[EM2]

I was thinking last night of the main engine sheds associated with each of the London terminii (Camden for Euston, Stewarts Lane for Victoria etc.) and realised I had no idea what the shed was for St Pancras. Was it Cricklewood back then? Seems a bit of a way out...

[flymo]

There was also a steam shed at Kentish Town, 14B I believe was the code. Cricklewood was 14A

[D841 Roebuck]

Kentish Town was the "passenger" shed, with Cricklewood dealing with freight locos. Similar to the Camden/Willesden split next door on the LNWR.

[John Webb]

Kentish Town shed was just north of the station, on the east of the line where there was once a connection round to the Tottenham line. The whole site is now occupied by the civil engineering contractors Murphy's.

Several books on the Midland's 'London Extension', including Goslin & Conner "St Pancras to St Albans" published by the Middleton Press, have photos and diagrams of this shed before closure.

[LE Greys]

Some interesting views of Cricklewood shed in an escape film, although I can't remember which one. It was masquerading as a German shed at the time. The film was probably shot at Cricklewood Studios, so it would have been very convenient.

[John Webb]

Originally Posted by LE Greys

Some interesting views of Cricklewood shed in an escape film, although I can't remember which one. It was masquerading as a German shed at the time. The film was probably shot at Cricklewood Studios, so it would have been very convenient.

The film you're thinking of was, I suspect, "The Password is Courage", made in 1962, starring Dirk Bogarde. The film was based on the real-life adventures of an army Captain who was captured but who escaped and set about sabotaging the German war effort.
Cricklewood MPD was used for scenes where Bogarde is sent to work at a railway depot.
Other scenes were shot at Scratchwood sidings, on the east side of the Midland main line roughly where the M1 now crosses just south of the Elstree tunnels. These scenes included the explosion of a munitions train and the derailment of a goods train.
Radlett station is in a scene during his escape attempt - he ends up at Brighton station, all before the age of "Thameslink"!
(Information from Glyn Horton's "Guide to Britain's Railways in Feature Films.)
The studio was MGM on Elstree Way at Borehamwood, by the way - still relatively close to the Midland line, but like Scratchwood sidings, long gone. It's a cold store now with much of the grounds behind it developed for housing.

[LE Greys]

Originally Posted by John Webb

The film you're thinking of was, I suspect, "The Password is Courage", made in 1962, starring Dirk Bogarde. The film was based on the real-life adventures of an army Captain who was captured but who escaped and set about sabotaging the German war effort.
Cricklewood MPD was used for scenes where Bogarde is sent to work at a railway depot.
Other scenes were shot at Scratchwood sidings, on the east side of the Midland main line roughly where the M1 now crosses just south of the Elstree tunnels. These scenes included the explosion of a munitions train and the derailment of a goods train.
Radlett station is in a scene during his escape attempt - he ends up at Brighton station, all before the age of "Thameslink"!
(Information from Glyn Horton's "Guide to Britain's Railways in Feature Films.)
The studio was MGM on Elstree Way at Borehamwood, by the way - still relatively close to the Midland line, but like Scratchwood sidings, long gone. It's a cold store now with much of the grounds behind it developed for housing.

Yes, that sounds like the one. I've always found the attempts to make typically British scenes (in many other films and the BBC series Colditz for instance) singularly amusing. In this case, they didn't do too badly, but it seemed a bit half-hearted (lack of Reichsbahn logos or UIC-type numbers for instance, which would be easy to apply and remove).

The destination docket swapping was great, though. I love the idea of a vanload of torpedoes for Ste Nazaire turning up in Italy instead of a van full of army rations.

[43106]

Returning to the original topic, I also thought about what depot 'serviced' each station.
I always associated Willesden with Euston, as I believed Camden was a stabling point rather than a depot. Having said that, it probably depends on WHEN Camden was the main depot. At the moment, I'd say Wembley is the current depot for Euston.
Bounds Green is the current depot for Kings Cross, but there must have been another depot between Bounds Green opening and Kings Cross closing. Was it Hornsey? There was a depot at Finsbury Park, but I think that was for local freight traffic.
Stratford serviced Liverpool Street until replaced by Ilford, for services via Romford, but did Stratford also supply trains for services via Hackney Downs?
Fenchurch Street is serviced by East Ham, but it looks new-ish. Would Ripple Lane have functioned as its predecessor?
Marylebone had its own depot immediately north of the station, east of the line (now occupied by housing, north of Rossmore Rd). What's its depot now?

[NXEA!]

I'm pretty sure Willesden was a freight depot, there were a lot of 8F's, 9F's and Super D's allocated to Willesden weren't there? I think Finsbury Park was a main depot at one point - I think Bounds Green opened when the Mark 4's and 91's were delivered (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong), and Finsbury Park had an allocation of Deltics if I remember correctly, they were easy to identify as they had white window surrounds. I've read somewhere that East Ham used to be the old District Line depot until 1958 which is when the current facilities in Upminster were opened, not sure if this is correct though. Finally for the Chiltern lines, they have a depot at Wembley adjacent to Wembley Stadium station. Nothing is allocated there I don't think, everything is based at Aylesbury - Wembley is used as a fuelling point and stabling point I think. Hope this helps 43106.

[LE Greys]

Originally Posted by NXEA!

I'm pretty sure Willesden was a freight depot, there were a lot of 8F's, 9F's and Super D's allocated to Willesden weren't there? I think Finsbury Park was a main depot at one point - I think Bounds Green opened when the Mark 4's and 91's were delivered (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong), and Finsbury Park had an allocation of Deltics if I remember correctly, they were easy to identify as they had white window surrounds. I've read somewhere that East Ham used to be the old District Line depot until 1958 which is when the current facilities in Upminster were opened, not sure if this is correct though. Finally for the Chiltern lines, they have a depot at Wembley adjacent to Wembley Stadium station. Nothing is allocated there I don't think, everything is based at Aylesbury - Wembley is used as a fuelling point and stabling point I think. Hope this helps 43106.

Finsbury Park was certainly a major shed, housing not just Deltics, but the 31s and 47s that handled other traffic. The stabling point at King's Cross also had facilities for A-exams, reducing the need for locos to shuttle up and down the bank. Back in steam days, King's Cross depot was divided in two, Top Shed, now underneath the HS1-St Pancras connection, which was a major shed with full servicing facilities and Bottom Shed, which was a coaling point with a turntable and is now underneath that giant stack of Portakabins (if they're still there) and became the stabling point. I think Hornsey used to house most of the N2s, and went on to be the DMU shed, then the EMU shed. I'm not sure how long Bounds Green has been there, and I think coaches used to stable in Feame Park on the other side.

[NIMBUS]

Originally Posted by LE Greys

I think Hornsey used to house most of the N2s, and went on to be the DMU shed, then the EMU shed. I'm not sure how long Bounds Green has been there, and I think coaches used to stable in Feame Park on the other side.

Bounds Green opened in 1976, to service HSTs. Locos continued to be handled at Finsbury Park until it closed in 1981. Finsbury Park consisted of a diesel running shed, furthest from the main line, with a DMU shed between the 'loco' and the ECML.

Coaching stock was stabled and serviced at Holloway carriage sidings (on the down side, where there is new housing adjacent to the flyover), Harringay, Hornsey/Ferme Park and Coronation Sidings, just north of Hornsey on the up side.

[RichmondCommu]

There was also a diesel stabling just outside St Pancras called Cambridge Street. I'm guessing that this must have closed after HST's were introduced to the MML.

[causton]

Originally Posted by NIMBUS

Coronation Sidings, just north of Hornsey on the up side.

Are these the ones that seem to have been disused for years, grassy but with ancient-looking OHLE installed (that I doubt works!) Been looking at the Alexandra Palace - Finsbury Park work to open the new up line for trains and seen those sidings...
...it's so weird there are so many sidings that are out of use around London. Is this now because of vandals etc, so trains are moving into sheds indoors? Or are there a lot less trains about now?

[IanXC]

Originally Posted by causton

...it's so weird there are so many sidings that are out of use around London. Is this now because of vandals etc, so trains are moving into sheds indoors? Or are there a lot less trains about now?

I would have thought its because there is less stock sat around waiting for unknown events; the kind of rakes BR would pull out once in a blue moon. Also stock utilisation is much higher, and often needs much less time consuming maintenance than older stock did.

[NIMBUS]

Originally Posted by causton

Are these the ones that seem to have been disused for years, grassy but with ancient-looking OHLE installed (that I doubt works!) Been looking at the Alexandra Palace - Finsbury Park work to open the new up line for trains and seen those sidings...

Correct.