Trivia - the big concrete cube at Balham junction

[Railcar]

At Balham junction, where the lines to Streatham Hill branch off the Brighton main line, there is a cube of concrete about 6ft x 6ft x 6ft in the 'V' where the lines join. It has been there for years. How did it get there? Did it once have a purpose?

 

[hwl]

At Balham junction, where the lines to Streatham Hill branch off the Brighton main line, there is a cube of concrete about 6ft x 6ft x 6ft in the 'V' where the lines join. It has been there for years. How did it get there? Did it once have a purpose?

Yes - stopping over runs from the carriage siding washer headshunt into the streatham common slow lines if anything went through the buffers first...

 

[Cricketer8for9]

It got “there” after being hit by a train which failed to stop in the Streatham Hill sidings some time in the early 1990s. I remember going past it on an early train the Victoria and seeing people looking at the scene. I think both slow lines were closed, not sure about the down fast.

It had done its job in stopping the miscreant train from going all the way onto the main line. So to answer the question I believe it was originally a stop block (literally) for the siding from Streatham Hill up sidings.

 

[Railcar]

Thank you. I don't recall seeing such crude blocks elsewhere.

 

[hwl]

It got “there” after being hit by a train which failed to stop in the Streatham Hill sidings some time in the early 1990s. I remember going past it on an early train the Victoria and seeing people looking at the scene. I think both slow lines were closed, not sure about the down fast.

It had done its job in stopping the miscreant train from going all the way onto the main line. So to answer the question I believe it was originally a stop block (literally) for the siding from Streatham Hill up sidings.

The bit facing the train ended up facing skywards afterwards and several metres from where it started...

 

[Cricketer8for9]

A lesson in a large slow moving mass being able to move a smaller mass surprisingly easily.