Initially, we’d planned just a single post looking at Farringdon as part of our (increasingly badly titled) London Terminals series, but John Bull’s recent wander through the old ‘Widened Lines’ tunnels east of Farringdon gave a brief glimpse of an unexpectedly cavernous subterranean world. This prompted us to ask: just how much more is down there?
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The Secret Life of Seven Sisters
One of the notable things about the Victoria line is just how busy it is. Unlike other lines there are just no quiet stretches. It is quite surprising, therefore, that if you know where to look you can find a platform on the Victoria line that has an eerie silence and an almost sinister lack of people waiting for the next train – for most of the time, at least.
Continue readingA Brief History of Sidings
Perhaps because they represent a mysterious unseen underworld, disused Underground stations seem to fascinate a lot of people – including those who aren’t generally interested in trains. You could be forgiven for thinking that Underground sidings would carry the same cachet, but they seem to be a subject that is often overlooked.
Continue reading“Beck and Beyond” at the LTM
The London Transport Museum appear to have an interesting talk on Wednesday 20th June as part of their “Mind the Map” Exhibition season – a talk looking at the legacy of Beck’s iconic Tube map …
Continue readingA Brief Look Inside the S7 Stock
Whilst the eight car S Stock is now a relatively familiar sight on the Metropolitan Line, the S7 variant will not make its public debut until after the Olympics. It will then be rolled out …
Continue readingNot Stopping Here: (Gimmie) Deep Level Shelter
Through the Blitz and beyond, the part the Underground played in World War Two was a complex one. Nowhere was this more true than the role it played in sheltering the civilian populace from aerial attack. The part platforms at places like Aldwych played, and the tragedy at Bethnal Green are now relatively well known. What is perhaps less well known, however, is the role played by the Deep Level Shelters – the remains of which can still be seen at street level.
Continue readingSteam at Edgware Road and Earl’s Court
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. …
Continue readingWhite Knights and Wishlists: Northern and Bakerloo Line Extensions
As the final quarter of 2011 drew to a close, the future seemed bright (or at least no longer entirely dark) with regards to extending the Underground. The release of the Mayor’s updated Transport Strategy …
Continue readingThe Shape of Things to Come Part 3: The Hard Path to Change
“And one should bear in mind that there is nothing more difficult to execute, nor more dubious of success, nor more dangerous to administer than to introduce a new order of things; for he who …
Continue readingThe Shape of Things to Come Part 2: What the Operational Strategy Discussion Paper Means for the Underground
The word “driverless” does not feature in the Operational Strategy Discussion Paper once. Given the amount of times this word has appeared in the press recently, the above statement may seem rather surprising. What it …
Continue readingThe Shape of Things to Come Part 1: What the Operational Strategy Discussion Paper Means for the Underground
Last week saw the future of the Underground thrust firmly into the light again thanks to the leak, by the RMT, of an internal London Underground Operation Strategy Discussion Paper to selected news sources. The …
Continue readingStretching the Line: Why We Do (and Don’t) Extend Tube Lines
With Crossrail under construction and extensions to both the Bakerloo and Northern Line being mooted, it seems a pertinent time to provide a brief reminder into some of the whys and wherefores for those less …
Continue readingNorthern line weekend closures September 2011 – January 2012
The Northern line upgrade is at full pace now, with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) due for late 2012/early 2013. ATO is also in place on the Central, Jubilee and Victoria lines. Starting over two years …
Continue readingIn Pictures: Farringdon and High Holborn
Mikey’s Flikr pool is one that we have raided (with his permission) before, as it is often home to some impressive images from London’s Transport history. This week is no exception, with two excellent images …
Continue readingIn Pictures: Brompton Road Station
This post arguably needs little introduction. IanVisits (an occasional and always welcome guest author here at LR Towers) and M@ from Londonist were able to visit parts of Brompton Road, one of the Piccadilly Line’s …
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