In message , at 08:49:38 on Mon, 24 Jun
2019, Recliner remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
Anyone going on the trips tomorrow?

The Times report:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m...e-to-the-past-
n3fflhnjj?shareToken=ba4a2bbcd9ed7c9d0229bb423dde 68bd

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.

I'm sure it was a result of wanting to make as many trips per day as
possible. According to the steward in our carriage, there's a 10mph
speed limit approaching every station for this sort of train and the 2hr
return trip diagram (to include boarding and detraining) was plenty long
enough.

A longer trip would also have interrupted the normal service too much
(given the slow progress of the steam train).

We brushed shoulders with all three of the character-actors in that
photo, and there were a few more, including a Policeman, and of course
the band.

As for smoke-amd-smells, there was none, and one could be forgiven for
thinking they weren't burning coal at all (they didn't say). Plenty of
steam, and chuff-chuff noises, though.

The only part that wasn't in daylight was from Earl Court station to
outside South Ken. On the first half of the trip we stopped numerous
times in that darkness.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 08:49:38 on Mon, 24 Jun
2019, Recliner remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
Anyone going on the trips tomorrow?

The Times report:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m...e-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.

I'm sure it was a result of wanting to make as many trips per day as
possible. According to the steward in our carriage, there's a 10mph
speed limit approaching every station for this sort of train and the 2hr
return trip diagram (to include boarding and detraining) was plenty long
enough.

A longer trip would also have interrupted the normal service too much
(given the slow progress of the steam train).

We brushed shoulders with all three of the character-actors in that
photo, and there were a few more, including a Policeman, and of course
the band.

As for smoke-amd-smells, there was none, and one could be forgiven for
thinking they weren't burning coal at all (they didn't say). Plenty of
steam, and chuff-chuff noises, though.

The only part that wasn't in daylight was from Earl Court station to
outside South Ken. On the first half of the trip we stopped numerous
times in that darkness.

South Ken? Or High St Ken?

During the steam era, that was all in the open (it was only built over in
the 1950s, for the West London Air Terminal). That covered section past
Triangle Sidings is very short indeed, so it seems unlikely you'd have
stopped numerous times.

You would also have gone through a different covered section between Earls
Court and Barons Court, under the former exhibition hall. That too would
have been open in the steam era, and for some decades thereafter (the
exhibition hall was built over the tracks in 1935-7).

So in steam days, that route would have been entirely in the open. And the
sections that are covered now aren't real tunnels, just roofed-over former
open sections.

In message , at 16:33:58 on Mon, 24 Jun
2019, Recliner remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 08:49:38 on Mon, 24 Jun
2019, Recliner remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
Anyone going on the trips tomorrow?

The Times report:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m...e-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.

I'm sure it was a result of wanting to make as many trips per day as
possible. According to the steward in our carriage, there's a 10mph
speed limit approaching every station for this sort of train and the 2hr
return trip diagram (to include boarding and detraining) was plenty long
enough.

A longer trip would also have interrupted the normal service too much
(given the slow progress of the steam train).

We brushed shoulders with all three of the character-actors in that
photo, and there were a few more, including a Policeman, and of course
the band.

As for smoke-amd-smells, there was none, and one could be forgiven for
thinking they weren't burning coal at all (they didn't say). Plenty of
steam, and chuff-chuff noises, though.

The only part that wasn't in daylight was from Earl Court station to
outside South Ken. On the first half of the trip we stopped numerous
times in that darkness.

South Ken? Or High St Ken?

The latter. (Too many Kensingtons!)

During the steam era, that was all in the open (it was only built over in
the 1950s, for the West London Air Terminal). That covered section past
Triangle Sidings is very short indeed, so it seems unlikely you'd have
stopped numerous times.

I have it on video. We stopped several times.

You would also have gone through a different covered section between Earls
Court and Barons Court, under the former exhibition hall. That too would
have been open in the steam era, and for some decades thereafter (the
exhibition hall was built over the tracks in 1935-7).

So in steam days, that route would have been entirely in the open. And the
sections that are covered now aren't real tunnels, just roofed-over former
open sections.


--
Roland Perry

In message , at 16:33:58 on Mon, 24 Jun
2019, Recliner remarked:

The only part that wasn't in daylight was from Earl Court station to
outside {High Street Ken}.

During the steam era, that was all in the open (it was only built over in
the 1950s, for the West London Air Terminal).

When was Kelso Place built, that and the surrounding streets are above
the line.

Cutting out the stops, from Earls Court station about halfway along the
platform we were moving under cover for 20sec, out in the open for
20sec, darkness again for 30sec, sidings for 30sec and then in darkness
again (a proper tunnel!) for 1min 25sec.

All timings to nearest 2sec. We weren't much above walking pace a lot of
the time.

You would also have gone through a different covered section between Earls
Court and Barons Court, under the former exhibition hall. That too would
have been open in the steam era, and for some decades thereafter (the
exhibition hall was built over the tracks in 1935-7).

I wasn't paying attention to the approach to Earls Court Station, but
the line immediately west of the station is open-air and it ventilates
the shed quite well.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 16:33:58 on Mon, 24 Jun
2019, Recliner remarked:

The only part that wasn't in daylight was from Earl Court station to
outside {High Street Ken}.

During the steam era, that was all in the open (it was only built over in
the 1950s, for the West London Air Terminal).

When was Kelso Place built, that and the surrounding streets are above
the line.

Apparently it was first mentioned in 1853, but the houses may be later.
With those early cut and cover railways, they'd have had to demolish any
houses along the line of the route, as with the famous Leinster Gardens and
its fake houses. Some of the local roads might have existed, of course,
with the line crossing under them.


Cutting out the stops, from Earls Court station about halfway along the
platform we were moving under cover for 20sec, out in the open for
20sec, darkness again for 30sec, sidings for 30sec and then in darkness
again (a proper tunnel!) for 1min 25sec.

Under Kelso Place?


All timings to nearest 2sec. We weren't much above walking pace a lot of
the time.

You would also have gone through a different covered section between Earls
Court and Barons Court, under the former exhibition hall. That too would
have been open in the steam era, and for some decades thereafter (the
exhibition hall was built over the tracks in 1935-7).

I wasn't paying attention to the approach to Earls Court Station, but
the line immediately west of the station is open-air and it ventilates
the shed quite well.