The Gospel Oak to Barking Line (GOBLIN) things to see?

[RichmondCommu]

G'day everyone,

This coming Thursday (26.2.15) two old school pals are joining me for a Jolly Boys Outing covering the routes of the Overground including the GOBLIN. I'm interested in recommendations for things to look out for. As a starter do semaphore signals still protect one of the junctions (can't remember which one!) and do loops / sidings still exist near Gospel Oak? Finally any decent pub stops along the route?

Any information would be gratefully received!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

 

[Tubeboy]

Nearest loop to Gospel Oak is the one nearer to Upper Holloway. No semaphores on the Goblin afaik. The ones at Harringay were taken out years ago.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Nearest loop to Gospel Oak is the one nearer to Upper Holloway. No semaphores on the Goblin afaik. The ones at Harringay were taken out years ago.

OK thanks for this. I'm guessing that the signal box at Harringay still exists. Any other signal boxes along the route?

 

[Tubeboy]

Signal box at Harringay closed in 2009. It has since been demolished.

Boxes still at Upper Holloway and South Tottenham.

 

[DelW]

Finally any decent pub stops along the route?

From Gospel Oak, the Southampton Arms, just round the corner on Highgate Road. Much favoured by North London CAMRA and locals, it has guest real ales, several real ciders, and good pies. Only downside is London prices, but that's par for the course in the area.

From Crouch Hill, a couple of Wetherspoons, The White Lion of Mortimer about 5 minutes walk southward on Stroud Green Road, or The Devonshire about 10 minutes walk northward to Crouch End (bottom of Crouch Hill). The W7 bus goes from the station to either. The WLoM (an early 'spoon dating from around 1986) tends to be a bit more basic and rowdier than the Devonshire.

Also from Crouch Hill, The Noble right by the station - a bit gastropub but decent food and usually real ale, and at the Hanley Road junction 2 minutes walk south of the station, The Old Dairy - nice conversion of (surprise) an Edwardian (?) dairy, good range of real ales and food, quite pricey especially by comparison with Wetherspoon prices.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I have to ask ... what's the GOBLIN, please?

I guess it's an acronym, but for what?

Thank you.

 

[glbotu]

It's the Gospel Oak to Barking LINe.

 

[EM2]

At Wanstead Park, head down the main road towards Forest Gate station, and you'll find the Forest Tavern on the right.
Part of the excellent Antics group, there's always a good selection of beers on and good food too.

 

[duffield]

...
Finally any decent pub stops along the route?
...

I guess you probably know this being local to the area judging by your user name, but there are no toilets on these trains (or any of the London Overground services), which might be important after a visit to the pub!

 

[RichmondCommu]

I guess you probably know this being local to the area judging by your user name, but there are no toilets on these trains (or any of the London Overground services), which might be important after a visit to the pub!

You make a good and very valid point here! However I always the catch Overground from Olympia after the attending the beer festival held there every August and always manage to hold it in until at least Clapham Junction!

If we have any issues on the day we can always get off and look for another pub! However the intention is to cover as much of the Overground as we can so we won't be looking to make too many stops. Perhaps one stop on each of the lines, maybe....
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I have to ask ... what's the GOBLIN, please?

I guess it's an acronym, but for what?

Thank you.

You make a very valid point here and I apologise for using it without a full explanation. Fortunately one of the mods appears to have rescued the situation!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

At Wanstead Park, head down the main road towards Forest Gate station, and you'll find the Forest Tavern on the right.
Part of the excellent Antics group, there's always a good selection of beers on and good food too.

OK, many thanks for this. The more options the better!

 

[Hophead]

I'd say the Southampton Arms is pretty reasonably priced, in fact (pretty sure it was no more than £3.50 / pint on my visit last summer). Many London pubs (and even further afield) are nearer £4 these days.

A few more for your consideration:

• The Red Lion (Leytonstone High Road) - another Antic house
• King William IV (Leyton Midland Road) - home of Brodies, sadly much diminished in beer range these days, though quality is better; keen prices here

 

[RichmondCommu]

Many thanks for all the information everybody. We had a great time yesterday despite the rain.

A few things that we learnt about the GOBLIN yesterday.

In the 25 years that I've lived in London, the Southampton Arms by Gospel Oak station is one of the finest pubs that I've entered. Around a dozen well kept bitters all at £3.40, plus ciders. Lots of interesting photos on the walls, a record player in constant use along with an eclectic record collection and delicious hot pork rolls. And the girl behind the bar was a sight for sore eyes.

We were surprised at how much freight runs over the GOBLIN, especially given that it was the afternoon. Between approximately 12.10 and 15.25 there were at least four freights and there may well have been more but we were too busy having a natter to look out the window. Two aggregates, one intermodal and one cement train, all hauled by DBS.

The platforms at each station appear to be have been shortened over the years and could easily take more than the two car unit we traveled on, even with the current platform lengths. I'd be interested to know if the units are ever doubled up although we didn't have time to check the length of the bay platform at Gospel Oak. However that was only built in the early 1980's and is unlikely to have been shortened.

 

[class303]

Many thanks for all the information everybody. We had a great time yesterday despite the rain.

A few things that we learnt about the GOBLIN yesterday.

In the 25 years that I've lived in London, the Southampton Arms by Gospel Oak station is one of the finest pubs that I've entered. Around a dozen well kept bitters all at £3.40, plus ciders. Lots of interesting photos on the walls, a record player in constant use along with an eclectic record collection and delicious hot pork rolls. And the girl behind the bar was a sight for sore eyes.

We were surprised at how much freight runs over the GOBLIN, especially given that it was the afternoon. Between approximately 12.10 and 15.25 there were at least four freights and there may well have been more but we were too busy having a natter to look out the window. Two aggregates, one intermodal and one cement train, all hauled by DBS.

The platforms at each station appear to be have been shortened over the years and could easily take more than the two car unit we traveled on, even with the current platform lengths. I'd be interested to know if the units are ever doubled up although we didn't have time to check the length of the bay platform at Gospel Oak. However that was only built in the early 1980's and is unlikely to have been shortened.

I must try this Southampton Arms next time I'm up that way.

I prefer the eastern side of the line from Walthamstow eastwards, scenery wise, where much of the line runs on a viaduct, also the section from Tottenham to Blackhorse road across the River Lea reservoirs.

Hopefully we will see even more intermodal freight after electrification, take a bit of strain off the NLL.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I must try this Southampton Arms next time I'm up that way.

I prefer the eastern side of the line from Walthamstow eastwards, scenery wise, where much of the line runs on a viaduct, also the section from Tottenham to Blackhorse road across the River Lea reservoirs.

Hopefully we will see even more intermodal freight after electrification, take a bit of strain off the NLL.

Yes you're right, I'd forgotten to mention that. Given the lengthy viaduct sections I wonder what impact this will have on the cost of electrification.

Also given that none of us had a rail atlas to hand we were surprised at how many lines the route crosses.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

It's the Gospel Oak to Barking LINe.

Well, I'll GTTFOOS (go to the the foot of our stairs .... I wouldn't have got that - thanks!

And I've just seen the meaning in the title of the thread ...... doh!

 

[EM2]

In seven years of using the line, I've never seen units in multiple.

 

[Antman]

Well, I'll GTTFOOS (go to the the foot of our stairs .... I wouldn't have got that - thanks!

And I've just seen the meaning in the title of the thread ...... doh!

Most Londoners would be familiar with the GOBLIN

 

[snowball]

And I've just seen the meaning in the title of the thread ...... doh!

It wasn't originally in the title. It was edited in after you asked the question.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

In the 25 years that I've lived in London, the Southampton Arms by Gospel Oak station is one of the finest pubs that I've entered. Around a dozen well kept bitters all at £3.40, plus ciders. Lots of interesting photos on the walls, a record player in constant use along with an eclectic record collection and delicious hot pork rolls. And the girl behind the bar was a sight for sore eyes.

.

I take it you did not visit at a weekend when it is a victim of it's own success and too packed to get served or be comfortable in ?

 

[Juniper Driver]

It's the Gospel Oak to Barking LINe.

Marvellous,but when I was at school it used to be the Kentish town to Barking line.Used to watch the Stratford 31/37/47's from the school-yard...Happy days.

 

[EM2]

I take it you did not visit at a weekend when it is a victim of it's own success and too packed to get served or be comfortable in ?

Or in either the morning or afternoon peak

 

[RichmondCommu]

I take it you did not visit at a weekend when it is a victim of it's own success and too packed to get served or be comfortable in ?

We visited this Thursday (26.2.15). We arrived just after 12.00 and stayed until around 14.30. We hadn't intended to stay anything like that long but as I said we loved the place, in fact there was nothing to dislike. I'm not in the slightest surprised that its busy at weekends given the quality and variety of the beers, the price and of course the fact that its not the biggest.

Although its not exactly the closest pub to Richmond the next time my wife and I can both get a Friday off I'm taking her with me! Such a friendly and unpretentious place. If the owner could raise the capital he has a winning formula that could do very well else where in London.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Most Londoners would be familiar with the GOBLIN

Well that's what I thought when I was asking for local knowledge but I'm sorry if anyone felt excluded from this thread as that was not my intention.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

In seven years of using the line, I've never seen units in multiple.

I'd be interested to see what its like in the Peak then because even in the middle of the afternoon it was busy. Assuming that more class 378's will be ordered once electrification starts that should go some way to improving capacity.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Marvellous,but when I was at school it used to be the Kentish town to Barking line.Used to watch the Stratford 31/37/47's from the school-yard...Happy days.

Many thanks for this. I've recently purchased a copy of the Middleton Press book covering St Pancras to Barking. It includes a very detailed history of the MML through Kentish Town and of course the spur from Kentish Town up towards Highgate Road Junction. As you say up until 1981 all the trains started at Kentish Town and way back when started at St Pancras.

 

[306024]

Hopefully we will see even more intermodal freight after electrification, take a bit of strain off the NLL.

The big win is not having to cross all four tracks of the GEML between Forest Gate Jn and Stratford. Freight to the WCML will still have to fit on the NLL at Gospel Oak instead.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

We visited this Thursday (26.2.15). We arrived just after 12.00 and stayed until around 14.30. We hadn't intended to stay anything like that long but as I said we loved the place, in fact there was nothing to dislike. I'm not in the slightest surprised that its busy at weekends given the quality and variety of the beers, the price and of course the fact that its not the biggest.

.

I do like the place myself but there have been a few occasions we have walked away as there were heaving crowds inside and out. Even early on a Saturday shortly after noon it was standing room only and we had to retreat to The Assembly Rooms at Kentish Town.

 

[Bald Rick]

Hopefully we will see even more intermodal freight after electrification, take a bit of strain off the NLL.

Unlikely. There's very little electrically hauled from Barking etc to the NLL and beyond.

A long time ago, in the very early days of developing the electrification, I asked all the freight operators what the benefits of electric traction would be. They all said "oh the benefits are enormous. But not to us"

(So did TfL, but that's another story).

 

[Class 170101]

The big win is not having to cross all four tracks of the GEML between Forest Gate Jn and Stratford. Freight to the WCML will still have to fit on the NLL at Gospel Oak instead.

That being said it may be a bit easier to join the NLL at Gospel Oak vice the route via Stratford because some of the Felixstowe freight would have left the NLL at Camden Road for the WCML at Camden Jn thereby opening a gap at Gospel Oak for T&H freight. The biggest constraint may become joining the WCML at Harlesden Jn Slow Lines.

 

[EM2]

I'd be interested to see what its like in the Peak then because even in the middle of the afternoon it was busy. Assuming that more class 378's will be ordered once electrification starts that should go some way to improving capacity.

It's horrendous. I get on at Wanstead Park going west, and it's always rammed unless I get the 08:02 which starts from Woodgrange Park rather than Barking, and even that is absolutely full by Leyton Midland Road.
It's even been the same on the first train of the day

In the evening, it's so bad at Blackhorse Road that I've had to let a train go because there's just no way I could get on.

Now I get off the Tube at Seven Sisters and walk up to South Tottenham (and vice versa).

 

[Old Bill]

From Gospel Oak, the Southampton Arms, just round the corner on Highgate Road. Much favoured by North London CAMRA and locals, it has guest real ales, several real ciders, and good pies. Only downside is London prices, but that's par for the course in the area.

At £3.40 a pint the Southampton Arms is pretty good for London. Try the Bull & Gate up the road if you want a shock!!

 

[Max]

It's horrendous. I get on at Wanstead Park going west, and it's always rammed unless I get the 08:02 which starts from Woodgrange Park rather than Barking, and even that is absolutely full by Leyton Midland Road.
It's even been the same on the first train of the day

In the evening, it's so bad at Blackhorse Road that I've had to let a train go because there's just no way I could get on.

Now I get off the Tube at Seven Sisters and walk up to South Tottenham (and vice versa).

Funny, we must often be on the same train. I normally get the Woodgrange Park starter (08:08 from Leyton Midland Road) to Blackhorse Road, or if not the following one (if I can get on the train!). Agreed on the overcrowding, it's absolutely appalling at peak time. Trains are never doubled, in fact, I believe all the 172s are in use during the peaks. I heard a rumour that another 172 might be arriving from Chiltern at the May 2015 timetable change but I've no idea whether there is any truth in this.

 

[HowardGWR]

In the 25 years that I've lived in London, the Southampton Arms by Gospel Oak station is one of the finest pubs that I've entered....................... And the girl behind the bar was a sight for sore eyes.

Well, that's explained then.

Did you later comment that you would be taking your wife? I wouldn't mention that aspect if I were you.