1. Journey there & King's Cross-20.02.14

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2014 > 11. Trip to London-20-23.02.14 > 1. Journey there & King's Cross-20.02.14

After taking the train from Milton Keynes to Euston and checking into our accommodation I made an afternoon visit to King's Cross whilst my wife and son experienced the delights of retailing in Oxford Street!

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350255, 350238 & 350254, LM 08.24 Euston-MKC (2K21), Milton Keynes station
Having worked up earlier in the morning as a packed commuter service London Midland's 350255, 350238 and 350254 return north as the 08.24 Euston to Milton Keynes Central. As can be seen, it a particularly grey and grisly morning not out of keeping with late February I suppose!
Keywords: 350255 350238 350254 08.24 Euston-MKC 2K21 Milton Keynes station

390002, VT 07.55 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston (1R28) & 350254, 350238 & 350255, LM 08.24 London Euston-Milton Keynes (2K21), Milton Keynes station
Milton Keynes station is a pretty soulless station in the best modernist style of the 1970s. Designed by the MKDC's (Milton Keynes Development Corporation) architect Stuart MosscropIt the station was opened in 1982 after much procrastination, largely from cash strapped BR. They maintained that their InterCity offer to and from Bletchley was perfectly adequate in terms of serving nearby Milton Keynes. In this grey February view 390002 pauses working the 07.55 Manchester to Euston service whilst 350254, 350238 and 350255 have just terminated with the 08.24 from Euston.
Keywords: 390002 07.55 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston 1R28 350254 350238 350255 08.24 London Euston-Milton Keynes 2K21 Milton Keynes station

221105 & 221102, VT 09.10 London Euston-Holyhead (1D83), Milton Keynes station
The 1D38 09.10 Euston to Holyhead Virgin West Coast service slows for its stop at Milton Keynes station. Composed of 221105 'William Baffin' and 221102 'John Cabot' the Voyagers will run under the wires as far as Crewe until taking the Chester route towards the North Wales coast where they will run under absolute block signalling all the way to their destination.
Keywords: 221105 221102 09.10 London Euston-Holyhead 1D83 Milton Keynes station William Baffin John Cabot

350265, LM 08.50 Birmingham New Street-London Euston (09.40 Milton Keynes-London Euston), Milton Keynes station
Our train south to London arrives at Milton Keynes' platform one being worked by an already busy 350265 and another unidentified unit on the rear. As this was the first up off-peak service to Euston the platform is busier than would be expected for this time of day and made securing a seat on the already packed service impossible.
Keywords: 350265 08.50 Birmingham New Street-London Euston 09.40 Milton Keynes-London Euston Milton Keynes station London Midland Desiro

91132, 91113, 43307 & 91102, various workings, London King's Cross station
A veritable grey feast of trains lines up at King's Cross. From the left is 91132, with 91113 next to 43307. Nearest the camera is 91102 'City of York' that will soon head north with an East Coast service.
Keywords: 91132 91113 43307 91102 various workings London King's Cross station East Coast City of York

43308, GR 17.33 London King's Cross-Harrogate (1D24), London KIng's Cross station
With work continuing at King's Cross station, a process that seems pretty continuous of late, 43308 rests at the rear of an up HST service. With the passengers having disembarked earlier the train is sitting being prepared to work the 1D24 17.33 King's Cross to Harrogate that runs clockwise from Leeds to its destination.
Keywords: 43308 17.33 London King's Cross-Harrogate 1D24 London KIng's Cross East Coast HST

67026, stabled thunderbird, London KIng's Cross station
Against the gargantuan and somewhat austere backdrop of King's Cross' PSB 66026 'Diamond Jubilee' awaits its next call to action! It is stabled in a siding where the former King's Cross York Road station platforms used to be located the lines of which then passed into the disused Gasworks tunnel just seen to the extreme left.
Keywords: 67026 stabled thunderbird London KIng's Cross station Diamond Jubilee

91110, GR 17.30 London King's Cross-Newcastle, (1N27), London KIng's Cross station
The driver of the 1N27 17.30 to Newcastle walks to his cab in readiness to prepare the locomotive for its departure in the next half an hour. His locomotive is one of East Coast's celebrity Class 91s 91110 'Battle of Britain Memorial Flight' that looks superb wearing its vinyls created and applied by the market leader in these products, Stewart Signs Ltd of Chandlers Ford. As well as wearing this impressive livery, 91110 also holds the national speed record for an electric locomotive of one hundred and sixty-two miles per hour attained at Stoke Bank on 17th September 1989.
Keywords: 91110 17.30 London King's Cross-Newcastle 1N27 London KIng's Cross station Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

91110, GR 17.30 London King's Cross-Newcastle, (1N27), 91132, GR 17.03 London King's Cross-Leeds (1D23), 91113 & 43307, London KIng's Cross station
A late afternoon line up at King's Cross sees some of East Coast's finest machinery awaiting their next turn of duty. To the far left is 91110 'Battle of Britain Memorial Flight' waiting to work the 17.30 to Newcastle. Next is 91132 that is just getting away on time with the 17.03 to Leeds. 91113 has recently arrived with a service from the north with 43307 (formally 43107) having done the same a short time earlier. I cannot help but feel that the rather monotonous blue shade of grey of East Coast is a little dull but it is a state-owned public sector operation so it is not surprising really is it!
Keywords: 91110 17.30 London King's Cross-Newcastle 1N27 91132 17.03 London King's Cross-Leeds 1D23 91113 43307 London KIng's Cross station Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

365529, FC 16.34 Welwyn Garden City-London King's Cross ECS (3YO2), London King's cross Station
With the station announcer already apologising for the late departure of their train the passengers on platform six watch as their train arrives working the 16.34 from Welwyn Garden City. 365529 will have to be turned around pretty rapidly in order to get the passengers away with the minimum of fuss. These reliable Networker family units dating from the mid-1990s are about to undergo a refurbishment programme but will leave this route in the coming few years to be replaced by new units.
Keywords: 365529 16.34 Welwyn Garden City-London King's Cross ECS 3YO2 London King's Cross Station

From footbridge, London Kings's Cross station
The inner train shed of Sir William Cubitt's iconic King's Cross station is seen from the footbridge that traverses and links all platforms. Whilst there is still contractor work being undertaken following its protracted redevelopment it does look absolutely superb with plenty of natural light flooding in despite it being a late February afternoon. When it opened in the autumn of 1852 King's Cross was the biggest station in England.
Keywords: London Kings's Cross station

Concourse, London King's Cross station,
Designed by the internationally renowned architect John McAslan the impressive departure concourse at King's Cross opened two years ago in 2012. Its claimed that the roof is the longest single-span station structure in Europe with the semi-circular structure having a radius of fifty-four metres and it certainly looks impressive during the hours of darkness with its purple lighting. The original Great Northern station designed by Sir William Cubitt can still be seen having been functionally incorporated into the new structure.
Keywords: John McAslan

365538, FC 17.14 London King's Cross-Peterborough (1P64), London KIng's Cross station
The so-called Great Northern platforms to the west of King's Cross' main station platforms were always rather miserable affairs being dark and pretty uninviting for the millions of commuters that used them daily. As part of the recently completed rebuilding of King's Cross these platforms were also treated and are now fully incorporated into the impressive new departures concourse. In a busy scene, 365538 will soon depart from platform eleven with the 1P64 17.14 to Peterborough.
Keywords: 365538 17.14 London King's Cross-Peterborough 1P64 London King's Cross station

Concourse, London King's Cross station
In this view of the new departure concourse of King's Cross station, opened two years ago in 2012, the retailing mezzanine is see integrated into the structure. Whilst the whole structure is particularly striking and largely successful I do have a particular criticism. The toilet facilities are very poor with just one of each located at the far end of the mezzanine. They are pay facilities and very small with queues forming every time that I have visited so far.
Keywords: Concourse London King's Cross station

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