Hammersmith 150 on 9 August 2014. Met No 1 passes Shepherds Bush Market with the 13.13 Hammersmith to Moorgate.
“The reaction of ordinary members of the public was a joy to watch”
Hammersmith 150 on 9 August 2014. No 12 Sarah Siddons heads the 09.55 from Moorgate at Goldhawk Road.
Following the huge success of the Underground steam event of January 2013, London Transport Museum decided to follow this up with a double celebration in August 2014. First on two consecutive weekends was Hammersmith 150, which as its name implies was an event to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Hammersmith and City underground line, and then a week later another event with steam on the Chesham branch.
Trains for the Hammersmith event were made up of Metropolitan Locomotive No 1, Metropolitan Milk Van, the Chesham Set, the beautifully restored Jubilee Coach 353 and the 1920s Sarah Siddons electric locomotive No 12. There were five journeys in all, the first hauled by No 1 from Northfields to Moorgate, then three return trips Moorgate to Hammersmith Sarah Siddons hauled out and steam hauled back and finally a return journey back to Northfields, hauled by the electric loco. Prices for a journey varied from £40 to £95 depending on the choice of carriage, the majority paying £60 for a ride in the Bluebell’s Chesham set.
We decided to photograph the Hammersmith event and buy tickets to travel on two of the Chesham event trains and so found ourselves on the District line from Victoria to Hammersmith on Saturday, 9 August after an uneventful journey to London via Southern, a rarity nowadays. Arrival across the road at the Hammersmith and City (H&C) line terminus saw quite a crowd gathered and news that the 09.55 from Moorgate was running about twenty minutes late due to signalling problems at Aldgate having disrupted the H&C line services, so we jumped on a train to Goldhawk Road in good time to get the first shots of the day, waiting there for the 10.58 from Hammersmith as there was no certainty that a clear view would be possible at Hammersmith as the heritage train would be occupying Platform 1 and H&C trains probably Platform 2. Met No 1 looked and sounded great storming past Goldhawk Road in the sun. That engine certainly raises the echoes when worked hard.
Hammersmith 150 on 9 August 2014. Met No 1 stands at platform 4 at Moorgate after arrival with the 10.58 from Hammersmith.
9 August 2014. Met No 1 at Moorgate after arrival with the 10.58 from Hammersmith.
Hammersmith 150 on 9 August 2014. No 12 Sarah Siddons on the rear of the 13.13 from Hammersmith approaching Wood Lane BBC.
As we wanted some shots at the other end of the line we then caught an H&C train to Moorgate which got us there eventually after a very slow journey, during which its destination was changed after being held for quite a while at Edgware Road, no doubt as a result of earlier problems. Photography at Moorgate wasn’t easy as flash was prohibited and I hadn’t brought a tripod so it was a case of very high ISO and hold your breath, literally! Fortunately my Canon has a reputation for producing good results even in poor light using a high ISO number. We had intended to get a shot of the 12.10 departure at Barbican, but an eastbound H&C service had other ideas, blocking our view, so all the way back to Hammersmith where our train used Platform 3 allowing a quick window of opportunity to grab some shots of No 1 before another H&C arrival blocked the view by occupying Platform 2. Finally to Shepherds Bush Market for more photos before returning home.
Hammersmith 150 on 9 August 2014. Met No 1 at Goldhawk Road on the rear of the 09.55 from Moorgate.
Hammersmith 150 on 9 August 2014. Met No 1 storms past Goldhawk Road with the 10.58 Hammersmith to Moorgate.
Hammersmith 150 on 9 August 2014. Met No 1 stands at Hammersmith with the 13.13 to Moorgate.
I found the whole event quite amazing really and yet so normal in many ways. After all, the engines and stock belong on the Underground don’t they? The reaction of ordinary members of the public was a joy to watch and I was asked by a number of foreign tourists, American and French, for the times of later steam trains. The action by the Fire Brigade Union fortunately did not affect proceedings – a lot of the line is anyway underground and the rest mainly through chimney pots. London Underground and TfL are to be congratulated on their realistic and enlightened attitude in allowing such events, in contrast to those who run the big railway who throw in the towel at the slightest hint of anything which might affect their key performance indicators, the bonus culture and of course risk aversion. Wooden stock, a steam engine working hard and an ancient electric loco: sheer anathema to the big railway, but fine on LU lines. Well done to them. I do wonder though about the pricing. On the 12.10 train from Moorgate there were many empty seats. Maybe it was just a bit too expensive for the second time around? Great stuff though for 2014.
Hammersmith 150 on 9 August 2014. No 12 Sarah Siddons stands at Moorgate on the 12.10 to Hammersmith.