LU 150

Any info on what Met 1 has failed with?

 

Info from LTM Ticket page https://ticket.ltmuseum.co.uk/peo/show_events_list.asp Click 'All Events' on the left hand side and go to the bottom of the page.

8th December Uxbridge Steam Run - 4 trains (11:50, 12:50, 13:50 & 14:50). Tickets cost £15 to travel in the 4TC or £25 to travel in carriage 353.

 

Any chance you can check that link, it comes back with a JS error and wont load.

 

Give it a few mins and try again? It's very temperamental for me!

 

Works for me.

 

Since my last post the event description on the ticket site has been updated and includes the sentence "Please note this site does not work using IPAD's or Google Chrome." Could that explain why it is not working?

This could possibly be 'the last time' that steam trains run to Uxbridge according to http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/transpo...team-rides-on-the-metropolitan-line/201328239

 

Anyone know anything about the gradient profile on the Uxbridge line. Looking at the OS map it appears to be gently down hill most of the way but railways don't follow contours of course.

 

The booking page showed what seem to be seating diagrams, but no indication of which end the steam loco will be, so I emailed to ask. The first reply was that Coach A would be nearest, which didn't help as the web page doesn't show the coach letters. So I enquired further and they told me "the seating line to the far left donates the carriage which will be as close as you can be to the steam train (sic) during your journey". However then I found that the website wouldn't accept my ID and password, so I emailed them about that. This morning they told me "We are currently updating all our booking systems with the result that our online website and booking office are currently closed until Thursday 14th November".

 

The steam loco will be leading from Harrow to Uxbridge with the box doing the honours on the return trip!!

As for gradients, there are a few, but not many, the approach to Uxbridge being one, but as far as steam is concerned it will be on the falling gradient, whereas the box will have to open up to get going, probably with a hefty shove from the steam loco!!!

As for lineside photo opportunities.......................................... not really...............................

 

From the Bluebell Railway website " Talking of the Met coaches, it seems likely that they will be returning to London in August 2014, for more steam haulage, this time between Hammersmith and Moorgate, to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of that line."

 

Thanks for the info. Looks like Met No 1 will be mostly free wheeling.

 

I did the 1992 Uxbridge run behind the LT Pannier and that didn't free wheel in the slightest.

 

Probably for the best given her propensity to run hot...

 

Booking now back online. Link on http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/events/vehicles-on-the-move

Unsurprisingly carriage 353 is sold out on all trips.

 

Prairie 5521 has been fitted with a cut down cab so she can act as standby loco for these runs.

 

Test / crew familiarisation run yesterday (and today), how often do you see a steam / electro / diesel train

 

A 6th train at 15:50 has been added to the ticket page.

 

From Harrow heading towards Uxbridge there is first a 1 in 48 fall to pass under the Amersham/Watford Branch followed by about 250m of 1 in 64 uphill grade to West Harrow. From there it is mostly falling gradients or gentle uphill grades until Eastcote where there is about 650m of 1 in 150 uphill gradient to Ruislip Manor. From Ruislip Manor it is then falling gradient until Hillingdon, after which there is the longest uphill grade on the branch over a distance of about 1.5km, with the shallowest grade on this section being 1 in 400 but the steepest being about 300m of 1 in 100 just before the summit. It is then all downhill for the remaining short section into Uxbridge. So there is a fair bit of down grade but still a decent amount of uphill such that Met 1 should actually have to do some work.

 

I believe this was going to be an on the day decision as to whether this last train would run empty or not but I imagine that as its on the ticket page it should be going all the way through to Uxbridge. Looking forward to it, I'm on the 14:50.

 

Thank you 'ledge very useful.