TRIVIA: Things you saw travelling on the LU that you don't see today

[ChiefPlanner]

I remember them on most lines. Pretty sure at least some are still shown on some stocks, but rather more discretely these days?

Must have a look next time ...."S" for sand , etc.

 

[Dstock7080]

All LU rolling stock carry cant-rail markings, S Stock have BIC and MLIC.
those above are:
BIC Brake Isolating Cock
EPBIC Electro-Pneumatic Brake Isolating Cock
DIC Door Isolating Cock.
COS would’ve had something else before it, such as CCOS Control Cut-Out Switch

 

[ChiefPlanner]

All LU rolling stock carry cant-rail markings, S Stock have BIC and MLIC.
those above are:
BIC Brake Isolating Cock
EPBIC Electro-Pneumatic Brake Isolating Cock
DIC Door Isolating Cock.
COS would’ve had something else before it, such as CCOS Control Cut-Out Switch

"COMCOS" seems to ring a bell.

Black Star .......?

Anyway - even "BR" stock had markings for under seat equipment -"ASM" - Air Supply Manifold" on 313's etc. (Not Assistant Station Manager)

 

[Dstock7080]

"COMCOS" seems to ring a bell.

Black Star .......?

COMCOS COMpressor Cut-Out Switch
Black star negative shoe lift
Red star positive shoe lift

 

[silverfoxcc]

Liverpool St had a platform bar as well.
And the smell only found on the Northern line, never got it when on the Bakerloo

 

[philthetube]

I remember Victoria line stock used to have lots of transfers above the seats reading things like BIC, EPBIC, DIC, COS, etc. in gold letters. These had long bemused me (although I had worked out what EPB stood for, with my Southern background), until an open-day at a depot somewhere I got someone to explain them to me. Didn't see them on my last trip on the Vic line.

Brake isolating cock
Electro pneumatic brake isolating cock
Door isolating cock
not sure about the last one but suspect cut out switch, with something in front of it.

 

[Belperpete]

COMCOS COMpressor Cut-Out Switch
Black star negative shoe lift
Red star positive shoe lift

I think there was also a COM.GCOS, which I think meant Compressor Governor Cut-Out (or Changeover?) Switch?
I don't recall black and red stars in VIC trains, but I do recall a white (or perhaps gold?) star, which was usually near a brake gauge at about ankle height, so I assume the star indicated a brake valve?

 

[Dstock7080]

but I do recall a white (or perhaps gold?) star, which was usually near a brake gauge at about ankle height, so I assume the star indicated a brake valve?

white star, BRV Brake Release Valve

 

[simple simon]

Used to be a bar on the outer rail platform at Liverpool St as well,not to mention the staff bars at White City & Camden Town plus bars in the booking halls at Victoria & Baker St.

Still exists - albeit in the form of coffee shop (eg: Westminster station, subsurface)

 

[Bookd]

When I used to travel occasionally from Southfields in the 70s tickets were issued by British Railways (who then owned the line but did not run the trains) on Edmonson style card tickets - this would also have applied at other stations south of Putney Bridge or Turnham Green.

Going back a bit, but trains with a mix of clerestory stock and the slightly newer 'flared' stock on the District Line. Painted red of course.

British Rail signage (1950s lozenge style or the later black and white) at stations on the Wimbledon and Richmond branches (and north of Queens Park on the Bakerloo). I think they have now all been replaced with LU or LO

 

[AY1975]

And indeed Saturdays (Cannon St?, Temple?)

Was the last station to remain closed on a Sunday Chancery Lane by any chance?

Quite possibly.

Other stations that shut on Saturdays and Sundays were Fairlop, Mornington Crescent, Roding Valley and West Brompton (before it regained its National Rail/Overground platforms, and maybe for a short while after they reopened).

Then there were the three now-closed peak-hour only stations: Aldwych, North Weald and Ongar (the latter two are now on the Epping Ongar Railway, though).

 

[Bald Rick]

Quite possibly.

Other stations that shut on Saturdays and Sundays were Fairlop, Mornington Crescent, Roding Valley and West Brompton (before it regained its National Rail/Overground platforms, and maybe for a short while after they reopened).

Then there were the three now-closed peak-hour only stations: Aldwych, North Weald and Ongar (the latter two are now on the Epping Ongar Railway, though).

Surely Cannon St was the last Sunday closure? It only opened on a Sunday’s permanently from 2015

 

[Busaholic]

Quite possibly.

Other stations that shut on Saturdays and Sundays were Fairlop, Mornington Crescent, Roding Valley and West Brompton (before it regained its National Rail/Overground platforms, and maybe for a short while after they reopened).

Then there were the three now-closed peak-hour only stations: Aldwych, North Weald and Ongar (the latter two are now on the Epping Ongar Railway, though).

What about the old Shoreditch (East London line)? M-F peak hours plus Sundays until early afternoon (for Petticoat Lane market) iirc.

 

[Mojo]

What about the old Shoreditch (East London line)? M-F peak hours plus Sundays until early afternoon (for Petticoat Lane market) iirc.

Brick Lane Market. Petticoat Lane is near Liverpool Street.

 

[pitdiver]

Stations closed on the 26th Dec. I was always fortunate enough to work at one that was closed on that day so never worked on the 26th in all my 16 years.
However when I went to work for National Express (Coaches) I had to work on that date.

 

[LUYMun]

Peak hour only services.
Now it's 'limited services' the District line runs, like weekends and public holidays, although there is a few services during the morning and evening in weekdays.

Weren't there also through trains from Mill Hill East during peak hours? Does it still happen?

 

[bramling]

Peak hour only services.
Now it's 'limited services' the District line runs, like weekends and public holidays, although there is a few services during the morning and evening in weekdays.

Weren't there also through trains from Mill Hill East during peak hours? Does it still happen?

Mill Hill East had a through service right through the day until about ten years ago. Nowadays its peak hours only, plus a few trips at the start and end of the day.

Whether that changes in the future is a matter of conjecture - there’s quite a bit of new housing going up opposite the station, and it would provide a useful way of enhancing turnaround times at High Barnet, albeit giving High Barnet an unbalanced service.

 

[LUYMun]

Mill Hill East had a through service right through the day until about ten years ago. Nowadays its peak hours only, plus a few trips at the start and end of the day.

Are there a few more like this? I know for a fact there's the Ken Olympia timetabling I mentioned as well as the former Chesham operations when the shuttle existed, but is it the same thing for Central line trains to go to Hainault via Woodford? And Northern line trains going to Morden via Charing Cross?

 

[Mojo]

Whether that changes in the future is a matter of conjecture - there’s quite a bit of new housing going up opposite the station, and it would provide a useful way of enhancing turnaround times at High Barnet, albeit giving High Barnet an unbalanced service.

I think this would be a good thing. Rather like Stanmore, High Barnet seems to have a more frequent service than it should otherwise get.

 

[Busaholic]

I think this would be a good thing. Rather like Stanmore, High Barnet seems to have a more frequent service than it should otherwise get.

Epping too.

 

[simple simon]

Mill Hill East had a through service right through the day until about ten years ago. Nowadays its peak hours only, plus a few trips at the start and end of the day.

Whether that changes in the future is a matter of conjecture - there’s quite a bit of new housing going up opposite the station, and it would provide a useful way of enhancing turnaround times at High Barnet, albeit giving High Barnet an unbalanced service.

In the steam train era (this was a LNER line) the main service went to High Barnet and the route from Finchley Central to Edgware was often operated as a single train shuttle.

 

[parkender102]

Remember that Underground trains used to be quite empty off-peak - virtually deserted in some areas at certain times.

The ban is mainly with single-line Tube tunnels and in moving escalators. In that sense it’s curious that the Northern City Line forbids unfolded bikes but the Wirral Line doesn’t.

DLR now accept unfolded bikes at certain times - I think that was a mayoral doing.

I quite regularly put my non folding bike on the tube. Early morning there is plenty of space and evening after 19:00 coming into the City is never a problem. I'm talking midweek here and am always aware of the needs of other Tube Customers. It can get busy from Embankment on District Line heading out toward Ealing/Earl's Court/Wimbledon around 10:00 at night when West End Shows finish but never much of a problem. In fact I'll probably put my bike on the tube tonight as it's lashing down outside and I need to get from Farnborough to Holland Park. So to avoid getting wet I'll get off at Clapham Junction and take the Overground to West Brompton and then change to District Line to High Street Kensington. It'll be a short (wet) ride from there. I think the criteria as mentioned above is generally you can take bicycles on lines that aren't very deep and you can carry your bike up the steps.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Top my great surprise I noticed yesterday that Uxbridge still has a pair of cigarette vending machines in situ...

 

[CarltonA]

Top my great surprise I noticed yesterday that Uxbridge still has a pair of cigarette vending machines in situ...

Though somewhat disused.....packet of fags for 10p anyone? Another interesting feature at the front entrance of Uxbridge (station) is the lack of the word "Station" on the sign, the side entrance has it though.

 

[rebmcr]

I quite regularly put my non folding bike on the tube. Early morning there is plenty of space and evening after 19:00 coming into the City is never a problem. I'm talking midweek here and am always aware of the needs of other Tube Customers. It can get busy from Embankment on District Line heading out toward Ealing/Earl's Court/Wimbledon around 10:00 at night when West End Shows finish but never much of a problem. In fact I'll probably put my bike on the tube tonight as it's lashing down outside and I need to get from Farnborough to Holland Park. So to avoid getting wet I'll get off at Clapham Junction and take the Overground to West Brompton and then change to District Line to High Street Kensington. It'll be a short (wet) ride from there. I think the criteria as mentioned above is generally you can take bicycles on lines that aren't very deep and you can carry your bike up the steps.

The District line is not a deep tube.

 

[Bedpan]

London Transport written in gold on the carriage sides, with a bigger font size L at the beginning and T at the end, and a line between the two so that it looked a bit like like "LONDON TRANSPORT

 

[Dstock7080]

London Transport written in gold on the carriage sides

R Stock and unpainted aluminium cars (1956/‘59/‘60/‘62/ A) had the lettering in red.

 

[Bedpan]

Oh yes. Another thing that I remember - but were they on Underground Stations? - were those printing press things where you could emboss your name, adfdress, or write anything else you liked really, on a strip of soft metal. For some reason I associate these with trips to London but whether they were actually on underground platforms or somewhere else I'm not sure.

 

[PeterC]

Oh yes. Another thing that I remember - but were they on Underground Stations? - were those printing press things where you could emboss your name, adfdress, or write anything else you liked really, on a strip of soft metal. For some reason I associate these with trips to London but whether they were actually on underground platforms or somewhere else I'm not sure.

I have only seen them on a few BR platforms.

 

[AY1975]

One other thing I remember as a child is the gates were often opened at rush hour at the busy stations as the paper ticketing system wasn't fast enough to keep up with the commuter flows. These days, practically all London natives and tourists are travelling on plastic. It's a different world!

Yes, and not only are paper tickets now almost a thing of the past on the Tube (apart from paper One Day Travelcards, and passengers with through rail tickets involving cross-London transfer by Underground), but so are ticket offices - they have disappeared from almost every station in the last few years. The move away from paper tickets to Oyster and contactless cards means that nowadays very few Tube journeys start with a visit to a ticket office.