Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
Anyone going on the trips tomorrow?

The Times report:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mind-the-soot-tube-ride-to-the-past-n3fflhnjj?shareToken=ba4a2bbcd9ed7c9d0229bb423dde6 8bd

I'm curious why it didn't go on the original District line, through South
Ken and on to Whitechapel? The route they did use was largely overground
(indeed, on viaduct), and some near High St Ken was only covered long after
the original opening.


Too much risk of disruption to the main services of the District and Circle
if something went awry?

A good part of the route used is duplicated by the Piccadilly so could act
as a relief for ordinary travellers
if the District services got seriously disrupted, admittedly a hiccup
between Earls Court and High Street Ken
would be disruptive but that is a fairly short section.

I am not familiar with the stations at the Eastern end of the District to
know what Stations are suitable to stable a train long enough for it to be
rewatered , temporary tanks had been erected both at Ealing Broadway and
High Street Ken and while that is happening you need to allow for the smoke
to escape.
At High street Ken the position of the steam loco meant it was in the open
but even so there was some drift
and observing that while most normal travellers were interested in the
historic train in front of them to take photos there were some who by their
exaggerated actions in putting hands over nose and eyes did not appreciate
coal smoke, some oriental looking people even whipped a couple of those
face masks they often wear while cycling or walking etc.
While the previous specials on the Met did go further into tunnelled
sections it is nearly 5 years since Hammersmith and City 150 and I would
not be surprised to find the general publics attitude to being subjected
involuntarily to smoke has hardened a bit. It would only take a few
extremists to kick off that TFL the organisation that administrators the
emission zones then allows such a train to pollute through poorly vented
stations to spoil the party.

Like most Newspaper reports there is the odd gaff that the general reader
won’t notice or really care about,

Liverpudlians may well dispute the claim that London had the only
subterranean Railway in the world as the Mersey Railway was known to be a
smoky experience as well and was electrified a tad before the London
subsurface lines as people were preferring to use the ferries.

And the Times reported the Steam Loco lead on the Journey in and the
Electric out.
Completely wrong to what was planned and happened, not an earth shattering
mistake but just another example of something you do know is wrong making
you wonder what else is wrong about things you don’t know about.

Interesting comments by one of the passengers who reckoned the train was
more comfortable than modern ones, I thought the complete opposite, while
there was definitely an ambience that was interesting for a pleasure ride
the compartment on the Chesham set I was in was cramped and hot ,for HC
150 I got a place in the jubilee coach which was a bit more spacious but
still quite confining.

For everyday use on an intensely used railway the S stock is a much better
travelling experience.


GH