rail system in the world. but on the evening of november 18th, 1987, commuters are unaware that disaster lurks beneath them. at 7:30 p.m., a passenger at the historic king's cross station sees a flicker of flame underneath the heavily varnished, 50-year-old wooden escalator. the london fire brigade is dispatched. it seems to be a routine call. >> an everyday call to a fire in an escalator, something we were receiving probably 20 or 30 times a month. so, it was no big deal. >> fire captain roger kendall, one of the first to reach the scene, waits above ground for his supervisor to report. >> we were waiting for message to come back to say that we're all going home or we may need a bit of equipment. >> trains continued to come and go, despite the minor commotion. musician ron lipsius arrives at the station on one of those