Following on from yesterday’s article, which included photos of the steam test at Baker Street on Sunday morning, below are a selection of photos of the same Special Train at Edgware Road and Earl’s Court.
As several commentors on the previous piece pointed out, it appears that the locomotive was indeed in light steam for most of the exercise. This really does make for a stunning contrast with the surrounding modernity (which, in some cases, isn’t even that modern).
All these photos help highlight something that sometimes it is easy to forget amidst the politics and logistics, both for us as commentors and for London Underground itself. This is that ultimately the Underground is at heart about railways and railwaymen (and women), both the traditions and indeed duties of which are as important now as they were 150 years ago. The methods and technology may have changed, but the day-to-day business is arguably still the same.
Thus far it appears that 2013 may give us a good range of activities that help celebrate that past, whilst not interfering with the need to keep improving the future.
Images are copyright/credited to BowroadUK, and you can find more on his excellent photostream here.
Steam at Edgware Road
Preparing to leave (at Earl’s Court)
“Well the mileage is good, but the MOT is a nightmare”
The old and the (relatively) new
30587 from the front (at Earl’s Court)
30587 from the rear
Sarah Siddons, present as a viewing platform
A closer view of Sarah Siddons
Get the model version here!
http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/product/28467/K2051_Dapol_240WT_Beattie_Well_Tank_Steam_Locomotive_30587
The passenger car, Sarah Siddons, appears to be a cab on a flat car – is that how it was built or has it been modified (eg placed on a steel underframe) for modern safety standards?
Please excuse any faulty use of North American RR terminology.
Pete
Sarah is not a passenger car but an electric locomotive built in the 1920s (Metropolitan Railway No.12). Not withdrawn until the 1980s but now retained in working order for special trains.
And here is a video of Sarah out & about again today!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyH_VHbcdDA
Would it be possible to use one of your photographs in our Societey’s publication ‘The Mancunian’. I like to show them up north that it is not all electric on the UndergounD
Mike,
Yes – its not all soft southern ‘lectrics down here!
The copyright on these images is held by bowroaduk who took them, and was kind enough to let us use them. Probably the best thing to do is drop him a message on Flikr with your request, but if you have trouble working out how to do that then just drop me an email to the contributor address on here and I’ll point you in his direction.
@Tom
Thanks for the info. Now that you mention it, it does look like a locomotive rather than a passenger car but with quite a few windows.
Pete