TO COMMEMORATE THE COMPLETION OF THE ELIZABETH LINE

In Summer 2024, the Chadwell Heath South Residents' Association will unveil a special new clock on Platform 3 of Chadwell Heath Station to commemorate the completion of the Elizabeth line, after successfully being awarded a grant from the Redbridge Neighbourhood CIL Fund.

Community Infrastructure Levy funding from local authorities can be used to create projects that benefit the wider community, from improvements to the public realm and leisure spaces to new community facilities and public art.

design

Upon learning about plans for a Crossrail Art Programme, we wanted to show some love to our home railway station.

Clocks are synonymous with railway stations around the world; from the ornate design in Belgium’s Antwerp Central Station featuring the city’s coat of arms, to the iconic four-sided brass clock in the Main Concourse of New York’s Grand Central Terminal. We believed that a unique timepiece at Chadwell Heath Station would be a fitting tribute to the opening of the Elizabeth line that would last for lifetimes.

In 2018, our Chair, Rama Muraleetharan, set to work conducting research at the London Transport Museum and the Redbridge Heritage Centre. He was inspired by the architecture and design features in famous London Underground stations built by Adams, Holden & Pearson and Oliver Hill; specifically, the distinctive roundel clocks at platform level in Gants Hill Station, Bethnal Green Station, Wanstead Station and Redbridge Station created by the Magneta Time Company.

Rama shared his design ideas with Transport for London (TfL), who offered a great amount of support and were keen to bring these plans to fruition. TfL even kindly suggested the inclusion of our own logo in the final design of the dial; a subtle nod to our collaboration which was well-received.

It was decided that the new clock in Chadwell Heath Station was to be a contemporary replica of the 1940s examples, with the following features:

• 80cm round, double-sided analogue clock;

• GPS radio clock movement;

• Special dial with roundel hour markers and CHSRA logo at 9 o’clock position;

• Unique hands design with Elizabeth line colours;

• Illumination;

• Mineral glass front covers;

• Housing with aluminium brushed finish; and

• Central mounting post at 12 o’clock position.

After receiving confirmation of funding from Redbridge Council, the project was approved in 2019 and work commenced.

MANUFACTURING & ASSEMBLY

The clock’s case and internal workings were manufactured and assembled by MOBATIME and BWB Surface Technology in Switzerland.

The housing of the clock itself required very special treatment. Anodising the aluminium case involved an electrochemical process which converts the surface of the metal into a long-lasting, high performance aluminium oxide finish that is durable and highly resistant to corrosion. It is the reinforcement of a naturally occurring oxidation process. This is achieved by immersing the case in an acid electrolyte solution, through which attached electrodes pass an electric current at very low temperatures. It creates an incredibly hard and uniform protective surface that will not flake, peel or chip, and the metal remains porous enough so that it can be coloured if required and sealed accordingly.

The clock has a time signal receiver which is used for synchronisation via Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. It consists of an antenna capable of receiving signals from GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and/or BeiDou satellites. The received time information is evaluated in the GNSS receiver and sent to the time base. All master clocks and slave clocks accepting a DCF (UTC or CET) code, capable of calculating local time, can be connected directly to a GNSS.

A custom-fitted LED lighting system is housed inside the case, allowing the clock to display prominently throughout the day and night.

The assembly process involved putting together these bespoke pieces and more, coated in the signature colours of the Elizabeth line, at the Moser-Baer AG clock factory located in the hills of Sumiswald in Bern. Upon completion, the clock itself weighed 49kg.

The symbols behind our logo are as follows:

• Volkskrone - A People's Crown. Used across Europe to signify communities of residents.

• Wangeyhall Farm - Home of Lance Corporal John William Sayer VC, a revered WW1 hero.

• St. Chad's Well - Possibly built in the 18th Century, water from the sacred spring was originally thought to have medicinal properties.

• The Three Windmills - "Long Sally, Little Jenny & Miss Bentley" once formed a triangle close to the eastern entrance of St. Chad’s Park.

• Embassy Cinema - Symbolising Chadwell Heath's Art Deco cinema and historic ties with the film industry (from manufacturers for film reels and parts for cinema projectors, to well-known actors on the Silver Screen).

• The White Horse Inn - More than 400 years old coaching inn. Known for its Italianate gardens, sundial, stables, livestock and terrace.

• Whalebone - Daniel Defoe claimed in the early 18th century that massive jaw bones of a whale had been discovered by Dagenham Dock workers, washed up on 3rd September 1658, after a great storm raged on the Thames (the night that Oliver Cromwell died). The bones were used to create Chadwell Heath's famous Whalebone Arch.

Installation

Installation was managed by Grayson Clocks - a department of H S Walsh & Sons (royal warrant holders for the supply of horological tools and equipment) - and Elm Site Services (for all electrical works). Grayson has previously worked on the Mondaine Swiss Railway Clock in Borough Market and the ‘Six Public Clocks’ by Konstantin Grcic at Canary Wharf, whilst also holding a rich history in delivering clocks for stock exchanges and commodity trading organisations.

The clock was finally installed on 27 June 2024, bringing an end to six years of planning and preparation.

A selection of these images have kindly been provided by ianVisits.

We wish to thank Peter Herridge (Station Enhancement Manager for TfL), Jon Hunter (Head of Design at TfL), Brian Gravener (Chief Engineer at H S Walsh & Sons), MOBATIME, Mick Steel (Managing Director of Elm Site Services), Katrina Treacy (Customer and Community Engagement Manager for MTR Elizabeth line), Mike Gapes (former MP for Ilford South) and Redbridge Council for all their support.

Further works

In February 2019, the Chadwell Heath South Residents' Association put forward a proposal to collaborate with Transport for London and MTR Crossrail in launching a programme of decoration for Chadwell Heath Station, which complements the existing Elizabeth line refurbishment works; a process which aspires to emphasise our town's history in the built environment and create a sense of collective belonging. The following features, that we put forward, are currently being reviewed:

• Seven specially designed retro London Underground posters placed permanently in the blank canvases on the building's façade, with artwork depicting our town's famous landmarks (Wangey House, Whalebone House, the Three Windmills, West Ham United's Training Ground, St. Chad's Well, the Embassy Cinema and St. Chad's Park). These are currently being created by TfL’s Design Team, and will be introduced at neighbouring railway stations along the Elizabeth line.

• Historic photographs of Chadwell Heath Station were placed in the Waiting Room at Platform 3. A Community Bookcase was also installed at the station in June 2019, which has proved to be popular amongst commuters. Chadwell Heath Station was shortlisted for 'Small Station of the Year' at the 2019 National Rail Awards and “highly commended” during the ceremony - there were over 250 nominations across the UK, and our home station reached the final 12.

• More plant life along all the Platforms, in the Ticket Hall and at our nearby Community Garden – with a view to entering in future ‘Underground in Bloom’ competitions.

• The reinstatement of the arched brickwork, parapet and ball-shaped adornments above the entrance and on the roof of the station. Chadwell Heath was designed in a similar style to Goodmayes Station and Seven Kings Station, but was bombed in World War II. A number of its features have been removed or destroyed over the years.