London Victoria

Upheaval of the Approaches

Alterations at Victoria were swift, the existing layout struggling to cope with the services of the main three companies. Over 400 train movements were made over Grosvenor Bridge on a single day, and invariably, services would be held up on the bridge waiting for a departing train to clear the lines. The LC&DR’s Engineer in Chief, Sir Charles Fox, devised a comprehensive set of plans, detailing a widening of the approach tracks between the termini stations and the river, a substantial extension of Grosvenor Bridge, and the creation of a new maze of lines in the Stewarts Lane area of Battersea.

The existing Grosvenor Bridge had a length of 920-feet and a width of 33-feet 9-inches, and accommodated two tracks of mixed gauge. The plans of Sir Charles Fox outlined the removal of the parapet on the eastern side of the bridge, to allow the erection of a 98-feet 9-inch-wide extension alongside. The removed parapet would subsequently be re-erected on the new bridge. The bridge enlargement works would provide a total width of 132-feet 6-inches between the parapets, making Grosvenor Bridge the widest bridge over a river in the world. Preparation work alongside the existing bridge began in 1864, and the first foundation stone was formally laid by the LC&DR's Chairman, Lord Harris, on 22nd February 1865.

The Broad Gauge rails on the existing bridge were totally abolished, allowing the provision of an additional line for the LB&SCR. This brought the total number of standard gauge tracks on the original section of bridge to three, all serving the ''Brighton'' station. The new section of bridge carried one standard gauge track and a trio of mixed gauge tracks for the combined LC&DR and GWR station. The extension comprised four river spans of 175-feet, and a land opening at each end of 70-foot span. Each arch comprised seven wrought-iron ribs and, as per the earlier bridge, these were affixed to cast-iron bedplates set into the masonry of the bridge piers. With reference to the latter, there was a total of three situated within the river, each of which was 12½-feet thick at the springing of the arches. The two bridge abutments, one situated at each end of the structure, were 20-feet thick at the springing of the arches, and at the level of the rails existed a width of 110-feet, enough to accommodate eight tracks. Between the two termini stations and the river bridge, it was intended to lay six parallel-running lines with eased curves, and establish a twelve-road carriage shed along the eastern perimeter of these tracks.

Cofferdams were used during construction, and the aforementioned pair of bridge abutments were driven down to a level of 15-feet below the low-water mark. The piles for the abutments were 45-feet-long, and excavations for each abutment measured 125-feet-long by 48-feet-wide. Each river pier comprised four cast-iron cylinders, within which was brickwork, and these were driven down to a depth of 45½-feet below high-water mark. Each cylinder measured 21-feet in diameter, and was made in individual lengths of 8-feet. After the cylinders were sunk to the required depth and completely filled with brickwork, their foundations were tested by imposing a weight of 1,300 tons. The cast-iron cylinders above the river bed were removed; there were a total of twelve used for the construction of the bridge. The river piers were faced with Portland and Yorkshire Stone.

The works were a LC&DR undertaking, but the LB&SCR contributed £125,000 towards the project, which accounted for 17-feet of the width of the bridge extension. Captain Rich, representing the Board of Trade, inspected the completed work in August 1866, and during strength tests, eight of the LC&DR’s heaviest locomotives were driven over the bridge. The entire extension was ready for traffic on 20th December 1866. The quantities of materials used in the construction of the bridge were as follows:
 

• 3000 tons of iron (used in the arch ribs and cylinders)

• 100,000 cubic feet of stone

• 16,000 cubic yards of brickwork

• 250,000 to 300,000 cubic feet of timber

On the south side of the Thames, in Battersea, works were extensive. Between Wandsworth Road and Blackfriars Bridge, it was planned to widen the entire Metropolitan Extension of the LC&DR. Further, and considerable, widening was also to occur between Grosvenor Bridge and Wandsworth Road. This involved the construction of a mile-long triple-track (standard gauge) brick-built viaduct, comprising a series of elliptical arches, each of 30-foot span and 10-foot height. Then from north to south, the line left the original ‘’low-level’’ tracks at Battersea Pier Junction and the viaduct first passed over the rails of the original WEL&CPR, before passing over the LSWR’s main line from Waterloo. Next, it passed over the WEL&CPR lines for a second time and, finally, crossed the existing ‘’low-level’’ LC&DR lines. The viaduct then descended to the same height as the ‘’low-level’’ lines immediately before Wandsworth Road. Where the ‘’high-level’’ line crossed over the aforementioned railway routes below, iron bridge sections were installed, comprising girders with an average length of 250-feet.

Further enlargements included the building of a double-track standard gauge line between the LC&DR route at Wandsworth Road and the incoming West London Extension. Connections were made at what became ‘’Factory Junction’’, immediately north of Wandsworth Road, and Longhedge Junction, west of Stewarts Lane, thus creating a triangular junction. The connecting line was carried through the site of the LC&DR’s Longhedge Works upon a viaduct, and was formally commissioned on 1st July 1865. In turn, both this spur and the incoming West London Extension received a direct link with the LSWR main line on the eastern approaches to Clapham Junction.

The LB&SCR also received a new ‘’high-level’’ line on the southern approaches to Grosvenor Bridge. Triple track and about 1¼-miles in length, it was carried upon a brick-built viaduct between what became Pouparts Junction (about ⅔-mile east of Clapham Junction) and the widened Grosvenor Bridge. This line was taken diagonally over the tracks of the LSWR main line and the LC&DR’s connection with the West London Extension by a series of iron lattice girder bridges. The LB&SCR’s ‘’high-level’’ line also sprouted a spur: this diverged from the line at a point north of the LSWR trunk route from Waterloo. Double-track, it was carried upon a viaduct to Wandsworth Road, where it met up with the LB&SCR’s South London Line (more of later), thus completing a ‘’circuit route’’ between the company’s two termini. All works of the LC&DR were undertaken by building contractor Messrs. Peto and Betts, whilst those of the LB&SCR were carried out by Messrs. Pickering and Heywood. This very same improvement programme also included the provision of three additional stations upon the new lines:

• Grosvenor Road

• York Road (latterly ‘’Battersea Park’’)

• Battersea Road

A fourth, Queens Road, was to be opened upon the LSWR main line from Waterloo, its site being sandwiched in-between LC&DR and LB&SCR ‘’High-Level’’ lines on the Grosvenor Bridge approaches. With reference to Grosvenor Road, this was a LC&DR station perched upon the widened railway bridge across the Thames. It comprised a single island platform, 12-feet 8-inches wide, sandwiched in-between the double-track on the eastern extremity of Grosvenor Bridge. The platform was situated upon the northern half of this structure, and formally came into use on 1st November 1867. The LB&SCR had similar accommodation, albeit on the southern section of the same bridge: this was known as ‘’Battersea Park & Steamboat Pier’’. This was a rebuilt version of an earlier station which had come into use on 1st October 1860 with the then new Victoria station, as a replacement for the original Pimlico terminus. It was not long, however, before the LB&SCR joined the LC&DR at the northern end of the railway bridge: on 1st November 1870, the company opened its own island platform at Grosvenor Road. This was over twice the width of its earlier counterpart, at 25-feet 10-inches, for it filled the wide gap separating the metals of LB&SCR and LC&DR.

Line Openings

• Battersea Pier Junction to Wandsworth Road (LC&DR ‘’High-Level’’ line): 1^st January 1867

• Grosvenor Bridge to Wandsworth Road (LB&SCR connection with South London Line): 1^st May 1867

• York Road to Pouparts Junction (LB&SCR ‘’High-Level’’ line): 1^st December 1867

Birth of the South London Line

The LB&SCR advertised the opening of the South London Line from London Bridge to Rotherhithe, Old Kent Road, Peckham, Peckham Rye, Denmark Hill, and Loughborough Park (latterly ‘’East Brixton’’), for Monday 13th August 1866. Originally, the company had sent a request to the Board of Trade in May of that year for an inspection, with a view to opening this section of line on 1st July. This was then pushed back to 1st August and, eventually, to the 13th of that month – the full circuit was planned to be in operation by 31st December 1867 at the latest. On 12th July 1866, the company sent out an advertisement to the press, inviting tenders for the rights to sell books, newspapers, periodicals etc, at those stations which were due to open with the South London Line. Sealed tenders were requested to be returned to Frederick Slight, Secretary, London Bridge, no later than 23rd July of that year.

The core service comprised a train each way every twenty minutes, although this frequency was said to vary for early morning and late evening trains. The line became a complete circuit between London Bridge and Victoria on the commissioning of the double-track connecting spur between the LB&SCR’s ‘’High-Level’’ line at Stewarts Lane and the end of the South London Line at Wandsworth Road, on 1st May 1867. As of 1872, station porters on the line were receiving a wage of 16 shillings a week (£51.22 at 2007 prices).

Grosvenor Road Carriage Sidings

Track layout of the Grosvenor Road approaches to London Victoria in 2004, including carriage shed and berthing

sidings. Click the above for a full size version. Drawn by David Glasspool

May 1985

4 EPB No. 5429 is seen drifting down the 1 in 64 Grosvenor Bank on the Central Section lines, forming a

London Bridge to Victoria service, via Wimbledon and Sutton. © John Horton

16th November 1985

A splendid view across the southern ends of the Central Section platforms shows a Class 73 departing with a

Gatwick Express service. The vehicles on the left are parked on the former cab road. Shown to good effect

is the latticework of the trainshed. The high red brick wall, in the background, still survives today.

© David Glasspool Collection

29th December 1985

Electro-Diesel No. 73116, as seen above, was eventually absorbed into the dedicated Gatwick Express

locomotive fleet in 1988. It survived in this role until September 2002, subsequently being preserved on

the Mid-Norfolk Railway. ©David Glasspool Collection

29th December 1985

Joining No. 73116 on 29th December was No. 73142 ''Broadlands''. The latter has the distinction of hauling

the last ''Night Ferry'' service into Victoria. No. 73142 became one of twelve locomotives modified in 1988

for dedicated Gatwick operation. The Electro-Diesel was renumbered 73201 and thereafter, was maintained

for 90 MPH running - other members outside of the 73/2 subclass were limited to 60 MPH.

©David Glasspool Collection

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