Here then is the first segment of the Basilica Fields project. The lines here run in an approximately north-northeasterly direction from left to right, coming from Norton Folgate Junction at Bishopsgate (Liverpool Street), emerging in between the Katherine Docks Warehouses (some distance from Katherine Docks). The Gridiron itself, under which the Extended Widened Lines cross the the Metropolitan Lines, lies between Duke Street and Gun Street which are bisected by (from the left) Widegate Street, Artillery Lane, Union Street (later Brushfield Street) and part of Fort Street on the right.

The initial stock building program will have the Metropolitan, and Great Western Railways on the Extended Inner and Middle Circle services on the subterranean level, with the Midland and Great Northern services on the deep Extended Widened Lines below. Eventually I’ll be able to represent the services feeding in from South of the River through the New Thames Tunnel, as well as the District and LNW services from the Outer Circle.

The right hand side of the plan is open – this is where the next section will be; Sepulchre Street Goods Depot, part of the Great Eastern Railway’s huge network depots at viaduct and street level. Although on the model this follows on directly from the Artillery Lane Gridiron segment, in reality the lines will have curved towards the east, and we’ll have moved down past Bethnal Green station and Spitalfields Depot.

Eventually the backdrop will be the Great Eastern Railway’s main lines out of Liverpool Street at viaduct level.