I had a moment where I thought about calling this one Knockin’ out Knockholt… I decided that it might cause problems for anyone following the series, so we’ll stick with the update.
On Monday I had intended to go out to Slough but that was based on me being out of the house at around 08:45. Just after 7am Epi asked if I could give her a lift to the station – Most of my readers will know of the ‘Woman getting ready to go out’ delay. It’s one of those differences between the sexes that makes us who we are as humans. It’s something that frustrates me but I also know that some of my things frustrate Epi too. A good relationship is built on acceptance of these different priorities😅 So I fired up the car and took her to the station. The impact on my day is theoretically a 30 min diversion from what I was doing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way and I then get sucked into a time-warp of my own… losing more minutes as I start getting ready myself…
The reason for going to Slough was to try and get some more diverted freight before Network Rail fix the Nuneham Viaduct – which they plan to complete for 10th June. But with a couple of hours knocked out of my day I headed out onto the tracks with no fixed idea of what I was going to do.
As a trainspotter/transport enthusiast, flexibility is important – it goes with the territory. I looked at my outstanding terminal points and decided to head for Knockholt on the Southeastern. So, Northern Line to Kentish Town where I pick up a Thameslink towards Farringdon. When I arrived on Kentish Town Thameslink, there was a Class 222 unit sitting on the northbound mainline so I ventured down onto platform 4 to check out which unit it was. There I found a young lady with 2 children so, having ascertained they were waiting for a train to Mill Hill Broadway, I directed them to Platform 2 (Nothing normally uses Platform 4). She was very grateful. Us trainspotters sometimes get treated poorly by the general populace – we’re a convenient easy joke. But unlike a lot of those people who like to snigger, we usually help people!
Popping down to Knockholt entails getting to London Bridge – So a Stopper from Kentish Town to Farringdon. Normally another train directly from there but I decided to break my journey at Blackfriars to get some shots of the Class 700’s passing through or, in the case of 700058…
…terminating with a service from Sevenoaks.
There is some irony here because, when I got to London Bridge, I would be boarding a train to Sevenoaks. It’s just that there are two different routes involved and Knockholt isn’t served by Thameslink😅 From London Bridge, once I’d taken a short hop from Blackfriars, it was a Southeastern service that took me out to Knockholt.
Knockholt station is, for want of better words, in the middle of nowhere – roughly halfway between Orpington and Sevenoaks. It has a shelter and modern ticket office…
…but no sign of staff on duty at the time I visited (lunchtime). There are bridges to the north and south of the station and I wandered down to the southern bridge which is an occupational crossing for farm traffic and also a footpath. That’s where I took the photo above but I also got to catch a pair of Class 707 units heading into London…
…707013 leading 707006 amid some lovely summer greens😎
There are several trains through Knockholt each hour but only a half-hourly stopping service. Passing fast trains are usually formed of Class 375 units like 375819…
…While the stopping services are worked by class 465 and 466 units…
…466030 leading my train back to Grove Park – The lady at the controls giving a friendly wave as she drifted past👍
Grove Park is a Junction – some of my readers will remember some shots from there before I started my Freedom Pass Project. The reason for leaping off there is the Bromley North Branch. Bromley is served by 2 stations, ‘North and ‘South. I’ve travelled to Bromley South on several occasions for football – Wingate & Finchley vs Cray Wanderers…
…It’s a 30min walk from the station but what the hell😅
The line to Bromley North used to have direct trains from London but is now usually a shuttle service operated on the ‘One train in Steam’ rules. So I travelled from Grove Park and back again on 465172…
…Bromley North is quite a pretty station…
…But unfortunately the bar was closed so I had to make my way into town to find a sandwich…
…Then it was time to make my way home. Two more termini cleared off my Freedom Pass wanted list😎👍
Images from Finchley 