Steam Trains at Kings Cross

[HaxbyTraveller]

Hoping someone can enlighten me - when something like the Mallard or Royal Scot came charging into Kings Cross, how did they get the engine the right way round again to leave? There were no points at the terminus end to disconnect the engine and move it back out past the carriages were there?

 

[zwk500]

In steam days, there was a turntable at King's Cross shed (I think where the Google HQ is now). The carriages would be shunted out to either sidings or another platform by the pilot engine (or more rarely the train loco for their next service would drop straight on the back) and then the loco would shunt across.
Today, there is usually a diesel attached to the rear (either with the train or arriving on afterwards), and that drags everything out to a point where the steam loco can run forwards again to turn (usually Ferme Park, so the steam loco runs forwards via Camden Road to Southall or Wembley).

 

[Spamcan81]

In steam days, there was a turntable at King's Cross shed (I think where the Google HQ is now). The carriages would be shunted out to either sidings or another platform by the pilot engine (or more rarely the train loco for their next service would drop straight on the back) and then the loco would shunt across.
Today, there is usually a diesel attached to the rear (either with the train or arriving on afterwards), and that drags everything out to a point where the steam loco can run forwards again to turn (usually Ferme Park, so the steam loco runs forwards via Camden Road to Southall or Wembley).

There was also a loco servicing point at KGX on the down side near the tunnel entrance. That too had a turntable.

 

[Clarence Yard]

Up to the 1970’s remodelling there were engine release points at the buffer stop ends of 3 of the 4 pairs of tracks in the main train shed. They were well used in steam days.

 

[HaxbyTraveller]

Much obliged to you both. I did raise the question with my wife as we left KX, she rolled her eyes and said she was asleep

 

[Harvester]

There was also a loco servicing point at KGX on the down side near the tunnel entrance. That too had a turntable.

Purely out of interest, what happened to this turntable at Kings Cross ‘Passenger Loco’. It would have become redundant when steam was completely eliminated from Kings Cross at the end of 1964, with the closure of New England shed to steam!

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Purely out of interest, what happened to this turntable at Kings Cross ‘Passenger Loco’.

My understanding is that it was removed early in 1960 (will stand corrected?), although what happened to the table itself (scrap?) no idea. It occupied a space right at the rear of the stabling point up by the tunnel mouth and surrounding retaining wall, its place being taken by the extension of three sidings, those immediately next to (west of) the single road diesel servicing shed.

 

[Clarence Yard]

It went (for scrap) in the mid sixties, iirc.

 

[Harvester]

My understanding is that it was removed early in 1960 (will stand corrected?), although what happened to the table itself (scrap?) no idea. It occupied a space right at the rear of the stabling point up by the tunnel mouth and surrounding retaining wall, its place being taken by the extension of three sidings, those immediately next to (west of) the single road diesel servicing shed.

I have a photo dated 16th September 1961 showing Top Shed’s turntable out of use pending replacement. The caption adds that locos were being turned at Kings Cross station, which must have caused some disruption with frequent shunts from the tunnel mouth! I think the ‘Passenger Loco’ turntable outlasted steam at the terminus.

 

[Sunil_P]

FS at King's Cross in October 2022:

 

[Big Jumby 74]

I think the ‘Passenger Loco’ turntable outlasted steam at the terminus

Whilst I do not have any of his books/works, I would think a certain well known gentleman who was in the hot seat at Top Shed in its last days will have mentioned this at some point (I guess?)...

 

[DelW]

Hoping someone can enlighten me - when something like the Mallard or Royal Scot came charging into Kings Cross, how did they get the engine the right way round again to leave? There were no points at the terminus end to disconnect the engine and move it back out past the carriages were there?

Just a mention that Royal Scot, being an LMS / LMR loco, would have been a rare visitor to Kings Cross. Flying Scotsman however, would have been there almost daily.

 

[Roger1973]

You may have already found it, but the National Library of Scotland is gradually scanning old OS maps and putting them online. It's not complete, but there's a lot on there.

This is a link to Kings Cross in the post-1945 large scale series, individual tracks (and the turntable) can be seen - you can zoom in and out, move around, and select other ages / scales of map.

'change transparency of overlay' fades current map in / out, or there is the 'side by side' option to compare with current maps.