Geoff Marshall follows in the footsteps of John Betjeman into Metroland, following London's Metropolitan Line. There's more over on Geoff's personal channel here: / geofftech2
@@perceptoshmegington3371 - He's the Mayor of London. Watford isn't in London. Why should we Londoners contribute towards something for northerners? Tongue is slightly in cheek here.
It's fun watching these old vids because not only has Geoff come in on P4 at High St Ken (Circle Line) but he's also ridden the Norf Kurve at Watford, despite what he said at 2:25
Devito D But how many stops do you need on a tube journey to recite in your head every station on every line on the underground? I have got it down to 4 stops.
***** bank and Monument are the same station. I don't know why they have different names for it. It even says on the Waterloo and city line "Bank change here for the Central, Circle, District and Northern Lines and the DLA
Six summers ago I stayed about a mile from the Croxley station. Took the Metropolitan line every day into London. Some of our group complained about the long commute, but I loved taking the tube!
thanks so much Geoff, loved this one! appreciate your hard work bringing us the series, goes without saying that any more you can do would be well received...'a day in the life of a driver', 'a depot tour', 'a night with the fluffers'
As I recall, you never got off an electric train, and onto a steam train at Rickmansworth - they merely swapped the locomotives - the stock was the same, six-car Metropolitan "dreadnought" sets.
Tai Thai That video is brilliant, and I see your point, but my point was that you don't have to live in Britain to appreciate the marvel of the London Underground and all of its quirks and history
Chesham is one of my favourite tube stations. Reasons: Gorgeous, Beautiful garden, Beautiful signal box, Beautiful canopy and Beautiful small station building. I love the station a lot.
I love the series. I think ive rewatched most of these two or three times. Brings back memories of living in Dagenham back in the early 90s. When I had a day off I would ride around London on various tube and NSE lines. Similar journeys here in Toronto may be less expensive, but quite dull by comparison.
Too all the people who are here in 2020/2021 the extension from coxley was cancelled due to funding issues and was denied by TFL who owned the line at the time.
1:28-2:05 update - Mayor of London and TFL after many plans and deliberation actually decided to cancel the upgrades to the Watford line, so we’re stuck taking the bus to the shopping center :(
Try Railmaponline You Can Find Historic Tracks And Old Trams And Underground And High Speed Two And Purposed TracksAnd Wikipedia And New Aldestrop Atlas And Open Street Map And Open Railway Map You Can Find Ambadoned Tracks Too
I rode down the North Curve today at around 4pm because the Metropolitan line was suspended between Watford and Northwood and the train stopped on the northbound platform at Rickmansworth and then reversed and turned into a fast service which went to Moor Park,Harrow On the Hill and Finchley Road and then the usual stations in zone 1
2:24 GEOFF : 'but I wasn't prepared to get up at 4am to catch the 5am train around the curve to Croxley' *Smashcut to 2021* GEOFF : 'let's go catch catch the 5am train between Richmond and Croxley then wait around until midnight to do the same in reverse.'
I went on the Metropolitan Line when it went as far as Aylesbury. The old slam-shut-door individual compartment carriages were pulled by an electric locomotive from Baker Street to Rickmansworth and then by a steam locomotive to Aylesbury. There was no need to change trains, they just swapped the motive power. Incidentally the map inside the carriage was a topographical map, not a diagram, and the Metropolitan Line was shown in green instead of the usual mauve colour.
Really interesting, I like the presentation style, and camera work, really brings the viewer into the subject. Gonna check out more of this, but it is 2 in the morning and I need some z's
One did not have to de-train at Rickmansworth, the electric loco was removed from the train, and replaced with a steam engine to continue to Ailesbury. I use to bunk of school and watch them do the changeover.
In 1935, the Metropolitan Line ended service at the Brill Tramway. In 1936, The Metropolitan Line ended service at Verney Junction and went back to Aylesbury. In 1961, the Metropolitan Line ended at Aylesbury and went back to Amersham and Aylesbury Station has been converted. And Verney Junction is still abandoned.
The Chiltern Railways drivers are the only train drivers in the UK to be fully familiar with two different signalling systems - the London Underground signalling as well as the Network Rail signalling as the Chiltern Railways class 165, 166 and 168 DMUs are fitted with a tripcock in order for the units to work over the LUL signalling system between Harrow-on-the-Hill, Rickmansworth, Chorleywood and Amersham as they share the line with the LUL Metropolitan Line.
I live in Chesham, and I’ve ALWAYS wondered what the little ‘slip track’ was between Chorleywood and Rickmansworth was for. Now I know! Also I didn’t know the little tower was a water tower!
Brilliant series of videos, very interesting details and very professionally produced. Any chance on an episode covering the rules of Mornington Crescent perhaps?
Shame they cancelled the extension through Watford. I wish someone would renovate Harrow-on-the-Hill station. It is a wonderful Art Deco building but has seen better days. I'm sure with all the talent of London at our disposal they could do a wonderful job if the funds were available.
Excellent series. Your videos have made me see the Underground in a different light. Please consider doing the DLR, Overground and Tramlink in the future.
This is now 2024 but none of the stations mentioned to be added exist. But these videos are very cool and i love it. Its a bit outdated now, since this is 10 years later, but its still very interesting to see the metropolitan line from the perspective of someone a decade ago
3:19 I found some Easter Eggs with the old tube map! The hammersmith & city is in Purple which is the Metropolitan line colour and the Central line on that map goes up to Ongar So this map was before 1990
Not sure if anyone realises but the met between farringdon and paddington was Broad Gauge. You can still see the very wide infrastructure. The line was built dual gauge and the three rails can be seen in the painting of Praed Street junction shown on the Metropolitan Railway Wikipedia article. It is also shown at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Praed_Street_Junction,_Metropolitan_Railway_Chromolithograph.jpg.
To J Hughes. I found the story of the London Underground fascinating as a kid. Back then, in the 70s of course, it was much more atmospheric with the older rolling stock, ticket booths, smell of asbestos brakes, clunky ticket dispensers, Christmas tree type train departure indicators (especially at Baker street Met line platform 5 up to about 1990. I remember the original Drain and trains weren't so well insulated. The noises and smells were incredible. The signage, paint schemes were of a magical age. I remember taking some underground steel signs out of a skipful at Harrow waste transfer site. No trouble getting £60 each. I should have taken the lot! Nostalgia is something the British make an art form out of. No one does it like they do. Unfortunately there's so much they take it for granted and, next thing you know it's all gone. The stations are all that's left. They could and should put on the occasional vintage train.
I'm not sure if anyone noticed this, but at the end of the video, Geoff says "covered all 11 lines". He's actually covered 10, the last one being the Waterloo and City line, but in fairness, with only 2 stops, it's pretty self explanatory as to why it was missed
I have thoroughly enjoyed every Tube video you have posted! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE try to do the other Tube related video(s) you spoke about in this video!
The tunnel with Wanstead, Redbridge and Gants Hill is in the London Borough of Redbridge. The Chigwell-Grange Hill tunnel however is in the Essex District of Epping Forest.
A brilliant video once again. I have visited Watford Met terminus a couple of times, the most recent when the IWA held its festival at Cassiobury Park in 2013.
Regarding changing to steam at Rickmansworth. As I remember, the trains to Aylesbury from Baker street (Liverpool Street in rush hours) were hauled by electric locos, known as "Bugs" as far as Rickmansworth. There, the Bug was detached and switched to the southbound line, and replaced by steam loco which was parked in the side platform. No need to get off the train. After departure, the Bug waited for the southbound steam-hauled train when the whole changover process was reversed. Sounds compicated I know, but if you had seen as many times as I did 50+ years ago, it was very simple. The carriages were compartment type almost identical to the "T" stock which ran on the Met from Baker Street (Aldgate in rush hours) to Watford. The Baker Street (Moorgate in rush hours) to Uxbridge trains were "O/P" stock; a nice red colour rather than the "T" s dirty brown.
Geoff this is what I found about verney junction. Verney Junction was an isolated railway station at a four-way railway junction in Buckinghamshire, open from 1868 to 1968; a junction existed through the site without a station from 1851.
So far as I know, Chesham began with only the one platform. The bay was built much later, making a total of two platforms. The bay was latterly withdrawn from service, and the track removed.
Rickmansworth: Normally passengers would not have changed trains. Coaches were hauled from Baker Street by an electric locomotive such as the famous 'Sarah Siddons'. At Rickmansworth it would be unhitched and a steam loco attached to continue the journey to Aylesbury or beyond.
Very late to this but just to add that, when I was working in Amersham a few years ago, and had to go in REALLY early one day, I caught the 4-car shuttle from Wembley Park to Chalfont & Latimer (it was going on to Chesham) - so I think they kept it in the Wembley depot overnight.
I've been to Verney Junction! It is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, there's maybe two or three properties nearby. In its heyday it was a four way junction, you could get trains to almost every place in the local area. Nowadays the lines running north and south (south being what was the Met) are long gone but the east west alignment still exists, as do the platforms and even a sign telling you to watch for trains! Everything is fully overgrown but the tracks are still there. Fortunately the east west rails will soon be back in use when trains run again between Oxford and Bletchley, but Verney Junction, with its three houses, is most definitely not going to be a reopened station!
When I lived in Oxford I looked on the map for the town of Verney. There isn't one! Apparently the station is named after the farmer that the railway company bought the field from. It's rather difficult to find any reason why the Metropolitan thought it worthwhile to construct a line to it; I suppose it could have given access on to Buckingham, Brackley and Banbury, but I don't think that ever happened.
The station wasn't named after the nearby settlement, it was the other way around: the nearby settlement was named after the station. I'm not sure where the name of the station (or the junction) came from but there is a tiny hamlet called Verney Junction, near the now disused station.
Sir Harry Verney, born Harry Calvert, was a director of both the Buckinghamshire Railway and the Aylesbury & Buckingham Railway, which met at the junction in question. Another station, on the Great Central, was called Calvert after him.
There used to be an old tunnel from Central London which came up just before you get to to Wembley Park which was used as as a fast network in the 70's. Part of the tunnel is still in use from time to time but only to get in to Neasden Depot.
Used to use the met regularly to go to amersham and on to Wendover for RAF Halton. Used to meet up with others at Moriarty's bar at baker Street station. No longer there I think. Happy days!!
Traveling on the Met . in 1944 , there was no changing of trains at Rickmansworth , it wasn't necessary .The BO BO from Baker St. was replaced by steam ready waiting in the siding , the whole changeover being done very swiftly .The BO BO then used the crossover waiting in the up siding ready for the next Baker St . train , wher the procedure took place in reverse .
Uxbridge is a Met Station as it was built for the railway in 1904 the District reached Uxbridge in 1910, and taken over by the Piccadilly in 1932 with the District being withdrawn , the currant Uxbridge station was opened in 1938 replacing the old one on Belmont Road.
I remember travelling on the met from Harrow on the Hill to Baker Street being pulled by an electric locomotive. The locos were painted grey with red stripes, although some were painter maroon. They had name plates,I don’t know if any are preserved. The coach stock was painted like brown timber or might’ve been timber. There was a half buffet car in one coach..
I know this video is a bit old, but at Rickmansworth the Met changed locos, electric to steam and vice versa. Passengers did not disembark and get on a different train. The track layout was set up so that as the loco coming off ran forward, points changed behind it and the replacement loco backed on to the train. The change over took about three minutes, allegedly the fastest loco change in the world at the time.
Sadiq Khan had nothing to do with it. He has no say when it comes to infrastructure projects outside of London (Watford is in Hertfordshire, remember?)
Still doesn’t change the fact that he had no say in _this_ infrastructure project. He’s the mayor of LONDON, not TfL or Hertfordshire. He’s literally not allowed to do anything outside of London, all he can do is promote such projects to the public.
The "secret" rear entrance to Moor Park Station serves Merchant Taylors' School by a footpath which could get muddy in wet weather.. In the 1960s perhaps more than 400 boys would use this path, not so many now with most (???) coming to school by car.
as a current mts student, i can indeed clarify that the spinney does still get extremely muddy and we do still have a good 30-40% of students and a few teachers getting the tube home, myself included
One did not have to change trains at Rickmansworth. The electric loco, (of the Sarah Siddons) type a was removed, and a BR steam loco backed down and takes the vintage carriages to Aylesbury.
I go through Uxbridge all the time, and I thought you'd like to know that Uxbridge has that curved shape as it was originally designed as a trolley bus terminus.
Thank you for the series, Geoff--a fantastic almost-hour's worth of trivia gold but excuse the capital-shouting when I say ABANDONED STATION VIDEO! YES! Yes please.
thanks for sharing this. as i was watching this video today I was wondering if it's been closed. I'm new to the UK and I live in Uxbridge, so i take the Metropolitan line every day
You didn’t mention that West Harrow has one set of barriers, the platform heading to Uxbridge doesn’t have any barriers but the platform heading to Central London has barriers
And there is no overbridge or underpass - you have to go out and back in. Plus it's not on a main road, there are no shops and no buses nearby. It is a very quirky little stop...and my local station. I love it...:)
Geoff back then: I wasn't prepared to get up at 4am to get the 5am train that goes round the curve Geoff now: posts "Riding The Metropolitan Line's secret curve of track"
The stained glass windows at Uxbridge are the coat of arms for the former county of Middlesex (the crown with three scythes) and the county of Buckinghamshire (the white swan) as Uxbridge was in Middlesex up until 1965 with the border with Buckinghamshire being located very close by.
1:24 People who live near those stations might use them if they ever reopen them. Also, there might be more sprawling in London&why did they close them. I believe at 1 point they reopened up to Aylesbury& then closed them again.
Full of interest, well shot, edited and narrated. Dubbing was quite iffy in one or two episodes. Only real complaint is tried to cram far too much in. Some of the cutaways were so short you could blink and miss them. It leads me to wonder if the series is a sketch to pitch at the MSM to win a full broadcast treatment. That would be wonderful.
It's been 5 years since this video, and Watford station of the metropolitan line is still there XD
The mayor of London cancelled the extension. What an idiot.
@@ben.taylor WHY THE METRO LINE WOULD BE EVEN BETTER
@@ben.taylor Yeah Siddique Khan is a fucking wanklord.
@@perceptoshmegington3371 - He's the Mayor of London. Watford isn't in London. Why should we Londoners contribute towards something for northerners? Tongue is slightly in cheek here.
Percepto Shmegington bruh I’m happy cuz I go to Watford station everyday
It's fun watching these old vids because not only has Geoff come in on P4 at High St Ken (Circle Line) but he's also ridden the Norf Kurve at Watford, despite what he said at 2:25
Whenever I miss London I watch these.
Using an app for cheap tickets. Can share!
me too😢
He forgot to mention that the Metropolitan Line is the only London Underground Line not to connect with the District Line
Devito D But how many stops do you need on a tube journey to recite in your head every station on every line on the underground? I have got it down to 4 stops.
Devito D Neither does the Waterloo and City line (unless you count Bank and Monument as one station).
***** bank and Monument are the same station. I don't know why they have different names for it. It even says on the Waterloo and city line "Bank change here for the Central, Circle, District and Northern Lines and the DLA
Devito D Yeah, I completely agree, I was just pointing out that some people might disagree with it :)
Devito D He mentioned it in the District Line video ;)
Six summers ago I stayed about a mile from the Croxley station. Took the Metropolitan line every day into London. Some of our group complained about the long commute, but I loved taking the tube!
1:41 spoiler alert, as of 2020 its still not been built yet.
But go there anyway as there's a really nice Harvester at that roundabout :)
Yea it’s still not finished XD
It was cancelled
No....NO....NO
Cancelled
The old croxley station makes for some good urban exploration though, if you don't mind walking over a collapsed fence that is...
thanks so much Geoff, loved this one! appreciate your hard work bringing us the series, goes without saying that any more you can do would be well received...'a day in the life of a driver', 'a depot tour', 'a night with the fluffers'
As I recall, you never got off an electric train, and onto a steam train at Rickmansworth - they merely swapped the locomotives - the stock was the same, six-car Metropolitan "dreadnought" sets.
Sad this series is coming to an end but ... canals, overground, DLR, abandoned stations all sound like great watching to me. Keep up the great work!
I don't even live in the UK, why am I watching these
J Hughes because you don't have to be a Londoner or even a Brit to appreciate the Tube ^^
Vectored Thrust Considering the Tube goes out of London see the *Do You Live in London?* video
Tai Thai
That video is brilliant, and I see your point, but my point was that you don't have to live in Britain to appreciate the marvel of the London Underground and all of its quirks and history
same i'm from asian
+Dang Itshere *asia
'A whole bunch of new stations added to the map' adding up to a grand total of 2
Actually, 5.
+KianPlaysMC No, 2. Count the new stations. 1, 2.
GoldenCarrot256 So, what about Watford Vicarage Road? Also, Watford Junction and Watford High Street are now shown with connector blobs.
+KianPlaysMC Watford Vicarage Road, and Cassiobridge. 2 stations. Also, a connector blob does not create a new station.
GoldenCarrot256 Well, it kinda looks like one.....
The watford junct extension might have been cancelled.
FewGrain 42 it has Sadiqu Khan cancelled it in 2016
FewGrain 42, it has.
@@jpbdude4223 welp
The overground terminates at Watford junction
ITS BEEN CANCELLED!
Little Fun Fact: The Metropolitan Line, alongside the Bakerloo, are the only places on the tube where you can sit facing forwards or backwards
Me and my dad were well happy getting to meet you and talk to you at Acton Depot the other day.
Using an app for cheap tickets. Can share!
Watford Junction extension is dead :/
Sean Lecca
@@alankristunas6896 what
Sean Lecca yep
They should extend central line to ickinham so there is less traffic in west ruislip and uxbridge
@@lollil6424 And join Uxbridge to Iver - only four miles of track - to connect with the Lizzy line..:)
We absolutely love this video series, please do more! Thanks in advance.
Really have enjoyed this series. Shame it has to come to an end but something on the abandoned stations would be great!
Chesham is one of my favourite tube stations. Reasons:
Gorgeous,
Beautiful garden,
Beautiful signal box,
Beautiful canopy and
Beautiful small station building.
I love the station a lot.
I love the series. I think ive rewatched most of these two or three times. Brings back memories of living in Dagenham back in the early 90s. When I had a day off I would ride around London on various tube and NSE lines. Similar journeys here in Toronto may be less expensive, but quite dull by comparison.
Too all the people who are here in 2020/2021 the extension from coxley was cancelled due to funding issues and was denied by TFL who owned the line at the time.
I have watched every one of these videos. it, in my opinion, has been one of the best things I have seen on youtube in a while. keep up the good work.
Using an app for cheap tickets. Can share!
"n January 2017, the Watford Observer newspaper confirmed that work had stopped due to an ongoing funding issue." No more Croxley Rail Link ;(
1:28-2:05 update - Mayor of London and TFL after many plans and deliberation actually decided to cancel the upgrades to the Watford line, so we’re stuck taking the bus to the shopping center :(
Who else goes on Google Maps after these and Lost Railways. I tried to find where the tracks went after Aylesbury
Me
Try Railmaponline You Can Find Historic Tracks And Old Trams And Underground And High Speed Two And Purposed TracksAnd Wikipedia And New Aldestrop Atlas And Open Street Map And Open Railway Map You Can Find Ambadoned Tracks Too
@@bogdanrusu7129
Why Are You Writing Like This It Is Just Strange
Look up Great Central Railway - a sad loss:(
mattloveOHIOST5 I spend way too much time doing this.
About bloody time Geoff ;) I have been waiting for this and the Circle line video for ages!!
Nick Higgins He’s done the Circle line.
I'm from Sydney, Australia, and am finishing school next year. Your videos inspired me to make my own of the Cityrail train network
I rode down the North Curve today at around 4pm because the Metropolitan line was suspended between Watford and Northwood and the train stopped on the northbound platform at Rickmansworth and then reversed and turned into a fast service which went to Moor Park,Harrow On the Hill and Finchley Road and then the usual stations in zone 1
"I'm not going to get up at 4am to ride the 5am train around the secret curve on the northern line"... yes you are! 😀
2:24
GEOFF : 'but I wasn't prepared to get up at 4am to catch the 5am train around the curve to Croxley'
*Smashcut to 2021*
GEOFF : 'let's go catch catch the 5am train between Richmond and Croxley then wait around until midnight to do the same in reverse.'
I went on the Metropolitan Line when it went as far as Aylesbury. The old slam-shut-door individual compartment carriages were pulled by an electric locomotive from Baker Street to Rickmansworth and then by a steam locomotive to Aylesbury. There was no need to change trains, they just swapped the motive power. Incidentally the map inside the carriage was a topographical map, not a diagram, and the Metropolitan Line was shown in green instead of the usual mauve colour.
When did you go there?
Really interesting, I like the presentation style, and camera work, really brings the viewer into the subject. Gonna check out more of this, but it is 2 in the morning and I need some z's
One did not have to de-train at Rickmansworth, the electric loco was removed from the train, and replaced with a steam engine to continue to Ailesbury. I use to bunk of school and watch them do the changeover.
In 1935, the Metropolitan Line ended service at the Brill Tramway. In 1936, The Metropolitan Line ended service at Verney Junction and went back to Aylesbury. In 1961, the Metropolitan Line ended at Aylesbury and went back to Amersham and Aylesbury Station has been converted. And Verney Junction is still abandoned.
The Chiltern Railways drivers are the only train drivers in the UK to be fully familiar with two different signalling systems - the London Underground signalling as well as the Network Rail signalling as the Chiltern Railways class 165, 166 and 168 DMUs are fitted with a tripcock in order for the units to work over the LUL signalling system between Harrow-on-the-Hill, Rickmansworth, Chorleywood and Amersham as they share the line with the LUL Metropolitan Line.
I live in Chesham, and I’ve ALWAYS wondered what the little ‘slip track’ was between Chorleywood and Rickmansworth was for. Now I know! Also I didn’t know the little tower was a water tower!
Brilliant series of videos, very interesting details and very professionally produced. Any chance on an episode covering the rules of Mornington Crescent perhaps?
Shame they cancelled the extension through Watford. I wish someone would renovate Harrow-on-the-Hill station. It is a wonderful Art Deco building but has seen better days. I'm sure with all the talent of London at our disposal they could do a wonderful job if the funds were available.
I actually love your london transport vids. Keep em coming!
1:24 Verney Junction is a very small town in the UK. There are still train tracks there (on a satellite map) but yeah
Excellent series. Your videos have made me see the Underground in a different light. Please consider doing the DLR, Overground and Tramlink in the future.
0.37 'Lunderground network' Haha
0:37
I made this mistake before
Thank god I'm not the only one pissing my self laughing about this 🤣😂
It should be L'underground because you are dropping the "ondon"
Charlie Clapp ur a grammar nazi. Btw u forgot a full stop/period.
This is now 2024 but none of the stations mentioned to be added exist. But these videos are very cool and i love it. Its a bit outdated now, since this is 10 years later, but its still very interesting to see the metropolitan line from the perspective of someone a decade ago
Love it all, used to live in south Ruislip, swim at south Harrow pool and fish in the canal at Uxbridge. Train was my pleasure.
Thank you
Geoff has since gotten up at 4am and stayed up late to ride both trains on the north curve
Excellent! Thank you from Germany!
Yup this hits my geekiness as well. Wish I had known about Verney Junction when I was at Buckingham
Given that the Bletchley/Bicester line is due to re-open, Verney would be useful again.
Brian Parker when I first went to Buckingham I purposefully took the Bletchley / Biscester line it was still using the old diesel commuter trains.
The update could include the intended Watford station on the main road (quite obvious once you see it - including the intended window-surrounds).
My grandparents used to own the pub at Verney Junction!
3:19 I found some Easter Eggs with the old tube map!
The hammersmith & city is in Purple which is the Metropolitan line colour and the Central line on that map goes up to Ongar
So this map was before 1990
Not sure if anyone realises but the met between farringdon and paddington was Broad Gauge. You can still see the very wide infrastructure. The line was built dual gauge and the three rails can be seen in the painting of Praed Street junction shown on the Metropolitan Railway Wikipedia article. It is also shown at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Praed_Street_Junction,_Metropolitan_Railway_Chromolithograph.jpg.
To J Hughes. I found the story of the London Underground fascinating as a kid. Back then, in the 70s of course, it was much more atmospheric with the older rolling stock, ticket booths, smell of asbestos brakes, clunky ticket dispensers, Christmas tree type train departure indicators (especially at Baker street Met line platform 5 up to about 1990. I remember the original Drain and trains weren't so well insulated. The noises and smells were incredible. The signage, paint schemes were of a magical age. I remember taking some underground steel signs out of a skipful at Harrow waste transfer site. No trouble getting £60 each. I should have taken the lot! Nostalgia is something the British make an art form out of. No one does it like they do. Unfortunately there's so much they take it for granted and, next thing you know it's all gone. The stations are all that's left. They could and should put on the occasional vintage train.
I'm not sure if anyone noticed this, but at the end of the video, Geoff says "covered all 11 lines". He's actually covered 10, the last one being the Waterloo and City line, but in fairness, with only 2 stops, it's pretty self explanatory as to why it was missed
Mattbarson23 they did that one too
Guys, he posted this *4 years ago!*
@@legend_darkstar hahahaha
@@robert1200 wow that was 2 years ago
@@legend_darkstar indeed
I have thoroughly enjoyed every Tube video you have posted! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE try to do the other Tube related video(s) you spoke about in this video!
2:38 tunnel between Grange Hill and Chigwell and between Wanstead and Newbury Park. ;).
The tunnel with Wanstead, Redbridge and Gants Hill is in the London Borough of Redbridge. The Chigwell-Grange Hill tunnel however is in the Essex District of Epping Forest.
CrouchingBarmaidsHiddenSausage however he did say OUTSIDE of London, hence why I said Grange Hill- Chigwell.
A brilliant video once again. I have visited Watford Met terminus a couple of times, the most recent when the IWA held its festival at Cassiobury Park in 2013.
Always nice to see my little home town in videos. Chesham is a great place. Amersham is too, went through there to go to collage at Aylesbury.
Love the videos. Hope there WILL be more :-)
Regarding changing to steam at Rickmansworth.
As I remember, the trains to Aylesbury from Baker street (Liverpool Street in rush hours) were hauled by electric locos, known as "Bugs" as far as Rickmansworth. There, the Bug was detached and switched to the southbound line, and replaced by steam loco which was parked in the side platform. No need to get off the train. After departure, the Bug waited for the southbound steam-hauled train when the whole changover process was reversed. Sounds compicated I know, but if you had seen as many times as I did 50+ years ago, it was very simple.
The carriages were compartment type almost identical to the "T" stock which ran on the Met from Baker Street (Aldgate in rush hours) to Watford. The Baker Street (Moorgate in rush hours) to Uxbridge trains were "O/P" stock; a nice red colour rather than the "T" s dirty brown.
I get the feeling that this connection might not be built anytime soon...
The Metropolitan line is my favourite line on the network. Chesham is my favourite station. Brilliant video mate.
At Hillingdon at the Eastbound platform if you look at the metropolitan and Piccadilly line signs Aldwych is mentioned on the signs peak hours only!
Geoff this is what I found about verney junction. Verney Junction was an isolated railway station at a four-way railway junction in Buckinghamshire, open from 1868 to 1968; a junction existed through the site without a station from 1851.
So far as I know, Chesham began with only the one platform. The bay was built much later, making a total of two platforms. The bay was latterly withdrawn from service, and the track removed.
Rickmansworth: Normally passengers would not have changed trains. Coaches were hauled from Baker Street by an electric locomotive such as the famous 'Sarah Siddons'. At Rickmansworth it would be unhitched and a steam loco attached to continue the journey to Aylesbury or beyond.
Very late to this but just to add that, when I was working in Amersham a few years ago, and had to go in REALLY early one day, I caught the 4-car shuttle from Wembley Park to Chalfont & Latimer (it was going on to Chesham) - so I think they kept it in the Wembley depot overnight.
I've been to Verney Junction! It is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, there's maybe two or three properties nearby. In its heyday it was a four way junction, you could get trains to almost every place in the local area. Nowadays the lines running north and south (south being what was the Met) are long gone but the east west alignment still exists, as do the platforms and even a sign telling you to watch for trains! Everything is fully overgrown but the tracks are still there.
Fortunately the east west rails will soon be back in use when trains run again between Oxford and Bletchley, but Verney Junction, with its three houses, is most definitely not going to be a reopened station!
When I lived in Oxford I looked on the map for the town of Verney. There isn't one! Apparently the station is named after the farmer that the railway company bought the field from. It's rather difficult to find any reason why the Metropolitan thought it worthwhile to construct a line to it; I suppose it could have given access on to Buckingham, Brackley and Banbury, but I don't think that ever happened.
The station wasn't named after the nearby settlement, it was the other way around: the nearby settlement was named after the station. I'm not sure where the name of the station (or the junction) came from but there is a tiny hamlet called Verney Junction, near the now disused station.
Sir Harry Verney, born Harry Calvert, was a director of both the Buckinghamshire Railway and the Aylesbury & Buckingham Railway, which met at the junction in question. Another station, on the Great Central, was called Calvert after him.
@@JimTLonW6 They wanted people to move to Verney Junction and build properties there! Like how most of London was buildt!
There used to be an old tunnel from Central London which came up just before you get to to Wembley Park which was used as as a fast network in the 70's. Part of the tunnel is still in use from time to time but only to get in to Neasden Depot.
Used to use the met regularly to go to amersham and on to Wendover for RAF Halton. Used to meet up with others at Moriarty's bar at baker Street station. No longer there I think. Happy days!!
I visited Croxley station today. What a lovely part of town
Traveling on the Met . in 1944 , there was no changing of trains at Rickmansworth , it wasn't necessary .The BO BO from Baker St. was replaced by steam ready waiting in the siding , the whole changeover being done very swiftly .The BO BO then used the crossover waiting in the up siding ready for the next Baker St . train , wher the procedure took place in reverse .
Fascinating video (as always)... I live near Quainton Road and would love to see more history of this part of the 'underground''.
Uxbridge is a Met Station as it was built for the railway in 1904 the District reached Uxbridge in 1910, and taken over by the Piccadilly in 1932 with the District being withdrawn , the currant Uxbridge station was opened in 1938 replacing the old one on Belmont Road.
I remember travelling on the met from Harrow on the Hill to Baker Street being pulled by an electric locomotive. The locos were painted grey with red stripes, although some were painter maroon. They had name plates,I don’t know if any are preserved. The coach stock was painted like brown timber or might’ve been timber. There was a half buffet car in one coach..
I know this video is a bit old, but at Rickmansworth the Met changed locos, electric to steam and vice versa. Passengers did not disembark and get on a different train. The track layout was set up so that as the loco coming off ran forward, points changed behind it and the replacement loco backed on to the train. The change over took about three minutes, allegedly the fastest loco change in the world at the time.
Sad news four years later... Watford station will still remain because Sadiq Khan cancelled the Met extension to Wat Junc.
At least Watford will stay
It's only suspended due to funding problems
Sadiq Khan had nothing to do with it. He has no say when it comes to infrastructure projects outside of London (Watford is in Hertfordshire, remember?)
@@KasabianFan44 He has plenty of say when it comes to infrastructure projects undertaken by Transport for London.
Still doesn’t change the fact that he had no say in _this_ infrastructure project. He’s the mayor of LONDON, not TfL or Hertfordshire. He’s literally not allowed to do anything outside of London, all he can do is promote such projects to the public.
The "secret" rear entrance to Moor Park Station serves Merchant Taylors' School by a footpath which could get muddy in wet weather.. In the 1960s perhaps more than 400 boys would use this path, not so many now with most (???) coming to school by car.
as a current mts student, i can indeed clarify that the spinney does still get extremely muddy and we do still have a good 30-40% of students and a few teachers getting the tube home, myself included
You do excellent work, most enjoyable. Thank you.
Excellent Series..Betjeman Would approve.
3:25 An oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold platform lol
Well done Geoff, brilliant stuff
One did not have to change trains at Rickmansworth. The electric loco, (of the Sarah Siddons) type a was removed, and a BR steam loco backed down and takes the vintage carriages to Aylesbury.
I go through Uxbridge all the time, and I thought you'd like to know that Uxbridge has that curved shape as it was originally designed as a trolley bus terminus.
Thank you for the series, Geoff--a fantastic almost-hour's worth of trivia gold but excuse the capital-shouting when I say ABANDONED STATION VIDEO! YES!
Yes please.
I am in 2019 and they still haven’t closed Watford Station
thanks for sharing this. as i was watching this video today I was wondering if it's been closed. I'm new to the UK and I live in Uxbridge, so i take the Metropolitan line every day
The Watford Junction diversion was cancelled by Sadiq Khan in 2016.
I am in May 2020 and Coronavirus is ravaging the world and lots of Tubes are closed or having very reduced service
I lived in London for years.
I've NEVER taken the Metropolitan Line.
I live in Metroland - it's a whole other place:)
Why ?
Ingrid Dubbel same
Ingrid Dubbel same
You didn’t mention that West Harrow has one set of barriers, the platform heading to Uxbridge doesn’t have any barriers but the platform heading to Central London has barriers
And there is no overbridge or underpass - you have to go out and back in. Plus it's not on a main road, there are no shops and no buses nearby. It is a very quirky little stop...and my local station. I love it...:)
Geoff back then: I wasn't prepared to get up at 4am to get the 5am train that goes round the curve
Geoff now: posts "Riding The Metropolitan Line's secret curve of track"
The stained glass windows at Uxbridge are the coat of arms for the former county of Middlesex (the crown with three scythes) and the county of Buckinghamshire (the white swan) as Uxbridge was in Middlesex up until 1965 with the border with Buckinghamshire being located very close by.
1:24 People who live near those stations might use them if they ever reopen them. Also, there might be more sprawling in London&why did they close them. I believe at 1 point they reopened up to Aylesbury& then closed them again.
Would be a good idea if Suburbia started expanding towards there....
Best video series ever! Have been hooked. Have most definitely liked and subscribed!
what
i love your games that you play you are so good at gaming your game
that lovet my gaming you tram games in the youtob and traks
I was born is Switzerland but now I'm in the UK so I can watch many of these
3:10 used to use that secret entrance every week-day in term time to get to school...
we still use it to this day, nice to see an omt here
Verney Junction is near Buckingham and Bicester, Oxfordshire.
Fun fact:Quainton Road station is now a railway centre and is the place which has the Met 1 steam locomotive.
The Croxley Green to Watford used to be in use when I was at Art College in Watford and it connected to Watford Football Club's stadium.
theres an abandoned station near there
1:21 So that puzzle in Skyfall WAS accurate as far as Bond guessing that Granborough was a reference to the Metropolitan line.
I see you're a very cultured person
Gisa R. You mean she’s Karen
Another fun fact: the Chesham to Chalfont shuttle was the only London Underground service to take place entirely outside ‘Zone 6’.
Full of interest, well shot, edited and narrated. Dubbing was quite iffy in one or two episodes. Only real complaint is tried to cram far too much in. Some of the cutaways were so short you could blink and miss them. It leads me to wonder if the series is a sketch to pitch at the MSM to win a full broadcast treatment. That would be wonderful.
Great video! going to have to vist Watford Met again before it closes :)
At 3:05 did anyone else see that rusty old bike