Big gates between Shepherds Bush & Willesden Junction

[Tibbs]

I travel on the Southern Service that comes down from Watford through to Clapham Junction and beyond quite regularly and every time I notice the enormous gates across another set of tracks spurring off the line I travel on.

The double track that runs through them is electrified, and seems to lead from the track used by the Southern service down to possibly the line out of Paddington.

You can see it here: http://goo.gl/maps/kvVVh The gates are down the bottom - you can see the red circles on them as well.

I got a good look at the rails themselves today and they were all rusted over, not having the polished top that rails in use have, so I guess it isn't in regular use, or used at all any more.

Does anyone know what it is/was used for?

Why the big gates? I'm assuming that the points are always set against it so trains could never go that way, so why have big gates?

 

[sonic2009]

I travel on the Southern Service that comes down from Watford through to Clapham Junction and beyond quite regularly and every time I notice the enormous gates across the tracks at one point.

The double track that runs through them is electrified, and seems to lead from the track used by the Southern service down to possibly the line out of Paddington.

You can see it here: http://goo.gl/maps/kvVVh The gates are down the bottom - you can see the red circles on them as well.

I got a good look at the rails themselves today and they were all rusted over, not having the polished top that rails in use have, so I guess it isn't in regular use, or used at all any more.

Does anyone know what it is/was used for?

Why the big gates? I'm assuming that the points are always set against it so trains could never go that way, so why have big gates?

That would be the access to the old London Depot for Eurostar when services operated out of London Waterloo. They would run empty from London Waterloo to North Pole for servicing & cleaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole_depot

 

[Manchester77]

Looking at the map it seems to be depot access into the old the eurostar depot

EDIT - Beaten to it!

 

[Mojo]

That area, and there is a link from the WLL, is North Pole depot. This is where the Class 373s for Eurostar were looked after, prior to the opening of the Temple Mills depot and High Speed 1 (CTRL).

The depot was (and still is) top security, and the gates would be to prevent trespassers from accessing the depot.

 

[Flying Snail]

Isn't that the access to the ex-Eurostar North Pole depot?

Edit: Well beaten to it!

 

[Goatboy]

It is, along with Waterloo International, a massive waste of money. Did they know it had such a short intended life when they invested the not inconsiderable sums of money into constructing it?

 

[mister-sparky]

It is, along with Waterloo International, a massive waste of money. Did they know it had such a short intended life when they invested the not inconsiderable sums of money into constructing it?

That always amazed me about Waterloo Intl. It was never even from day one intended to be the permanent home for the continental trains. So why did they spend so much money on the station and approaches and all the infrastructure elsewhere. ie Shortlands junction, track realignments through stations etc

 

[Tibbs]

Blimey that was quick!

Thanks for that - very interesting. I only google mapsed it when I was trying to see if I could see it on streeview, but found it showed up really well on the overhead.

Following the line, it's interesting that the depot there isn't connected to the big main line right next to it. You'd have thought it could have been useful for something connected up, for not a lot of money.

I still miss being able to torture my Gallic friends when they came to visit by picking them up from Waterloo...

 

[Manchester77]

I think Hitachi or whoever building IEP want the old depot for building and maintaining the new IEP trains.

Another waste of money is Manchester International Depot for regional Eurostar. I think that was empty until they introduced the 185s and Siemens started using it!

 

[swt_passenger]

That always amazed me about Waterloo Intl. It was never even from day one intended to be the permanent home for the continental trains. So why did they spend so much money on the station and approaches and all the infrastructure elsewhere. ie Shortlands junction, track realignments through stations etc

But they did originally intend to use Waterloo and St Pancras together at the time the latter was agreed. The decision to bin Waterloo came later, I think once they'd worked out the ongoing costs of running two sets of immigration and security facilities. All the arguments about Surrey & Hants being cut off from Europe didn't start until well into the construction progress of Ctrl2.

 

[Cletus]

If you go onto Bing Maps' and switch from aerial to bird's eye view, the picture is old enough to show Eurostar trains still there.

http://binged.it/Z5eNtv

 

[Bedpan]

But they did originally intend to use Waterloo and St Pancras together at the time the latter was agreed. The decision to bin Waterloo came later, I think once they'd worked out the ongoing costs of running two sets of immigration and security facilities. All the arguments about Surrey & Hants being cut off from Europe didn't start until well into the construction progree of Ctrl2.

Yes, that's how I remember it too. How different things could possibly have been if we were in the Schengen agreement - trains to all sorts of destinations with the need for Waterloo to absorb the capacity.

 

[GatwickDepress]

If you go onto Bing Maps' and switch from aerial to bird's eye view, the picture is old enough to show Eurostar trains still there.

http://binged.it/Z5eNtv

Interesting array of stock around the area (former EWS depot?) too.

 

[Darren R]

Following the line, it's interesting that the depot there isn't connected to the big main line right next to it. You'd have thought it could have been useful for something connected up, for not a lot of money.

It used to be - the spur used to leave the West London Line at North Pole Junction and ran down to join the GW Main Line out from Paddington at West London Junction. The connection at the latter end was severed when North Pole International Depot opened. (Map: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Filearls_Court,_Studland_Road,_Bishops_Road,_Addison_Road,_Hammersmith,_Kensington,_North_Pole,_South_Kensington,_Uxbridge_Road_%26_Westbourne_Park_RJD_39.jpg )

Presumably it was no longer deemed necessary.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It used to be - the spur used to leave the West London Line at North Pole Junction and ran down to join the GW Main Line out from Paddington at West London Junction. The connection at the latter end was severed when North Pole International Depot opened. Presumably it was no longer deemed necessary.

And it will all have to be reinstated for IEP.
There used to be five sets of Great Western carriage sidings on this stretch, all linked to the main line.
From east to west they were: Barlby Road, West London, Aberdare, Middle and Kimberley, split by the short burrowing link to the WLL called the "Victoria Branch".
They were abandoned in the 50s with the introduction of DMUs I think.
The Victoria Branch lasted till 1990-ish when it was severed to build the North Pole depot, trains being diverted via Acton Wells and Willesden Jn.
Now it is two linked areas fed from the WLL side (hence the gates).
I imagine Agility Trains will reconnect the depot lines to the GW main line at the Kensal Green end, but probably not at the Acton end.
I can't see the 3rd rail facilities being used again, and probably not the WLL connection.
It will be interesting to see how much reconfiguration of the Eurostar depot is necessary for IEP - you would think it was long enough already!