old film

Thomas

Just came across this footage of a train crash at Finsbury Park station.<div><br></div><div>Only a few frames of Station Place and Stroud Green Road, but interesting nonetheless!</div><div><br></div><div>Was anyone around here when it happened? Looks like it was pretty nasty. </div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=67353">http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=67353</a>; </div>

Arkady

Eeeek!  http://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnail.php?img=105&media_urn=84506&stills=111&time_offset=5&record_id=67353&title=RAIL+CRASH+AT+FINSBURY+PARK<br><br>Good find.<br>

Arkady

Incidentally, I can’t figure out which bridge that is. I think the view must be looking west down Seven Sisters. Or it may be the old Northern Heights bridge over Stroud Green road which they removed.

Thomas

nope, definitely the Stroud Green Road Bridge - think it is the old branch line bridge and is where the gate into the Park / cycle park is now. At the start of the film there is a shot west along station place and you can see the Silver Bullet and the old station facade (now demolished). 

Arkady

That's what's confusing me.  The opening shot seems to be taken from the disused bridge abutment that is now the cycle park - it looks over the abandoned platform that was later removed to create the Station Place plaza and entrance.  But I didn't think that bridge was removed for another 11 years or more as it was used for stock movements until 1970.  The bridge that the crashed train is on and the southernmost bridge now are both flush with the main station building.<br><br>Compare this:http://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnail.php?img=8&media_urn=84506&stills=111&time_offset=1&record_id=67353&title=RAIL+CRASH+AT+FINSBURY+PARK<br><br>With this: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=finsbury+park&hl=en&ll=51.565206,-0.105668&spn=0.001401,0.003449&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=Finsbury+Park,+UB7,+United+Kingdom&t=h&z=18&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=51.565237,-0.105715&panoid=SHkDcx6-3PojAYg6IzaxHQ&cbp=12,233.46,,0,8.12 <br>

Arkady

...you can tell from the white/black tiling that it's the same bridge.<br>

krappyrubsnif

<P>A quick check on the Internet suggests the date of this accident was not 1959 but 1st February 1952.  it was a rear collision.</P> <P><A href="http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=8694">http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=8694</A></P>; <P>There were nine rail accidents at Finsbury Park between 1875 and 2008 according to this archive.  One killed in 1886, 25 injured in 1907 (going too fast in fog), 53 injured in 1913 (signal passed at danger), two injured in 1926 (fog again), and a fatality in 1971 (driver error and bad signalling).   Yikes!  Stick to buses. </P>

Papa

Good find. Looks like there's a church in the background in that still you've grabbed Arkady. Was there one near the top of St Thomas' Road?<br>

krappyrubsnif

That was prob the big variety theatre music hall that stood opposite the mosque until a few years ago.

Arkady

Indeed, it's the spire of this: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/34164<br><br>Sadly replaced by Vaudeville Court in the 60s.<br><br>B<br>

Papa

Ah I see, that link is the first time I've ever found a reason to watch the Young Ones.<br><br>It's often in the back of your mind, but I never cease to be amazed by the wanton destruction of lovely buildings we indulged in throughout some disastrous decades - and the role played by our local authorities in doing so.<br><br>Sadly, despite their improvement on preservation now, they still approve instantly dated, dull new-build crap, like the flats that replaced the Arthur Simpson library. <br><br>Speaking of which, anyone of an architectural bent know why most new builds nowadays use those dreadful grey metal framed windows? Even the supposedly posh townhouses in Crouch End where Ferme Park Road have them in.<br>

krappyrubsnif

Pedants corner - the 'spire' in your still picture isn't the vanished music hall @Arkady, it's the top of Barclays Bank. It's still there, I walked under it this morning.  

Arkady

That's the tower (not spire) on the centre left. I'm talking about the the largely obscured spire poking up on the right.  Dunno which one Papa L meant, but now he knows either way.<br>

Arkady

Here is a 1954 ordinance survey map showing the station lay-out when the bridge was still there: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=87450676&postcount=4812<br><br>It also shows how the John Jones site was still a coal yard.<br>

Ali

No  link to the map on that blog

Arkady

Works for me.  Try: <br><br><img src="http://i44.tinypic.com/2wok2t3.jpg"><br>

Arkady

you can see there used to be five platforms (of which the easternmost was never used) whereas now there are four (of which the easternmost is not currently used, though that will change come Thameslink).<br>

Kate Jones

Really interesting to see the old site! Thank you :-)

Thomas

Interesting to see that, as came across this photo of the old coal bridge the other day and was trying to work out where it would have been -<div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.red-rf.com/images/212_RF453_WellsTerr1954_JHinsonColl.jpg">http://www.red-rf.com/images/212_RF453_WellsTerr1954_JHinsonColl.jpg</a>; </div>

Arkady

Ah, that's brilliant Thomas.  I love the poster in the background.  I wonder if it would have had the same impact if they'd added '(but not for at least 60 years)'.<br>

krappyrubsnif

He obviously came by 212 bus.   Must have been the forerunner of the W7.    And I've seen that picture before and was puzzled about where it was taken - all is now explained, thanks Thomas