LU 150

In the case of the 4-CEP/VEP excursion train, I think LT did exactly what they did with the panniers 30 year earlier, i.e. bought something second-hand and painted it in their own livery. IIRC, the sets were bought by the old London Transport in the 1990s, so even if they are now in the care of the Museum (are they?), the initial repaint was done by the operating company. I expect they were in need of refurbishment, and it would have been confusing to re-apply a different (rival?) company's old livery. A version of LT maroon was a sensible choice.

If LU, or even the LTM, were to buy 5521, or lease it for a significant period, and operate it on their own trains, it would be quite appropriate for them to paint it in one of their liveries, current or historic. However, it's not practical for a single weekend, and the tradition established by Steam On The Met in the 1990s was not to repaint the hired-in locos. Therefore, it's probably an April fool wind-up.

 

I thought it was done up in some dodgy looking fake teak arrangement ?, certainly looking at runs behind Sarah Siddons in 2012 this appears to be the case.

To be pedantic, the unit is a 4TC, basically 4 push pull coaches designed to work with a 33/73 or EMU, it can't move itself.

Speaking of April Fool's has anyone else spotted Steam Railway's yet ? :lie:

 

IIRC the 4TC sets were painted into Metropolitan Maroon when bought from NSE. The set still with LU is now in mock teak.

 

Yeah, the stock was in Maroon for it's involvement with SOTM, the teak is a post-2000 change. For comparison, Tte (more attractive!) maroon can be seen http://www.offshed.com/mainline/sho...roduct=26&totalRows_rsShowProduct=35&catID=13
and the mock teak at Sarah Siddons + 4TC + 20189 in the Shunt | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

The 4-TC maroon livery looked good and was appropriate, as you say. The current fake teak is a mistake, in my humble opinion. But I'd love to see 5521 in the corporate red white & blue, if only for a while.

 

Updated details of the May runs Vehicles on the Move - London Transport Museum

Art Deco Special
Date: Sunday 19 May
Our beautiful Art Deco special – the 1938 Tube stock train, and the latest vehicle to our heritage collection, the A stock, will make journeys to Metro-land as part of the Rickmansworth festival. The Friends of the London Transport Museum are providing a free heritage bus service, which will be available throughout the day, running between Rickmansworth Station and Batchworth Lock where the festival is taking place (link to the festival).

Tickets: Priced between £5 and £20. Tickets will be released for sale from the 8 April. Please sign up to our e-Newsletter for the latest event announcements.

Steam back on the Met
Date: Saturday 25 to Monday 27 May
Experience the golden age of steam with the return of the newly restored Metropolitan Steam Locomotive No. 1 to the Metropolitan line and experience first-hand what riding a steam train is really like! Customers can travel in either the recently restored ex Metropolitan Jubilee Coach, dating back to the 1890s or ex British Rail 1950s coaches. A number of journeys will be taking place between Amersham and Harrow-on-the Hill during this bank holiday weekend, as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the world’s first underground in January 1863.

Tickets: Priced between £15 and £45. Tickets will be released shortly for sale. Please sign up to our e-Newsletter for the latest event announcements. Please note that children under the age of 11 are not allowed to travel in the Jubilee Coach. Please sign up to our e-Newsletter for the latest event announcements.

 

A fair point and a good explanation of how it came about which makes a good case for them being in LT maroon. I agree with Miff though that the "teak" is a mistake.

LU - yes.
LTM - no.

In my opinion. If LU for some bizarre reason took on 5521 as a thunderbird/shunter/works engine, then fair enough. But LTM - No. Different role.

So they've decided to let people on the Jube coach? Good stuff!

 

Aha, now I understand. I hadn't seen the "mock teak" livery before. Actually, scumbling (creating a wood-grain effect with paint) is a fine art, and I still think it's OK for LU to paint their excursion stock in their own livery. But I object to the current livery on the grounds of bad taste.

 

I believe it's a vinyl wrap, which only makes it worse given the corrosion issues that can be caused.

Chris

 

Just to fuel the livery debate... here's 20227 after it's repaint at the Midland Railway Centre into 'Underground' livery (Not my photo).

20227 @ Midland Railway Centre in London Underground Livery 24.3.2013 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

The Steam on the Met details have been updated again, with the train formation. Vehicles on the Move - London Transport Museum

 

SOTM timetable: http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/assets/downloads/pdfs/SteamontheMetTimetable.pdf

Train 1: Steam Wembley Park - Amersham.
Train 2: Class 20 Amersham - Harrow-On-The-Hill. Steam Harrow-On-The-Hill - Amersham.
Train 3: Class 20 Amersham - Harrow-On-The-Hill. Steam Harrow-On-The-Hill - Amersham.
Train 4: Class 20 Amersham - Harrow-On-The-Hill.

Train 1: Carriage 353 - £35, Ex BR carriages Adult £30, Child £20
Train 2: Carriage 353 - £45, Ex BR carriages Adult £40, Child £20
Train 3: Carriage 353 - £45, Ex BR carriages Adult £40, Child £20
Train 4: Carriage 353 - £15, Ex BR carriages Adult £10, Child £5

Book tickets via Vehicles on the Move - London Transport Museum

 

There are some disappointments here. No tickets for Harrow-Amersham-Harrow (but maybe that's to encourage people to pay to ride on service trains to/from Amersham). And no indication of which loco(s) might be working which runs on which days. But it's good that it will steam on the front for the long uphill section (1-in-100-ish Ricky-Amersham). Definitely worth going out to video one or two of the runs that one's not riding on.

 

It's certainly a mere shadow of its former self when, for about six quid you could ride all day,two train operation (including parallel running at times), locos changed at both ends (so steam in both directions) and a more frequent service.

Seems a bit pointlless going to the expense of bringing in three locos (which, no doubit, is reflected in the ticket cost) and then having a timetable which only requires one.

 

Quite agree. Disappointing to see the prices they are charging.

 

Ahh, the 21st century strikes again... Shame

 

Latest issue of The Railway Magazine now also reports 5521 will be outshopped in LU Maroon livery. But did they get that from sister title HR? The RM's April fools joke in the last issue was WCRC's turntable that could be taken around the country.....................

 

Doesn't say much for RM if they have indeed copied and fell for another publications April Fool.

 

Was looking at locations earlier today. Unfortunately, the stations are the best of, what appears to be, a pretty bad bunch...

James at SVN