LU 150

I took my son up there for the 19:15 run and we watched it come through Euston Square then back through Baker Street after the delay. A very nice evening and quite an adventure for the 9 year old. I was surprised just how loud Met 1 was when it came past. unfortunately the video file is too big to be uploaded!

Does a chap called Niall (involved with 73082) whom I met on the train post on here?

 

Well if we are posting pictures of the dark.....

Zenfolio | Simon Whittingham Photography | London Underground 150th

 

Well, I travelled down to London yesterday, and meeting a friend, spent a pleasant afternoon in the London Transport Museum acquainting myself with No.23, sitting in Carriage No.400 (which rather paled in comparison with what was to come...) and generally having a good time, before a journey via Earl's Court to see the vintage train. Wow! Such a surreal experience to see these carriages and locos roll through. Thence to Baker Street to see Met 1 return at the head of the train, before repairing to the wonderfully decorated "Metropolitan" Wetherspoons pub, before the journey to Moorgate.

And then the fun began! With careful planning my friend and I were able to be at the fore of our carriages incumbents on the platform and so obtained window seats. We were seated with a LTM curator, a Swede, two Scots, a Metro-Lander and some inner City dwellers, an eclectic mix of enthusiast, eccentric and fan. Fortunately the rules on windows being kept shut were very loosely enforced, so we had both windows open to enjoy the "atmosphere"! The Victorian actors, perhaps a little gimmicky for our enthusiast eyes nevertheless added a certain fun to the show, and it was interesting to peer at the new S-Stock on the other road.

And then we were off! I find myself wondering, in hindsight, how much Sarah was doing at the back, but no matter, I can appreciate the reasoning. The journey passed in a blur and I don't think I ever quite stopped grinning! Rolling through Kings Cross St. Pancras with the steam down to waist height on the platforms was an amusing moment, but all the way along the whole experience was a sheer joy. Particularly fun was to look up at the tenement windows at the people facing inwards, oblivious to the spectacle, and the others craning out as far as was safe! The passengers on passing service trains made for interesting observation too - noses buried in books, iphones, or pressed against the glass not quite sure whether to believe their eyes. One lady honestly looked as if she thought she was hallucinating.

A once-in-a-lifetime experience, which nevertheless I hope I shall enjoy again in 2063 at the age of 73...

My video of the day - not up to the quality of others posted on here, but I hope that you enjoy it...

London Underground 150 years - Met No. 1 and No. 12 Sarah Siddons - YouTube

 

Thank you Ralph, it's appreciated. I try to be a little different in my editing, with the captions and photos, to try to give a bit of story to the proceedings. It's only the second one I've done - the last was at the GCR winter gala 2011, but the few I turn out in the future I hope to be of the same concept.

 

I turned my compact digital camera to video and just let it record the journey from High St Kensington to Earls Court, the final LU150 'Underground Pioneer', on 20-January-2013. I then stripped out the audio and have uploaded it here. As John Lennon's records used to say, PLAY LOUD. Quite brilliant sound effects from Met No.1
Metropolitan No.1 with final LU150 Underground Pioneer 20-1-2013.(Audio recording) - YouTube

 

Some really evocative memories, photos, video and audio in this thread. I think a good time was had by all! My set of 19 photos from both Sundays:

London Underground Steam

 

[video=youtube;HpAJgP4nUFs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpAJgP4nUFs[/video]

 

Am I the only one here that can remember travelling on this line during the steam days.
The great days of going down on the platforms at Baker Street filled with smoke and noise..when I first saw it I thought the place was on fire.
I never went to this event,didn't have to,but certainly nice set of pictures and videos from all concerned.You need a medal for turning out in the cold.

 

What era was this please?

 

Jurassic?

 

Finally sorted out three shots from Sunday, just two from Farringdon and one of the battery loco's at Baker Street:

150th Anniversary of London Underground 13th/20th January 2013 - a set on Flickr

Would have put more up but others required a bit too much work on them!

 

I remember once in the 50s seeing a WR goods on that stretch of line. Didn't steam passenger end there pre WW1? Perhaps "aperture" was thinking of the steam on the Farringdon stretch.

 

Steam ran in several places.

A LMS JINTY to H St Ken on a coal train until 1960 ish

goods to Smithfield from Pad with GWR locos until ?1961/2

widened lines

LT engineering trains from L Bridge. I rode one in 1970 to Whitechapel/edgware Rd

maybe others ESP from Neasden via B St. I saw all the others as did many others and it was commonplace.

A daily steam came thru Hammersmith past my school on the District from L B

keen enthusiasts saw these as did travellers ESP in the off peak between Pad and KX. Smithfield

 

Thanks for this. Aware of steam from MR and GNR sections via the widened lines and LT's own engineering trains of course but the Jinty and Smithfield workings are interesting news to me.

 

I forgot my total fav working!!

47432/34/35 (I think) on the. W Kensington to Cricklewood coal trains. I photographed these at W Ken coal depot which had many Victorian relics. A near daily working in winter it stormed up the gradient from Hammersmith mid morning. Also,it ran thru Acton,Dudding Hill etc and needed a. Trip clock fitted loco. Ran until 1965 ,a v late survivor........

But enough memories.........the celebrations were of a different order. Well organised,fun and extremely well received in the media. Has a loco of 044T featured in the FT. DT. TIMES. etc before and with so much excitment. No first class on the coal trains and the crews about to be made redundant or forced to undertake diff work.......bleak times for many........whereas the optimism about Londons' rail network with the LT150 event was very evident!!
ps my orig notes are lost so details are my memory and poss have the odd error!

 

A beaten up 47432 at Bletchley in 1965.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barkingbill/2152968094/in/set-72157603696486994

 

May have gone 14A/1A (briefly ) then off to Bletchley. I didn't know where it went having been a feature of London for many crucial spotting years!! drivers I chatted to were from Cricklewood until it closed to steam with Willesden right at the last gasp if my erratic memory serves correctly.

to think that Jinty's are also part of the LT150 story as well as the better known GWR tanks and later on than SR/ LNER locos. Perhaps a JINTY will feature in a LT 150 type event hauling coal wagons one day passing L44.............(only joking)

 

Details of the May runs have appeared on the LT Museum website. Vehicles on the Move - London Transport Museum

 

After the fun I had Underground, I'm having a good think about these Overground runs...I must say I'm rather taken with Sarah Siddons.