please empty your brain below
A canal pedant writes ... it's the Hertford Union Canal (aka Duckett's Cut).

Always excited to spot a canal pic.

Sarah | Homepage | 21.05.20 - 7:56 a.m. | #

When you drive North along the A12, then immediately after crossing the Hertford Union Canal, you can see the remains of the line. It looks like there was a second bridge just here.

Southern Heights (Light Railway) | 21.05.20 - 8:33 a.m. | #

Hi Southern Heights, do you mean this one? However I wonder if it's just part of the bridge over the canal as according to this map, there's nothing for it to be a bridge over.

Regards

zin92 | 21.05.20 - 8:57 a.m. | #

North of Old Ford Road, the railway land is "wasted" but on the other hand it's probably nice for the residents to be slightly set back from the road.

Mikey C | 21.05.20 - 9:20 a.m. | #

The immediate reaction by the railway companies to the tragic murder of Mr Briggs was to cut circular holes in the partitions between the compartments so that an occupant could call for help if threatened. I would think it would be of very little practical help but afforded some reassurance. The holes were called "Muller lights".
I recall seeing a Punch cartoon of the time which showed an urchin making faces at a city gent through one.

Baldrick | 21.05.20 - 10:00 a.m. | #

Thanks for a fascinating post - it's explained some things I was wondering about as to where exactly some parts of this railway line was, and not least how it related to the location of the East Cross Route alongside!

Seems remarkable to think those completely enclosed compartments endured in London until the early 1990s, only being phased out entirely after another murder.

Dominic H | 21.05.20 - 11:17 a.m. | #

Thanks for these two posts, thoroughly enjoyed them.

O | 21.05.20 - 11:53 a.m. | #

Muller Lights eh..? As funny as it is implausible.

Frank F | 21.05.20 - 12:21 p.m. | #

"Muller’s Lights", in fact, alas.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.05.20 - 12:27 p.m. | #

I too have enjoyed these posts - finding the remnants of long-closed railways is fun. And when it's backed up with useful explanations of why things happen, and good pictures - all round excellent posts.

Non-corridor trains persisted until the 1990s because they were a way of maximising the seating capacity in a given train length. The emphasis has shifted latterly to maximising seating+standing capacity, which produces a different solution.

Malcolm | 21.05.20 - 12:56 p.m. | #

Looks as if that viaduct did carry a few passengers at least - sixbellsjunction.co.uk/810606rc.htm

2d53 | Homepage | 21.05.20 - 1:52 p.m. | #

Enjoyed these posts - I live in Cadogan Terrace and genuinely miss not having been here for the trains...

The Victoria Park station entry gate was in a now-defunct street called Riseholme Street, originally Wick Lane, which extended from its present path all the way to the junction with Wick Road / Chapman Road. The junction of Riseholme Street and Cadogan Terrace is still sort-of visible as the archway through a block of flats built on the former road's alignment, and thus called 'Riseholme Court'.

The station structure visible is the footings of the former signal box, in the 'V' of the junction of former and current routes.

dg writes: Updated, thanks.

Joel | 21.05.20 - 2:08 p.m. | #

From google maps, it seems a couple of houses are being ingeniously squeezed in to the space that used to be the western side of the little-used concrete viaduct, in Wallis Road /Cadogan Close. With a very long and unusually shaped garden very much overlooking the A12, in a slightly sunken area where all the viaduct footings used to be perched. Very much the sort of scrap of difficult land it's hard to imagine any developer bothering with outside London.

David | Homepage | 21.05.20 - 2:30 p.m. | #

Interestingly (in the loosest sense), bing maps shows the railway as if it were still there. While this has made following these couple of blog entries easier, I struggle to fathom how this former line can make an appearance in what is a fairly modern mapping package!

Michael T | 21.05.20 - 2:41 p.m. | #

Interesting point about Bing Maps, where you can also see a free-flowing Channelsea river going under Stratford High Street. Apple maps also show Channelsea in this way (but not the railway).

langdon | 21.05.20 - 3:46 p.m. | #

For just shy of half a million the former viaduct by the canal could be yours.

Hackney Cyclist | 21.05.20 - 7:16 p.m. | #

Thanks for the interesting account. I have walked several of the London disused railway lines such as the Parkland Walk which are obviously former lines but to do it with one where there is now almost nothing left must have been quite a challenge.

Not sure what Bing maps Michael T was looking at but the line certainly wasn't shown on the version I looked at here.

davews | 21.05.20 - 8:08 p.m. | #

The viaduct Hackney Cyclist mentions is shown in photo three.

The tiny strip of land is for "a two-bedroom, four persons house". Some developer is really getting their moneysworth from buying that pub.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.05.20 - 9:06 p.m. | #

While Riseholme Street did indeed use to connect Cadogan Terrace with Wick Road, it joined Wick Road just south of where the railway bridge crosses Wick Road and not at the junction with Chapman Road.

Entry to Victoria Park Station was from Cadogan Terrace, opposite a disused gate into Victoria Park called, surprise, surprise, Station Gate.

I used to have to get jabs at the clinic on the corner of Riseholme Street, the building is still there but is now flats.

Ken F | 21.05.20 - 11:52 p.m. | #











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