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Wood Lane (Central Line) tube station
Encyclopedia
Wood Lane tube station is a disused station on the Central Line
of the London Underground
. It was built to serve the Franco-British Exhibition
of 1908 and the 1908 Summer Olympics
.
The location of the station was confined and its configuration was awkward, requiring alterations on a number of occasions to meet operational requirements.
A station of the same name
is located on the Hammersmith & City line
.
(CLR) was at Shepherd's Bush
. North of Shepherd's Bush station was located the CLR's power station
and Wood Lane depot. Trains originally accessed the depot via a single, sharply curved tunnel from the station's westbound platform heading northwards under Caxton Street. Trains then exited the tunnel to the north of the depot and used a reversing siding to run into the depot in a southbound direction. Trains running from the depot reversed the process and entered the eastbound platform of Shepherd's Bush station via a junction to the west of the station.
As constructed for the exhibition, Wood Lane station had just a single track with platforms on each side - one for unloading and one for loading. Trains entered the station anti-clockwise in a westbound direction from the tunnel under the depot and exited heading south back into tunnel in the direction of Shepherd's Bush station.
Following the success of the exhibition a number of other entertainment venues - notably White City Stadium
- grew up in the area and the temporary station became a permanent fixture.
in August 1920 and the station was reconfigured to accommodate through-running from Ealing Broadway to the West End
and the City
.
A new sub-surface tunnel was constructed to the north of the existing loop platforms on which was located a new westbound platform for trains heading to Ealing Broadway. Another new sub-surface tunnel was constructed to the west (and below) the loop platforms providing an eastbound platform for trains arriving from Ealing Broadway. Trains terminating or starting at Wood Lane continued to use the loop platforms. The station thus had a triangular shape.
) was opened a short distance to the north. The Wood Lane platforms were abandoned. The depot became known as White City Depot.
depot at Acton
for reconstruction. The restoration works on the roundel pediment were completed by London Underground Ltd. in 2009. It is hoped to be able to display the mosaic 'Underground' roundel in a public setting.
The site of the station and the depot has been redeveloped for the new Westfield London
shopping centre, and in summer of 2005, the curving ramps to the 1908 platforms and the platforms themselves, in the north-west corner of the site, disappeared. A new depot has been constructed completely below ground under the shopping centre.
first serial, Slaves of Jedikiah, the outdoor shots of the abandoned station where the Lab was located showed it to be Wood Lane. Also, the dockland scenes in the Doctor Who
serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth
were enacted there. http://www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/woodlane.html
A 1987 edition of the South Bank Show about the London Underground was introduced by Melvyn Bragg
who appeared out of the fog, carrying a torch on the platform of Wood Lane Station.
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. It was built to serve the Franco-British Exhibition
Franco-British Exhibition (1908)
The Franco-British Exhibition was a large public fair held in London in the early years of the 20th Century. The exhibition attracted 8 million visitors and celebrated the Entente Cordiale signed in 1904 by the United Kingdom and France....
of 1908 and the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
.
The location of the station was confined and its configuration was awkward, requiring alterations on a number of occasions to meet operational requirements.
A station of the same name
Wood Lane tube station
Wood Lane is a London Underground station, located in the White City area of west London, England, UK. It is on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines, between Latimer Road and Shepherd's Bush Market stations. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 2....
is located on the Hammersmith & City line
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
.
Wood Lane depot, 1900
Prior to the 1908 exhibition, the western terminus of the Central London RailwayCentral London Railway
The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...
(CLR) was at Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush tube station (Central Line)
Shepherd's Bush is a London Underground station in the district of Shepherd's Bush, which is located in west London, England, United Kingdom. The station is on the Central Line, between and stations, and it lies in Travelcard Zone 2....
. North of Shepherd's Bush station was located the CLR's power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
and Wood Lane depot. Trains originally accessed the depot via a single, sharply curved tunnel from the station's westbound platform heading northwards under Caxton Street. Trains then exited the tunnel to the north of the depot and used a reversing siding to run into the depot in a southbound direction. Trains running from the depot reversed the process and entered the eastbound platform of Shepherd's Bush station via a junction to the west of the station.
Wood Lane station, 1908
When the exhibition was opened, a temporary station was constructed within the northern perimeter of the depot on the site of the reversing siding. A new tunnel was bored to connect directly to the end of the eastbound tunnel at Shepherd's Bush station forming a loop.As constructed for the exhibition, Wood Lane station had just a single track with platforms on each side - one for unloading and one for loading. Trains entered the station anti-clockwise in a westbound direction from the tunnel under the depot and exited heading south back into tunnel in the direction of Shepherd's Bush station.
Following the success of the exhibition a number of other entertainment venues - notably White City Stadium
White City Stadium
White City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the finish of the first modern distance marathon. It also hosted speedway and a match at the 1966 World Cup, before the stadium was...
- grew up in the area and the temporary station became a permanent fixture.
Wood Lane station, 1920
Central Line services began to operate to Ealing BroadwayEaling Broadway station
Ealing Broadway is an east-west National Rail and London Underground station in Ealing in west London. The station is located in Haven Green , at the termination of The Broadway, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-Services:...
in August 1920 and the station was reconfigured to accommodate through-running from Ealing Broadway to the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
and the City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
.
A new sub-surface tunnel was constructed to the north of the existing loop platforms on which was located a new westbound platform for trains heading to Ealing Broadway. Another new sub-surface tunnel was constructed to the west (and below) the loop platforms providing an eastbound platform for trains arriving from Ealing Broadway. Trains terminating or starting at Wood Lane continued to use the loop platforms. The station thus had a triangular shape.
Closure, 1947
Due to its awkward arrangement and unsatisfactory operation Wood Lane station was closed in 1947 when a new replacement station (White CityWhite City tube station
White City tube station is a London Underground station situated on Wood Lane in White City in west London. The station is on the Central Line, between Shepherds Bush and East Acton stations, in Travelcard Zone 2.-History:...
) was opened a short distance to the north. The Wood Lane platforms were abandoned. The depot became known as White City Depot.
Demolition, 2003
Until the station's demolition between 2003 and 2005 the old eastbound platform could be seen from passing trains heading from White City to Shepherd's Bush. Elements of the 1908 street level building facade were dismantled and moved to the London's Transport MuseumLondon's Transport Museum
The London Transport Museum, or LT Museum based in Covent Garden, London, seeks to conserve and explain the transport heritage of Britain's capital city...
depot at Acton
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
for reconstruction. The restoration works on the roundel pediment were completed by London Underground Ltd. in 2009. It is hoped to be able to display the mosaic 'Underground' roundel in a public setting.
The site of the station and the depot has been redeveloped for the new Westfield London
Westfield London
Westfield London is a shopping centre in White City in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The centre was developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn,...
shopping centre, and in summer of 2005, the curving ramps to the 1908 platforms and the platforms themselves, in the north-west corner of the site, disappeared. A new depot has been constructed completely below ground under the shopping centre.
Oddities
Until the late 1920s the CLR used cars that were accessed by gated entrances at the end of the cars. When new rolling stock was introduced with sliding pneumatic doors the loop platforms had to be extended to provide access to all doors but it was not possible to extend the platform on the inside of the loop (the south side) as it interfered with an access track to the depot. A pivoting section of platform was constructed that could be moved to allow access to the depot to be made when required.Television
In The Tomorrow People'sThe Tomorrow People
The Tomorrow People is a British children's science fiction television series, devised by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran between 1973 and 1979. The series was re-imagined in 1992, Roger Price acting as executive producer...
first serial, Slaves of Jedikiah, the outdoor shots of the abandoned station where the Lab was located showed it to be Wood Lane. Also, the dockland scenes in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from November 21 to December 26, 1964....
were enacted there. http://www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/woodlane.html
A 1987 edition of the South Bank Show about the London Underground was introduced by Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg FRSL FRTS FBA, FRS FRSA is an English broadcaster and author best known for his work with the BBC and for presenting the The South Bank Show...
who appeared out of the fog, carrying a torch on the platform of Wood Lane Station.
See also
- Wood Lane (Metropolitan Line) tube stationWood Lane (Metropolitan Line) tube stationWood Lane was a station in west London on the Hammersmith branch of the Metropolitan Railway . It was located on the Hammersmith & City line viaduct adjacent to the bridge over Wood Lane and close to a similarly named station on the Central London Railway...
- a separate closed station on the Hammersmith and City Line to the west of the Central Line station also opened for the 1908 exhibition and closed in 1959. - Wood Lane tube stationWood Lane tube stationWood Lane is a London Underground station, located in the White City area of west London, England, UK. It is on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines, between Latimer Road and Shepherd's Bush Market stations. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 2....
- a separate station on the Hammersmith and City Line to the north of the Central Line station, opened in 2008. - Shepherd's Bush stationsShepherd's Bush stationsShepherd's Bush is an area of west London, United Kingdom, which has been served by a number of London Underground and commuter rail stations over past 150 years, many of which have had similar names...
External links
- London's Abandoned Tube Stations - Wood Lane
- London's Transport Museum Photographic Archive
- The large bridge over the station building carried pedestrians to the White City exhibitions.
- Underground History - Wood Lane Station
- Tube Professionals' Rumour Network - Wood Lane Deport and Station
- White City Development - Wood Lane Station