Misc.

 

 

 

 

 


The episode of Thunderbirds, when they envisioned a time that the whole of the London Underground was abandoned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The entrance to the Tower Subway - the first 'tube' line in the world. It ran under the Thames but was only open for a few months.

This is its north side of the river entrance on Tower Hill, rebuilt after closure. According to Mark Brader, the equivalent south side entrance "...fell to redevelopment" in the 1990s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were original plans to build a station at St. Anne's (in between Manor House and Turnpike Lane on the Piccadilly Line) but they were shelved before the line was built.

St. Anne's did get this ventilation 'station' though. It's hardly a design classic yet there is a virtually identical one between Wood Green and Bounds Green as well.

(photo: 2001)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oxford Circus station buildings: the original Central line one on the left and the Bakerloo line one on the right, both built by separate competing underground railway companies before the underground system was nationalised.

This is an excellent example of the wasteful duplication that direct competition can cause. Transport systems need cohesive central planning that have ease of use as the primary consideration, not the commercial interests of the financial world (though it could easily be argued that greater transport efficiency would increase company profits by lowering the working hours lost to transport inadequacies).

Other existing examples include: the separate Edgware Road stations of the Bakerloo line and the District/Circle lines, Queensway and Bayswater stations in ridiculously close proximity to each other, as are Great Portland Street and Regents Park stations...

 

(Mar 2004)

 

 

 

 

1938 stock.
These trains with the 'homely' interiors only disappeared from London's underground in the 1990s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside of 1938 stock.

The aforementioned homeliness is not visually apparent here but these trains had wood panelling (not plastic), light bulbs (as opposed to fluorescent tubes) and seats that you 'sank into' (although that may have been caused by the ageing springs!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

1938 stock at Watford Junction when the Bakerloo line used to run that far.
The red brick building on the left has been demolished and the canopies have been removed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disused platform at Mansion House that disappeared from sight when the station was rebuilt:

"In fact Mansion house underwent two rebuilds.

The first in the mid 80's which addressed the platform area.
This was a major redevelopment scheme involving the demolition of the buildings over the station, including the substation which was temporarily relocated in the disused bay road to the west of your photograph. Beaver House and the Royal Bank of Canada were partners in redeveloping the site, together with the adjacent land connecting to Upper Thames Street, although the two construction sites were initially separately controlled. This project resulted in the complete renewal of all the platform level architectural finishes except that an asphalt surface was reinstated on the platforms, replaced by the later project. All this work was carried out during Engineering Hours and Possessions, whilst the station remained open for public use.

The second scheme carried out in the late 80's and under a station closure was essentially to rebuild the Ticket Hall."

(Roger Cox)

 

 

 

 

 

The disused terminating platform at Liverpool Street station on the Met/H&C/Circle lines. It was taken out of service on 26/01/1981, according to IanVisits. The covered section of it is no longer visible from the existing platfoms and the land for the open air section has been given over to Crossrail.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 

 

 

The disused terminating platform at Liverpool Street station on the Met/H&C/Circle lines, facing the other way (toward Moorgate). The space seen here has been given over to Crossrail.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

Lost station names