White disks on the front of steam locomotives

Wicopedia, not allways a reliable sourcce, says the conection was only used 1874 to 1875 and was taken out in 1905. There is a plan in Wicopedia which shows the two main line platforms going under the hotel but ending in wagon turntables so it apears I was told duff info. It is true however that the two main line platforms were only conected via a bridge which effectivly divided the west side in half.

That the lines are at right angles may be a problem but not insurmountable. At Waterloo the East Station is at right angles to the main station but the two were joined by a single line. The connection turned sharp left off platform D, ran across the concourse and made a conection with one of the platforms. Apart from the odd horse box it saw little use. Not sure if the conection across the main station survived the inter war rebuilding but the line of the connection at east could be followed untill the recent ish mods. The foot link batween east and west utilised the platform for the link

 

No, you weren't given duff info, it's just that the Wikipedia plan show's a different connection! One of the sidings between the long platforms which divided the west and east sides at Liverpool Street did, indeed, continue on to serve the hotel, under which was a wagon turntable.
There was a direct connection between Liverpool Street's platforms 1 & 2 and the Metropolitan/Circle Line, however the Met and GE companies, having gone to the trouble of building the connection, could not agree on rates and it was only used for a few months.
Until the rebuilding of 1991 there was a hole, surrounded by wooden fencing, at the western end of the L.S. concourse, through which the extension of platforms 1 & 2 originally ran. Beyond this the tightly curved tunnel was still there, partly used as stores and partly as a staff dining room. Until 1990 an annual railwayana sale was held in the latter section!
The only visible remains of the connection are at the Circle Line end. At the western end of the eastbound platform is a disused signal box, behind which a curved wall can be seen. This is the original western end of the connection.

The other Metropolitan route into LS was via Shoreditch on the East London Line. This joint line was shared with the GER, LB&SCR and SE&CR, all of which at one time or another ran trains into LS. This connection existed into the early 1970s, though latterly used for freight and occasional special passenger services. All trains using it had to be run into LS platform 18 and reversed, which meant that most freight usage was at night

 

Yes they are running in service like that (not just one, either). I agree it's useful.

Rob

 

Apropos unlikely destination indications: one evening I was waiting at Watford Junction for the Caledonian Sleeper (Highlander), which of course splits into three portions in the small hours and serves a number of destinations scattered across Scotland. The indicator on the platform was appropriately showing many destinations but at least one of them was somewhere on the Southern. Unfortunately I had no camera with me and now don't remember which station it was.

 

As far as I can tell, the connection survived until 1911, which was mid-way through the rebuilding of Waterloo. Interestingly, the connection was severed at the behest of the LSWR, who removed their section, but the SECR section of the link trailed off into nothingness for the next twenty-odd years before finally being removed.

Having been opened in 1864, it wasn't used much: there was a bit of transfer traffic such as horse boxes and milk vans, as well as the odd family saloon. Probably the most notable use was by Queen Victoria, who used the connection on her occasional visits to the continent, travelling from Windsor, via the two Waterloo stations to Dover. Special trains conveying visiting foreign royalty also used the line en route to Windsor.

Attached diagram shows Waterloo in 1910, after the South Station had been rebuilt but before the work that ultimately severed the connection to Waterloo Junction, which can be seen leading off to the right from the old mainline platforms. The SECR lines to Charing Cross head out of the top of the image.



Tom

 

You forget it's starring role in HG Wells' War of the Worlds, where it's used to get troops and artillery from Woolwich to Woking.

 

Re unusual destinations. Preserved DMU often carry random destinations. Well sometimes this can bite back. I had worked an evening fish and chip special back to Kidderminster and was waiting to go back to Bewdley and stable. I was approached by a lady with two small children. "What time do you leave for Stourbridge Junction" "We dont madam you need the main line statiom across the aproach rd" lady "Well it says you are going to Stourbridge on the train" I checked and it did indeed say Stourbridge Junction. . I showed the lady to the NR station. One of her children a boy of about 10 had tried throughout the conversation to tell his mum they were at the wrong station.

For those who dont know Kidderminster pre closure the SVR ran into what is now the NR station. The SVR built a terminal station in what had been the goods yard. The two stations are only around 100 yards apart.

The slightly ironic thing is that as the SVR has a main line connection the train could indeed have gone to Stourbridge Junction if the heritage DMU had been allowed on the main line

 

Perils of pseudo authenticity... Helps you believe the stories about the GWR (LBSCR too?) removing names from locos named after places on the line because the great British public were thinking they were destinations...

 

I have seen it written that the SR never used MNs on boat trains to Southampton to avoid the confusion of say Holand America line hauling a Cunader

 

Or the awkwardness of using a loco named after a competitor.

 

Thanks for the info on Liverpool St. folks, I have learnt something! I had always thought that that curved wall behind the Met signal box just went to a siding or something. I wonder if the connection ever carried goods traffic to Smithfield market?

I was aware of the Waterloo connection. The bridge over the road is still there, isn't it?

It's surprising how many of the London "terminal" stations used to have through platforms, actually. Kings Cross used to (in one direction anyway - the other way trains stopped at York Road); St. Pancras does since rebuilding; Blackfriars and Paddington still do (albeit no main line connection at Paddington these days). There was a proposal for a link to the Circle Line at Marylebone but I don't believe it was ever built. Any others?

 

Just to continue the thread drift.

There was a new timetable for services out of Paddington. On one service there was a query re a stop at Slough. The programmer for the departure display put a ridiculous destination for Slough to act as a reminder. On the day of the new timetable the display showed the first stop as "OUTER MONGOLIA"

Well I knew Slough was perhapa a bit dull but still!

 

Sorry, more thread drift. Definitely my favourite destination...

 

Beats my best - the North London Tank running on the Bluebell with the classic Waterloo-West of England headcode discs - by a long way!

 

Slightly off topic but still close. On Upwey station in Dorset a few years back to film a slam door set in their last days when the station board and tannoy suddenly announced a spurious Virgin service non-stop to Kyle of Lochalsh! Have a video screen grab somewhere as proof but missed capturing the sound-bite as the slammer I was filming had gone though. Got camera back on for the visual shot but no audio re-announcement.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalkz

 

Well you could say, that as a non-southern loco, this was the standard national code for through freight or ballast train (or the early post-grouping code for a cattle train)

 

deleted

 

The bridge is actually still there. Infact, when you walk between Waterloo & Waterloo East using the overbridge, you are following the alignment, but about 6 foot higher.

Not my pictures...

Then:

Waterloo Road 1910 by Depot Cat, on Flickr

Now:

Waterloo Road 9-8-2013 by Depot Cat, on Flickr

 

Love the changes in the Omnibus advertising.