How Do You Solve A Problem Like ...
...
Maria Bronley South.
The line was built by the 'Bromley Direct Railway Company', in co-operation with the South Eastern Railway (SER), to compete with the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, which owned the other Bromley station, Bromley South. It opened on 1 January 1878 and was worked by the SER from the outset. The two companies merged later in the same year.
The line was electrified at 750 V DC (third rail) with the other SECR urban routes from 1926
Since the 1990s, the line which has two stations of its own has been served almost exclusively by shuttle services to and from Grove Park , where passengers can change trains for onward journeys towards Central London, as well as towards Kent.
As might be expected, with a station originally built to compete with another and separate company, the station was much more comprehensive than it is today. Below you can contrast and compare!
Now just the two platforms remain.There have been several proposals to improve the usefulness of the branch, all coming to terms with the fact that improved "main line" frequencies would make through trains from Bromley North untenable today.
One of the many schemes for the Bakerloo Line was to extend, not to Hayes, but to Bromley North.
The Bakerloo is struggling to get to Lewisham, let alone further!
Extending the DLR to Bromley North by coming up for air after Grove Park might work, but there would still be a need to change for a fast run to the City.
Surely yet another branch off the East London line is also impracticable and, again, would need a change for central London.
More useful, maybe, is to keep the change at Grove Park but increase the frequency ...
... by extending the tram from Beckenham Junction ...
... via Bromley North. A higher frequency would, maybe, compensate for the need to change. Beckenham and Bromley are not far apart, but there is no obviously easy route. There are quieter residential roads, but would the quieter residents appreciate having trams clattering past.
And there is plenty of railway to cross!
It looks as if the Bromley North shuttle will be shuttling for a good few years to come; until Mr Khan or his successors can find a lot more money for very expensive tunnels!
It seems a lot of railway at the Bromley terminus for a train every 30 min taking about 15 for the round trip!
But the Carto map does explain an oddity back at Grove Park.
Platforms 4 and 5 are usually served by Grove Park stoppers. Faster trains on longer distance route whizz swiftly through 2 and 3 without stopping.
Whilst there might appear to be three island platforms, thus providing six platform faces, the opposite face from "1" is unused. fbb wondered why there was a fence half way across the platform corralling passengers on to Platform 1 only, with no access to its second half.
It is a platform that isn't! Here the fence is viewed from Platform 2 ...
... and a longer shot showing the the platform edge has been completely removed from the non platform.
To Conclude ...
It is always good to take an educated look at the service pattern when we explore a station. Above is South Eastern's standard daytime service, unencumbered with peak hour oddities and extras. In each hourly cycle, there are two trains between Charing Cross and Sevenoaks, two between Cannon Street and Orpington and two shuttles to Bomley North.
Here are the relevant column heading notes ...
... and we all know what a "City Beam" train is, don't we?
Neither did fbb!
It is a rather ordinary Class 707 with a very silly name. fbb is quite sure (NOT) that commuters from London to Grove Park will willingly wait before returning to the arms (and the dinners) of their loved ones so they can travel "City Beam"!(?).
Here is a 707 pictured at Grove Park.
But commuters can make a more important decision. South Eastern does tell you which trains are not equipped with toilets. That might be a great relief for fbb when he (frequently) feels the need for self relief?
Next, we find a bus to complete our journey.
Contrast And Compare
Dating from 1976, the Hornby (Triang Hornby) original version of its TTA tank wagon was only a small step up from the crude 'toy'.
The wheelsets were plastic with square section axles ans push-on metal rims.
The brake shoes were not at all in line with the wheels ...
... and there was no buffer Beam detail but tlhe buffers w8uere a little more shapely than those bodged by fbb
The "proper model was still crude and only a small step up from the bright yellow toy as fettled by fbb.
Both should have brake pipes.
Next Grove Park Gallivant blog : Thurs 0th Oct
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