The Swiss Cottage line #2
Where did the Baker Street and St John’s Wood line get its trains – seeing it didn’t have any carriage sidings or engine sheds? Obviously these came from the Metropolitan Railway’s main depot at Chapel Street. In those days this was a substantial site consisting of carriage sidings and engine…
The Swiss Cottage line
Today is the 13th April 2018 (and its a Friday!) 150 years ago on this day the Metropolitan and St. John’s Wood Railway was opened – the opening day in 1868 was on a Monday. The Metropolitan and St. John’s Wood Railway was first incorporated on 29 July 1864 and…
Tube Viaduct Mystery!
Remember the Arnos Park viaduct mystery? How many arches did it actually have? Here’s another London Underground Piccadilly line viaduct mystery. And this time the answer is a balls up… Let me explain. Arnos Grove station has an exhibition on its footbridge detailing the history and construction of the station…
Piccadilly Line's Hounslow anniversary
This week (March 2018) is the anniversary of the commencement of Piccadilly Line services from Northfields to Hounslow West on 13 March 1933. This day was also the start of the service at the other end of the Piccadilly Line, from Arnos Grove to Enfield West. This post is largely…
Thameslink Canal Tunnels open!
Thameslink’s Canal Tunnels opened today! The new north-south services began operating through the inter-linking tunnels between St. Pancras and Belle Isle junction near King’s Cross. Initially the service consists of just three trains a day in each direction. The full timetable will begin in May. The staff were out in…
A Victoria Line station's belated 50th anniversary
Almost fifty & half years ago the first Victoria Line station opened – and that was actually one year early. The year was 1967! What? That can’t be possible, the line didn’t open until September 1968! This is no anniversary of any sort! Okay hold on… let it be said…
London Bus Photos – Route 237
Route 237 – Shepherd’s Bush to Sunbury Village Another bus route scanned from my photograph albums compiled many years ago. The 237 went from Shepherd’s Bush to Sunbury Village for just nine years. Its Routemaster services finally ended in February 1987. The 237 and its sister route 37 (as well…
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…
Heathrow Extension 40th
This weekend (16 December) its the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Piccadilly Line’s extension to Heathrow. Previously it had opened between Hounslow West and Hatton Cross on 19 July 1975, heralding the first new tube since the Victoria Line. Prior to the Heathrow line’s opening, one had to…
St Pancras Thameslink 10th
St Pancras International currently has three different railway anniversaries. These are the opening of the Eurostar terminal on 11 November 2007 followed by the new Thameslink station on 9 December of that year (both 10 years ago) and the station itself has entered its 150th year of public service. With…