please empty your brain below
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Ah climax not crescendo, but otherwise a very nice article.
Dave | 03.03.13 - 7:18 a.m. | #
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Makes me wish I could be on a train rather than at my desk...
NLW | 03.03.13 - 7:24 a.m. | #
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Loughton was designed and built by the LNER!
Also responsible for Longbenton and West Monkseaton station in Tyneside
Max Roberts | Homepage | 03.03.13 - 8:24 a.m. | #
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Buckhurst Hill station was designed and built by the Great Eastern Railway.
Old Railway Man | 03.03.13 - 8:30 a.m. | #
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What is the story behind Mile End's accidental interchange?
Dan | 03.03.13 - 8:30 a.m. | #
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Will be interesting to see if Crossrail reduces the overcrowding on the Central Line inner section as it will provide and alternative route.
At least shoppers have two routes to get from one Westfield Mall to the other Westfield Mall. Central line or Overground both running services from Shepherds Bush to Stratford.
One is air conditioned and you have views out of the window, but uncomfortable seats. The other hot and overcrowded, no views as in a tunnel but comfortable seats.
On the longish stretch of the Central Line from Mile End to Stratford, I seem to recall seeing two vertical white lines painted on the tunnel wall about half way along that section. Not sure if they are still there or what they were/are for.
John | 03.03.13 - 10:38 a.m. | #
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Being pedantic, the Central Line crosses over the Uxbridge branch of the Metropolitan around Ruislip. There is a connection between the two lines, but only used for works trains and the very occaisional enthusiasts' special.
tony Martin | 03.03.13 - 11:43 a.m. | #
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Cheers Tony, I've changed the preposition.
If anybody else would like to point out how much of today's post is wrong, please, go ahead. :)
diamond geezer | Homepage | 03.03.13 - 11:47 a.m. | #
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The unnecessary announcements annoy me too; at Stratford it's forever telling us about adverse weather when it's just a light shower for heaven's sake! At Waterloo (Jubilee)we're told as the train approaches to "stand back from the platform edge;" little option to do otherwise with the platform doors! Does any thought go into them?
Tim | 03.03.13 - 12:04 p.m. | #
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Well, if you insist...
I don't think it's the brakes that screech on sharp curves, but the flanges. And the second crossing of the piccadilly line is indeed that, but you didn't actually mention the first one, though of course "any fule know" that the picadilly shares the RaynersLane-Uxbridge track with the met. Unless the fule is not a Londoner!
All of which are silly quibbles about a bit of travel writing which is well up there with Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson, and we get it all for free! Thanks again.
Malcolm | 03.03.13 - 12:04 p.m. | #
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Fantastic post DG, whenever I visit London from the depths of Narrrfuck, I go in on the Central Line so I'm looking forward to posts to come this month!
em | 03.03.13 - 1:04 p.m. | #
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Wonderful post, which had me weeping with laughter; thanks!
Helen D Vecht | 03.03.13 - 1:28 p.m. | #
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The white bands are still there between Mile End and Stratford and mark the position of Old Ford fanshaft/emergency escape stairs. The had their 15 minutes of fame just before the Olympics when that burst water main flooded the tunnels.
Kim | 03.03.13 - 2:28 p.m. | #
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Of course the central crosses the Picadilly a third time between ealing Broadway and West Acton, and a fourth time at Holborn - the only one of the four with an actual interchange.
I think the reference to an accidental connection at Mile End was to the timings of the individual train DG was on and the District train it met - the re building of the station in the 1940s to accomodate the Central Line extension was quite deliberate.
Greenford station is an oddity, with a national Rail bay platform between the two Central Line tracks, and an escalator UP to the platforms from street level - I think the only example on the Underground.
timbo | 03.03.13 - 3:15 p.m. | #
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I always thought the sharpest curve was on the westbound section of the Central line going from Shepherd's Bush to White City - not the eastbound White City to Shepherd's Bush. The tracks take two very different routes between these two stations - although I may be wrong!
tim | 03.03.13 - 4:06 p.m. | #
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@tim - I agree with you, and our view seems to be confirmed in the excellent 'Rails Under The Clay' 2nd Edition (page 134). It was this diversion of the eastbound route that led to the short length of 'wrong side' running around White City.
NLW | 03.03.13 - 5:48 p.m. | #
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I see DG's post now refers to this.
NLW | 03.03.13 - 5:51 p.m. | #
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Thanks Kim for the information on those white bands in the tunnel.
John | 03.03.13 - 7:48 p.m. | #
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Re: Greenford - a wooden escalator at that! Surely one of the last on the network?
Fobert | 03.03.13 - 8:41 p.m. | #
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Excellent post that makes me too want to spend over an hour on a mostly crowded train mostly in tunnel!
@Timbo - according to the usually reliable Geofftech there is now a short escalator up to the Central Line platforms at Stratford.
http://www.geofftech.co.uk/tube/facts.html
Whiff | 03.03.13 - 11:51 p.m. | #
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Flanges! Woot!
Moodys | 04.03.13 - 12:43 a.m. | #
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@Fobert - yes I believe Greenford is the last wooden escalator; apparently it wasn't replaced after the Kings Cross fire because it's above surface.
Hopefully we aren't stealing DG's thunder too much here as I'm sure there's a good chance he will post on the delights of Greenford station.
Whiff | 04.03.13 - 1:53 a.m. | #
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So the Central is not very Central...
The Circle is not very circular...
The Hammersmith & City doesn't serve the majority of the City...
The Northern goes the furthest south...
etc ;)
Oh and the Overground goes under the Underground ;)
Daniel | 04.03.13 - 3:17 a.m. | #
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On the 'lost linkage' opportunity to the Met at West Ruislip, see the characteristically thorough London Reconnections post at http://www.londonreconnections.com/2011/north-by-north-west-ruislip/
marek | 04.03.13 - 7:18 a.m. | #
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Thanks everyone, you've done a wonderful job of pre-advertising many of the things I was intending to write about over the next month.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 04.03.13 - 7:20 a.m. | #
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"So the Central is not very Central..." etc
and the Metropolitan is the one that gets furthest from the Metropolis
| 04.03.13 - 7:55 a.m. | #
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Enjoyable post - thanks DG. The Central was where my fascination with the Central line started off 30+ years ago, so this brought back some memories for me.
Marc | 04.03.13 - 8:01 a.m. | #
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Ah theydon bois (boys). Interesting fact for you all if you didn't know. The village hasno street lights at all, because the locals didn't want to ruin the ambience of the village. Or pay higher taxes.
Al | 06.03.13 - 12:12 a.m. | #
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