The LNER Encyclopedia

Attached is a still from a 1942 movie, 'This Above all', which shows an LNER Class C! passing under an impressive signal gantry. There is the edge of a signal box on the left and tracks curving off to the right to what may be a goods yard.

Despite the quality of the image, would anyone like to suggest the possible location?

KINGS CROSS

Thanks for this. I am persuaded. It's a pity the exhaust means we can't see the footbridge/walkway to the signal box - that would have clinched it.

Hi KX really? not near the goods "arches" or station there appears to be walkways along side sidings? jj

Yes, really.

That's the old signal box at left, which means that the stock footage used by the film-makers was at least a decade old, the old box being replaced by the one that everybody's familiar with in the early 1930s.

D

TrevorJ wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 11:28 am Attached is a still from a 1942 movie, 'This Above all', which shows an LNER Class C! passing under an impressive signal gantry. There is the edge of a signal box on the left and tracks curving off to the right to what may be a goods yard.

Despite the quality of the image, would anyone like to suggest the possible location?

As hinted at by others TrevorJ, the mechanical signalling and the old signal box seen (KX West) were replaced in 1932, when this was the most likely time that the signal/cable/staff walkway/footbridges appeared (they can be seen as absent in Darryl Tooley's posted photo).
And the upper quadrant signal in Darryl Tooley's photo (plus 2 others) were only installed around 1923/4.

Thanks both Stevie and Darryl.

AM I right in assuming that the signal gantry near the signal box in both Darryl's photo and the film still was replaced when the walkway etc was installed from the Station to the 'new' box in 1932(ish)? If so this helps date the film still (unless, of course, the walkway is in the still, but completely obscured by exhaust!)

Out of curiosity when was the Battlebridge Road bridge dismantled or demolished that originally spanned the whole of the 'throat area' going roughly east to west or west to east and I believe is the reason why both the East and West s/boxes both had 'flat roofs' to both of them to allow for the 'low height clearance' for the bridge?. I believe the Battlebridge Road bridge has been mentioned a small number of times on here in the past down the years.

A couple of sources say Battle Bridge Road bridge was removed in 1921.

John

There was another bridge over the station throat once (York Road), though on other maps I’ve seen it named Congreve Street, I’ve no idea when this bridge was demolished either.

The answer to that Mickey may be in the book "Great British Railway Stations: Kings Cross", 1st Edition 1990, and/or 2nd Edition, Irwell Press, 2016.

There was also the other bridge, between Battlebridge Road and Gasworks Tunnel, that carried a roadway off York Way leading across only into the premises of the Imperial Gas Light and Coke company (later the site of 'Passenger Loco').
This bridge is often referred to as 'Congreve Street', but seemingly that may not have been official as it was often unnamed on maps.
IIRC the new Passr Loco was opened c.1924, enabling closure of the old one (alongside the 'Suburban Station' trainshed; leaving the way clear for Platforms 14 & 15 to be built there), so 'Congreve Street' bridge must've been demolished, along with the gas etc. works itself, before that.