Hello everyone pleased to meet to meet you.

[locojoe]

Hello Mark welcome to the forum.

[27vet]

Welcome on board!

[Seabrook]

Broadtrain1979, I remember passing the evening Canonbury Box was demolished. I was a secondman on a cross London freight. Most of the box was gone but on the box floor was I assumed the signalman holding a Golf Umbrella because the Rain was teaming down. Gospel Oak was terrible due to an electrical problem downstairs in the Box, a fire started and the Signalman was tragically killed. At the time the line through Hampstead Heath station and Tunnel was closed, normal NLL services had been suspended for several weeks due to damage done by a derailed Yeoman Stone Train. DMUs from North Woolwich to Gospel Oak ran with 'staff' working (A large chair leg) between Camden Road - Gospel Oak and return.

[BROADTRAIN1979]

Hi seabrook I always remember round about 1975, when on canonbury waiting with my dad
the freight liners, normally double headed 47's, used to trundle by, fantastic!! and there used to be a join in the rail ,that when the trains hit it ,very prominent sound. Great days ,thats when they were double tracked, unlike the single line they decided to aquire???? also do you remember the urinal in the middle of the rd?? been looking for ages, to get a picture of it.Its now gone .It was demolished back in 1990. The landmark of Canonbury Station.

[locojoe]

In the 1960s after working for BR I became a lorry driver. When in the Islington area I often used the cafe which was part of Canonbury Station frontage. It was run by an old Itallian chap and his two daughters. Good cheap grub and sawdust on the floor, does anyone remember the cafe.

[Seabrook]

The Number 1 roads were singled purely to save on cost when they were electrified at 25kv in 1986 remembering they had been abandoned from Canonbury Jcn a few years earlier. 25kv electrification also meant the track was reinstated from Canonbury Jcn to Caledonian Road. I remember the project manager said when funds allowed the lines would be reinstated to double track. Single Lining was due to the cost of allowing clearance of trains under overhead wires and without rebuilding the bridges. At last this is being done, unfortunately No1 road is not being extended to Camden Road Station as it was in the '70s. It is unbelievable the amount of traffic on this line today and the numbers of passengers using the NLL line. In the '70s there was no passenger service between Stratford and Dalston Jcn it was only used by freight. Only Footex and Awayday Specials used it as far as passengers were concerned.

[BROADTRAIN1979]

yes back in the 70s, it was a ghost station, when the 501 pulled in, there would be only me and my dad and the same elderly lady on the train, take your choice on the seating, as it was always empty. It was such a comfortable emu and a pleasure to ride on, especially when standing for ages out in the really cold months. Still it was made clear they were going to close broad street, it just wasnt making enough money and hardly anyone ever used it, that i know from experience. There were always two 501s stabled on the left 2 platforms. many a time my dad used to hit the ticket office window, at canonbury to wake the ticket man up, it was classic!!

[BROADTRAIN1979]

On may the 14th 1979, was when they introduced the great late 105 two car stratford located ,silver rooved dmu onto north london line ,which ran to camden town and back via north woolwich. Another great feature to have on my model layout. I recall on the odd occasion ,they would use a class 117 dmu from st pancras or marlebone station, but the 105s, were unique in sound, as they rattled, rasp and barped, like no other dmu and that lovely smell of diesel!!. The seating ,what i called cowboy seats out of an old american westen train, second class, fantastic!. Still at least i have the memories and my model.

[27vet]

Welcome, Mark. I come from South Africa and am in central Africa right now.

[Seabrook]

Broadtrain, while the Cravens (known as bubblecars to Stratford Drivers) were the staple unit, you are correct in times of shortages any DMU visiting Stratford DRS could be pressed into service. Metro Cams were also used at times. Having driven units many times I never got the hang of Unit Codes. To me the Stratford DMU's were simply Cravens, Birmingham Lightweights and Derby Lightweights!