Grove Park Gallivant (mini-blog 2)

Telephonic Traumas Treated - Some clever stuff has resulted, as promised, in "land line" calls being routes to the fbbs' mobiles. This is a temporary measure until No 3 son visits later in November accompanied by two new phones with will be more digital than the existing devices. Additional material will now be added to this week's blogs and Friday's suggested supplementary spider map station section should be ready.

A Big And Busy Station

Staff from the late 19th Century! And commuters in the 1950s.

From the look on their faces, there might have been some disruption. 

The most notable feature of Grove park is its magnificent platform canopies.

In a way, it is sad that their antiquity was lost, but good that they were fully rebuilt in stainless metal ...

... losing some of their architectural quality. but gaining ...

... more reliable weather protection!

The booking hall is as you would expect; with ticket machines ...

... and a staffed ticket office. 

Access to the "main line" platforms is by ramps from the station building ...

... which are also covered.  

The two main island platforms each have a small waiting room with heating and  take and swap book shelf.

The only refreshment facilities at platform level are provided by vending machines.

There are food and drink shops in the station building.

As well as walk route back via the booking hall, the splendid footbridge links all the platforms ...

...' as yet without lifts, although for all but platform 1 the ramped access is available.

Here we see the steps down to Platform 1 ...

... used by the shuttle trains to Bromley North.

But there is another route! A walkway exists from the booking hall (the wiggly footbridge that we met earlier) ...

... viewed from the top of its steps down to Platform 1 ...

... the wiggly extra footbridge. Here are two more views taken from Platform 2, firstly looking towards the station building ...

... then towards the steps down to Platform 1.

It wasn't always there; here is platform 1 (far right) in steam days with only the usual footbridge in the distance.

Does anyone know when and why the extra walk route was added?

Disaster Darling!

fbb had forgotten that his tin of enamel labelled matt black was very gloss! So the first attempt looked shiny and ridiculous for an aged tank wagon! Then fbb's hand seemed more shaky than usual and the paint splurged quite a bit. Work is in progress to redress the balance.

fbb had made some nominal buffers.

He could have bought high quality 3D printed buffers ...

... but at a fiver a set it just wasn't worth it for a cheap and nasty plastic toy costing just £2.50. And at a distance in poor light conditions, fbb has seen worse!

=====================

Next we must look at train services at Grove Park, now and in visionary future.

 Next Grove Park Gallivant blog : Weds 29 Oct 

Grove Park Gallivant (mini-blog 1)

Diagram Versus Map Versus Reality

The diagram is not geographically orientated - it would be better if it were - but we can rotate an aerial view to match the diagram ...

... but the actual run on the main line is north west to south east at this point. Here is Streetmap.

The view from Baring Road is of the station building ...

... which has lost its ornate canopy of old.

... which it still had when traffic needed keep left bollards. 

Back in the day it was all a lot quieter ...

... with just a horse bus filling the road. The old canopy lasted into British Rail corporate times, but its later frontage suffered several altercations with double deck buses!

There is a lot more to Grove Park today as here ...

... with the station building in the distance on the left. There is a bit more traffic as well ...

... with lots of buses and lots of bus stops to confuse us all!

Frustratingly, for an elderly armchair explorer, the two roads parallel to the tracks present a problem. That on the 'up' side is Pullman Mews ...

... a gated community into which the common herd, and certainly Streetview, are decidedly unwelcome. The fact that it is called a "Mews", when it patently isn't, should give us a clue to the style of residence along there.

On the down side we have Amblecote Meadow which, even more ludicrously hasn't been a meadow since soon after the railway arrived.

It is another gated community where you can just see work on the station ahead. 

But here is Grove Park locality from way back. The only properties marked are ...

... Grove Farm, Spicers Cottage and Claypit Farm.

Thus, although there are no meaningful views of the platforms from the side roads, we can resolve the challenge of that extra footbridge, the wiggly one. It can be glimpsed through the trees when the main road makes a junction with Pullman Mews.

The construction can also be glimpsed through the trees from near the Pullman Mews guard post.

But fbb will save that excitement for tomorrow's blog!

Plastic Toy to Failed Model?

Saw off the plastic couplings which meant losing the access steps.

Assemble a collection of arbitrary bits and pieces including a chunk of Ratio"garden" fencing. A quick snip and, tada, we have new steps.

Now we need buffers!

 Next Grove Park min-blog : Tues 28th Oct 

Sunday Variety - mini-blog

 Losing Landline Lunacy!

Apparently, tomorrow, the fbb's land line calls ae being transferred to their mobile devices  as part to he glorious digital nirvana! The old odd couple are not entirely sure whether this is a cunning scheme to dispose of BT Connect totally or merely a temporary move until the shenanigans are silenced. 

Might it be goodbye to good old BT for ever? Will the fbbs have to say goodbye to their "proper" telephone?

Because fbb is decidedly suspicious of technology, and the purveyors therefor to get things right first time, a series of blogs will be preposted for Monday to Friday next week. The blogs will be "mini" but with the opportunity to add extra stuff to them when (or if) the electronics are all working sweetly.

A Seaton chum was digitised last week, and now has to dial any number she may want on the ex-landline TWICE because the first attempt fails to connect. Obviously the digital piskies are not yet quite up to speed with the electrons as they whizz through the ether at the speed of light.

We will begin the series today.

Grandad Gricer's Grove Park Gallivant

Grove Park?

It lies on the South Eastern main line with services from and via London Bridge. Many trains also call at Lewisham where we enjoyed searching for bus stops for the BL1.

There is also a short branch from Grove Park to Bromley North.

Then again, why Grove Park?

fbb has passed through the station, many (many!) years ago when it was British Railways Southern Region with green slam door stock. He was on the way to London Bridge while the newly acquired Mrs fbb (pre family creation!) was enjoying time with an old (very old now) school chum.

The only thing fbb can remember is that the train ...

... was packed so full that he knew at once what sardines must feel like! He alighted at London bridge as did about three million others. It was truly frightening, especially as the experienced commuter had the slam doors open while the trains was still slowing down, admittedly to walking pace.

It was scary.

It was this view of Grove Park:-

For a number of stations on the South Eastern network these have replaced the National Rail standard station plans - diagrams which looked like this current one for Hither Green.

These used to come with links to pictures of station facilities, but this useful feature seems to be disappearing.

So are the new "3D" diagrams any better? The initial problem is that they are to scale, so detail is too small as displayed. You have to enlarge to find anything useful. So here is Grove Park station building ...

... the station footbridge ...

... and a guide to what is available on the platforms.

Which is not much. But what is that wiggly bit of footbridge? And how does the station match up to its diagram - or vice versa.

Tomorrow we will mini-blog some more.

Also on next week's agenda is to see what fbb has done with one of his pair of bright yellow plastic tank wagon toys. At the moment it is not a pretty sight.

   Next Grove Park mini-blog : Monday 27 Oct