In common with many London bloggers, I took a ride on the Jubilee line yesterday afternoon. A ride on specially-preserved 20th century stock. A journey in the company of fellow London Underground enthusiasts. A trip from the old half of the line to the new, at a price, in a train without air-conditioning. There were crowds on the platform waiting expectantly to see the train as it arrived into the station. They gaped open-mouthed at the number of passengers in each carriage. And then the train was gone, diving into the tunnel ahead like an unexpected ghost. It was a memorable journey, and no mistake.
Unfortunately I was travelling on a normal Jubilee line train, built in 1996, and not aboard the special 1938 stock that had run along the line earlier in the day. TfL are upgrading the signalling on the Jubilee, and, once complete, these heritage trains will no longer be able to pass. So, any excuse to take the old girl out of the depot and run her up to West Hampstead and back. Mid-day mid-week was the only gap in the timetable where such a journey would fit, so those of us with jobs to do were restricted to taking a more normal rush hour train home. I only missed by a couple of hours, but in doing so I missed by more than 70 years.
Never mind. Plenty of other online Londonfolk went along instead, so I can experience this journey back in time through their eyes, ears and cameras. I mean, it's nothing special to visit the disused Charing Cross station, is it? We've all been there, ten years ago, before the Jubilee diverted to Stratford, so what's to be gained in pining for a 21st century re-visit? Really, I adored riding nose-to-armpit in a sea of London Lites, because that's the genuine Jubilee experience, innit?
If you didn't go either, here's what we missed:
• Ian visited."As the excited crowd gathered at Stratford station, the tannoy repeatedly asked passengers for the 1938 heritage train to assemble by platform 13. Unlucky for those on the platform waiting for a normal train who were politely evicted – but lucky for the rest of us!" [blog][& 24 photos]
• Darryl visited."The train’s in immaculate condition – its red paintwork gleams and its wooden floors evoke a different age. The springy seats have a healthy bounce in them, and when the train gets up to speed you’re grateful for it. A jumble of vintage ads show the effort the London Transport Museum team put into this train – funded by fares from trips such as this." [blog & 6 videos][& 47 photos]
• Martin visited."It was quite a contrast seeing our 70-year-old train rumbling through space age concrete and glass stations built 10 years ago, and the presence of our train clearly caught some commuters by surprise. Most looked perplexed, or jealous - but one man’s jaw physically dropped as we went by." [blog][& 30 photos]
In common with many London bloggers, I took a ride on the Jubilee line yesterday afternoon. A ride on specially-preserved 20th century stock. A journey in the company of fellow London Underground enthusiasts. A trip from the old half of the line to the new, at a price, in a train without air-conditioning. There were crowds on the platform waiting expectantly to see the train as it arrived into the station. They gaped open-mouthed at the number of passengers in each carriage. And then the train was gone, diving into the tunnel ahead like an unexpected ghost. It was a memorable journey, and no mistake.
Never mind. Plenty of other online Londonfolk went along instead, so I can experience this journey back in time through their eyes, ears and cameras. I mean, it's nothing special to visit the disused Charing Cross station, is it? We've all been there, ten years ago, before the Jubilee diverted to Stratford, so what's to be gained in pining for a 21st century re-visit? Really, I adored riding nose-to-armpit in a sea of London Lites, because that's the genuine Jubilee experience, innit?
