Roy Badami wrote on 28 September 2010 23:13:13 ...

The Smile passageway is so called because...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67655316@N00/225943955/

Because ....?

Because, I assume (although it is not incredibly easy to read in that
photograph), the design on the inside of the tunnel is actually letering
that says "SMILE"

Oh, I see! I thought the splodges of colour were national flags or
something; didn't realise they were letters.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

On 29/09/10 00:04, Richard J. wrote:

Oh, I see! I thought the splodges of colour were national flags or
something; didn't realise they were letters.

Of course, that does invite the question: "why does the lettering say
'SMILE'?"

Perhaps it says 'SMILE' because this is the SMILE subway -- if so, we're
no closer to knowing why it's so called than before...

-roy

On 29 Sep, 00:10, Roy Badami wrote:
On 29/09/10 00:04, Richard J. wrote:

Oh, I see! I thought the splodges of colour were national flags or
something; didn't realise they were letters.

Of course, that does invite the question: "why does the lettering say
'SMILE'?"

Perhaps it says 'SMILE' because this is the SMILE subway -- if so, we're
no closer to knowing why it's so called than before...


South Midland Inner London Electrics

On Sep 29, 12:04*am, "Richard J." wrote:

Roy Badami wrote on 28 September 2010 23:13:13 ...

The Smile passageway is so called because...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67655316@N00/225943955/

Because ....?

Because, I assume (although it is not incredibly easy to read in that
photograph), the design on the inside of the tunnel is actually letering
that says "SMILE"

Oh, I see! *I thought the splodges of colour were national flags or
something; didn't realise they were letters.

And I thought you were asking me *why* it said "smile"!

There's a rather dark side to the passageway though, which doesn't
really match up with it's smiley façade.

On 29/09/10 14:36, Mizter T wrote:

There's a rather dark side to the passageway though, which doesn't
really match up with it's smiley façade.

What kind of dark side? Rather more dreary decor? Dangerous to walk
down at night? Literally dark, as in lacking illumination?

I only ever used the Kings Cross Thameslink station once or twice, and I
never used the SMILE passageway.

-roy

On 29 Sep, 16:28, Roy Badami wrote:
On 29/09/10 14:36, Mizter T wrote:

There's a rather dark side to the passageway though, which doesn't
really match up with it's smiley façade.

What kind of dark side? *Rather more dreary decor? *Dangerous to walk
down at night? *Literally dark, as in lacking illumination?

I only ever used the Kings Cross Thameslink station once or twice, and I
never used the SMILE passageway.

* * *-roy

It reminds me of Moorgate and Old Street on being taken over by BR.
LU stations always seemed to be warm and bright, but give the same
basic kind of space to BR and they seemed to be able to suck all light
and warmth out of it. I've never really been able to work out how
they do it, but I guess it goes back to its BR legacy.

On Wed, 29 Sep 2010, Roy Badami wrote:

On 29/09/10 14:36, Mizter T wrote:

There's a rather dark side to the passageway though, which doesn't
really match up with it's smiley fa?ade.

What kind of dark side?

The outside.

tom

--
so if you hear a chaffinch out on the pull attempting a severely off-key
version of "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys then you're not actually
going mad.

In message , at 16:28:54 on Wed, 29 Sep
2010, Roy Badami remarked:

I only ever used the Kings Cross Thameslink station once or twice, and
I never used the SMILE passageway.

I almost always used it as a way from the Thameslink platforms to the
main station. Avoids the weather, and the strange creatures of the night
who lurk in that part of town.
--
Roland Perry

On 29 Sep, 14:36, Mizter T wrote:

There's a rather dark side to the passageway though, which doesn't
really match up with it's smiley façade.

Because of the Kings Cross fire? That really was one of the most
unfortuate aspects of the disaster, quite apart from the personnel and
organisational failings uncovered by Fennell.

For background, at the time of day that the Kings Cross fire happened
the passageway was closed and the Bostwick gates to it from the
Piccadilly/Victoria line platforms locked. This was because the
Midland City line (subsequently Thameslink) station was at that time
closed in the evenings for the station to be upgraded and overall roof
constructed.

If the passage had been open (or had been fitted with the emergency
unlocking devices that have become standard since the fire), then it's
quite possible that many of the passengers from the tube platforms
would have been evacuated (or evacuated themselves) that way rather
than being directed up the Victoria line escalators towards the
impending flashover. Having said that I don't think anyone could have
predicted just how violently the fire would erupt from the Piccadilly
escalator shaft.

ISTR that eventually - 30-60 minutes after the flashover - someone was
finally found who could unlock the Bostwick gates and allow trapped
people to be brought to the surface through the Pentonville Road
ticket hall.

Although the 'SMILE' panelling was part of the original 1981 KX
Midland City station construction, not installed after the fire for
the Thameslink station rebuilding.

On 29/09/10 18:01, Brian A60K wrote:

For background, at the time of day that the Kings Cross fire happened
the passageway was closed and the Bostwick gates to it from the
Piccadilly/Victoria line platforms locked. This was because the
Midland City line (subsequently Thameslink) station was at that time
closed in the evenings for the station to be upgraded and overall roof
constructed.

Ah, thank you for that context. I knew that some passengers (assisted
by a member of staff, IIRC) attempted to evacuate via a route that was
blocked by a locked gate, but I didn't know the actual location.

-roy