Smithfield Sidings

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Smithfield Sidings 14/11/2023 at 12:14 #154066
northroad
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872 posts 		Can anyone help in telling me the siding lengths for Smithfield Sidings A and B in the 2004-2012 era. Apologies if this has already been given in the manual or forum.

One nit picking thing with the sim is that the signal plan in the reference section shows this era to be a different era date to that in the sim i.e. 2004 and 2003.

Still a great sim to play after all these years.
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Smithfield Sidings 14/11/2023 at 14:58 #154069
ajax103
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1123 posts 		northroad in post 154066 said:
Can anyone help in telling me the siding lengths for Smithfield Sidings A and B in the 2004-2012 era. Apologies if this has already been given in the manual or forum.

One nit picking thing with the sim is that the signal plan in the reference section shows this era to be a different era date to that in the sim i.e. 2004 and 2003.

Still a great sim to play after all these years.
I believe they are only capable of taking 8 car trains eg around 160m or so judging by this comment on another forum:

So the operating procedure when everthing is up and running is that southbound changeovers will normally happen at Farringdon, with failures running to City Thameslink to tip out passengers (bigger platform?) and returning north on AC via the trailing crossover just south of Farringdon. Northbound changeovers will normally take place at City Thameslink, 12 car failures will then run to Farringdon on DC and return over the same trailing crossover as mentioned earlier.
Northbound 8 car trains will still be able to use Smithfield sidings as a bolthole if it is decided to just get them out of the way, and return them south later

That should answer your question.
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Smithfield Sidings 14/11/2023 at 16:45 #154071
northroad
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872 posts 		Thank you for the response on this.

September 2004 saw the link from Kings Cross to St. Pancras severed as it was with Brighton services starting and finishing at Kings Cross Thameslink hence the crossover ( I think ) at the Farringdon end of Kings Cross. Services through to Bedford ceased at this point until later. Smithfield Sidings were used to accommodate the ECS from the Wimbledon to Sutton loop overnight so I am guessing it would have been 4 car sets that were housed in there.
An interesting period in time. I am old enough to still remember standing on Kings Cross Thameslink platform after a days work waiting for the train to go up to Elstree and boy did those two platforms get very packed in the rush hour. The Smithfield Sidings were just a deep dark cavern that looked unused but obviously were.
I might be totally wrong on this but my own research has only come up with when the connection was severed.

Thanks once again for the response which I think was referring to when the Farringdon’s Moorgate service was cut.
Last edited: 14/11/2023 at 16:51 by northroad
Reason: Note added about Moorgate
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Smithfield Sidings 14/11/2023 at 20:56 #154077
clive
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2799 posts 		northroad in post 154071 said:

September 2004 saw the link from Kings Cross to St. Pancras severed as it was with Brighton services starting and finishing at Kings Cross Thameslink hence the crossover ( I think ) at the Farringdon end of Kings Cross. Services through to Bedford ceased at this point until later.

...

I might be totally wrong on this but my own research has only come up with when the connection was severed.
https://www.davros.org/rail/culg/hammersmith.html#dates should help you.

Quail shows a trailing crossover in Clerkenwell No.3 tunnel (the one just east of KX TL station) and a facing one in Clerkenwell No.2 tunnel (about 10 chains further east).
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Smithfield Sidings 15/11/2023 at 07:59 #154095
Giantray
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347 posts 		Smithfield Sidings are both 8 car only and third rail only, no OHL. Staff access is from the southern end of Farringdon Platform. Today the sidings are well lit, not just for staff reasons but because of the renovation of the Smithfield arches beyond the sidings. Yes 4 or 8 car 319s/387s would have been accommodated in the sidings. Today only 8car Class 700s use them and these are generally on Wimbledon/Sutton services. It was originally planned to remove the sidings, but because Government insisted on Wimbledon/Sutton going north (originally planned to terminate Blackfriars), Class 700 8car units had to be formed. The Sutton/Wimbledon line could not be rebulit to take 12 car Class 700s, so they kept the sidings. Everytime they have been used during the day, delays have occurred, not an ideal location and access is now only via the northbound City Thameslink Platform.

I do not remember Brighton/Bedford services terminating at Kings Cross Thameslink. Today there are two crossovers southern end of the now desserted Kings Cross Tmlk station. They are used for Bi-Directional movements through the core section.
Professionalism mean nothing around a bunch of Amateur wannabees!
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Smithfield Sidings 16/11/2023 at 09:48 #154139
clive
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2799 posts 		Giantray in post 154095 said:

I do not remember Brighton/Bedford services terminating at Kings Cross Thameslink. Today there are two crossovers southern end of the now desserted Kings Cross Tmlk station. They are used for Bi-Directional movements through the core section.
The line was closed between KXTL and Kentish Town or West Hampstead (I forget which) for 8 months so that the St.Pancras Thameslink station could be built - I think the tunnels had to be realigned slightly. That's the reason that the crossovers were first installed, though once they were in place there was no reason to remove them and, as you say, they now allow bidirectional working.

The services from Bedford and Luton were diverted into St.P high level for the same period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Cross_Thameslink_railway_station#Thameslink_programme
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Smithfield Sidings 16/11/2023 at 12:02 #154141
northroad
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872 posts 		Clive,
Interesting article it’s amazing what you can find on Wikipedia.
I seem to recall that the documentary Secrets of the London Underground visited the City Thameslink in one of their episodes.

Thanks for your help.

Geoff
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Smithfield Sidings 17/11/2023 at 09:03 #154170
TimTamToe
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664 posts 		clive in post 154139 said:
Giantray in post 154095 said:

I do not remember Brighton/Bedford services terminating at Kings Cross Thameslink. Today there are two crossovers southern end of the now desserted Kings Cross Tmlk station. They are used for Bi-Directional movements through the core section.
The line was closed between KXTL and Kentish Town or West Hampstead (I forget which) for 8 months so that the St.Pancras Thameslink station could be built - I think the tunnels had to be realigned slightly. That's the reason that the crossovers were first installed, though once they were in place there was no reason to remove them and, as you say, they now allow bidirectional working.

The services from Bedford and Luton were diverted into St.P high level for the same period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Cross_Thameslink_railway_station#Thameslink_programme
That's right Clive, I think it may have been Kentish Town. In any case I can clearly remember the Brighton's terminating at KXTL as that was my stop for uni. Oh the times I went on autopilot to the southbound platform on my way home, to find the train on the northbound side, just about to depart!
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Smithfield Sidings 17/11/2023 at 16:26 #154174
northroad
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872 posts 		Looking at the working timetable for that period CJ 2004-09 all southbound trains were diverted into St. Pancras during the blockage and returned North from there.
Once again thanks to all on this.

Geoff
Last edited: 17/11/2023 at 16:38 by northroad
Reason: None given
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