Wondering if anyone can shed any light on the wide track bed between Cow Lane bridge and Nunhead on the down side of the Catford Loop? It looks like it once accommodated (or at any rate has the space for) at least three tracks for its whole length and the bridges over both Brayards Road and Kirkwood Road have obviously been thinned down with steel spans from their original width in brick. I always thought it was connected with the old track layout at Nunhead but looking at old ordnance survey maps it appears the extent of the old Nunhead layout didn't extend much further west than Evelina Road. All of this is clearly visible from passing trains and on Google Earth but i've tried looking into it and found absolutely no information whatsoever. Thanks
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Peckham Rye - Nunhead wide track bed
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MrGrumpy
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Nunhead was a much bigger station than it is now as you had platforms for the Catford loop/Crystal Palace high level lines as well as the Greenwich Park/Lewisham line. Where it is now also wasn't the original location of the station.
You've also got the former low level goods yard at Peckham Rye (where the scaffolding yard is) so there were probably access roads and/or holding sidings along there too.
You've also got the former low level goods yard at Peckham Rye (where the scaffolding yard is) so there were probably access roads and/or holding sidings along there too.
Looks to me as if the abutments were built for potential 4-tracking (or more likely goods loops?), but I've no idea beyond that. The very informative Kentrail.org.uk site is silent on the matter. http://kentrail.org.uk/nunhead.htm.
MrGrumpy
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That's a good map on the Kentrail site. That track layout London side of Nunhead (old) station answers the question about the wide trackbed there. This is also where the current station stands and more than likely extends further westwards.
gordonthemoron
Established Member
the current Nunhead station does seem in an odd position
tsr
Established Member
As ever, I am compelled to recommend the map at http://carto.metro.free.fr/cartes/metro-london/ as well...
And later maps show no additional tracks on the wide embankment west of Nunhead, which was clearly built with widening in mind however.
Many years ago I saw a reference to an act of parliament for quadrupling the line between Nunhead and I think Crofton Road junction beyond Peckham Rye Station. I saw it in a government publication of post war plans for London railway improvements. I think there was a time limit after which it expired. The bridges and embankment are built for an extra pair of tracks on the north side as far as the bridge over the South London Line to London Bridge. Presumably the Southern Railway planned to build a new viaduct to the north of Peckham Rye Station to complete the scheme.
The date 1894-96 is interesting.
The map linked by mr_jrt gives an 1890s date.
Unless they planned for them to be long loops I can't really see the point though - surely you'd just be moving the bottleneck from Nunhead Junction to Peckham Rye and the two track section to Victoria...?
...unless of course they had a deal with the LBSCR to acquire exclusive use of the Atlantic Lines, with the LBSCR running everything to/from London Bridge via East Dulwich instead. That would give the LCDR a lot of capacity into Victoria that arguably the LBSCR made poor use of as for purely as a service between Victoria & London Bridge.
...unless of course they had a deal with the LBSCR to acquire exclusive use of the Atlantic Lines, with the LBSCR running everything to/from London Bridge via East Dulwich instead. That would give the LCDR a lot of capacity into Victoria that arguably the LBSCR made poor use of as for purely as a service between Victoria & London Bridge.
That is interesting, thank you. The railway clearing house diagrams have all four of the lines as LBSCR, so either ownership changed before 1908 or the diagrams are wrong. Intriguing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South...Tulse_Hill_Hastings_&_St_Leonards_RJD_100.jpg
kentuckytony
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No, I think the Wikipedia article is misleading, but the RCH map it links to right. It accords with my recollection from other sources that the SLL had split ownership, but I couldn't remember which bit was which. I should have realised that Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill stations have a definite Brighton look to them.
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