"I love a never-built railway way project" - so does every subscriber to this channel! Cracking video, as always. Thank you!

The infrastructure of a single grand station would have been epic in scale. Imagine the turntables, carriage sidings, steam sheds, coaling facilities, goods, parcels, inward and outward passenger platforms for all London's satellite termini, in one place. However big it was it would have been inadequate by the 1880s, leading to expansion or duplication.

@iman2341

2 жыл бұрын

I’d imagine we would have gotten something like Châtelet-les-Halles in Paris. A massive underground complex for all the suburban services underneath the single 30+ platform mega central station.

@bingbong7316

2 жыл бұрын

@@iman2341 where 0-10-0 tank engines would rattle in and out on commuter lines? Sure I read something about that

@bingbong7316

2 жыл бұрын

I'm talking complete bollocks. Was thinking of the 2-8-2T hauled services into La Bastille. Now if Jago wants to look at lost Parisian stations...

@bigblue6917

2 жыл бұрын

@@bingbong7316 You may have thought of the Decopod built by the Great Eastern Railway.

@bigblue6917

2 жыл бұрын

Now that would have been on a truly gargantuan scale. The Great Eastern Railway's engine shed for Liverpool Street was the biggest in the world in its day. So just imagine that scaled up.

I often wonder what London would be like today if the railways had all been planned as a single project rather than a great many competing lines. I think Pearson had the right idea.

@jimfiggerty833

2 жыл бұрын

Far too tidy.

@PhilEsh2

2 жыл бұрын

Can you imagine how crowded at 2019 rush hour levels, a central station would be though.

@SportyMabamba

2 жыл бұрын

Certainly some state direction as on the continent, instead of competing lines serving the same place, would have helped.

@irongoatrocky2343

2 жыл бұрын

If that would have happened perhaps we would not have had Jago here to help us sort out the confusion about how the Underground, Overground, DLR, Thames Link and more came to be!

@stephenlee5929

2 жыл бұрын

Hi I'm thinking there would have been far less for KZread to show and Jago to make. And us to enjoy.

Just to confirm: you have never made me angry. Calmed, included, pandered to with geeky knowledge about architecture and railways and generally educated; but never angry.

Thankful I don't have to imagine what an excellent channel about the underground would be like.

The concept behind the Farringdon super-station actually happened - albeit on a much smaller scale - in my hometown of Merthyr Tydfil. In the scramble to reach this coal & iron boomtown during the industrial revolution, 7 companies shared 1 station at one point. It also had an adjacent fruit, veg & meat market. All that remains now is a single platform, but at least the Pacers have been retired.

@DiegoLiger

2 жыл бұрын

Similar concept around the same time in Leeds. What was eventually built, as Leeds Central, was a compromise which was in fact never used by the two companies which first proposed it! it was flattened in the 1960s as it was then thought Leeds only needed a single station rather than three.....*slow clap*

Just did some reading up on Charles Pearson. He was a involved in securing funds for the Metropolitan Railway, but sadly died four months before it opened. Thank you Jago for making me aware of this great man.

@MarkPentler

2 жыл бұрын

From Jago's description alone he deserves some more investigation - sounds like a pretty decent chap.

As you were highlighting the locations around central London I couldn't help admiring one office building with pastel panels which made it stand out from its neighbors . Thanks again for posting.

@Tevildo

2 жыл бұрын

This is Kaleidoscope on Lindsey St, the London offices of TikTok.

So Charles Pearson was generally the opposite of the average person, who promoted railways in those days. Was this a vailed slant on our old friend Charles Tyson Yerkes?

A lot of these shots are outside my flat or outside my office! Odd, I may well have walked past you haha

In many ways, though on a much smaller scale, with Thameslink running north from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire to Kent, Surrey and Sussex in the south, and the Elizabeth running west from Berkshire & Buckinghamshire to Essex & SE London in the east, along with the Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines, Farringdon is now technically the London central station

Fascinating. You learn something new every day. Never heard of this proposal before. Love a never built or sadly closed line just to imagine what might have been...

I got off at Farringdon for serious drinking today for the first time since first lockdown. I have always loved Clerkenwell, and watching this little window into a unmade Farringdon world just adds a joyously soft filter to a good day. The Horseshoe in Clerkenwell and the Betsy Trotwood, just a short walk through the Peabody flats away, are well worth getting off at Farringdon for. If you go downstairs in the Betsy you can hear and feel the Thameslink trains passing underneath. I think you have shown an Illustrated London News engraving of the site of the pub as the railway was being built? The Jerusalem Tavern on Britton St is also worth a visit. I have done shows in all 3 pubs; and did not lose serious amounts of money at any of them. Hence my love.

Fascinating video, as ever - and what an interesting, far-sighted figure Pearson seems to have been!

@EllieMaes-Grandad

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe someone in New York had heard about his ideas . . . ? They have a 'grand central' station!

Great vid, Jago. Love Farringdon - aesthetically it floats my boat!

Just love the videos..as a lover of history Jago makes my day with these fantastic tales..keep it up

It was the Belgians that put a main line right through the heart of a major city, Brussels. Started before WW2, the line, 6 tracks, was finally completed in the early 50s and connected Brussels Nord with Brussels Midi, with Brussels Central in the centre of Brussels. All tracks are underground and the station is extremely busy with train following train hour after hour after hour. Now the station is too small for the traffic, and the 6 lines not enough, but so far, there has been reluctance to start an expansion project.

Brilliant, as ever !London would not be the wonderful haphazard eclectic jumble that it is with central planning. Your work is absolutely superb sir, I salute you.

Strangely enough Jago I suggested to Network Rail that they rename Farringdon to Farringdon Central since it will be the one station that you can take a train in any direction out of London. They rejected my idea as being too expensive! I bet it'll still happen though.

Brilliant film ! Always so informative , love the planned never built , northern heights started me off , thank you jago !

thanks again Jago. Always good to watch your shows.

Thanks

Early shifts at work help me watch these early videos 😁 very interesting video this one!

7:41 can't believe you caught a litter-er in the act!

This is a brilliant piece of work.

Another entertaining video from you, Jago!

love the cartoon at 1.37 - "I come to dine, I come to sup, I come I come to eat you up" - "Oh my beef and Oh my babies" - "Oh The Monster". I imagine that the cartoon might be from "Punch". Kudos to Pearson - a far sighted man and the Grandfather of Thameslink - and he was absolutely right as building a set of termini in a ring around London has created problems ever since and means hardly any through trains from the South East where I live to the Midlands, The North and Scotland.

Always striked me that in London main stations are on the edges, same with Paris, but Berlin has the lines going through the layered hauptbahnhof, now we play catch up with crossrail to a degree.

@andrewyoung749

2 жыл бұрын

yeah but the hauptbahnhof isnt a long standing thing. its only been there about ten years and replaced a terminus(on what is now the low level of the new station). berlin had a few termini originally. also wouldn't a london through central station have to be massive.

Beautiful colors on that contemporary building you kept featuring. And great photos.

Way to go Mr. J - another gem to savour. Oh, congrats on reaching the 120K subs! Roll on 150K...

An absolutely fascinating way to end the week!

Honestly if this was just a boring history video I would not watch but you provide free entertainment through your humour that keeps me wanting to watch and stay subscribed for more good job buddy

Another brilliant video. Cheers Jago. 👍🏼

I miss the old Holborn Viaduct stn. Something sleepily-cool having almost a secret little railway terminus tucked away in the shadow of St. Pauls. It would be like having a railway terminus in Mayfair called Half Moon Street. Just quaint.

Brilliant my man

Seems you've managed to find a London terminus that's even more forgotten than Broad Street! Hard to believe that what was once London's busiest terminus is now virtually erased from public knowledge.

The guy dropping rubbish outside Euston is a real classic Euston moment.

@jacko101

2 жыл бұрын

Classic UK moment...people just don't give a sh1t

These and your architecture videos are awesome! Well presented with great photography and interesting facts that I never knew about!

@JagoHazzard

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

An interesting reformer and a great story Jago.

What an interesting tale, and not one I have heard of before. Very informative.

"I like never built rail." Will Crossrail be in that club?

@johnmccallum8512

2 жыл бұрын

No that will be in the most expensive ever catagory, and they are still asking HMG for more.

Thanks for this - another informative story of mass transit development in London.

I travel around London every day and keep hoping to spot myself in one of these videos!

Wonderful history as usual..hats off to your research and presentation...

0:43, we almost see what this Jags chap looks like. Such a tease. I think a video reviewing station pubs is needed.

Keep up the good work fella and stay safe Always interesting and informative 🚂

Careful! 0:45 is dangerously close to a full reflection :)

A great video. I'd imagine Farringdon Central would've been like or ended up like Birmingham New Street.

Fascinating to hear about Pearson and his vision of Farringdon as a 'London Hauptbahnhof'. Very far seeing and now we have a hint of this with Thameslink and Crossrail. I've always been fascinated with our dear old Metropolitan. To think it once went to Aylesbury with steam locos. I actually did this once - that dates me. I love your video and your sense of humour It reminds me of.my childhood as an Underground (not just Tube!) nerd. How about one on the Ongar line. I went on it in the 1950s. It was an amazing two coach Steam push pull. I know it's a heritage line now. They could have cracked it up as a Thomas the Tank Engine experience even then. LT missed an opportunity- they could have kept it open right till now!

@JayJay-nc7pr

Жыл бұрын

The Met used to go even further than Aylesbury, it once ran to villages in Oxfordshire called Brill & Verney Junction, the Brill branch was almost extended to Oxford itself!

God Damn son you've done it again Best one yet

Please do Marylebone station and the London extension.

Hello from Kansas 🇺🇸

Another interesting Jago video. 🇬🇧👍🏻....

1:35 "oh my beef! and also my children i guess"

At 7:46 Litter being dumped by the SU stood in-shot outside King’s Cross!!!😀Welcome to London!!🤣🤣👍🏻

Thanks Jago Keep Safe and Well

Greetings from Slovenia XJ6. Another very interesting video. Not sure if you realise it but some anagrams of Charles Pearson MP are:- Acme Porn Splasher, Coppers Alarm Hens, Apes Chompsnarler, Camel Nosh Rappers, Herpes Canal Romps, Lemons Rasperchamp, Laser Mans Chopper and Posh Prams Cleaner. Fascinating stuff (along with many others no doubt). Do keep up the good work in the community. Kind regards as always

I actually subscribed after watching this video

Thanks great lesson.😊

That make two of us, I asked you for a mothballed line video many moons ago now and can I just say you’ve far exceeded my expectations 😎🤓😎✌🏾

So Charles Pearson was an all-round good egg and gave us the Underground. He should be way better known and appreciated.

It's always been an annoyance of mine that London serves as a major interchange for through trains coming in from the north, south, east and west, for example Brighton to Bristol, Dover to Birmingham, Norwich to Southampton etc, yet each of those journeys requires an arduous trip on the Underground, often going up and down steps and negotiating crowded trains and corridors with your luggage. It would be so fantastic to have one gigantic terminus in the centre, on which all of the lines converged.

@kiwitrainguy

Жыл бұрын

Maybe the railway equivalent of the M25 is what is needed.

Very interesting, thanks.

Some interesting architecture, new & old

This got a like in the first 45 seconds, hilarious 🤣 great video, interesting as always.

Very informative and interesting

0:35 - 0:49 Hilarious. You have a great narrator voice. Your videos are always really interesting too!

Interesting that neatly every modern project can trace it's history back to some previous idea back in the day.

Brilliant !!!

OMG, it was the similar experience to watching the BBC´s The Dark Charisma of Hitler´s series and Adolf shouting VERNICHTEN! - to sir Jago shouting UNSUBSCRIBE! Sort of old radio speaker manier going into right register of a micro(phone). It definitely gives a very fine and refine retro feeling thrill :)

And yet the New York Central built Grand Central Depot & the two level classic Grand Central Terminal, which is about to get a two platform four track addition below & to the immediate west for the Long Island Rail Road in 2022.

I'm sure Fenchurch Grand Central Station was built in a parallel universe and in that same universe, Bank station does not exist. There is however, a channel (on whatever the equivalent to KZread they have there) called Jago Hazzard. Of that I have no doubt. His recent video was all about a plan for a station which would have been called Monument...

Excellent video. This Pearson fellow sounds like a decent fellow - the reason why he had this rare superpower in the Victorian railway mania age? No moustache!

Great video , people can't see the wood for the trees ( selfishness, greed) so good ideas are squashed, killing good ideas is what they do best.

KZread is a great resource and obviously has a wealth of information. It's a shame you can't see Farringdon before it's renovation. It was always like going to Victorian London. The same is true of Liverpool Street where you would enter from Broadgate and have an overview of a dark, dank post war British railway station. Not better days... just lost days.

Interesting. In NY of course the railroad goes to Center of town, underground, such as Grand Central

Always like it when you suddenly throw up (this sentence would have such different meaning if it stopped there 🤔) new information about schemes I feel I should have at least heard about at some point in the last 40 odd years 😜 Truly fascinating stuff! This chap was clearly a visionary on many levels and ought to perhaps be better remembered, so kudos for at least doing a little to put that right 👍 Also shows some things never change. Government having a great idea before them, then scuppering it because of their chums, then deciding "oh actually, we suddenly think it is a god idea and we'll claim we thought of it..." 🙄 Excellent way to start a long weekend! 🍻🍀😎

Such (as usual)an excellent and informative video but why oh why do three people (so far) hit the dislike button. Please Jago,can you make a video on the consequences of closing down the psychiatric hospitals in London. One of the psychiatric disorders is obsessive compulsion disorder which manifests itself with the patient unable to refrain from hitting the dislike button although they desperately don't want to. There is alas,no known cure for this affliction but one hospital did try a therapy which goes by the Latin name of Vicpipiumarshalldinium but unfortunately it just made matters worse!!

I was a fireman/second man @Hornsey Locomotive depot in the early 60's. we had a diagram known as Snow Hill banker, it involved pushing south bound freight trains from Farringdon up the hill onto Blackfriars Bridge so spent a lot of time at the station,night shift after 2am till end of shift was a real was graveyard turn! hated by all !

It strikes me as so peculiar that in this golden age of railways that no-one thought of consulting with the various companies and building a unified central station that they could all use, and passengers could easily transfer from one line to another. Even now, with our whizzbang Underground, it's still a bit of a nightmare if you're not 100% fit and mobile or, god forbid, you have *a suitcase*.

@RJSRdg

2 жыл бұрын

The GWR was originally to have gone from Euston, but they had a falling-out with the LNWR and there was also the issue of the difference in gauge.

Nobody really talks about the Chessington South extension to Leatherhead it was similar to the Northern Heights project guess it might be a good video as it's an extension that we never got

Grand Central Terminal NYC? Chicago? No, Farringdon! Great proposal & a story so well told, sir.

Like a bedtime mint leading to sweet dreams!:-) 👍🖖

I believe Canon Street is built on the site of the Bridewell prison. An occasional mention of the builders would be nice. (Lucas Brothers). Keep up the good work! Loti (Lucas)

@peterdavy6110

2 жыл бұрын

Bridewell was opposite Blackfriars station I think. I seem to recall a plaque marking the site in Farringdon Street.

@lotiirwin3372

2 жыл бұрын

I believe the Bridewell Palace was quite a large site but you could easily be right. Also Charinng Cross hotal and station and bridge were built ( all Lucas Brothers) on the ite of the Hungerford market, hence the bridge’ name! They had to knock down a lot of houses to gt the railways in to the centre (or near enough)

Transport Minister in the making 👍👍👍

Just brilliant as usual Jago, but this leaves me thinking 'if only' and that we would have an even better railway network/system than we do now? I love this type of subject, just don't mention the Great Central and HS2 in the same breath/sentence!

Interesting. I'd never heard of this proposal

This seems kinda similar to the Berlin Stadtbahn with the difference that in Berlin the companies cooperated and the kingdom of prussia was in on it. That Berlin is much less dense than London might have helped as well.

@foamer443

2 жыл бұрын

And your last sentence can be taken more than one way and I prefer the second.

@skylarius3757

2 жыл бұрын

I guess after WW2 Berlin had the chance to update it's city infrastructure

@maxmustermann595

2 жыл бұрын

@@skylarius3757 The Berlin Stadtbahn was built in the 1870s (approximately at the same time when the discussion in London took place) and opened in 1882 so this was sixty years before ww2.

Que Sera Sera. There's no doubt then that Pearson proposed naming his radical solution "City Thameslink" then? I thought not. It' just as well we have visionaries like Horace Cutler ready to pounce with catchy monikers like "Prince Leopold of Schleswig-Holstein Top Level Interchange". This is how our history is accreted....

Ahh time for a sneaky break

Thameslink have plans to take over the world - started with East Anglia. Interesting to see their mega-tubes in Germany before being shoved through the tunnel. Another great video Jago :)

@paulbarber1960

2 жыл бұрын

That's our cunning plan 🤫 Luton to Faversham soon followed by Gatwick to Corby.

@highpath4776

2 жыл бұрын

@@paulbarber1960 Could be confusing Luton To Luton

Is Charles Pearson related to the Pearson company that built the Blackwall tunnel? If so they are the family that now own The Cowdrey park and estate in Midhurst West Sussex, the head of the family is now Viscount Michael Pearson. The Pearson companies are still involved in publishing education and television amongst other things.

As I'm sure we all know, there _was_ a London Central station. It's now Beckton Park on the DLR.

City Thameslink is on site of both Holborn Viaduct and Snow Hill

Still, it is certainly a shame this never got built. I would’ve loved to have seen that concourse. Of course the name Grand Central conjures images of the one in New York City… one could easily imagine an Underground line (or five) running through here afterwards as well - any of those upstart underground railway companies would’ve loved to lease a couple of platforms and pay for track access here! It could even have sped-up integration of the Tube network through being the central hub, come to think of it.

@mastertrams

2 жыл бұрын

If I'm not mistaken, this "Grand Central" station would've replaced the Underground, since the whole point of it was to connect all the rail companies together. The purpose of the Met when first built was also to connect all the rail companies together, a purpose which would've been redundant before it was even proposed had Great Central been built...

I think it's probably a good thing that London ended up with so many termini. Depending on how you define a London 'terminus' they have around 161 platforms combined! Could you imagine how difficult it would be if they were all in one location! I wonder just how big the Farringdon Grand Central would have become?

@barvdw

2 жыл бұрын

With through services, you can limit the number of platforms, though. Having to reverse costs quite a bit of time and thus capacity. With through-running, you occupy a platform for only 1-3 minutes, and the next train can come in right away. That's why Brussels-Central only has 6 platforms, with Brussels-North having 11, and Brussels-South having 22. To be fair, an extra pair of platforms would be handy, nowadays.

“Let me explain!?” The viewer scoffs. Oh how you treat us.

And the former railway line that went to Moorgate from Farringdon. And used to serve Barbican before it was closed and the platforms extended at Farringdon as part of the Thameslink program. And City Thameslink which replaced Holborn Viaduct station. Also can I ask do you have other social platforms (ie-Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc).

The sarcasm of British people sate my hunger

Hello Jago, love your video and the wonderful delivery and dulcet tones, gush, gush. BUT, the old drawing of the proposal overlaid on a current map would have helped a bit, especiallyy for the non-Londoners. Even as a Londoner it would have been a good thing.

@rodjones117

2 жыл бұрын

My thought exactly, and I know the area very well.