london transport museum friends news

Issue No. 107 - October 2011

.

STOP PRESS: Museum‟s successful HLF bid for Met Jubilee Coach

Project funding. See page 12.

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Editorial

From The Director’s Chair

Barry Le Jeune - 14 Jireh Court,

Perrymount Road, HAYWARDS HEATH,

West Sussex RH16 3BH

Tel:01444 450822

E-mail: barrylejeune@yahoo.co.uk

Meetings And Events Sorry, the full editorial has had to go,

to make space for the important last-minute

news on the successful HLF bid for the Met

Line Jubilee coach project. There is also no

Shop News this month, as Michael Walton

was away before the crucial copy date.

However, we catch up on some book

reviews, and there is also news from the

Shop on the online Model Collectors‟ Club.

Elsewhere In

London

Darren Tossell suggests reasons for visiting, and enjoying the delights of, Greenwich - a travel themed destination if ever there was one. The Royal Observatory: Astronomy Photographer of the Year This „must see‟ free exhibition includes winning entries for the annual photography competition, which this year received over 700 entries from professional and amateur photographers. Highlights include: Galactic Paradise by Tung Tezel; Vela Supernova Remnant by Marco Lorenzi; and Jupiter with Io and Ganymede by Damian Peach. Runs until 12th February 2012.

National Maritime Museum: High Arctic It is 2100 AD and the arctic landscape has changed forever. Set in one of many possible futures, High Arctic conveys the scale, beauty and fragility of our unique arctic environment through an immersive installation that fills the entire 820m2 gallery space. In September 2010, Matt Clark of United Visual Artists travelled to the arctic archipelago of Svalbard, with the arts and climate science foundation Cape Farewell. Sailing aboard the 100-year-old schooner The Noorderlicht, Matt‟s trip brought him into contact with scientists, poets, musicians and polar bears. He saw vast tundra, monochromatic rainbows and huge chunks of ice falling from calving glaciers. Conceived as a response to the expedition, High Arctic uses a combination of sound, light and sculptural forms to create an abstracted arctic landscape for visitors to explore. Runs until 13th January. Admission £6.

The Queens House: Art for the Nation „Art for the Nation‟ offers a major reassessment of the National Maritime Museum‟s oil paintings collections. It brings together some of the finest of over 4000 paintings in the Museum‟s care, under the roof of the Queen‟s House – the Museum‟s showcase for art. Open daily. Admission free. There is so much to do in Greenwich, so plan your visit before departing. A visit to Flamsteed House, home of the Prime Meridian, is essential; and don‟t miss the magnificent Harrison timekeepers. If you‟re keen to see the Time Ball rise and drop, made sure you are there by 12.55. For more information about booking tickets for London‟s only Planetarium, details of special events and all the local transport links, visit www.nmm.ac.uk

Visit To The Watermen’s Hall The visit to the Watermen‟s Hall on 24th October is fully booked. A repeat visit has been arranged for Monday 14th November, starting at 10.30, on which places are available. Apart from visiting the Hall, the tour, lasting about 1½ hours, will enable participants to learn more about the history and work of The Company of Watermen and Lightermen. The cost is £13, including tea/coffee on arrival. If you would like to come, please apply to Richard Meads, 98 Botley Road, Chesham, Bucks HP5 1XG (Tel: 01494 771078; e-mail meadsrichard@tinyworld.co.uk), sending a cheque for £13 (payable to the „London Transport Museum Friends‟). Please also give a contact phone number, address and e-mail details (if available) for confirmation of joining instructions. If you do not have e-mail, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope (DL size). Applications should be sent to arrive no later than Friday 28th October.

Monday 31st October Friends’ Meeting Cubic Theatre at 18 15 hours. London Docks Tom Wareham, Museum of London.

Sunday 13th November Possible steam bus trips. See item below.

Monday 14th November Repeat visit to Watermen’s Hall. See separate item below.

Monday 28th November Friends’ Meeting Cubic Theatre at 18 15 hours. Lost London In Photographs Philip Davies, English Heritage.

Monday 30th January 2012 Friends’ Meeting Cubic Theatre at 18 15 hours. The London Taxi. Bill Monroe.

Monday 27th February 2012 Friends’ Meeting Cubic Theatre at 18 15 hours. Rapid Transit in the USA. Oliver Green. Museum Events Sense and the City Exhibition Ongoing to 18th March 2012: CBS Outdoor Gallery, London Transport Museum See separate report on page 3.

Poster Parade: Journeys of the Imagination A celebration of the work of one of Britain‟s most successful and best loved illustrators - John Burningham. His career was kick-started with a poster commission from London Transport in 1960, although he later found fame as a celebrated children‟s book author and illustrator. The Museum‟s celebratory events include a display of his travel posters, October family fun half-term workshops, an „in-conversation‟ evening with John Burningham and a special book signing afternoon. A new Flickr photographic competition, inspired by Burningham‟s new poster artwork Children’s London, will run until 1st December 2011. See Museum website for further details.

A very short bulletin from me this time, as I have been away for six weeks writing part of the London Underground 150 book. The good news is that the Museum has been successful in its Phase Two application to the Heritage Lottery Fund and has been awarded a grant of £422,000 which, together with a contribution of £150,000 from the London Transport Museum Friends, will enable the restoration of the 1892 Metropolitan „Jubilee‟ carriage No. 353. This will become the oldest Metropolitan coach in working condition and will be a key part of our 150th anniversary celebrations in 2013 for the world‟s first underground railway. The Heritage Lottery Fund grant will finance the restoration of the carriage, the contract for which has been awarded to the Ffestiniog Railway, and also includes funding for an apprenticeship at the Ffestiniog. It will also pay for two Museum posts over two years: a Project Curator to manage the restoration process and heritage activities; and a Learning Manager, who will deliver a programme of activities with community groups which aims to bring the heritage of the carriage to a wider audience. We are delighted to have secured the support of the HLF again. In the next issue, we hope to bring you news of the restoration of Met Loco No.1, which has started at the Flour Mill in Gloucestershire and which will look great when eventually paired with the restored coach and the Chesham rake of coaches. Many thanks to all who helped us on the Amersham heritage outing on 11th September. Despite a dire forecast, it was a glorious sunny day and loadings were almost at maximum in our 1938 stock. Overall, 600 train tickets were sold and many of the heritage bus journeys were full. We had community curators in action at Amersham Museum and I had my first ride in the new S-stock. Sam Mulllins

Steam Bus Ride

The Whitby Sentinel Steam bus will be briefly garaged at Acton Depot in November, for an appearance at the Lord Mayor‟s Show.

We may be able to organise some short local trips for Friends on Sunday 13th November. If you are interested, please contact Guy Marriott in the Friends‟ office.

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Sense And The City

We review the special exhibition now running

at the Museum. It is perhaps difficult fully to understand exactly what this exhibition is

about just from the title. Even the strap-line “Smart, Connected and

On The Move” leaves some further explanation needed. At the core, it

is about how ever-changing technology shapes the way people live,

work and travel in the capital city.

Don‟t get the impression that it is all about the newest

technology. The initial displays focus on:

Telephones, from the candlestick receiver to the mobile phone;

Shopping, from “old money” to the credit card;

News, from the London Gazette to the broadcast media;

Entertainment, from early paperback books to the video;

Socialising, from the coffee house to Facebook;

Image recording, from the Box Brownie to CCTV; and

Travel publishing, from the Local Road and Rail Timetable to

the smart phone.

Subsequent displays show ideas that have worked (and transformed

city life), such as the mobile phone and railways; and some of those

that have not, especially from futuristic films. An example quoted of

the latter is The Clockwork Orange (1962), which depicted teenagers

taking legalised drugs in “milk bars” before indulging in violent

rampages. (Perhaps not so far from the recent reality after all!)

There follows a glossary of current technological jargon. If you are still

wondering what “cloud computing” and “trending” are all about, look

no further.

A section contributed by the Royal College of Arts features “Visions of

Tomorrow”, including (inevitably!) the New Bus For London and the

“Urban Flower” – a new concept in personal mobility which breaks

away from conventional vehicles and traffic control systems. An

extensive series of interactive touch-screen modules looks at a variety

of recent applications of technology to activities such as finding your

way around the city; it also shows some of the ways “big brother” is

constantly watching you.

Finally, animated electronic displays show how vast amounts of data

are captured and transmitted, covering cycle-hire docking, Oystercard

usage and air traffic movements.

It really is an exhibition you need to see to understand. It runs until

18th March 2012. Vehicle Collection Online The Museum‟s vehicle collection is now available to view online at: http://www.ltmcollection.org/vehicles/index.html The new browser features:

Over 80 vehicles, many online for the first time. New captions and supporting information - showing what is important about the vehicles and why they are in the collection;

Links from each vehicle to related objects in the online poster, photograph, engineering and online museum collections;

A direct link from the home page to vehicle-related products in the shop;

The amazing new vehicle wall, where you can find your favourite vehicle and share it with friends and followers on Twitter and Facebook;

A magnifier to view the vehicles up close;

Vehicles listed by location, so you can find out which vehicles to see at Covent Garden and which ones to visit at Acton Depot on a tour or open weekend.

Project Update The following is based on Bob Bird’s report to

the August meeting of the Friends’ Operations

Committee: RM2 repaint and front end restoration The patterns and castings for the radiator trim have been made. However, the accuracy of shape on one side is not quite right; the foundry is looking into the cause, as the drawings are quite explicit. Work has therefore moved to the bonnet fixings which also require castings. The radiator „badge‟ and mounting block is next on the agenda for manufacture, with the dimensions now extrapolated from photographs.

Q-stock A meeting of the Q-stock project team was convened in late July (and again in mid September) to discuss the best way forward, given the work area and resources available at London Underground‟s REW Trains Division at Acton. Work is to be concentrated on one car at a time. Initially, priority is being given to asbestos removal, and to the Q35 car (08063) to complete its lighting circuits and testing of the wheel spokes. New earthing points are also being fitted, which will allow the light fittings to be replaced. When this work is completed at REW Acton, the car will be returned to the Museum Depot for interior restoration and exterior painting. Work at REW will then move to car 4417.

1935 LPTB Brake Van B558 Work to remove asbestos from the adjacent Jubilee carriage No 353 also enabled asbestos to be removed from brake van B558 at the same time. It should now be possible for this vehicle to come back onto the agenda for further work to the structure, subject to volunteer availability.

K424 The K-type‟s radiator was successfully rebuilt with new castings and the bus completed the Brighton Run with honours.

T219 The oil leak in T219‟s rear hub is unfortunately still causing problems and will require more work.

Tram Shelter The next phase of work is to restore the rainwater guttering and pipes; the shelter will also be lowered and levelled.

DeDion Chassis A 1906 LGOC bus body has been on loan to the Museum for several years and, until recently, was positioned on our DeDion chassis as an appropriate pairing. The body was removed in preparation for return to its owner. However, an opportunity has arisen to extend the loan and to commission a much more detailed drawing of the body. When this is completed, the Museum will have the necessary information to construct an accurate replica, should the project to reconstruct a DeDion motor bus go ahead at a future date.

New Online Photographic

Browser

The Museum now has a new Photographic

Collection homepage to bring the design into line

with the recently updated Poster Collection

homepage. The rolling banner gives a quick glimpse

into the photo collection and reflects a wide range

of subjects spanning the decades. The Museum

plans to update this feature regularly with content

to tie in with seasonal changes and events. See the

collection at: http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/

index.html

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within the Museum. There is a leaning towards Leyland and Tilling-Stevens vehicles. There is also the Shelvoke & Drewry -which of you has ever ridden on an S & D bus? Now for our visit. On arrival we were split into three groups - A, B and C. A and B joined two buses to view the bus garages, whilst C went straight to the restaurant to await their turn. This reminded me of “idle time” at Chiswick Works in the late 1950s, but that is another story. Our transport was provided by two open-topped buses: a Tilling-Stevens and a Leyland. Each has a rather complicated history. The body of the former vehicle, IB522, dates from around 1908. In 1914, Worthing Motor Services fitted it to a TS3 petrol-electric chassis. The bus ran until 1927, when the body retired and took on a second career as a garden shed, presumably a double-decked one. It was rescued in 1970 and, after rebuilding in 1982, was fitted to another TS3 chassis. It passed its first MOT test in 1992 and has been in use ever since. The petrol-electric transmission made it easier for horse bus drivers to convert to motor buses – no gears, no clutch and so less stress! My short ride on the open bench seat beside our driver was interesting; though, in holding on tightly and worrying about the adequacy of the near century-old brakes, I didn‟t really notice how the various controls were operated. A really nice touch on the dashboard of the vehicle was the slipboard, reading: “Friends of the London Transport Museum”. One period advert informed us that “The bus runs to and from the Picturedrome, Worthing”; whilst another told us that “The Band plays Daily at The Kursall Electric Theatre”

Amberley Museum And Heritage Centre On 22nd June 2011, some forty Friends visited this interesting site. David Wadley reports on all that the group saw. He was also inspired by the Amberley visit to recount the history of specialist vehicle manufacturers: Shelvoke & Drewry. We have turned this into a separate feature, which will appear in a later issue of Friends News.

Most of us met at London Victoria and travelled the 54 miles to Amberley in a spotlessly clean “Southern” train formed of two class 377 units. Unlike their class 378 cousins on the Overground, the 377s have properly padded transverse seats with views from the windows! We arrived on time at a rather wet Amberley, the down platform of which has its own minute signal box to work the local semaphore signals. There certainly has not been “total route modernisation” here. We were met by two Museum Volunteers smartly attired as “Southdown” bus drivers. They led us the short distance to the Museum, along the route once taken by the rail connection to the former chalk pit and lime kilns. Most of the Museum exhibits are on the long and near-level site within this former quarry. Chalk was first extracted here in 1840 and this continued until the 1960s, initially supplying chalk and lime to local users. Some was taken away via the River Arun but, in 1863, the railway reached Amberley and it then became possible to send products further afield. After its closure, the site was bought by the West Sussex County Council who carried out restoration work on some of the buildings. Later, the site was leased to the Southern Industrial History Trust which, in May 1979, opened it to the public. The site is huge – 36 acres. In comparison, the former Chiswick Works site was of 32 acres and that of our present Depot a little over two. Whilst our Museum is a company within TfL, Amberley is totally on its own, relying on the daily takings to finance the operation; there is no regular backing from either the County or District Councils. Like us, Amberley has had grants for capital works from various charities and the Heritage Lottery Fund etc.. Amberley‟s organisation affords an interesting comparison with our own. We have 100 or so staff plus the caterers and security people; they have just eight paid staff, some of whom are part-timers. Like us, they rely heavily on volunteer support and need the help of about ten per cent of their 400 or so volunteers each time the Museum opens. Their “Sam” (Clift) must have a monumental scheduling task, as the Museum is open for over 200 days per year! Like us, the Amberley Friends also contribute to the cost of capital projects, such as the fitting-out of the well-appointed restaurant. There is something for everyone on the site but, for us transport enthusiasts, the bus and railway exhibits were probably of the greatest interest: buses first. The Museum is the home of the Southdown Omnibus Trust. They have in their care some ten historic vehicles, many of which are housed

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The Leyland, CD5125, originally had a single-deck body on a solid-tyred „N‟ type chassis and was new to Southdown in 1920. In 1928, the chassis got pneumatic tyres and a new double-deck body, the one that is with us today. In 1934, the bus was sold and the body converted into a summerhouse, perhaps with an upper sun deck. So it went on until 1972, when the summer-house was bought for conversion back into a bus. In 1976, it was fitted to a 1923 Leyland chassis, thought to be a „P‟ type. Thus it could be said that some of us rode around the site in a garden shed, the others riding in a summerhouse. For me, the highlight of the day was a ride on the “Tramocar”, BP 9822. It is a reconstruction, built on the chassis of a former Shelvoke & Drewry refuse vehicle which once worked in Truro. The body, with its 18 perimeter seats, was built at Amberley by volunteers. It went into service in 1994 and recreates the service which once ran along the Worthing sea front, started by a Mr Gates in 1924. By 1938, when Southdown took over, there were 14 S & D “Tramocars” in service on Worthing‟s seafront. The last two of these were long wheelbase vehicles with rear-mounted engines. In 1935, “Midland Red” had built four experimental vehicles with rear engines, but S & D were just ahead of the Leyland/LPTB “CR” and way in front of the Atlantean, Fleetline and FRM1. Not bad for a small manufacturer, whose output was mainly dustcarts. Yes, I know that in 1931 GMC were building rear-engined buses in the States, but it has been said that people here were nervous about infringing US patents. The “Tramocar” lives in the larger of the two garages, which is typical of those used by Southdown in the 1920s. Some of it was new; some of it was recycled from other buildings; but it all looks very authentic, almost as if it is expecting the imminent arrival of an express coach from London, perhaps a sleekly bodied post-war Leyland. It incorporates an enquiry and booking office and, most importantly, a workshop. As well as housing part of the fleet, there are fascinating displays of photos, notices and vehicle components. The second, smaller garage came from Storrington and now provides more workshop space, notably for body reconstruction. We saw some in progress.

The other main feature of transport interest is the railway and railway museum. Most of the railway, which runs along the length of the site, is of 2-feet gauge and, at the time of our visit, the main-line train was hauled by a diesel-engined, four-wheeled ex-MOD “Hunslet” loco of 1980. The ride was hard, all part of the recreation of the quarry railway experience! The exhibition hall, a miniature York, had a wealth of exhibits – track, wagons, locos etc.. The latter included offerings from Hunslet, Motor Rail, Lister, Hibberd, Bagnall, Orenstein and Koppel, and that is only some of them! There is even a vehicle from the former Post Office underground railway. Railways of thirteen gauges are represented, with the most unusual being a very small steam loco, which once worked on the railway in Guinness‟s Dublin brewery. It could run on tracks of both 1‟10” and 5‟3” gauge, though not at the same time. If you cannot work that one out, you‟ll have to go to Amberley to see how it was done! There are numerous other interesting displays on site. There are more than 40 buildings – a fire station with appliances and control room; a recreation of part of a sewage pumping station, with a huge single-cylinder Robey Diesel engine which makes a most satisfying “thump” each time it fires; lime kilns; a rural telephone exchange; a machine shop; a printing works; a wheelwrights shop and so on. Some people, like the wood turner, are self-employed craftsmen working on the site. There is also a display of smaller stationary engines, watched over by a very proud, youthful attendant. In all, it was a truly marvellous day out, though there was really too much to absorb in one visit. The weather could have been a little kinder, but Richard Meads had done his best for us. We left through a well-appointed shop, though it was not quite as big as Michael Walton‟s. Unlike his, the walls of this shop are made from chalk blocks quarried on the site. Our run home was uneventful, though it was slightly delayed by a seemingly sickly First Great Western train at Gatwick airport; the “Western” at Gatwick, whatever next? Once again, our thanks are due to Richard Meads for another marvellous effort. The accompanying photographs of the visit are by Alan Blake.

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Sunday 23rd October sees the first event at the new London Bus Museum (Cobham) at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey. Billed as “The very best of London Buses - a unique display”, the event will feature line-ups of the very best and most authentically presented examples of the major London bus types from the horse-buses onwards. Vehicles from the LT Museum collection will be there. In addition to this very special display, there will be a network of bus services operated by historic buses, based on those routes operated by London Transport in the Weybridge/Addlestone area in the 1950s and 1960s. The new bus museum will be open, featuring the historic time-line of London buses; and there will be a collectors‟ market inside the building. The museum shop will have a special limited-edition RF model on sale to commemorate this year‟s 60th anniversary of the class. Admission is £10 and includes all the Brooklands Museum attractions as well (except Concorde for which there is an extra charge). There are concessions for senior citizens and students, children and families. A £2 discount will be offered to card-carrying members of London Transport Museum Friends.

By the time you read this, the London Bus Museum will be open at its new Brooklands site. A preview open day was held for London Bus Preservation Trust members on 10th July, when the pictures below were taken. They show the nearly complete new building; and some of the vehicle displays (including the NS chassis), though at this time the museum was awaiting the arrival of many of its vehicles and the associated interpretive material. A special “one-off” trial running day on the Epping – Ongar Railway was held on Sunday 3rd July, in connection with the North Weald Bus Rally. The picture alongside shows the signal box and platforms, with one of the first public trains, formed of a Class 37 diesel locomotive and Pullman car. A date for general re-opening has yet to be announced.

For those coming by public transport, the nearest station is Weybridge, from where a regular free bus service will operate to the museum gate. If coming by car, the post-code for satnavs is KT13 0SL. Leave the M25 at junction 10

An Invitation To Brooklands (A3 northbound) and follow the brown signs from the Painshill junction (A245) off the A3 to Mercedes Benz World & Brooklands Museum. Car-parking at Brooklands is included in the admission price.

Neighbouring Developments

Recent months have seen significant developments at two neighbouring transport attractions: the relocation of the London Bus Museum (Cobham) to Brooklands; and the Epping - Ongar Railway. These are captured in the accompanying photos.

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Sign up for our online events newsletter

Send your email address to: friendscontact@ltmuseum.co.uk

New

Acquisitions

The Friends have recently purchased

the following items for the

Museum‟s collections: A rare London Transport

Underground official‟s badge,

thought to have been issued to

high ranking non-uniform

Under ground staff for them to

identify themselves at the time of

the 1953 Queen‟s Coronation. A London Transport Police

Warrant Card, dating from 1934. A Road-Rail poster in art-deco

style, dated 1934.

The Acton Miniature Railway was attended as usual on the last Saturday in August, but not for a regular maintenance session; we had a Fun-Day instead. This was an opportunity to operate the railway without the pressure of providing rides for the general public. It was also an opportunity to welcome invited guests to the railway, and to provide some hands-on experience in the hope of attracting new volunteers – and we might have been successful! To add to the enjoyment of the event, part of the platform at Depot Approach was requisitioned for a barbeque. We had two trains in service: the Met-Vick loco "Michael Faraday", with the AMR's train comprising the riding van and both carriages, and the 1938 tube stock train; plus a light loco, Jonathan Riddell's C&SLR model. There were three guided tours taking place inside the Museum Depot, and we offered free rides to the participants; donations were offered instead of fares. Additionally, our guests comprised LTM Friends, visitors from at least three other miniature railways, and friends of the AMR volunteers. A few guests took advantage of the opportunity to drive a train (supervised, of course) and to operate the levers in the signal cabin. Unfortunately, the batteries for the 1938 train failed at the beginning of the day. (They are six years old and had been in constant use when that train went to events with the portable track; but they had been unused since the AMR event in March, now that the portable track events have ended.) We were able to borrow the batteries from the AMR's "Sarah Siddons" loco and, operating as a

The two main trains in service for the

Fun-Day: the 1938 tube stock train and

"Michael Faraday" with the AMR's own

coaches. (Photo: Adrian Allum)

two-car train only, the two batteries provided enough power for the day. (The train usually operates with four batteries.) Looking ahead from the time of writing, the Open Weekend is on October 8th and 9th; we have some regular trains booked, such as the two trains that we had at our Fun-Day, along with the Metropolitan Railway "A"class steam loco, plus another steam loco from the Great Cockcrow Railway. Work-wise, we understand that the mains electricity is being installed into our remaining buildings, so we can prepare the revision of the signalling arrangements. This will see more track circuits brought in at Depot Approach, sturdier signal mounts, and a complete revision of the interlocking and general installation. One of the improvements that we want to make is the delayed extinguishing of the red aspect, in imitation of the effect that the train-stops have on London Underground signal aspects. The motor for the point at Ealing End has now been delivered, so we shall be looking toward that extension; not forgetting the carriage shed, for which we have received a £1000 grant. So there is plenty of work for the volunteers to be getting on with.

AMR Report Adrian Allum describes

recent activities on the

Acton Miniature Railway:

Can You Help? The Friends are expanding their

visits and meetings programmes to

include speakers and venues of

more general interest, such as

London's social and industrial

history, as well as transport topics

(which we will still cover).

To help organise this expanded

programme, we are again looking

for a volunteer who would be

willing to research possible destinations and speakers, make

the arrangements, take visits

bookings and, if convenient,

supervise the visit on the day.

Is this something you would like to

do? If you are interested, please

contact Guy Marriott in the Friends‟

Office.

Can We Talk To You? Are you a member of a local Society? Would they like to hear a talk on the fascinating story of London‟s transport? We can arrange it. In a hour or so‟s presentation, your group will hear from one of our knowledgeable speakers about the history and development of London‟s public transport systems from the 1800s to the start of the new millennium in 2000; how London itself has been influenced by those transport developments; and how social change and politics have all played their part in the unfolding story. The talks service is provided on behalf of London Transport Museum by the London Transport Museum Friends. We can usually accept talk bookings from anywhere inside the M25; talks in locations beyond this boundary may be possible, subject to speaker availability. There is a charge of £35 for the talks service. This includes a donation to the London Transport Museum Friends (which in turn will be used to support Museum projects) and will also cover the speaker‟s travelling expenses. Are you interested? Then please contact the Friends‟ Secretary, Guy Marriott. He can be reached by email on guy.marriott@ltmuseum.co.uk; or by phone to the Friends‟ Office on 020 7565 7296. Guy is usually in the office on Mondays. Messages can be left at other times.

Copy date for the

January 2012 issue:

Friday 2nd December

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The Reminiscences Of An East End Busman In the first of a two-part article, Ted Shepherd looks back

at his early family life and travels in London before and

during the Second World War. The second part will

recount his career as a London busman after the war.

I was born in Stepney, just a few yards from Commercial Road East - to give it its full name and to differentiate it from Commercial Road in Peckham. Both were amended in the 1930s, Peckham becoming Commercial Way and the „East‟ deleted from East London‟s trunk road. However, I was born in a house occupied in 1888 by my maternal grandparents and four children at that time. Grandad, whom I never met, took on the job of a crane driver at Brewer‟s Quay near the Tower of London. According to my mother, he took my grandmother up in the crane cabin where, in 1894, they had a commanding view of the ceremonial opening of Tower Bridge by the Prince of Wales. My father must have been a big influence on my having an interest in transport, as he was a vehicle driver from 1912. He had been taught to drive whilst working for Jones Bros. of Holloway, the large department store of that name. He used to “make it” out to places like Eastcote and Ruislip and sometimes as far as Watford. It was a condition of employment for men to be in the Territorial Army, so my father was early on to serve in France and Belgium during World War 1. In September 1917, he came home on leave to marry my mother, so eventually became an East Ender instead of a North Londoner, having been born in Islington. The first vehicle I can recall him driving, well before I started school, was a monster FWD ex-Army lorry built in the USA and often used for hauling guns on the Western Front. I remember sitting in the driver‟s position and looking down at tram lines, an awful long way down and there were no side doors. This vehicle used to haul a trailer and bring ten tons of sugar from Silvertown to Ratcliff, as a regular run to the firm of Batgers sweet manufacturers. The factory premises still stand in Cable Street at the junction with Butcher Row. Before the dawn of the 1930s, my father Tom had changed jobs and was working on light haulage for a firm of shipping agents, mainly within the London area; but there was often a journey to Brighton, which I was sometimes able to go along with. Thus I became familiar with the Brighton road in the 30s. The start of the war in 1939 brought problems for Dad, as he had to find his way to places, some of which he had never heard of - and anything up to 250 miles from London, when firms were moving out of the capital. Added to this, there were very few road signs left in position and many people were not keen to help with directions, fearing they were helping a fifth columnist. Ellesmere Port in Shropshire was one place my Dad had to find his way to; Barry in South Wales was another. My place of employment in Barbican in the City went with the whole of that area at the end of 1940, and I was lucky to be allocated work at the firm‟s Upton Park factory, which meant a four-mile cycle trip along the Barking Road every morning for the next eighteen months before going into the RAF. My mother, born in 1895, went to school in Ratcliff (Broad Street School, which I believe survives to this day as a centre for education). This meant her crossing the busy Commercial Road with horse trams (until 1906) and the never-ceasing convoys of wagons to and from the docks, as well as all the ancillary traffic to and from the City. I can recall the first time I crossed that road on my own, petrified, when I was about seven years old. In 1908, my mother took part in the ceremonial opening of Rotherhithe Tunnel, being among a group of girls who walked through the tunnel. It would be nineteen years before the first bus service started, with specially designed NS-type buses, in 1927; and another 23 years before I took a bus through, as a conductor out of Athol Street garage. Seeing my first LCC tramcar in red livery one bright Sunday morning made an impression on me as it passed along Commercial Road. Whether it was going to Aldgate (67) or Bloomsbury (65) I do not know, as I was only about nine years old and would not have taken note of such details. However, I have often wondered whether the change of livery had anything to do with the reopening of the Kingsway Subway with the fleet of new cars in 1931. Instead of the letters LCC on the sides, they would have the Council‟s crest. Another impressionable sight for me some years later was the spectacular trolleybus 370, which I saw in Broad Lane, Tottenham, and later in Seven Sisters Road, both times working between Manor House and Woodford (Napier Arms) in

about 1937. 370 was the only trolleybus turned out in the motor bus livery of the time. My driver could not have been impressed, as he never said a word! Having relations at Buckhurst Hill meant an occasional trip for my mother, my sisters and I into that part of Epping Forest. There had also been journeys by train, but from about 1930 a journey by bus would have meant enjoying the luxury of the first LT-type six wheelers, with their smooth running petrol engines and much higher speeds than their predecessors. Not that I can remember travelling far on an NS! One disadvantage in the journey by bus was that the Bald Faced Stag alighting point was about two miles from my aunt‟s house and meant walking the length of Queens Road beyond the level crossing. I remember seeing the airship R101 pass over one Saturday night in 1930 and was awestruck by its size and how low it seemed as it thundered on its way. The next morning my dad and I read on a local newsagent‟s placard that it had crashed in France with the loss of many lives. I began to learn my way around at a very early age, one attraction being in Shadwell, where the King Edward VII Memorial Park was laid out on the riverside. An added attraction was the paddling pond where I could sail my boats. I lost a sandal in there one evening and went the next day and fish it out. My wanderlust took me to most parts of Tower Hamlets, as we know it today and as it was known historically. This would find me in Wapping or Whitechapel, Mile End or Ratcliff. There was always plenty of activity, with horse-drawn wagons and motor lorries loading or unloading at the warehouses wherever one went, especially in the vicinity of the river. But no buses or trams visited these parts. One had to go further afield to see much of the river from a bus, such as the Isle of Dogs or Tower Bridge. In my first year going to work, I had to make my way from Stepney to Holloway by tram. This meant catching a number 65 in Commercial Road, usually a former LCC car of the original fleet of E/1s of 1906. This would take me to City Road/Old Street station, where I had to change to either a number 9 or 11. The 11 branched off into East Road to make its way via New North Road and Canonbury to reach Highbury Corner, with fairly light traffic all the way, but the 9 went up City Road to the „Angel‟ before turning right into Islington High Street and Upper Street to arrive at Highbury Corner. The Angel junction could be a problem for the driver, as a right turn had to be made over tracks leading to and from Kings Cross on a rising gradient, where it was easy for the car to be caught on a „dead‟ section. The 9 was another former LCC E/1 operation, but the 11s saw the much improved HR/2 cars for use on Highgate Hill. Both services worked the length of Holloway Road, as did the 35 tram (from the „Angel‟) and the 43 bus (from Moorgate); but my five-penny return ticket expired at Holloway Road station, from which I had a few minutes walk to work. After my first year at work, I changed jobs and started work with one of the City textile firms close to the Barbican area. My first year with the City firm meant travelling through North West and South West London and suburbs at regular intervals, distributing the firm‟s products. However, after another year, trolleybuses with ELB registrations began to appear in the City area and both the 9 and 11 tram services were replaced by the shiny new and silent vehicles,

Page 9

which terminated around Finsbury Square with the numbers 609 and 611. Having started cycling at 14, and with time on my hands, I decided to cover the remaining tram routes one by one. By late 1936, trams were fast disappearing from East and North London but still going strong in South London. Afterwards, it was trolleybus routes that took my attention, followed by Central Buses. I had reached the 104 route, Ford Works to North Woolwich, by August 27th 1939, after which date blackout conditions were imposed by September 1st. As the first anniversary of the war approached, things began to happen in the air and on the Continent. Everyone was apprehensive as to what might happen from one day to the next. Saturday 7th September 1940 dawned, giving way to a clear, blue sky with summer temperatures. By early afternoon, the air raid sirens sounded and, judging by the noise, it was soon apparent that the sky was full of planes, with dog-fights taking place at a great height. A bomb had demolished a builder‟s store just a few yards from my home and another had demolished a house and a pub in the next street. I was on fire-watch at the City office and warehouse by early evening, so was on my bike by tea-time. Not a lot happened in the City that night, but I do remember a loud explosion around midnight, which caused our building to vibrate. I took this to be the Ardath tobacco factory in Tabernacle Street, which went up in flames. The Luftwaffe was back in the evening to hammer the docks and the East End, the docks having been set alight in the afternoon. Thankfully, when I returned home on Sunday morning 8th September, nothing much had happened in my neighbourhood, except that my mother and sisters had been urged by my father to go to Northampton where a sister of my mother lived with her family. Carrying on the cycling programme in my late teens, bus route 105 was my next run – Wandsworth Bridge to Southall – accomplished on 25th March 1940. With fire-watch duties to attend, I managed to reach route 210 – Finsbury Park Station to Golders Green Station – by August 1940. By the time I went into the RAF in June 1942, I had reached route 246 – Romford to Hornchurch Station. With spells of leave, including embarkation leave before being shipped out to India, I made it to route 254 – Crystal Palace to Bromley – in 1943. It would be more than three years before I set foot on British soil again and enjoyed the sight of a London bus or tram. From Allahabad I wrote to London Transport hoping for any publicity that may be available but, although I received an acknowledgement, none was. A lot of water was to pass under the bridge before I returned to London, and still more before I returned to „civvy street‟ in November 1948. It was in 1948 that I happened to take a stroll by St. Paul‟s during lunch break from the firm I had been with before I went into the RAF. I spotted, in a little shop facing the cathedral, an ABC of London‟s Trams and Trolleybuses. This was a revelation that I had never anticipated; and, as this was No.2 of what was to become one of Ian Allan‟s most popular series, I lost no time in seeking out No.1 – Buses and

Coaches – each one costing two shillings (10 pence today). It was in No.1 that I first discovered the existence of the Omnibus Society, as it was mentioned by the late S.L. Poole in his introduction. I sent a letter to John Parke and was welcomed as a member. There were some wonderful trips, when visits were made to operators in various parts of the southern counties. My first trip was to East Kent Road Car Company‟s Headquarters on a gloriously sunny day in 1949. I do not remember much about the day, except that we had tea in the garden of the O.S. President, Alfred Boynton. There was a visit to the Company‟s depot at Sandwich, where their last Tilling Stevens single-deck bus was parked in the open, which some of us photographed; but there was no talk of preservation on that day. At age 27, I took the decision to get out of what had become a „dead end‟ job; so, taking courage in both hands, I went to Chiswick one afternoon in September 1950 with the intention of becoming a bus driver… To be continued… The accompanying photographs were kindly supplied by David Ruddom. The one below was taken at the Moorgate terminus and shows a tram on route 9 (E/1 1061) followed by one on the 11 (an HR/2) - Ted's two choices to get from Old Street to Holloway. The sticker on the rocker panel of the 9 announces its forthcoming replacement by the 609 trolleybus. (Photo by W.A.Camwell.) The second photo (above) is a poor one, but it is the only picture David has ever seen of this version of route 254 - which was the last route Ted managed to cover by bicycle before being called up. It shows Elmers End's LT1025 at the junction of Westmoreland Road and Barnfield Wood Road. (D.A.Ruddom collection.)

Page 10

service stops at the stations you start/finish at; the map will normally display the number against the station name and either a white dot (all services stop) or a black dot (only local services) on the line. You will then know which trains you need to get. Be aware that you may need to change on the same line in order to get a different number service, or if you want to change onto an express train to speed up a longer journey. The stations are very similar to those on the London Underground. There are the normal characters of beggars and vagrants, as well as the legalised buskers. Most stations have well displayed maps. Platforms are clearly labelled by Uptown and Downtown. Stations at which express trains stop may have separate express and local platforms. The trains appear a lot more basic than a tube train. Seats are plastic and the only other features are metal rails - no soft furnishings or glass panelling. The trains are clean and there are digital displays for the line, which indicates only the stations that the train stops at. I was particularly impressed with this, as it saves confusion on lines with more than one route. Whilst in New York, I visited the New York Transit Museum. The museum is located in the Borough of Brooklyn which, as an added attraction, is worth visiting by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Sadly, the weather was too windy for us to do this, but the museum is close to a number of subway stations, so is easy to get to. The museum is actually located in a diserted Subway station; you enter down the original stairs and pay for your ticket at the old ticket office. The ticket was $5. You then pass through an exhibition about the building and development of the Subway, and the bridges of New York. You then move onto an exhibition about the art and culture of the Subway and how this influenced, and was influenced by, the neighbourhoods of each station. There is then a display of model- and life-size buses and trams, with space available for educational and special exhibits, similar to the London Transport Museum. You finish on the first level, with an exhibition of turnstiles, before descending to the platform. Lined up either side of the platforms is a range of carriages from different eras and special carriages such as a money-train carriage. The platform also hosts a number of other displays, including model trains. The museum is much smaller than the London Transport Museum, but nevertheless is well worth a visit. Furthermore, the setting of an actual subway station adds to the attraction of the museum, making it a very enjoyable visit. At the exit, there is a small gift shop, including a selection of souvenirs, books and toys. I later found another gift shop at the Grand Central Station, which was as big, if not bigger, than the museum shop, and so would be worth a look whilst visiting the station.

New York Transit Museum Whilst on holiday in New York, Thomas Edwards took time out to visit the New York Transit Museum. Thomas tells the Friends about his experiences of travelling around New York and visiting the museum. It is certainly true that the best way to travel around New York is by foot. Like London, there are so many features on the streets of New York that would be easily missed by going underground. Furthermore, a short subway ride, such as the journey from Grand Central Station to Times Square, can be just as quick on foot as it is by train. But there are two things that you must do when visiting New York - ride in a Yellow „Medallion‟ Cab and travel on the Subway. I chose to get a Yellow Cab from the airport to the hotel. Yellow Cabs are just as common, if not more so, than the Black Cab is in London, and are easy to hail down in the streets. Hotel concierges will even do this for you. The taxis are as comfortable as Black Cabs and even include TV screens in the back, with the option of viewing your route on a map, watching a TV channel or other choices, such as checking the weather forecast. There is a standard fare from the airport to Manhattan, the city centre of New York, of $45. It is normal for passengers to give a 20% tip, although some drivers include it in the price that they give you at the end of your journey. Travelling on the New York Subway also holds many similarities to, and some differences from, travelling on the Underground in London. In New York, you can buy a single-journey ticket at $2.25, about £1.50; a four journey ticket at $8.00; or a Metrocard at $8.25. (These prices may have changed since Thomas wrote this article: Editor.) The Metrocard, like a London Travelcard, is accepted on the Subway and buses and lasts all day. There is also the option of a weekly Metrocard. The tickets are valid across the system; there are no zones, but the single tickets are limited to two hours travelling. Many of the Subway lines in Manhattan run just below street level. Most streets where subways run underneath have grill-covered gaps in the pavement, where you can hear the sounds of trains passing at street level. There is also the occasional iconic gust of steam. In most parts of Manhattan, there is a Subway station within a few streets (known as blocks). Stations are not always visible and may be indicated only by a square box-light with a 'M' to symbol 'Metro', next to a set of descending stairs. Above the stairs is a sign that tells you which trains stop at the station. Trains are indicated by a circle for services that stop at all stations, or by a diamond-shaped symbol for express services, in the colour of the line and number of the service. The service number identifies the route for which stations the train runs between. Finding your way around the Subway can be very disorientating. I found it useful to familiarise myself with the city first, for example the locations of Boroughs in relation to Manhattan and the major streets and avenues. Trains that run south go 'Downtown' and those that run north go 'Uptown'. The nature of the layout of the streets, in a grid formation which predominantly run north to south or east to west, also helps. Avenues run north to south, with First Avenue furthest east and Twelfth Avenue furthest west; streets run east to west, with numbers ascending from south to north. Station exits are also usefully signposted by the compass direction of each road junction, for example 52nd St./Lexington Ave. NE (North East) corner. Once you are familiar with the city, planning a journey should be relatively straightforward. Firstly, decide which stations you want to travel from/to and select which lines. Take note of which number

New Model Collectors Club

The Museum‟s new Collectors Club website is now live. Please visit this link

to see more: http://www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/collectors-club.html

This web address will enable collectors to register their interest in LTM future

model commissions, as well as to purchase previously commissioned models

online. Friends can follow the instructions on the website to register for their

Friends‟ discount. Please forward any customer queries about the website to

the new club inbox: collectorsclub@ltmuseum.co.uk.

Capital Tracks Oliver Green, former Head Curator and now LTM Research Fellow, is leading a course in London‟s railway history at City Lit, the centre for adult learning in Keeley Street, Covent Garden. Capital Tracks: how the railways shaped London

1836-2020 will explore the way the railways enabled Victorian London to become the greatest city in the world, how they created a suburban metropolis

in the 20th century, and how they remain the lifeblood of the city in the 21st century. The course will be 11 sessions from 11.00 to 13.00 on Tuesdays from

10th January to 20th March 2012. It will include study visits to the LTM Depot at Acton, King‟s Cross/St Pancras and to railway suburbs. For more details and enrolments, please contact City Lit on 020 7492 2652 or

humanities@citylit.ac.uk. The course code is HH004.

Page 11

1967 Tube Stock I read with great interest Tim Shields' article on the Heritage Train Engineering Project in the July 2011 issue of Friends’ News. The construction of the Victoria Line, and introduction of the 1967 tube stock, marked important stepping-stones in the development of London's Underground. The farewell trip was not the only time these trains operated away from their Victoria Line home. 1967 tube stock also worked on the Woodford-Hainault section of the Central Line between 1968 and 1984 (the branch being fitted for automatic train operation). In 1979, London Transport organised two

Letters

Book Reviews

Midland Red Style. Roger Torode and Michael Keely. Capital Transport. Publishing (£25). A number of the extensive range of books published on London Transport topics cover that organisation‟s corporate interest and reputation in matters of design. Few other companies‟ efforts in that area are similarly recognised. This book, jointly authored by LTM Friend, Roger Torode, and Malcolm Keely, fills that gap so far as Midland Red is concerned. Midland Red was the largest bus company in the UK outside London. Like LT, it designed and built its own buses and commissioned eye-catching publicity material to promote the company‟s operations, along with the towns, cities and countryside that it served. The name of Midland Red‟s Publicity and Advertising Superintendent, James Savage, may not be as well-known as Frank Pick or Edward Johnson, but his achievements, under the guidance of Traffic Manager, Orlando Cecil Power, are no less impressive. Midland Red‟s design legacy in terms of vehicles, posters and other publicity material is fully described and illustrated in this excellent book, in the context of the company‟s overall business development. (BLJ)

Railway Maps of the World. Mark Ovenden, Viking (Penguin Group). UK price not known at press date. This is an ambitious book, which seeks to extend the author‟s previous work (Transit Maps of the World) to world-wide national railways, in both an historic and contemporary context.

Garage Sweepers: Can You Help? Do you remember the mechanical garage sweepers that London Transport used at most garages? The older ones were the diminutive RL class of Redshaw Lister "Reliance" sweepers, introduced in 1932; there was a further post war batch from 1951, taking their numbers to just short of a hundred. Although small, they were painted red with gold-underlined London Transport fleetnames, just like the buses. In the 1960s, some similar L class Lister sweepers were bought, possibly to replace older RLs. All these vehicles were based on the Lister Autotruck design - three wheelers with a single wheeled motor unit steered by handlebars and attached to a chassis carrying a water tank and a chain driven brush. Although looking rather quaint, they lasted till the seventies and eighties. Now a few of us are researching their history and we are urgently seeking photos and information on allocations, works plate numbers and overhauls. Any information, even if it is just the fleet number of one at a particular garage, will be greatly appreciated and may help solve a puzzle. I will be happy to supply a copy of all the information gathered so far to anyone who is interested, and eventually Gavin Redshaw, a descendant of the family firm, is hoping to publish an

The initial five chapters are broadly chronological in presentation, starting with the first depiction of a railway on a map (Surrey Iron Road, 1816) and running through to the proposed Chinese high-speed rail network, as planned for 2020. Over this span of time, a variety of mapping styles is illustrated, from the geographically based map (many, including the world‟s grand trans-continental railways); the line diagram (as illustrated by the simple LMS LT&S version of 1935); a fascinating and far more complex geometric representation of the 2009 Tokyo rail network; and railway lines superimposed on panoramic scenes (such as the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls). The second part of the book is an atlas, arranged in chapters for each continent and then in alphabetical order of country. A recent map is included for each of 120 countries, showing passenger railway services. Historical maps are occasionally included too, to show a country‟s progression (or regression). If you are fascinated by maps, and are interested in railways, this is definitely a book for you. First published in the USA in May 2011, a UK paperback version is expected in September (hopefully with English spelling of words like “centre”!). (BLJ)

Walk The Lines: The London Underground – Overground. Mark Mason, Random House Books (£12.99). This is a description of a series of journeys undertaken by the author along the full length of all eleven lines of the Underground, not by riding on them but on foot above them. Along the way he encounters a series of characters, some fleetingly, but some for an interview in

more depth. Amongst the latter are a City of London Planner; Rachel, a would-be taxi driver studying the Knowledge; and actor Tim Bentinck – David in The Archers, but also the voice of Underground Mind The Gap announcements. Mark Mason has a good eye (and ear) for interesting people, history, buildings and events along his overground routes. Friends may not learn much they didn‟t already know about Underground history (the book is written for a general audience), but will pick up other interesting snippets of information, including what is the claim to fame of the junction of Lapstone Gardens and Mentmore Close in Kenton.* An enjoyable read, though Underground historians may find themselves mentally saying “Why didn‟t he go there, or mention that”, in some places! * It was the location of the famous scene in Fawlty Towers where Basil gave his Austin 1100 “a damn good thrashing”. Also received, from Ian Allan Publishing, are: AEC Regent V by Stewart Brown (£19.99); BET Buses in the 1960s by Gavin Booth (£18.99); and Buses Yearbook 2012 (£15.99) edited by Stewart Brown. The latter contains the usual wide selection of articles, including one by Robert E Jowett, focussed on his six decades of acquaintanceship with buses in London. From Trolleybooks comes London Trolleybus Wiring: North East & East, by Keith Farrow. This is the fourth and final volume in a series of books about London trolleybus operation, in particular the overhead wiring that supported it. The book describes all the turning circles and junctions in the area covered and the services that used them. There are lots of detailed, local wiring diagrams and many photos of the trolleybuses that served this quadrant of London.

Northmet Further to the solution to April‟s What,Where,When? published in July 2010, I thought the attached picture would be of interest. These tin printed holders measuring 5 x 3 inches were issued to Northmet domestic customers. The two grades of fuse wire were wound around the 'bullseye' logos, to be refilled as required. Many of the older houses in Enfield must have had one. I found mine under the floorboards! Richard Broom (By email)

on-line history of all the company's products. Clive Greedus 34 St Johns Road, Newbury Park, Ilford, IG2 7BD. Tel: 020 8597 3405. c.greedus@tiscali.co.uk The accompanying photo shows Cobham Bus Museum’s RL92, whilst on display at Twyford Waterworks, Winchester, in January 2010. (Barry LeJeune)

enthusiast rail-tours; a unit of 1967 tube stock, bearing the headboard 'Auto Tube Rambler', visited other parts of the system (including the Metropolitan Line) on Sundays 3rd June and 2nd September of that year. Mark Kirby (By email)

What, Where, When?

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Mike McDermott was one of very few Friends who correctly identified the location of the competition picture in the July 2011 issue of Friends News. The location of the photograph is the former Staines West station. Mike adds: “The building originally began life as a private house before the Staines (West) branch was constructed by the Staines & West Drayton Railway, which subsequently opened the line on 2nd November 1885. The Staines (West) branch later became part of the GWR and, in September 1949, the station was re-named 'Staines West' to avoid confusion with Staines station on the SR

electric main line from Waterloo to Reading

and Windsor & Eton Riverside.

Staines West station closed on 29th March

1965 and for many years the forecourt of

Staines West station served as the terminus

of LT Central Area bus routes 90, 116, 117,

216 and 218, as well as the former LT

Country Area route 436 (which was famous for running its fleet of RLHs from Addlestone Garage). The former station building at Staines West is now used as offices and the buffer stop mounted on the pavement serves as a reminder of the former railway connection with this location.” Mike wins the book prize, kindly donated by Ian Allan Publishing. And so to this month‟s puzzle. What piece of equipment is this? Answers by email or post to the Editor‟s home address (see page 2) by the copy date for the January 2012 issue.

from the HLF has also enabled the Ffestiniog

Railway carriage engineering works to recruit an apprentice, who will play a key role in the

restoration whilst working towards a two-year NVQ Level 2 in Carpentry during the process. The carriage body has already been delivered to

Boston Lodge for assessment (see front page photo), together with a suitable 4-wheeled

underframe (ex BR Southern Region, PMV 1746) kindly donated by the Quainton Railway Society.

In common with other heritage railway carriage restoration projects, the steel structure will be modified and shortened to accommodate the

wooden body. Unfortunately, the original underframe built by Cravens for Met 353 has been

missing for over 60 years – presumably scrapped a long time ago! What‟s next? The windows, panelling, doors and

interior mouldings will be removed to reveal the main structure before it is repaired and restored to shape. Surplus items, such as grab handles added to

the carriage during Weston Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway (WC&PR) ownership, will be saved and

donated to the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum. The engineering changes proposed to the underframe will need to be carefully designed,

implemented and tested. To ensure these challenges are met, an independent engineer will

be recruited with considerable experience of both heritage railway and Network Rail rolling stock

operation and of vehicle acceptance. Working alongside will be an engineering representative from London Underground, who will monitor the

work and make sure the carriage conforms for operation on Underground lines. Whilst it is early days within the life cycle of the project, I am confident the team working on the

carriage will have it completed in time for special operation during the 150th anniversary in 2013.

Exciting times ahead!

As Sam Mullins explains from the Director‟s

Chair, we are pleased to announce that London Transport Museum has been

successful in its application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to restore Metropolitan Railway First Class „Jubilee‟ carriage No. 353.

£422,000 in HLF support has been confirmed which, together with a £150,000 contribution

from the London Transport Museum Friends, will enable the restoration project to go ahead as

planned. The combined support of the HLF and the Friends will also enable the Museum to deliver a programme of touring exhibitions with

community groups across London, which will explore the heritage of the carriage and lead to a

qualification with the National Open College Network. 2013 will mark the 150th anniversary of London‟s

Underground – the oldest metro system in the world. As part of a year-long programme of celebration, London Transport Museum will

manage a series of unique heritage rail events and activities. The restored carriage will be at the

forefront of these celebrations and provide a fantastic heritage legacy for London and the UK. Preparations have been underway throughout

the summer developing the project management plan for the carriage restoration. This important

work has dictated how the rebuild of Met 353 will be implemented; it has involved further

research into the design of the carriage, identifying resources, assessing risks and refining costs. The contract has been awarded to the

Ffestiniog Railway carriage engineering works, located at Boston Lodge near Porthmadog in

North Wales. The company has an excellent reputation for restoring carriages to a very high standard, incorporating professional

workmanship with attention to detail. Funding

More On The Met Jubilee Coach

Tim Shields explains more on how the Met. Line Jubilee Coach

project will be progressed following the HLF funding decision.