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Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 03 Feb 2019, 13:09
by Das
For My annual tube challenge for 2020,I want to do something different,as a nipper in the early 70s and when my folks 1st allowed me to travel alone to London to visit me nans in Northolt,there was a very different Tube network and so I am giving meself a year to try to turn the clock back with a Tube Challenge 74.
No need to go all the way to Heathrow or bother with the Jubilee lIne extension ,instead I will have to renogiate the East London Line and visit Watford Junction.The tricky parts are the run along the old Ongar to Epping line,probably illegal and the breaking in to Aldwych station.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 03 Feb 2019, 17:35
by Iain
If you time it right, you could make use of the Eppng-Ongar railway, Can't help you with Aldwych!

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 03 Feb 2019, 18:24
by RJSRdg
Don't TfL do trips round Aldwych occasionally as part of 'Open London'?

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 03 Feb 2019, 20:17
by A2
RJSRdg wrote: 03 Feb 2019, 18:24 Don't TfL do trips round Aldwych occasionally as part of 'Open London'?
You can visit as part of Hidden London, but the tickets sell out pretty instantly.

Although they can currently run a train there (at least theoretically) the upcoming expansion works at Holborn will sever the connection permanently.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 04 Feb 2019, 14:56
by tufnellpark
If I see Das with a flower shirt, flares and platform shoes I will know what he's up to.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 04 Feb 2019, 15:05
by tufnellpark
Or the Harry Beck Challenge....

Based on his iconic 1933 map. Met only as far as Watford and Rickmansworth. Bakerloo to Watford Junction (use Overground today), Northern only as far as Highgate, Moorgate to Finsbury Park (use Great Northern today), Central only as far as Liverpool Street, East London Line (use Overground today), Piccadilly to Aldwych and Hounslow West. Jubilee was Met between Stanmore and Baker Street. And no Victoria line.

I'm sure LU would open up Aldwych for you. Not sure about running a train unless you get friendly with a film crew.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 04 Feb 2019, 15:41
by michael_churchill
1. The Piccadilly line terminated at Hounslow West. Extended to Hatton Cross in 1975.
2. Great Northern line (Finsbury Park - Drayton Park - Highbury & Islington - Essex Road - Old Street - Moorgate) was still part of the Underground.
3. Charing Cross, Northern line and Bakerloo line were separate stations. Not linked until the Jubilee line opened.
4. Don't forget Blake Hall, between North Weald and Ongar, which closed before the rest of the line.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 04 Feb 2019, 16:41
by Das
Lovely respones chaps,concerning clothing,flares yes maybe,& a 1974 Leeds United shirt.May have to do this over 2 days and nights so I can include a visit to Aldwych,I had intended running along the old Ongar section from about 3am ,and Id like to visit the Acton museum to see some of the tubes I would have travelled on back in the day,so definitely a 2 day event,and off course its got to be at 70s prices,80p a pint ect..

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 04 Feb 2019, 16:46
by Das
The Bank Job had parts filmed at Aldwych(great British film but not as good as Going Underground),now I could have passed for Jason Statham's double,cant understand why they never asked me.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 04 Feb 2019, 18:34
by Iain
Blake Hall closed in 1981 - I guess a pass through on the EOR would have to do. I believe the owner of the EOR now lives there

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 04 Feb 2019, 19:58
by RJSRdg
tufnellpark wrote: 04 Feb 2019, 15:05 Or the Harry Beck Challenge....

Based on his iconic 1933 map. Met only as far as Watford and Rickmansworth. Bakerloo to Watford Junction (use Overground today), Northern only as far as Highgate, Moorgate to Finsbury Park (use Great Northern today), Central only as far as Liverpool Street, East London Line (use Overground today), Piccadilly to Aldwych and Hounslow West. Jubilee was Met between Stanmore and Baker Street. And no Victoria line.
And District Line to Southend!

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 04 Feb 2019, 20:40
by Das
The pass through Blake Hall will be in the early hours of the morning on tip toe if the owner of the EOL lives there,as I wanna reach Epping for a cuppa before the 1st train of the day.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 05 Feb 2019, 11:17
by tufnellpark
RJSRdg wrote: 04 Feb 2019, 19:58 And District Line to Southend!
Ah not quite although it does look like that. District Line trains terminated at Upminster. It was a LT&SR steam train that ran from Barking to Southend. As that was part of LMS (National Rail) we can ignore that.

The Met ran to Verney Junction via Aylesbury but Beck's map goes only as far as Rickmansworth/Watford. Two reasons for this. One he couldn't fit any more NW stations on his map. For the same reason the District Line stations east of Mile End are missing. Also the Met's electrified services stopped at Rickmansworth. Further north was by steam train only.

I have also noticed that Cockfosters station only opened on 31/7/33, so Beck's 1933 map shows it as proposed opening. I think the map was produced for the start of London Transport (London Passenger Transport Board) on 1/7/33. On that date the Piccadilly Line stopped at Enfield West (Oakwood).

Interestingly Harry Beck was born in Leyton and lived in Finchley. Both have tube stations but not in 1933 when his first map was produced.
https://londontopia.net/site-news/featu ... -tube-map/

Das, sorry for taking your thread off on a 1933 tangent. So it's back to the flares and platform shoes of 1974.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 06 Feb 2019, 12:52
by Das
No worries mate,all very interesting,Steven of AC Films is interested in creating something from this project,maybe a short film that may include old footage nicked from youtube.

Re: Tube Challenge 1974

Posted: 10 Feb 2019, 23:05
by DavidC
"I had intended running along the old Ongar section from about 3am"

I know nothing about this specific area but, without wishing to be a killjoy, may I genuinely suggest that you consider the possibility of encountering dogs, shotguns, etc before behaving in such a suspicious manner at 3am in an isolated rural area that may well suffer from a significant level of rural crime. There's a big difference between say 10pm or 7am versus 3am, and there's a big difference between inner London and the sticks!

David (not trolling, honestly)