Have Thither Been Via Hither Green (2)

So Whither Today At Hither Green?

Information for South Eastern services via Hither Green could be better. Like so many areas of the Capital, it is all very easy when you know, but something of a challenger until you know! The complexity is not helped by the fact that the official network map has no link to the Company's timetable booklets.

The challenge is made more challenging with these timetable booklets (8 in all) having very generic headings and containing no route map!

Booklet 6 includes trains via Hither Green and on to Orpington ...

... and they are on table 6B - obviously!

There we have a train every 30 minutes from Charing Cross and every 30 minutes from Victoria.

For the Dartford Line you need leaflet 5 where you will find table 5A, 5B and 5C! 5C is for Hither Green and shows the service via the southern sector of the Dartford Loop.

Note A tells you that those trains run to Cannon Street which is, obviously, where they start from. They get there via the northern leg of the "loop".

To add to the fun, Dartford isn't actually ON the Dartford Loop, so Dartford Loop trains don't run to Dartford. It is all hysterical and historical and best left to commuters who do understand. The light blue line is for Thameslink trains.

It makes Exeter to Waterloo via Axminster seem a breeze!

Does the combined Underground, Docklands, Overground and Network Rail map make it any easier?

You tell fbb!

North of Hither Green, in the Lewisham area, there is a complex set of junctions with a modern intruder, the Docklands Light Railway, sitting alongside Lewisham National Rail Station.

South of Hither Green is Grove Park where the shuttle service to Bromley North veers off.

Between the two are located several blocks of sidings and depot buildings where the electric trains are parked.

Back at Hither Green Station itself, there is still a "back entrance" on Springbank Road where the former terminal building is now a block of flats.

The main entrance to the station is from the subway linking the two sides of the track with the long-gone booking hall at the end of Staplehurst Road.

 Now only the subway remains.

From the middle of this tunnel a ramp ...

... leads up to a new booking "hall" in the "V" of the railway junction.

Here, as well as booking windows and ticket machines, there is a newsstand and "bijou" coffee shop.

What started fbb's investigation of Hither Green was the news from Notwork Rail that the station was coming to the end of a £6 million refurbishment and upgrade.

This has involved the building of a new platform canopy over platforms 2 and 3 ...

... the resurfacing of all the platforms, complete re-wiring of the station and a general smartening up. £6 million does not go very far these days!

Over 40 years ago, fbb and the new Mrs fbb visited some chums who lived in Chislehurst. This involved a train trip to Elmstead Woods on the line to Orpington and Sevenoaks (via Hither Green). Whilst staying there, fbb decided to experience commuting and took a peak hour train to London Bridge. It was an interesting experience!!

It was on a tightly packed slam door train and London Bridge (that's the old cluttered London Bridge, of course) was just so scary with great surges of people slithering like a flow of volcano larva down steps and through tunnels. 

But on the way, all the stations were grey and tired.

The trains appeared grey and tired.

And at London Bridge, even the people looked grey and tired!

In contrast, today's railway is bright clean and, dare one say it, attractive.

Of course, under Great British Railways ...

Selecting A Suitable Signal Box (3)

Like most post-war lads, fbb's first train set was Hornby O Gauge tinplate. He tired of it very quickly because trains fell off at the corners and the track became disconnected under the bed with consequent derailments.

The spotty irk could have had a signalbox and station, but these were not supplied by Father Christmas.

The models were definitely toys!

In the last few years there has been a huge upsurge in quality O gauge ready to run stuff, but scenery has largely remained DIY or very specialist. But in the current Peco catalogue we find TWO O Gauge signalbox kits ...

... which look like they share common parts.

Recently, Bachmann has developed a range of O Gauge resin models, ready to plonk on the layout.

Of course, keen readers will spot that it is a model of the box at Highley on the preserved Severn Valley Railway.

Because these models are much bigger than 00, they cost much more.

As is often the case, this model is no longer produced and hard to come by.

Tomorrow we are off to Scotland.

WARNING

Tomorrow, the next stage of the transfer of the fbb "comms" to a new supplier should happen. Already fbb has lost emails on his phone and the connected telly is no longer connected. Will daily blogging survive this upheaval?

Dunno!

 Next Edinburgh blog : Thursday 27th May