hurts established players!
Summing Up The Needs Of Business
A business just wants money transferred to a client or supplier at the best rate instantly, for the lowest possible commission.
So Who Needs A Single Currency?
The only advantage of a single currency like the euro or the dollar, is that you know easily what you are paying and that accounts and paperwork are simpler.
Politicians also say it creates jobs as it encourages industries like tourism.
It may do, but the UK gets masses of tourists and not being in the Eurozone doesn’t seem to be a problem. Visitors are happy to use their credit cards or prepay for everything in their own currency, so it probably illustrates that if you have a good product, then the tourists and money will roll in.
I think it is probably true to say that politicians also like a single currency as it’s a big idea, with which they might leave their mark on history.
I was probably in favour of a single currency for Europe at one time, but I think now, that so many innovations will get round the rules and create lots of jobs, that it is rather an outdated concept.
I much prefer a simple process that allows me to spend pounds everywhere with the best exchange rate and no commission.
In some ways this will be an unrealistic idea, as politicians will protect their useless banks.
But they will have to legislate a ban to stop it.
Remember that politicians don’t understand new technology. Look at the mess they;re all in over Uber.
A Circular Walk From Royal Oak Station
When I wrote about my last visit to Royal Oak and the Westbourne Park Footbridge in October last year, I said this.
It will be fascinating to go back here, to see the area, as the railway and its infrastructure progresses.
So this morning, I went back and took these pictures, to see if they could add to what I saw yesterday.
Things have moved on apace.
1. Royal Oak station is no longer the rusting ruin it was last year and all of the glass is now clear and immaculate.
2. Crossrail has also dropped the height of the blue security fence, which means tall people can get good pictures of the Crossrail site from the platform of Royal Oak station.
3. It is now clear that the arches support the slip road up to the Westway and that they may have once supported an old railway line.
4. I was pleased to see the lith-style information displayed in a poster. It must help with putting information in places, which are too small or not suitable for a full size lith. It all goes to show how good, Legible London is.
According to Wikipedia, it is now the world’s largest pedestrian wayfinding project. So if Ipswich can have one, why can’t any number of important capital and tourist cities.
5. Crossrail’s Royal Oak Portal is now clearly visible from the Westbourne Park Footbridge and the pictures show what a tight squeeze the double-track railway is between the Westway and the Metropolitan Line.
6. I don’t think it will be long before they start laying track, as this will make it easier to get men and materials in and out of the tunnels.
7. I have read that between the portal and the existing bus garage, the area will be used to store trains and also turn back those running to Paddington. The bus garage extension is being built over the sidings.
Crossrail is certainly coming together in Westbourne Park, where it squeezes between the Westway and the Great Western Main Line.
Crossrail’s Royal Oak Portal
Unlike the Crossrail tunnel portals at Abbey Wood and Stratford, the portal at Royal Oak is rather hidden away under the Westway, with no suitable vantage point to see the site. This Google Map shows the tunnel portal from Royal Oak station to the footbridge at Westbourne Park, where I took these pictures.
Royal Oak Tunnel Portal
It shows the cramped nature of the site, which is just 21m. wide. This is an enlarged image of the ramp leading down to the start of the tunnel under London.
An Enlarged View
The only pictures I can find on the web with a proper explanation are in this article on the London Reconnections web site. In that article a picture is labelled as the remains of the arches and they are shown under the Westway and facing South. They are probably the arches in these pictures I took from the train.
I am not sure, but it looks like the arches support the access ramp that lead up to the Westway. But they are not shown in this architectural drawing from Acanthus, which shows the area around the Ventilation shaft they have designed for Crossrail.
Crossrail Ventilation Shaft By Acanthus
This Google Map shows the current access with relation to the two bridges and Royal Oak station.
Access To The Westway
Note the long pipes, which I assume are either covering conveyors that remove the spoil for the tunnels or are to there to pump fresh air into the tunnels.
The station has recently been renovated, but once Crossrail is complete to the North of the station, are we going to see a comprehensive redevelopment of the area.
All will be revealed in time.
The Anonymous Widower 