Ashburton Grove

[R. pike]

Super pictures macduff. I was ten years old when the last boxes went on the GN. I got to visit Tempsford, Everton, Offord, Sandy, Hitchin Yard, Arlesey and Three Counties before they went. Everything else was seen as quick glimpse from a passing train. Your pictures of FP1 and Ashburton Grove are the first i've seen. Once again, Super pictures.

One thing that does stick in my mind from the electrification period was travelling to Moorgate on a 313 from Hitchin for the Silver Jubilee in 1977. On dropping down towards Drayton Park i saw some tube tunnels poking out of earthworks on the up side.. I don't suppose you have a photo of them?

[Mickey]

This photo taken from nearly the same spot after the re-signalling, the creep up can be seen much better.

Probably a bit OTT but as far as i am concered thats the 'desecration of sacred ground' not just at Ashburton Grove but the whole railway.

[macduff]

Richard, is this what you mean

[R. pike]

That be it! I'm glad my 11 year old brain wasn't playing tricks on me. I know what they are and when they were cast off. Once again the first picture i've seen of them!

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

I'm not familiar with the Capital at all. What are they and where did the lines (if indeed any were any laid!) go?

You've piqued my curiosity!

[R. pike]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_City_Line

[Mickey]

Ay up!

I'm not familiar with the Capital at all. What are they and where did the lines (if indeed any were any laid!) go?

You've piqued my curiosity!

Originally i think the line from Moorgate to Drayton Park was part of the Great Northern Railway but sometime later the London Underground (Northern line) took over day to day running of the line.

British Rail during the mid 1970s took over the running of the line into Moorgate via Drayton Park which allowed British Rail Eastern Region to cease running trains via Kings Cross York Road over the 'widen lines' into Moorgate.

[R. pike]

A little detail here..

http://www.abandonedstations.org.uk/Dra ... ation.html

[Mickey]

Back to FINSBURY PARK No.1 s/box I notice on the s/box track diagram that this box had a fairly high number of ground disc signals 10 in all (usually called a 'dolly' on the G.N.R.) one of which is a 'Yellow' faced disc signal.

Also with the addition of the centre carriage & run round roads there is a fair bit of 'complicated points work' associated with getting into and out of the centre roads.

Finally I notice that underneath the Up starting signal towards Cannonbury Junction (North London Railway) there is a 'subsidary signal' i presume that this is a 'Warning signal' (section clear-Junction blocked).

All in all a fairly complicated track layout for a bit of a 'backwater' location.

[R. pike]

I find the whole place quite complicated. I have diagrams for a few other FP boxes but where were they all? No7 was up top on the Highgate line i know. I have circuit diagrams for FP7 to Highgate and it is tragic to think it saw very little use despite it's modernisation.

FP5..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32297024@N ... otostream/

FP3

http://www.lymmobservatory.net/railways ... k_no_3.jpg

East Goods Yard..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32297024@N ... hotostream

[Mickey]

I find the whole place quite complicated. I have diagrams for a few other FP boxes but where were they all? No7 was up top on the Highgate line i know. I have circuit diagrams for FP7 to Highgate and it is tragic to think it saw very little use despite it's modernisation.

Quite possibly the most interesting railway location on the G.N.R??.

FINSBURY PARK No.5 was always a favourite box of mine but in later years FINSBURY PARK Nos 6 & 4 have also become favourites as well.

FINSBURY PARK No.4 was ruined in later years when they abolished the connection towards FINSBURY PARK No.1 via the Up Cannonbury line that went to the left of the box and also the abolition of the Up Goods no.2 line with the associated signals on the 'directing signals' gantry outside the box a long with the Up slow line platform starting signals (x2 stop arms on a bracket post, top arm read to Up Cannonbury line, bottom arm read a long the Up slow line to the 'directing signals' gantry) that was reduced to a single signal arm with a miniture arm provided (a lot lower down to the left) to access a sidings road around the back of the box.

[R. pike]

FP6..

[Mickey]

God wots that thing!!. Looks like some 'cheapo' British Rail thing drawn up at Derby in a quasi-L.M.R. style!!.

When i visited FINSBURY PARK No.6 twice around 1972 it still had an earlier track diagram mounted in a glass fronted wooden case with 'clear' track circuits more associated with the L.N.E.R.

[StevieG]

This photo taken from nearly the same spot after the re-signalling, the creep up can be seen much better.

I actually have a couple of shots of remarkably similar views to those already posted, of inside AG box, and of it from the main line looking towards Fins.Park No.1, and have been trying to get a present day comparison shot to the latter for nearly two years: But it's no longer railway-legal for me to go trackside, and from-train shots are quite difficult, not only because of their usual speeds, but also because trains tend to lurch as they go over bridge 12 (over which I think the rails are still supported by waybeams).

However, the readership may like to try the difficult task of comparing this one of 04/05/12 with the post-resignalling/remodelling photo in your above post of 14:16 today, macduff :

Around centre is the same facing colour-light signal seen in macduff's pic (K372 Down Canonbury [Up] to Canonbury single line [to Canonbury Junc.] ; It used to read across to the Up Canonbury line when it was still double track through Canonbury Tunnel to the N.L. line at Can. Junc.).
On the extreme right, the Emirates (Arsenal F.C.'s) Stadium, to which the new wide pedestrian overbridge leads, from 'Drayton Park' (the road), is the partly red building just slightly visible behind the angular buildings, which are presumably living accommodation(?).
Obviously the sidings have been completely obliterated [as have the group of up side sidings known as 'Highbury Vale'/'Gillespie Road' {more new buildings} ], though the path of the former Up Carriage 'Creep-up' (not really visible here) is I think, largely intact beneath all the foliage away to the right.
The line most visible is the (2-way) 'Down Canonbury', with its reverse curving quite comparable with how it's seen in macduff's photo, and to the right, through the mesh of the main line overbridge, the silver back of its current-day down direction signal (K377) with Pos.1 'feather' Junction Indicator can be seen (with the 'creep-up' gone, this signal's now nearer the main line than was its predecessor in macduff's pic, with 'rabbit's ears' Positions 1 & 4 'feathers').
Left of centre may be seen a small curved portion of the Down Moorgate line from Drayton Park & the 'Northern City line', rising after passing beneath the Down Canonbury line, and through the bridge mesh again, the head of its 'auto' signal K373.
The yellow road/rail plant in the middle ground sits on the now-unrecognisable formation of the one-time steeply-inclined Up East Goods line from East Goods Yard box down to FP No.1 box.
The Up Moorgate and the present day Up Canonbury are completely out-of-sight behind this.
Drayton Park station lies beyond the Down Canonbury's disappearing left-hand curve: There appears to be another red signal light there in the distance - I think this must be one of the Drayton Park Up direction platform starters, one of which, along with usually green K356R distant signal inside the NCL's Up 'tube' tunnel, can be fleetingly glimpsed from this point depending on time of year/foliage density.

[StevieG]

God wots that thing!!. Looks like some 'cheapo' British Rail thing drawn up at Derby in a quasi-L.M.R. style!!.

When i visited FINSBURY PARK No.6 twice around 1972 it still had an earlier track diagram mounted in a glass fronted wooden case with 'clear' track circuits more associated with the L.N.E.R.

Looks like the last diagram 'GB' No.6 would've had, showing the situation when No.4 box had been abolished, its layout at the other end of the station significantly altered, and was controlled from a switch panel in No.6. - Same diagram style as, for example, what Hatfield 2 received when it took over the Down side from the closure of No.3, and that Hatfield 1 got after Potters Bar was resignalled, Micky. (Wouldn't be surprised if WGC's became the same style when Hatfield was resignalled into the panel in No.2 : Probably much cheaper than amending 'proper' diagrams, and their track-circuit lights.