London Rail

Category: Historical

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey

    This Easter its fifty years since the classic space film, 2001: A Space Odyssey had its world premiere at the Lowe Theatre in Washington D.C. Despite being an American movie, 2001 was in fact one of a number of US films entirely made in Britain. Hence the credits: Made at MGM British Studios Ltd. Borehamwood,…

  • Kursaal Amusement Park

    It seems Blackpool Pleasure Beach has almost always been Britain’s biggest seaside theme park. Other theme parks in the UK are no doubt bigger yet can only be found inland, such as Alton Towers. It wasn’t always like this. One of Britain’s biggest was officially closed down 45 years ago this month – although by…

  • London Bus Photos – Route 150

    Route 150 – Aldgate to Victoria Bus Station This really should have been a 30th anniversary post in the summer of 2017 – however these pictures were found over xmas! The bus route concerned is not the 150 which runs between Becontree Heath and Chigwell Row (which didn’t run on Sundays anyway.) Its a different…

  • Stuck in Miltown and furious!

    If you were due a court appearance in Ennis over a counter claim by the West Clare Railway, simply claiming you had travelled by one of its trains to court and been made late would have earned the judge’s deepest sympathies. That is because the West Clare had a most disreputable image in terms of…

  • Central Line: beyond Caxton Road

    A minor update of the article posted two years ago featuring the Central Line around Wood Lane/White City showing how the area’s changed. Previous overground sections of the Central Line are now underground. The header image shows the Central Line tracks as they approach Ariel Way. This section was the original route of the Central…

  • Barre’s Sliding Railway

    This is the follow up to the Crystal Palace Gliding Railway feature. Following that demonstration this officially became the Barre Sliding Railway Company. The Sliding Railway Company launched investors’ bonds to show it was a serious contender for inter-urban transit. In order to tempt the US market, a line was proposed in Paris from Place Clichy to La Villette. Four miles long with…

  • The Crystal Palace Gliding Railway

    Louis-Dominique Girard’s Gliding Railway, in French known as the The Chemin de Fer Glissant (later it was called the Sliding Railway) was an unusual type of train whose origins began in the late 1860s as a test line in the ground of Girard’s home near Paris. It is said Girard developed his patent from somewhat earlier attempts to build a…

  • South Kensington Subway #3

    Pavement Lights The subway’s pavement lights can be seen here in Thurloe Street near the station entrance. It seems there were originally six sets of pavement lights in the subway – including two small lights in the turn from the main tunnel to the steps leading into the station. They can be seen from outside…

  • South Kensington Subway #2

    The Subway’s Route The subway at the South Kensington station end where it joins the station’s ticket hall. This isn’t the original entrance but rather it was from a footbridge below which directly linked to the platforms. There seems no records of when these alterations were effected but it appears it was in the late…

  • South Kensington Subway

    The South Kensington subway is the most heavily used foot tunnel in the UK, carrying many millions of people, and it links the tube station at South Kensington with London’s famous museums along Exhibition Road. These are the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. The subway is owned by…

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