http://matt2southall.wix.com/uk-rail-photography
Monday, 9 June 2014
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Disused Stations
The Metropolitan line has several disused stations. The first diused station is Aylesbury. The Metropolitan Line decided that when they got all A60 Stock they were going to withdraw service from this station on the 10 September 1961. Aylesbury is now operated by National Rail.
The next disused station is Brill, this station was closed on 30 November 1935. The station and also the route was closed due to the low amount of passengers travelling on this section of the line. This station has now been demolished.
Granborough Road is another disused station, this was closed on 4 July 1936 this was closed when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers. The station was closed and the route was closed as well. The station has also been demolished.
Service was withdrawn from Great Missenden on 10 September 1961 and is now operated by National Rail. The service was cut back to Amersham when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced.
Grove Road (Hammersmith) was closed on the Metropolitan line on 31 December 1906 when service was withdrawn due to low passenger numbers and then the station was fully closed by the London and South Western Railway and has now been demolished.
Although there is still a King's Cross St.Pancras the station has actually been resited. This operation occurred on the 9 March 1941. The original station still remains, the original platforms were to the east of the current ones. The station was then moved to make interchange with the main line station easier.
Lord's station was closed and then demolished on 19 November 1939 this station was closed to increase capacity on the Metropolitan line, following the opening of the nearby St. John's Wood station on the Bakerloo Line (now the Jubilee Line).
On 19 November 1939 Marlborough Road was closed to increase capacity on Metropolitan line, following the opening of nearby St. John's Wood station on the Bakerloo Line (now Jubilee Line). The same reason why Lord's station was closed. The building still remains.
Preston Road's old station was closed and demolished because of the amount of tracks through the station increased from two to four. The station was reconstructed to the west but before that the station was only a small halt.
6 July 1936, service was withdrawn from Quainton Road and transferred to LNER. The station building still remains. This all happened because service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers and temporarily opened for war time operations between 1943 and 1948. BR services withdrawn 1963 but the station is the home of the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre and is used for occasional special services from Aylesbury.
Stoke Mandevillle is now operated by National Rail because service was withdrawn on 10 September 1961 when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced with A60 Stock.
17 August 1940 Swiss Cottage station was closed and demolished as a wartime measure and not reopened; the adjacent Bakerloo line (now Jubilee line) station briefly operated as an interchange.
Uxbridge Road was closed on 19 October 1940 after bombing of the line during Word War II, due to low passenger numbers; National Rail services on the line continue, and Shepherd's Bush station is a short distance to the north. The station has now been demolished.
Verney Junction station and route was closed and demolished on 6 July 1936 when service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers.
Waddesdon was also closed on 6 July 1936 when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury because of low passenger numbers. The station and route has been demolished.
Waddesdon Junction on 30 November 1935 route and station was closed when Brill Branch was closed due to a very low amount of passengers. The station has now been demolished.
Service was withdrawn from Wendover on 10 September 1961 when service was cut back to Amersham when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced with A60 Stock. The station is now operated by National Rail.
Westbourne Park station was resited on 31 October 1871 the station has been closed and demolished when current station was opened in 1871.
30 November 1935 Westcott station and route was closed although the building still remains. The station and route was closed when Brill Branch was closed due to very low passenger numbers.
Winslow Road was closed when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers. This occurred on 6 July 1936 and has now been demolished.
Wood Siding station and route was closed on 30 November 1935 when Brill branch was closed due to very low passenger numbers. The station has now been demolished.
Wotton station and route was closed when the Brill branch was closed. It closed on 30 November 1935 and has now been demolished.
Hillingdon is also on the Piccadilly Line, and this station was resited on 5 December 1992 when the original station was of the east of the current station and was closed to allow widening of the A40 road. The original station has now been demolished.
Uxbridge is also on the Piccadilly line as well and this station was also resited. The station was closed when the current one opened on a new alignment closer to Uxbridge town centre. The original station was closed on 3 December 1938 and has been demolished.
The next disused station is Brill, this station was closed on 30 November 1935. The station and also the route was closed due to the low amount of passengers travelling on this section of the line. This station has now been demolished.
Granborough Road is another disused station, this was closed on 4 July 1936 this was closed when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers. The station was closed and the route was closed as well. The station has also been demolished.
Service was withdrawn from Great Missenden on 10 September 1961 and is now operated by National Rail. The service was cut back to Amersham when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced.
Grove Road (Hammersmith) was closed on the Metropolitan line on 31 December 1906 when service was withdrawn due to low passenger numbers and then the station was fully closed by the London and South Western Railway and has now been demolished.
Although there is still a King's Cross St.Pancras the station has actually been resited. This operation occurred on the 9 March 1941. The original station still remains, the original platforms were to the east of the current ones. The station was then moved to make interchange with the main line station easier.
Lord's station was closed and then demolished on 19 November 1939 this station was closed to increase capacity on the Metropolitan line, following the opening of the nearby St. John's Wood station on the Bakerloo Line (now the Jubilee Line).
On 19 November 1939 Marlborough Road was closed to increase capacity on Metropolitan line, following the opening of nearby St. John's Wood station on the Bakerloo Line (now Jubilee Line). The same reason why Lord's station was closed. The building still remains.
Preston Road's old station was closed and demolished because of the amount of tracks through the station increased from two to four. The station was reconstructed to the west but before that the station was only a small halt.
6 July 1936, service was withdrawn from Quainton Road and transferred to LNER. The station building still remains. This all happened because service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers and temporarily opened for war time operations between 1943 and 1948. BR services withdrawn 1963 but the station is the home of the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre and is used for occasional special services from Aylesbury.
Stoke Mandevillle is now operated by National Rail because service was withdrawn on 10 September 1961 when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced with A60 Stock.
17 August 1940 Swiss Cottage station was closed and demolished as a wartime measure and not reopened; the adjacent Bakerloo line (now Jubilee line) station briefly operated as an interchange.
Uxbridge Road was closed on 19 October 1940 after bombing of the line during Word War II, due to low passenger numbers; National Rail services on the line continue, and Shepherd's Bush station is a short distance to the north. The station has now been demolished.
Verney Junction station and route was closed and demolished on 6 July 1936 when service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers.
Waddesdon was also closed on 6 July 1936 when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury because of low passenger numbers. The station and route has been demolished.
Waddesdon Junction on 30 November 1935 route and station was closed when Brill Branch was closed due to a very low amount of passengers. The station has now been demolished.
Service was withdrawn from Wendover on 10 September 1961 when service was cut back to Amersham when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced with A60 Stock. The station is now operated by National Rail.
Westbourne Park station was resited on 31 October 1871 the station has been closed and demolished when current station was opened in 1871.
30 November 1935 Westcott station and route was closed although the building still remains. The station and route was closed when Brill Branch was closed due to very low passenger numbers.
Winslow Road was closed when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers. This occurred on 6 July 1936 and has now been demolished.
Wood Siding station and route was closed on 30 November 1935 when Brill branch was closed due to very low passenger numbers. The station has now been demolished.
Wotton station and route was closed when the Brill branch was closed. It closed on 30 November 1935 and has now been demolished.
Hillingdon is also on the Piccadilly Line, and this station was resited on 5 December 1992 when the original station was of the east of the current station and was closed to allow widening of the A40 road. The original station has now been demolished.
Uxbridge is also on the Piccadilly line as well and this station was also resited. The station was closed when the current one opened on a new alignment closer to Uxbridge town centre. The original station was closed on 3 December 1938 and has been demolished.
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Trip to London
Starting at Farnborough main station we bought our tickets and waited for the 1030 fast train service to London Waterloo. As I looked down the tracks to see if I could see the train I could see engineers and something that didn't look like an electric multiple unit. As it came closer I could see it was a diesel and as it passed on the fast line to see it was a network rail class 57. A couple minutes later the 1030 arrived at Farnborough one minute late.
The train was very busy and hard to find a seat that eventually we found one and sat down to enjoy the journey. Calling at Woking only we arrived at 10:39 and departed at 10:41. We then carried on to London Waterloo passing Wimbledon we saw a new S7 stock on the District line and the new class 458 at Wimbledon train care depot. After passing Wimbledon a couple of stations down the line I was happily kicked in by a little girl with her mum on their way to Peterborough to see a show at 2 o'clock. Passing Vauxhall I was lucky to see a new class 458 in serice. Arriving at London Waterloo at 11:09, one minute late, we walked down to the bus stop to catch the RV1 to Covent Garden.
We then took a quick look in the London Transport Museum shop and I bought a poster for the A Stock tour. Then walking to Charing Cross and seeing and lot of new buses for London we took the Bakerloo line to Piccadilly Circus. Changing at Piccadilly Circus to the Piccadilly line we travelled all the way out to Boston Manor. Where if you leave the station and cross the road you are able to view the tracks and the depot.
Going back to Boston Manor, where I broke my ticket by putting it in my pocket with my phone, we took the Piccadilly line back to Acton Town. After having some lunch and a tour round the London transport Museum Depot we took the Piccadilly line back down towards Boston Manor but this time to Heathrow terminal 5.
At Heathrow Terminal 5 we had a little ride on the pods. After that we tried taking the Heathrow express back to Paddington but we were rudely told by the station staff that we had to pay £21 to go back to Paddington on service. So we got back on the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith where we changed onto the Hammersmith & City line to Paddington. After looking around Paddington National rail station we headed down to the tube for the Bakerloo line. By this time it had reached evening rush hour on the Tube and it was jam packed with commuters. Boarding the Bakerloo Line we travelled to Baker Street where I was going to look around the Metropolitan Line platforms. As more commuters boarded the train at Paddington this forced us to move down the centre of the carriage where we were then stuck between the two rows of seats. A few stops down the line was Blake Street where we wanted to alight kindly none of the commuters moved out of the way for us to alight the train therefore I hit them with my bag in the stomach.
A quick look around the Metropolitan Line platforms and then on the Jubilee Line to Bond Street. A quick look in some shops and then we took the bus back to Waterloo where our journey was coming to an end although we quickly grabbed a McDonald's and got on the 19:09 South West Trains service to Portsmouth Harbour this service was formed of 12 coaches (3X450). This service called at Woking then Farnborough where our journey came to an end.
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Night Tube
The London Underground is constantly being upgraded. One of the newest plans for the Tube is making it a 24 hour service, this would occur in 2015 although only on weekends and the whole network will not be open. This will give passengers an extensive and integrated service on Friday and Saturday night.
The initial 24-hour weekend Tube network will be comprised of regular services on the Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Central and Jubilee lines.
The map below shows where TfL hope to run a 24 hour service.
The initial 24-hour weekend Tube network will be comprised of regular services on the Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Central and Jubilee lines.
The map below shows where TfL hope to run a 24 hour service.
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Route (Northbound)
The Metropolitan Line runs from Aldgate to Watford, Harrow, Chesham, Amersham and Uxbridge.
Starting at Aldgate and heading 0.61 KM arriving at Liverpool Street in two minutes. Then travelling another 0.51 KM from Liverpool Street to Moorgate arriving in one and a half minutes. Continuing west the next station is Barbican, it is 0.63 KM from Moorgate to Barbican and normally takes about two minutes. Travelling another 0.51 KM the next station is Farringdon in one and a half minutes. The total distance in kilometres is 1.65 from Liverpool Street to Farringdon which take the total of five minutes.
Leaving Faringdon the next station is King's Cross St Pancras the distance 1.85 km and takes about three and a half minutes. At King's Cross St. Pancras travelling northbound arriving at Euston Square takes two minutes and travel 0.85 KM. From Euston Square you arrive at Great Portland Street in one and a half minutes travelling 0.61 km. Then into the Baker Street Metropolitan line platforms in three minutes travelling 0.97 km. The total distance from Faringdon to Baker Street Metropolitan line platforms is 4.28 km which takes 10 minutes. This part from Aldgate to Baker Street is under tunnels.
Leaving TravelCard Zone 1 and entering Zone 2 to arrive at Finchley Road in five and a half minutes travelling 3.38 km. This is where the Metropolitan line first comes above ground. Leaving Finchley Road travel to Wembley Park in seven and a half minutes minutes travelling 7.24 km. Some Metropolitan line trains go fast from Finchley Road to Harrow on the Hill this takes 11 minutes and travelling 11.63 km. And also there is a fast Metropolitan line train from Wembley park to Harrow on the Hill which takes five and a half minutes and travels 4.39 km.
Travelling north from Wembley Park the next station is Preston Road in two and a half minutes travelling 1.46 km. After Preston Road is Northwick Park travelling 1.64 km and taking two and a half minutes. From Northwick Park travel to Harrow on the Hill, travelling 1.29 km and taking around two and a half minutes. The total time from Wembley Park to Harrow on the Hill is seven and a half minutes travelling 4.39 km.
Taking the Uxbridge branch we head north to West Harrow in two minutes travelling 1.26 km. From West Harrow travel 1.38 km to Rayners lane connections with the Piccadilly line taking two and a half minutes. From Harrow on the Hill to Rayners Lane the train travels a total of 2.64 km and it takes four and a half minutes.
Another two and a half minutes makes the train arrive at Eastcote travelling 1.72 km. This station also has connections with the Piccadilly line and all other stations to Uxbridge from Rayners Lane. Then arrive at Ruislip Manor from Eastcote travelling 1.14 km and taking two minutes. Another 0.72km arrive at Ruislip taking one and a half minutes. The total distance in kilometres from Rayners Lane to Ruislip is 3.58 km and taking a total of six minutes.
Continuing north the train will arrive at Ickenham travelling 1.85 km and taking two and a half minutes. Another 1.08 km arrive at Hillingdon in two minutes. The total distance from Ruislip to Hillingdon is 2.93 km taking us the total time of four and a half minutes.
Finally from Hillingdon arrive at Uxbridge travelling 2.03 km, taking three and a half minutes. Uxbridge is one of the northern terminuses for the Metropolitan line and the Piccadilly line.
Going all the way back to Harrow on the Hill take the Amersham heading branch to North Harrow this normally takes three minutes travelling only 2 km. The next station is Pinner in two minutes travelling 1.48 km. Continuing north the next station isNorthwood Hills travelling 2.08 km taking us another three minutes. Then arriving at Northwood after another two and a half minutes travelling 1.61 km. Another three minutes arriving at Moor Park travelling 2.22 km. The total time from Harrow on the Hill to Moor Park is 13 and a half minutes travelling 9.39 km.
From Harrow on the Hill to Moor Park there is a non-stop service which travels the same distance but only takes eight minutes.
The line then branches off to Watford where there is a station between Watford and Moor Park which is Croxley. From Moor Park to Croxley it would take you four minutes travelling 2.94 km. Then continuing to Watford the train will travel 1.90 km and it will take three and a half minutes. The total distance from Moor Park to Watford is 4.84 km and takes seven and a half minutes.
Going all the way back to Moor Park and continue travelling towards Amersham the next station is the Rickmansworth travelling 3.49 km taking four and a half minutes. From Croxley go via the Watford North Curve to arrive at Rickmansworth travelling 2.67 km taking five minutes and sometimes four and a half minutes for reversing trains.
From Rickmansworth continuing north arriving at Chorleywood in four minutes travelling 3.38 km. Then travelling another 3.43 km from Chorleywood to Chalfont & Latimer takes four minutes. Then travel to the most northernly terminus on the Metropolitan line to Chesham travelling 6.20 km takes eight and a half minutes.
Finally all the way back to Chalfont and Latimer the next station is Amersham which takes four minutes travelling 3.27 km.
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
A Stock
The London Underground had two types of A Stock, A60 and A62 Stock. Both types operated on the Metropolitan Line from 12 June 1961 until 26 September 2012. The stock was built by Cravens of Sheffield in two batches (A60 and A62) in the early 1960s and replaced all other trains on the line.
The stock was the oldest on the Underground until September 2012, and also on any Subway system in Europe. It was the only stock to have luggage racks and separate motoring and brake controls, and the last to have no automated announcements. The A Stock has since been replaced by the S Stock on the Metropolitan Line.
The design was formulated by W S Graff-Baker of the London Passenger Transport Board as part of the electrification of the Metropolitan Line from Rickmansworth to Amersham and Chesham under the 1935-1940 New Works Programme, and owes much to the smaller 1938 Stock. The work was delayed due to World War II and also the lack of funds after the war. In 1946 two experimental trailers similar in exterior appearance to the production trains were built using underframes from the T Stock, but they were scrapped when the trials finished. Unfortunately Graff-Baker died in 1952, before the trains were built.
Electrification commenced in 1959; therefore London Transport placed an order for 31 trains A60 Stock trains to replace T Stock on services to Watford and Rickmansworth. Also, loco hauled services to destinations north of Rickmansworth. 5004 and 5008 were the first units and entered service to Watford in June 1961. The Amersham/Chesham services began later that year. London Transport then ordered another 27 trains, A62 Stock. These replaced 63 F and P Stocks on the Uxbridge service. By December 1963, the roll-out was complete and the whole Metropolitan Line had A Stock.
The trains were A Stock to mark the electrification of the Metropolitan line to Amersham.
The stock was a compromise between the needs of longer distance "outer suburban" passengers on the outer reaches of the line and short distance "urban" passengers over the heavily used Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. Therefore the trailer cars have three sets of doors per car.
A feature that made the stock distinctive was the use of transverse seating throughout the train. This is very uncommon on the Underground. The Stock was built like this because it was designed for journeys which may last over an hour. Most of the transverse seating was high capacity with a 3 + 2 arrangement. There were four tip-up seats located at the rear of the driving motor. Despite each 8-car train seating 448 passengers, the stock provided fewer seats than the locomotive-hauled T stock trains that they replaced, but more seats than the S Stock, which started to replace them on 31 July 2010. The stock had luggage racks and umbrella hooks, they only Underground stock to have these features, very distinctive!
A60 and A62 stocks were nearly identical in appearance. The most significant differences were the border around the destination window on A62 motor cars and the make of compressor under the trailer cars: A60 stock used the Westinghouse DHC 5A, A62 cars the Reavell TBC 38Z.
At 116" they were the Underground's widest trains. Refurbishment took place between 1993 and 1998 by Adtranz (now Bombardier) Derby. Car end windows were installed , the seating was reupholstered, and the livery was updated. At the time of refurbishment the Metropolitan line had a low priority for receiving new trains.
Each unit consisted of four cars: two powered driving motors at each end and two non-powered trailers in between. Each unit was further divided into two semi-permanently-coupled sets, a driving motor and trailer. Although the intention was to operate four-car trains in the off-peak, this practice was short lived, except for the Chalfont & Latimer-Chesham shuttle which was always operated by a single four-car unit. For its main services the stock operated in a two-unit formation of eight cars between Aldgate and Amersham, Chesham (peak hours only), Uxbridge and Watford.
It was the world's fastest 4th-rail train with the top speed of 70 mph, but from the late 1990s/early 200s it was restricted to 50 mph to improve reliability.
London Underground held the final public trip, organised by the London Transport Museum on 29 September 2012. Starting at Moorgate it travelled the whole Metropolitan line, including Watford, Amersham, Aldgate, Uxbridge, Chesham and the Watford curve. The tour ended at Wembley Park: on the final stretch from Finchley Road, the trains was unofficially recorded at 74 mph.
A60 Stock reached 50 years of service on 12 June 2011. The age of the stock made spare parts harder to obtain and vehicles had to be cannibalised to keep the rest of the stock in operation. S8 Stock replaced the stock, with the first unit being introduced in July 2010. The main differences between the S8 and S7 Stock are the layout and number of seats and the provision of two sand hoppers for each rail due to the different conditions at the country end of the line. The withdrawal of A Stock commenced on 9 October 2010.
London Transport Museum began offering luggage racks from withdrawn A stock for sale in February 2012.
The last train ran in passenger service on 26 September 2012, formed of 5034 + 5062. The same train was used on 29 September 2012 for the final ticket-only railtour. One of the driving motor cars, 5034, was part of the first (as 5008) and also the last A Stock train, giving it a life of over 51 years. It was sent to Northwood sidings on 8 October 2012 and was loaded on trucks to be scrapped: 5034 was taken to the Acton Museum Depot to be preserved.
At ITV News report stated that a car later identified as 5034 would be preserved by the London Transport Museum. The stock outlasted many former British Rail EMUs: the Scottish Class 303 managed 43 years, the Class 309 Clacton Express units 38 years and British Rail Class 312 only 28 years. The former Southern Region 4CIG and 4CEP managed 46 years and 49 respectively. The stock was one of Britain's longest-serving types of train, although far from the ex-1938 Stock still in use on the Isle of Wight around 75 years after construction, or the 81 years of Glasgow Underground rolling stock between 1896 and 1977. The stock may be outlasted by the InterCity 125 HSTs.
The stock was the oldest on the Underground until September 2012, and also on any Subway system in Europe. It was the only stock to have luggage racks and separate motoring and brake controls, and the last to have no automated announcements. The A Stock has since been replaced by the S Stock on the Metropolitan Line.
The design was formulated by W S Graff-Baker of the London Passenger Transport Board as part of the electrification of the Metropolitan Line from Rickmansworth to Amersham and Chesham under the 1935-1940 New Works Programme, and owes much to the smaller 1938 Stock. The work was delayed due to World War II and also the lack of funds after the war. In 1946 two experimental trailers similar in exterior appearance to the production trains were built using underframes from the T Stock, but they were scrapped when the trials finished. Unfortunately Graff-Baker died in 1952, before the trains were built.
Electrification commenced in 1959; therefore London Transport placed an order for 31 trains A60 Stock trains to replace T Stock on services to Watford and Rickmansworth. Also, loco hauled services to destinations north of Rickmansworth. 5004 and 5008 were the first units and entered service to Watford in June 1961. The Amersham/Chesham services began later that year. London Transport then ordered another 27 trains, A62 Stock. These replaced 63 F and P Stocks on the Uxbridge service. By December 1963, the roll-out was complete and the whole Metropolitan Line had A Stock.
The trains were A Stock to mark the electrification of the Metropolitan line to Amersham.
The stock was a compromise between the needs of longer distance "outer suburban" passengers on the outer reaches of the line and short distance "urban" passengers over the heavily used Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. Therefore the trailer cars have three sets of doors per car.
A feature that made the stock distinctive was the use of transverse seating throughout the train. This is very uncommon on the Underground. The Stock was built like this because it was designed for journeys which may last over an hour. Most of the transverse seating was high capacity with a 3 + 2 arrangement. There were four tip-up seats located at the rear of the driving motor. Despite each 8-car train seating 448 passengers, the stock provided fewer seats than the locomotive-hauled T stock trains that they replaced, but more seats than the S Stock, which started to replace them on 31 July 2010. The stock had luggage racks and umbrella hooks, they only Underground stock to have these features, very distinctive!
A60 and A62 stocks were nearly identical in appearance. The most significant differences were the border around the destination window on A62 motor cars and the make of compressor under the trailer cars: A60 stock used the Westinghouse DHC 5A, A62 cars the Reavell TBC 38Z.
At 116" they were the Underground's widest trains. Refurbishment took place between 1993 and 1998 by Adtranz (now Bombardier) Derby. Car end windows were installed , the seating was reupholstered, and the livery was updated. At the time of refurbishment the Metropolitan line had a low priority for receiving new trains.
Each unit consisted of four cars: two powered driving motors at each end and two non-powered trailers in between. Each unit was further divided into two semi-permanently-coupled sets, a driving motor and trailer. Although the intention was to operate four-car trains in the off-peak, this practice was short lived, except for the Chalfont & Latimer-Chesham shuttle which was always operated by a single four-car unit. For its main services the stock operated in a two-unit formation of eight cars between Aldgate and Amersham, Chesham (peak hours only), Uxbridge and Watford.
It was the world's fastest 4th-rail train with the top speed of 70 mph, but from the late 1990s/early 200s it was restricted to 50 mph to improve reliability.
London Underground held the final public trip, organised by the London Transport Museum on 29 September 2012. Starting at Moorgate it travelled the whole Metropolitan line, including Watford, Amersham, Aldgate, Uxbridge, Chesham and the Watford curve. The tour ended at Wembley Park: on the final stretch from Finchley Road, the trains was unofficially recorded at 74 mph.
A60 Stock reached 50 years of service on 12 June 2011. The age of the stock made spare parts harder to obtain and vehicles had to be cannibalised to keep the rest of the stock in operation. S8 Stock replaced the stock, with the first unit being introduced in July 2010. The main differences between the S8 and S7 Stock are the layout and number of seats and the provision of two sand hoppers for each rail due to the different conditions at the country end of the line. The withdrawal of A Stock commenced on 9 October 2010.
London Transport Museum began offering luggage racks from withdrawn A stock for sale in February 2012.
The last train ran in passenger service on 26 September 2012, formed of 5034 + 5062. The same train was used on 29 September 2012 for the final ticket-only railtour. One of the driving motor cars, 5034, was part of the first (as 5008) and also the last A Stock train, giving it a life of over 51 years. It was sent to Northwood sidings on 8 October 2012 and was loaded on trucks to be scrapped: 5034 was taken to the Acton Museum Depot to be preserved.
At ITV News report stated that a car later identified as 5034 would be preserved by the London Transport Museum. The stock outlasted many former British Rail EMUs: the Scottish Class 303 managed 43 years, the Class 309 Clacton Express units 38 years and British Rail Class 312 only 28 years. The former Southern Region 4CIG and 4CEP managed 46 years and 49 respectively. The stock was one of Britain's longest-serving types of train, although far from the ex-1938 Stock still in use on the Isle of Wight around 75 years after construction, or the 81 years of Glasgow Underground rolling stock between 1896 and 1977. The stock may be outlasted by the InterCity 125 HSTs.
Monday, 17 March 2014
Acton Museum Depot March 2014
Acton Museum Depot is storage for the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. Acton opens it's depot doors twice a year in this case it was for the 15th and 16th March 2014. Also they open the doors once a month for guided tours. The Piccadilly and District Line passes the depot, so it is a great opportunity for pictures and videos.
The depot holds many heritage trains and buses. Sometimes it will have Met No.1 in light steam and even Sarah Siddons and the Jubilee Carriage No.353 which you can go in. This is also a great opportunity for collectors as around the depot is many transport stalls.
Some heritage trains they have are the 1938 Stock which sometimes goes out and does tours. They have an A Stock driving car and even a 1986 prototype. You can also sometimes go in the cabs of these trains. The Acton Miniature Railways runs outside as well.
Personally, this is my favourite place to go to get collectors items.
At the last Acton Depot day I brought this A Stock destination blind in fully working order, it now sits above my bedroom door.
As you can see it still has the original blind in for the Metropolitan Line and also the East London Line.
This is also from the A Stock but is for the train number, this was bought from the London Transport Museum Friends stall.
A range of Metropolitan Line timetables also from the London Transport Museum Friends.
More timetables.
Pictures of various stations and trains. Top left is Hatton Cross station with Concorde just taking off. Top middle is a Northern Line train going through the train wash at Morden Depot. CO-OP Stock at Uxbridge at the bottom left.
A dead mans handle which I think is from the A Stock. Two Jubilee Newsletters and a ticket for Steam on the Met.
Various leaflets from various different stalls.
Farringdon station sign although this isn't enamel.
The depot holds many heritage trains and buses. Sometimes it will have Met No.1 in light steam and even Sarah Siddons and the Jubilee Carriage No.353 which you can go in. This is also a great opportunity for collectors as around the depot is many transport stalls.
Some heritage trains they have are the 1938 Stock which sometimes goes out and does tours. They have an A Stock driving car and even a 1986 prototype. You can also sometimes go in the cabs of these trains. The Acton Miniature Railways runs outside as well.
Personally, this is my favourite place to go to get collectors items.
At the last Acton Depot day I brought this A Stock destination blind in fully working order, it now sits above my bedroom door.
As you can see it still has the original blind in for the Metropolitan Line and also the East London Line.
This is also from the A Stock but is for the train number, this was bought from the London Transport Museum Friends stall.
A range of Metropolitan Line timetables also from the London Transport Museum Friends.
More timetables.
Pictures of various stations and trains. Top left is Hatton Cross station with Concorde just taking off. Top middle is a Northern Line train going through the train wash at Morden Depot. CO-OP Stock at Uxbridge at the bottom left.
A dead mans handle which I think is from the A Stock. Two Jubilee Newsletters and a ticket for Steam on the Met.
Various leaflets from various different stalls.
Farringdon station sign although this isn't enamel.
Another sign which is from the London Transport Museum Friends.
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