Bletchley Circle ITV Programme

[STEVIEBOY1]

I Was watching the new Drama on ITV based on 4 ladies who worked at Bletchley Park in WW2, then a few years later got together to solve some murders.

In the 1st programme last week, reference was made to the GOBLIN Train, which was mentioned as the Barking to Gospel Oak Service. Now bearing in mind that this prgramme was based in the late 1940s / 1950s. I was surprised to hear reference to that route as I thought that the original services to Barking went from Kentish Town, I have a couple of London Rail maps from the mid 1970s which shows that as a local service starting at Kentish town. I seem to recall that services were transferred to Gospel Oak owing to a fire at Kentish Town and it has remained so ever since.

I know that originally what I assume was the Midland Railway built the line or at least used the line from St Pancras to Tilbury to connect with ships from that port, although the LTS service from Fenchurch Street must have been quicker.

The programme also mentioned a train from St. P to Barking, although that may have been just for effect for the programme.

Does anyone know any history about that line.

I Will check my Quails maps later to see if there is still a line from Kentish Town round to the Goblin Line.

I must say the recreation of St. P station was very good. I presume for outside moving shots of steam trains they would have used on of the preserved railways.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In the 1st programme last week, reference was made to the GOBLIN Train, which was mentioned as the Barking to Gospel Oak Service. Now bearing in mind that this programme was based in the late 1940s / 1950s. I was surprised to hear reference to that route as I thought that the original services to Barking went from Kentish Town, I have a couple of London Rail maps from the mid 1970s which shows that as a local service starting at Kentish town. I seem to recall that services were transferred to Gospel Oak owing to a fire at Kentish Town and it has remained so ever since.

I know that originally what I assume was the Midland Railway built the line or at least used the line from St Pancras to Tilbury to connect with ships from that port, although the LTS service from Fenchurch Street must have been quicker.

With regard to the Barking to Gospel Oak line, there were two historical railway companies that had a presence in that area:-

The Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Railway was opened in 1868 by the Great Eastern Railway.

The Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway was opened 26 years later in July 1894 as a joint venture between the Midland Railway and the London Tilbury and Southend Railway for the reason that you gave in your posting.

 

[Greenback]

I almost jumped out of my chair when one of character smentioned the Goblin. I thought that was a more recent name! But given the errors made by TV programmes involving railways I quickly forgot about it again until I saw this thread!

 

[kjhskj75]

Until the 1970s trains on the line ran to Kentish Town, not Gospel Oak.

See map at http://joycewhitchurch.zxq.net/maps/london69.jpg

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I almost jumped out of my chair when one of character smentioned the Goblin. I thought that was a more recent name! But given the errors made by TV programmes involving railways I quickly forgot about it again until I saw this thread!

Yes I was surprised too, that's what got me thinking about that line in general and this thread.

Thank you all, for the info given here, most useful. (By the way, I liked the old map that KJHSKI75 attached which bought back a few memories.)

 

[martinsh]

The terminus changed from Kentish Town to Gospel Oak in 1982, when the main line was electrified.

 

[EM2]

It certainly did run to St Pancras at one time, in fact the Middleton Press volume for the line is called 'St Pancras To Barking'.

However, the promising start to the series was thoroughly undone in tonight's episode, with the service to Barking being in Southern livery, and including what was supposedly Harringay Park station (now Harringay Green Lanes) complete with station signs in green and the buildings in green and cream paintwork, I assume filmed on the Bluebell.

 

[Mr Spock]

Not sure why everyone goes on about the "wrong" stock, station, etc. being shown.

Why not just concentrate on the story?

 

[D6975]

It's rather difficult to believe in when a train supposedly calling at a series of consecutive stations is actually arriving and departing repeatedly from what is obviously the same station. No attempt to change its appearance was made at all. Even normals would have noticed, surely.

 

[Greenback]

However, the promising start to the series was thoroughly undone in tonight's episode, with the service to Barking being in Southern livery, and including what was supposedly Harringay Park station (now Harringay Green Lanes) complete with station signs in green and the buildings in green and cream paintwork, I assume filmed on the Bluebell.

I couldn't agree more. I noticed an awful lot of errors last night, from the white London Transport roundel on a passing bus to the obvious fact that the train journey wa snowhere the smoke filled metropolis! And what is more found the plot to be increasingly ludicrous.

Not sure why everyone goes on about the "wrong" stock, station, etc. being shown.

Why not just concentrate on the story?

I am normally quite tolerant of things like continuity errors. But I do get irritated when not enough care is taken to get period details correct, or at least lookign right.

It would be the same as if someone mentioned Coronation Street in 1952, or if a character was wearing jeans or a mini skirt. It is just wrong, and it is even more irritating when the producers have gone to great lengths to get things like the furniture, and street details looking right.

 

[IanD]

It's rather difficult to believe in when a train supposedly calling at a series of consecutive stations is actually arriving and departing repeatedly from what is obviously the same station. No attempt to change its appearance was made at all. Even normals would have noticed, surely.

Sounds like the Eastern end of the district line.

 

[Class49]

It wasn't just the roundel on the bus that was wrong - the whole bus was several years ahead of its time. It's not as though vehicles from the right era aren't available for filming, it's just laziness on the part of the production company. "Oh, no-one will notice, or at least only very sad people." Well, sad I may be but these things do spoil programmes a bit for me, and once the Routemaster bus had cropped up (several times at that) I couldn't help noticing things like a 1960s letterbox and a modern bridge height restriction sign. Period programmes should aim for a much higher level of realism than that.

 

[Greenback]

It wasn't just the roundel on the bus that was wrong - the whole bus was several years ahead of its time. It's not as though vehicles from the right era aren't available for filming, it's just laziness on the part of the production company. "Oh, no-one will notice, or at least only very sad people." Well, sad I may be but these things do spoil programmes a bit for me, and once the Routemaster bus had cropped up (several times at that) I couldn't help noticing things like a 1960s letterbox and a modern bridge height restriction sign. Period programmes should aim for a much higher level of realism than that.

Yes, indeed, I realised the bus out of synch when watching this week's episode. In fact, Mrs Greenback got fed up of me mentioning the errors, and told me to shut up so she could follow the plot!