Class800
Established Member
Good afternoon everyone,
I am starting a thread to put together my trip reports. I won't write up every journey I make and I have posted separately on my Devon rangers in the past, but this is a start. Today I walked from Plumstead Common to Plumstead station where I was planning to take a rare journey on the old route to London via Charlton. Yet there was major disruption on the London bound services and wanted to make headway, so I got the first train that arrived, going to Abbey Wood, where I changed for the Elizabeth line, which is now my usual route to Central London during the half of the time I spend in Plumstead Common. Abbey Wood station has been rebuilt for the Elizabeth Line and the former platforms and station building are no more. There are now two island platforms - one for Southeastern and Thameslink and the other for Elizabeth Line. After a short 'facilities' stop, I caught the Elizabeth Line changing to the Northern line at Tottenham Court Road. I do use the Liverpool Street/Moorgate interchange sometimes, but generally find the more convenient change at Tottenham Court Road makes the slightly longer journey time on the Elizabeth Line worthwhile.
From Tottenham Court Road, I caught the Northern Line northbound to Camden Town. I took a pleasant walk through the streets of Camden to bus stop B near Camden Road station where I took bus 46 northbound. It was a pleasant drive via Kentish Town West and the Royal Free Hospital to Hampstead station. I am claustrophobic and don't want to use old lifts. The alternative is 320 stairs which is OK down but not much fun up. So, the bus it was. The 46 takes an especially circuitous route running from St Bartholomew's Hospital (near St Paul's) to Paddington via Hampstead, but it served my purpose.
I then followed the Green London Way (Bob Gilbert's Book) as far as Highgate via Kenwood House. I remember going to Kenwood when I was much younger. Today, due to muddy boots, I decided to stay outside and explore the woods, parkland and lake. The Green London Way is an alternative - and indeed older - Capital Ring. I have done the Green Chain Walk and Capital Ring and am picking up my final sections of the Green London Way - helped by the fact that overlap with Capital Ring is at least 50%.
Once I had finished today's walk, I made my way to Highgate Station on the Northern Line and travelled to Kings Cross St Pancras. There is something I really like about St Pancras station, so I went upstairs and fetched some lunch. Having checked online, I noticed the next train to Finsbury Park was going from Kings Cross not St Pancras, so I made my way over and tapped my card - I hope in time to trigger an OSI.
As the train approached Finsbury Park, I had not finished my lunch, so having checked the contactless map, I decided to stay on to the next stop Potters Bar - giving me a great view of the countryside. Contactless journeys are not constrained by the routing guide. My journey was meant to be Highgate to Woolwich (Elizabeth) via St Pancras/Kings Cross (OSI), Potters Bar, Moorgate/Liverpool Street. However, I passed an open gateline at Potters Bar coming off the northbound platform and had to tap in again at the gateline for the southbound platform. This may trigger an incomplete journey/maximum fare, as there was an entry without an exit. This is in my view very inappropriate having platform specific gatelines within a contactless zone. However, having one Potters Bar touch, I am not likely to gain much by an appeal. As it would split my journey at Potters Bar. A much more expensive trip that it should have been. It was still an interesting trip.
I crossed straight to the southbound side having started a new journey on my card. I then took the all shacks service through to Moorgate. The line between Finsbury Park and Moorgate is an interesting one. It is called the Northern City Line and from Drayton Park it runs in a tunnel through to Moorgate, serving on the way Highbury & Islington, Essex Road and Old Street. There has been some renovation work on the platforms on this line. I have mixed feelings about this. They feel less foreboding but it is a shame that the last remaining place where Network South East signage was to be seen is no more. It feels much blander now. The line has lost its character.
However, thanks to the interchange with the Elizabeth line at Liverpool Street (which has a link passage without crossing a gateline through to Moorgate station), the Northern City Line is actually a much more useful link for me than it used to be. I arrived on the Elizabeth Line eastbound platform just as the Abbey Wood service was pulling in. I alighted at Woolwich and caught a 51 bus uphill back to Plumstead Common.
Overall, a good day of walking and rail exploring. I won't let the Potters Bar issue detract from it.
I am starting a thread to put together my trip reports. I won't write up every journey I make and I have posted separately on my Devon rangers in the past, but this is a start. Today I walked from Plumstead Common to Plumstead station where I was planning to take a rare journey on the old route to London via Charlton. Yet there was major disruption on the London bound services and wanted to make headway, so I got the first train that arrived, going to Abbey Wood, where I changed for the Elizabeth line, which is now my usual route to Central London during the half of the time I spend in Plumstead Common. Abbey Wood station has been rebuilt for the Elizabeth Line and the former platforms and station building are no more. There are now two island platforms - one for Southeastern and Thameslink and the other for Elizabeth Line. After a short 'facilities' stop, I caught the Elizabeth Line changing to the Northern line at Tottenham Court Road. I do use the Liverpool Street/Moorgate interchange sometimes, but generally find the more convenient change at Tottenham Court Road makes the slightly longer journey time on the Elizabeth Line worthwhile.
From Tottenham Court Road, I caught the Northern Line northbound to Camden Town. I took a pleasant walk through the streets of Camden to bus stop B near Camden Road station where I took bus 46 northbound. It was a pleasant drive via Kentish Town West and the Royal Free Hospital to Hampstead station. I am claustrophobic and don't want to use old lifts. The alternative is 320 stairs which is OK down but not much fun up. So, the bus it was. The 46 takes an especially circuitous route running from St Bartholomew's Hospital (near St Paul's) to Paddington via Hampstead, but it served my purpose.
I then followed the Green London Way (Bob Gilbert's Book) as far as Highgate via Kenwood House. I remember going to Kenwood when I was much younger. Today, due to muddy boots, I decided to stay outside and explore the woods, parkland and lake. The Green London Way is an alternative - and indeed older - Capital Ring. I have done the Green Chain Walk and Capital Ring and am picking up my final sections of the Green London Way - helped by the fact that overlap with Capital Ring is at least 50%.
Once I had finished today's walk, I made my way to Highgate Station on the Northern Line and travelled to Kings Cross St Pancras. There is something I really like about St Pancras station, so I went upstairs and fetched some lunch. Having checked online, I noticed the next train to Finsbury Park was going from Kings Cross not St Pancras, so I made my way over and tapped my card - I hope in time to trigger an OSI.
As the train approached Finsbury Park, I had not finished my lunch, so having checked the contactless map, I decided to stay on to the next stop Potters Bar - giving me a great view of the countryside. Contactless journeys are not constrained by the routing guide. My journey was meant to be Highgate to Woolwich (Elizabeth) via St Pancras/Kings Cross (OSI), Potters Bar, Moorgate/Liverpool Street. However, I passed an open gateline at Potters Bar coming off the northbound platform and had to tap in again at the gateline for the southbound platform. This may trigger an incomplete journey/maximum fare, as there was an entry without an exit. This is in my view very inappropriate having platform specific gatelines within a contactless zone. However, having one Potters Bar touch, I am not likely to gain much by an appeal. As it would split my journey at Potters Bar. A much more expensive trip that it should have been. It was still an interesting trip.
I crossed straight to the southbound side having started a new journey on my card. I then took the all shacks service through to Moorgate. The line between Finsbury Park and Moorgate is an interesting one. It is called the Northern City Line and from Drayton Park it runs in a tunnel through to Moorgate, serving on the way Highbury & Islington, Essex Road and Old Street. There has been some renovation work on the platforms on this line. I have mixed feelings about this. They feel less foreboding but it is a shame that the last remaining place where Network South East signage was to be seen is no more. It feels much blander now. The line has lost its character.
However, thanks to the interchange with the Elizabeth line at Liverpool Street (which has a link passage without crossing a gateline through to Moorgate station), the Northern City Line is actually a much more useful link for me than it used to be. I arrived on the Elizabeth Line eastbound platform just as the Abbey Wood service was pulling in. I alighted at Woolwich and caught a 51 bus uphill back to Plumstead Common.
Overall, a good day of walking and rail exploring. I won't let the Potters Bar issue detract from it.
