Finchley Road (MD)

[Deleted]

According to the lovely photos at anoakheaven.com, there was once a facing crossover west of West Hampstead that permitted trains in the NB local platform to switch to the NB fast.

Presumably this crossover was what made it possible to provide signal MD27 at Finchley Road SB fast, to permit trains to return north. Why, then, was MD27 retained after the removal of this crossover? Has it ever been used to reverse a Bakerloo/Jubilee train via the facing crossover north of the SB island?

Also, just out of curiousity, what is Finchley Road SB used for these days? Is it an office like the one at Willesden Green?

[Harsig]

TheOneKEA said:

According to the lovely photos at anoakheaven.com, there was once a facing crossover west of West Hampstead that permitted trains in the NB local platform to switch to the NB fast.

Presumably this crossover was what made it possible to provide signal MD27 at Finchley Road SB fast, to permit trains to return north. Why, then, was MD27 retained after the removal of this crossover? Has it ever been used to reverse a Bakerloo/Jubilee train via the facing crossover north of the SB island?

It was never possible to go from the Southbound Met Platform at Finchley Road to the Northbound Met. Indeed prior to the 1984 re-signalling you couldn't even get onto the northbound Jubilee. MD27 signal has only been there since 1984 by which time the crossover at West Hampstead had been removed.

[Deleted]

So what's MD27 for then? What's the point of even having a wrong road starter here?

[DWS]

TheOneKEA said:

So what's MD27 for then? What's the point of even having a wrong road starter here?

I take it MD27 is the wrong road starter at the North End of the Southbound Met Platform at Finchley Road.

Trains can be reversed south to north bound from this platform to the Northbound Jubilee Line only, then via the Jubilee to Neasden, were there is a crossover to the North bound Met.

Most times when the Met has to be reversed South to North at Finchley Road, trains will run empty to reverse at the crossover at Swiss Cottage(Met).

[Harsig]

TheOneKEA said:

So what's MD27 for then? What's the point of even having a wrong road starter here?

Why not have a wrong road starter there? It adds operational flexibilty.

[Deleted]

Harsig said:

Why not have a wrong road starter there? It adds operational flexibilty.

But it only appears to permit trains to return north on the NB local, and as you said the facing crossover at West Hampstead was not signalled for a transfer to the NB fast.

It just seems a bit unusual to me, that's all.

[citysig]

Let's not forget it wasn't always just used for the Met. I have experienced a short-term shutdown on the Jub years ago, where both the s/b Jub and Met platforms were used to reverse the Jubilee service back north. Careful use also meant the s/b Met service did not suffer too badly either.

PPP and the ever dwindling co-operation between lines has meant it is now more likely to be used by engineers trains overnight, rather than for providing the "best possible service" (a phrase the company used to use) during a shutdown.

[Harsig]

TheOneKEA said:

and as you said the facing crossover at West Hampstead was not signalled for a transfer to the NB fast.

I didn't say that. The crossover at West Hampstead was indeed used to cross from NB Jubilee to NB Met. What I meant was that you could not reverse from the southbound platforms at Finchley Road onto either of the northbound roads prior to the 1984 resignalling when the current arrangements came into operation.

[Deleted]

Ah, now I understand - I was always under the impression that the 1984 mods were rather less extensive than was implied by the line histories of the Met and Jubbly.

[Harsig]

TheOneKEA said:

Ah, now I understand - I was always under the impression that the 1984 mods were rather less extensive than was implied by the line histories of the Met and Jubbly.

Here's the diagram for Finchley Road as it was in 1939

Finchley Road 1939 (384KB)

[Deleted]

Ahhhhh, I love it when you post diagrams Harsig

I was aware that the 1930s frame at Finchley Road was off the push-pull variety, but which is denoted by the letters H and L?

[DWS]

TheOneKEA said:

Ahhhhh, I love it when you post diagrams Harsig

I was aware that the 1930s frame at Finchley Road was off the push-pull variety, but which is denoted by the letters H and L?

H = ( pusH )

L = ( pulL )