Widened Lines from Barbican to Kings Cross behind a Class 31 in the 1970s

A silent cine film trip from Barbican on the Widened Lines behind a Class 31 in the last days of locomotive hauled non-corridor stock in the 1970s, surfacing in the long lost Widened Lines platforms at Kings Cross.

[@jdavis460]

Used to have to give the 31's a bit of welly to get up through Hotel Curve. Would not have wanted to get out in the tunnel it was so tight. Happy days on my new foorplate career as it was then.

[@brianfretwell3886]

I could certainly hear the class 31s almost rattle the windows in Cardinal House where I worked in Farringdon for Post Office Telecoms. The office we had on the fourth floor overlooed the lines. The film brings back the memories.

[@jdfi1980]

Theres only Farringdon that survives now. Barbican BR platforms shut, Kings Cross Midland City shut, Kings Cross York Road/platform 16 shut.... great vid thanks for sharing.

[@bertspeggly4428]

Pity you were on the other side of the train at KX Platform 14, which is the most fascinating location I know of on the entire London suburban railway system.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

There's a seemingly endless supply of facts about the railways in London, especially the UndergrounD ones. Thank you for prompting me to look up Platform 14 née 16 of which I knew nothing. Curved and rising, I won't even mention more because I'm sure that the elfs are still wiping their brows at the thought of it and its safety assessment. As for the rest of King's Cross I was quite satisfied with finally working out the quickest way through the pedestrian tunnels to where I wanted to go. Oh and simply enjoying the maze-like Thameslink et al walkways. Best experienced just before latest episode of closure with its blown lights, puddles of goodness knows what and eerie howls of wind from round blind corner after corner. Wish I'd seen 14. Thanks again.

[@HenrysAdventures]

Fascinating bit of footage there!

[@Broadercasting]

A great shot of the old KX suburban island platforms outside of the smaller train shed now sadly gone . I notice in the latest remodelling (2021) theyv'e taken out yet another platform (10) in the small shed.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

This is a lovely bit of film especially when you consider it's cine film. The quality is pretty good, cine was very expensive back in the day, i started on cine before i got a video camera. Then £5 got you a 3 hour VHS tape rather than a 5 min film..... So i really appreciate all those blokes that took cine film, it must have cost some of them a small fortune!

[@paulhepworth]

The Widened Lines link closed when 313's began running to Moorgate but briefly reopened for 3 weeks to turn ECS round during KX station remodelling. These were outer suburban trains temporarily comprising the old inner suburban stock which could fit in Hotel Curve tunnel. I was involved in the resignalling work there & have a collection of still pictures of the work.

[@stevehotspur]

Paul Hepworth were the distance between rails different or the actual trains I always thought the gauge was the same

[@stevep7950]

@@stevehotspur I think you are talking about Track Gauge which has been 4ft 8 1⁄2 in on every railway in UK and all the London underground since 1846. Most railway Gauge talk is about "Loading Gauge" which is the clearance allowed for the height and width of the rolling stock. The City and south London railway had tunnels of only 10.5 foot diameter, but parliament decided in 1892 that underground tube tunnels should be at least 11.5 foot diameter. See link for some more details > en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loading_gauge#Standard_loading_gauges_for_standard_track_gauge_lines

[@teapott-caddyman]

Loved working those trains along that route. Early 1970's

[@davbrad42]

Loving the deltic showing its napiers blowing

[@Steven_Rowe]

in the 60s I would often go to Moorgate and catch a train to Finsbury Park.Often the stock was quad arts or MK1 suburban and other times Cravens DMUs. Not only were Brush 2s used but Derby Sulzers were in use. Also at Moorgate was Midland trains hauled by Birmingham Sulzers

[@boomheadshot75]

fantastic bit of footage there mate, nice to see the 31 chugging away up front

[@busdriverm]

Superb memories! I was train crew at KX in 75/76 and worked many of those services.

[@TheMrduuk]

Iwas atvcross a a guard abd platform ticket collector including on your road platform

[@sevenacregreen]

I remember traveling on this line in the days of stesm.

[@Listenerandlearner870]

Really interesting.

[@kav816]

yes I went on it myself, during the 70's at one time, I thought the train, was only to shunt the coaches to the main line. But the reason the GN services, used locomotives and coaches, because there weren't enough DMUs around

[@BROADTRAIN1979]

THE CRAVENS DMU 105 S WERE SUPERB! THE RASP BARP EXHAUST YOU COULDNT BEAT IT!!

[@mekydro]

Ah yes, I remember those 31s staggering through the tunnels! The BR standard non-corridors were quite comfortable and very much like travelling on 1a 2-HAP or BR standard 4-EPB south of the river

[@trainrover]

what do you mean by non-corridor?

[@mekydro]

@@trainrover A lot of the BR Mk1 suburban stock had individual compartments with no corridors to allow movement between compartments, hence 'non-corridor'. The standard-class compartments seated 6-a-side, if any more passengers boarded the only option for them was to stand. Even the coaches with side corridors between compartments were 'non-gangwayed' meaning that you could not walk between the coaches.

[@trainrover]

@@mekydro ah! that was the sort of car we took after our ferry arrival south of there...it was handy at saving you from embarassment when arguing about ticketing with a (trapped!!) conductor

[@Steven_Rowe]

@mcmotor101 If you go to google map and zoom in on KX just in front of the train shed on the east side ie platform one you will see two older buildings next to one another, Well just in front of that was the entrance from York way down to the widened lines, The old York Way Station virtually went from the Soughern portal of Gasworks tunnel to the York way tunnel. Remmeber it well when it was diesel hauled back in the good old 60s

[@meadstuart33]

i was a secondman on these from 1968-1975 when i left and went on the buses.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Funnily enough so was a mate of mine from Potters Bar. He was at Kings Cross from 65 to 73 and has told me about his times on the locos as Secondman.

[@DavidFrankal]

Amazing!

[@23BOT]

I remember seeing these "old trains" - it was the old coaches - in the late sixties when i used to go to KX to meet relatives - they seemed so funny to be travelling underground and I find these old tunnels fascinating as a relic of old London - KX station was awesome for a young lad then as it was quite simply deafening due to the drivers reving? up the deltics ...so boring and quiet now ....

[@JDherts]

The line from Moorgate to Farringdon is now disused and the track to St Pauls has been plain lined. So the line that runs to Kentish Town is all that is left of the MCL and from Farringdon on it is the FTL line. There are going to be some major changes in this area over the next couple of years.

[@pcspod]

Great video. Pity BR did not retain these links, although I believe the tunnels still exist at least in part. However at least someone must have subsequently realised what future value these link tunnels would have provided for a cross London service, hence why we now have two brand new tunnels linking the new Thamleslink Kings Cross/St Pancras station with the lines out of Kings Cross, although these new links won't be used until probably 2018-a gap of 41 years since a link was last available!

[@Mr223P]

Amazing

[@JimTLonW6]

Very interesting view of this, to me, little known railway.

[@john87013]

Thats an awesome video. Todays commuters dont know they are born! lol

[@michaelberg9656]

You were on the wrong side of the train at Platform 14, the best platform in the whole of London and you missed it!😁😁

[@mcmotor101]

its a shame they had to close the kx link. its understandable why they did, but still.

[@DavidFrankal]

Alex Kneller Why did they? Anyway, irony is, they're now building a whole new tunnel (the canal tunnel) which will allow trains from the ECML to go into the Thameslink once again!

[@brianfretwell3886]

@@DavidFrankal The old one alway look a bit of a tight curve for longer modern stock and rather narrow too.

[@mcmotor101]

where did the york road curve branch off? I didnt see any significant remains of it at the station last time I was there.

[@1258-Eckhart]

Cripes, all those smelly diesels, the tunnels must have stunk.

[@23BOT]

I remember seeing these "old trains" - it was the old coaches - in the late sixties when i used to go to KX to meet relatives - they seemed so funny to be travelling underground and I find these old tunnels fascinating as a relic of old London - KX station was awesome for a young lad then as it was quite simply deafening due to the drivers revving? up the deltics ...so boring and quiet now ....