Electric Railtour- Sarah Siddons - Sunday 17th May

More info: http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whatson/468.aspx

Now that it is owned by the LT Museum it is required to haul a certain number of trains each year for the public - these ones look rather good.

From the website:

Special tickets for travel on these trains must be pre booked.
Sarah Siddons, the oldest working main line electric locomotive in Britain will make special trips between Harrow-on-the-Hill, via Rickmansworth to Amersham on Sunday 17 May as part of the Rickmansworth Festival
Engine no. 12, Sarah Siddons, was built in 1922 and is the last operational Metropolitan Railway electric locomotive; the only surviving working engine out of 20 built by Metropolitan Vickers and named after real or fictitious people associated with the area served by the Metropolitan Railway. The engines had a top speed of 65 miles per hour.
Sarah will pull carriages dating back to the 1950s and will make four trips.

A vintage bus service including the Museum's prototype Routemaster bus RM1 will run from Rickmansworth station to the Rickmansworth Festival site at Batchworth Lock.

 

I am old enough to remember the changeover from steam/electric haulage and vice versa at Rickmansworth,a very slick operation.My Great Grandfather was Station Master at Rickmansworth in the early 1920s.(Long before my time!!)
Colin.

 

Colin - would that explain the very short (loco-length) bay platform at the UP line, London end? Was that where the electric loco was stabled for changeover from steam coming in from Aylesbury/Verney Junction?

 

Yes,that rings a bell,and I seem to recollect there were walking boards between the rails for the shunter to couple/uncouple locos,this called for very accurate stopping.Strangely I have no recollection of the northbound arrangements or where the steam loco was stabled.My Grandfather was Station Master at Grandborough Road and later Croxley Green.Late 1920s and early 1930s. Colin.

 

From memory there was a steam loco stabling/service point just beyond the road under-bridge at the country end of the station on the 'Down' side.

 

I think the bay platform at the London end may also have been used by a local shuttle service to Watford as well.
Rickmansworth used to boast of having the fastest loco change in the country from steam to electric and vice versa.

Paul

 

No, they were vac, but No. 12 had its vac equipment removed in the early 60s. I'm not sure however if they were initally dual braked.

 

I know an old thread, the Sarah Siddons loco "the oldest working main line electric locomotive in Britain' has had a long refurbishment at Eastleigh, and from FB back at Ruslip and maybe another Met tour on Sept 7?
https://www.facebook.com/1000635203...h9fbSMwgv1nZjz22NEoawTS2EWsrdDppeeVl/?app=fbl

 

No mention of the Sarah Siddons loco for this weekend's heritage runs with 38 stock, elsewhere a mention might still being tested after overhaul?
https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on-calendar?date=13-05-2024&type[281]=281
A model and a short discussion of the importance of the BoBo locos was shown on Tim's last night's Secrets of the London Underground on the Yesterday TV channel (still on catch up).

 

Was there ever any publicity about the runs this weekend being other than just the tube stock? Certainly the museum site has never made any mention of it when I have looked.

 

Wishful thinking by someone posting on another site