THAMESLINK CAB RIDE (1988)

(Kentish Town - Blackfriars)

 

 

Shortly after leaving Kentish Town station (southbound).

 

 

 

Dock Junction, where the Moorgate Lines (left) leave the MML
alignment (right), which continues into St. Pancras.

 

 

 

Passing under the North London Line before entering Kings Cross Tunnel.

 

 

 

 

Running into Kings Cross Thameslink.

 

 

 

 

The view from the foot of the incline up to Farringdon station.
The train is passing under the 'Gridiron' where the Metropolitan line
crosses over the Moorgate lines.

 

 

 

 

Leaving Farringdon.

 

 

 

 

Looking up the incline at the southern end of Snow Hill Tunnel.

 

 

 

 

Approaching the junction with the lines from Holborn Viaduct.

 

 

 

 

The view North from Blackfriars.

 

 

 

 

Northbound from Blackfriars. The former route of the Holborn
Viaduct tracks is visible on the right. It appears that the whole
layout was alterd here when the junction went back in, presumably to
make the Snow Hill line the straight route. The extent to which
the alignment has altered since is unkown but looking at aerial photo's on
Streetmap it doesn't seem to deviate as much now, so this could also
have been to move the track away from the point at which the eventual
line would descend to pass under Ludgate Hill, to allow excavation
without closing the railway (which was the way BR tried to do things,
instead of just having months long blockades, which seem to be the
fashion now).

 

 

 

 

Approaching the bridge over Ludgate Hill. The building on the
left (or something very similar) can be made out on current aerial
photo's, also the buildings behind (assuming they are the same ones)
give away the former alignment as they were built right up to the line
and followed its curvature.

 

 

 

 

Dropping down the incline towards Snow Hill tunnel.

 

 

 

 

Standing in Farringdon station.

 

All photos and text © Simon Foster. 2005

 

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