14th June 1992

Branch Line Society
The Blackwater and Thames Rambler

Route : 1Z42 throughout

Notes :
(1) Booked route between Finsbury Park and Dalston Jn was via Canonbury West Jn but was diverted because of repair work to damaged overhead line equipment.

Sources : LASERman

Tour Review
(by LASERman)

The itinerary for this tour began the route description with the comment that it was only six years since our starting point of Liverpool Street had gained a passenger service to Willesden Jn, and it was hoped that the tour would be less susceptible to cancellation than the ‘regular’ train - since withdrawn. Our three car Metro-Cammell DMU managed to depart only one minute late and all looked well for a tour around the north and east areas of London and parts of Essex. After our descent of the steep Graham Road curve the first diversion, of many, to the booked route took place. Following a conversation between our driver and the signalman at Dalston Jn we set off via the No. 2 (passenger) line towards Camden Road. The booked route via the No. 1 (goods) line was occupied by the Willesden electrification train engaged in the task of putting the overhead wires back up after a failed suicide attempt a couple of days before. Continuing along the North London line we traversed the short spur at Kensal Green Jn connecting with the Euston - Watford ‘DC’ line before reversing in the low level bay at Willesden Junction. Buffer kissing was not in evidence at this location as the stops were awaiting replacement after the last attempt! Somewhere around this area Don Kennedy, the tour organiser, came through the train looking for somebody to write this review. Before I could hide under the seats like everybody else I had been volunteered. "Nothing to worry about," he said, "just amplify the timing sheet a bit." Little did he know.

Leaving Willesden Junction we rejoined the North London Line before branching off at Gospel Oak onto the leafy delights of the Tottenham & Hampstead line. Approaching Harringay Park Jn the driver realised that the route had been incorrectly set as the appropriate special traffic notice had not been received. Signalman advised, we set back to the protecting signal before diverging onto the spur to join the Great Northern main line, using the No. 2 Down Slow line before taking the flyover at Alexandra Palace to the Hertford loop. The Bowes Park reversing siding was traversed for its full length before we reversed and passed Bounds Green depot, where the former Palace Gates platforms (originally requested for our route, but refused) were observed in the distance. The tour was now booked to run via Finsbury Park to Dalston Jn but the wiring train had not yet finalised its work so hasty plans were being formulated to enable us to regain our booked route. The results of this were that we ran into Kings Cross Suburban before returning to Harringay and reversing to retrace our outward path via Harringay Park Jn to Gospel Oak Jn where we reversed using a crossover that had obviously seen better days, as it required some manual assistance. Pausing only at Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, to pass a long standing signal failure, we finally regained our booked route at Dalston Jn (now almost eighty-eight minutes late), noting the wiring train completing its task, before continuing to Lea Jn. Here we forked left to pass several railway landmarks - Stratford Freightliner terminal/Maintenance depot/Leyton Engineers yard/Temple Mills yard - some now mere shadows of their former glory. Instead of reversing in Temple Mills yard as originally planned, the route had been amended after printing of the itinerary, to reverse instead at Enfield Town after traversing curves at South Tottenham and Seven Sisters. The necessary addition to the itinerary was supplied on the reverse of the timing sheet. A smart reversal at Enfield Town reduced the deficit to just over one hour but gave little opportunity for studying the overgrown areas of the former goods yard, (later the carriage sidings) in the vicinity of the station.

Retracing our steps to High Meads Jn, we curved left through a semicircle to reach Stratford and the Great Eastern main line. From here we ran direct to Shenfield, the booked diversion via the Down Passenger avoiding line around the Ilford flyover having been deleted owing to engineering works. At Shenfield we crossed to the Electric line, running through platform 5 before rejoining the main line to Chelmsford; at Ingatestone we paused briefly in the loop to allow a normal passenger train to overtake us. Arriving at Chelmsford we learnt that some delay was expected as an EMU that had been used for an emergency exercise that morning had failed in the Post Office terminal where we were destined. After a little while we were asked to detrain to allow our unit to be shunted clear of the main line for service trains to pass. Being a blazing hot day a break from our mobile greenhouse was welcome and a queue rapidly formed at the cold drinks machine on the platform. First person to reach the machine was the man from Platelayers Catering who had been making his usual fantastic efforts to ensure that refreshments were available to all tour participants. After the failed unit had been restarted and had vacated the terminal we rejoined our train and ran down to the buffer stops of No. 2 road in the terminal, arriving ninety-one minutes late.

Leaving Chelmsford we ran main line to Romford except for a diversion similar to our down journey at Shenfield, this time via platform 4. Reversing at Romford we joined, via a connection used for empty stock moves to and from the line, the short single track route to Upminster. This 3.25 mile section of line seems to be in a different world from the busy lines at either end and was electrified only six years ago. As time was being regained well an additional short photographic stop was made at the only intermediate station at Emerson Park. Then it was back to Liverpool Street via the main line apart from using the crossovers at Maryland and Bethnal Green to run along the Electric line.

After a quick reversal in platform 11, now only forty-three minutes late, we retraced our steps to Forest Gate Jn where we diverged to the right, having passed under the Tottenham & Hampstead line which we joined at Woodgrange Park Jn, before continuing on to Barking. Here we ran over the flyover before joining the London Tilbury & Shoeburyness line and running parallel to the District line to Upminster, this time using the opposite side of the station from our previous visit here today. Here we left the main line to run over the single track line through open countryside before reaching the more industrial North Thameside area at West Thurrock Jn. Pausing briefly at Grays to be flagged over the crossover at the east end of the station, we reached our last piece of new track for the day. This was Seabrook Sidings which run alongside the main line before curving away slightly on the approach to a gate, where we reversed, and beyond which lies the container terminal. Some spirited running from Liverpool Street had gained us another twenty minutes and with a quick return via the same route we reached our final destination at Liverpool Street platform 5 at 17.27, now just four minutes late, a marvellous recovery from the problems earlier in the tour.

LASERman

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from LASERman)

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