please empty your brain below
I like it. Much more my cup of tea. Do you understand Japanese, or was the engaging lad being given the policeman tale in English? Does the line really "dive" into High Barnet, or is it rather just that the land rises around it? How come London Underground can make all the platform announcements too loud, yet the one that you really need to know is too quiet? What is odd about the South Wimbledon font?

Malcolm | 04.10.13 - 8:26 a.m. | #

I rather assumed a degree of poetic licence on the part of the author when it came to Japanese translations. I did however wonder why there was no mention of right track running through London Bridge and Bank ... but maybe this is coming later?

rjnet | Homepage | 04.10.13 - 8:54 a.m. | #

"Morden is as far south as the Underground goes, so it's somewhat ironic that the station's on the Northern line."

Which is why, IMHO, when they split the line in two, the bit that goes to Mordon should be called THE SOUTHERN LINE.

Briantist | Homepage | 04.10.13 - 8:56 a.m. | #

It always entertained me that, by changing from the Northern line to the Victoria line at Euston, you can begin a long, unbroken northbound journey:

Northbound Northern line Kings Cross St P to Euston; change to northbound Victoria line to Kings Cross St P; change at Kings Cross St P to northbound Northern line; change at Euston to northbound Victoria line; repeat until bored or they come to take you away.

Alan Burkitt-Gray | 04.10.13 - 9:12 a.m. | #

n.b. The Japanese family were speaking English. No poetic licence.

diamond geezer | 04.10.13 - 9:22 a.m. | #

As well as Morden, they've got one of those Chandeliers at Colliers Wood although there they've rather spoiled the effect by using the stick kind of energy efficient lightbulbs. (In fact there are a great many period features in many of the stations.)

There's also an incredibly plain and large section of wall above the top of the escalators. It always makes me think of St Petersburg which I visited ten years ago. Such a space there would be taken up by giant murals and engravings from the Communist era - almost all showing the peasants holding aloft their harvest - sorry, no, the People's Harvest.

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 04.10.13 - 9:24 a.m. | #

It is also curious that the northound Northern Line at Euston is running in the opposite direction to the northbound Victoria Line across the platform (and likewise for the southbound lines: actually the lines are aligned roughly east-west)
The wrong side running through Bank has a very complicated history going right back to the original digging of the C&SLR tunnels under the Thames (now-closed), their proximity to London Bridge (now in Colorado), and the low power of the original electric trains (now long gone) when at their furthest distance from the power station (also now replaced.

timbo | 04.10.13 - 10:53 a.m. | #

Although you wouldn't have seen them unless you got off the train, South Wimbledon has a couple of full scale old posters in the circulating area at the bottom of the escalators.

These were discovered during renovation same years back and somebody had the presence of mind to preserve them behind glass. I'm not sure of the date (possibly 1930's?) and they're a little tatty, but it's a nice touch.

The C&SLRly had a thing about island platforms at the terminal stations (Stockwell (now a crossover), King William Street, Clapham Common, Angel, and Euston. Clapham North was the only non-terminal platform.

roger | 04.10.13 - 11:59 a.m. | #

@Malcolm
The Northern line is uphill all the way from Totteridge and is on quite a steep gradient from about the halfway point until it crosses the Great North Road (A1000), on the approach to the station. It almost levels out here with a slight incline into the platforms. However, the platforms end in a cutting and any passenger that has walked from the station exit to the roadway will know how steep this is! - a rise of 11m from the booking hall if Google Earth is to be believed.

The A1000 rises from 95m at the Underground bridge to 119m at the point where it is level with the end of the platforms below. (GE)

Roger | 04.10.13 - 12:29 p.m. | #

:TUFNELL:PARK:

Why the colons? Any other stations from the tile era have these (Piccadilly Line for example?)

Michael Dembinski | Homepage | 04.10.13 - 12:31 p.m. | #

Michael Dembinski: Oh, that's easy. We will meet them when we go on the Charing X branch. The ones at Warren Street have the original station name:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Warren_Street_stn_Northern_tiling.JPG

Briantist | Homepage | 04.10.13 - 12:45 p.m. | #

And, your Picadilly line example (with proper colons is) Tufnell Park

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8066/8187813812_f514aaf4b2_z.jpg

Briantist | Homepage | 04.10.13 - 12:47 p.m. | #

It's not often one gets to out-pedantic an expert commenter like Timbo but the old London Bridge is in Arizona not Colorado.
http://www.golakehavasu.com

whiff | 04.10.13 - 12:58 p.m. | #

Well if it is have-a-go-at-Timbo day could I slightly improve the wording of what he was saying and add that it wasn't the low power of the original electric trains (now long gone) when at their furthest distance from the power station (also now replaced) but the original low voltage supplied by the generators.

The low voltage originally supplied (500V) means that the relative voltage drop is much larger and hence the power (volts x amps) available to the trains is reduced. The ability of the original electric locomotives to use the power available wasn't an issue.

Pedantic of Purley | 04.10.13 - 1:48 p.m. | #

@Briantist
Well, if you can't beat them:
In the prevailing spirit of pedantry, I will point out that Tufnell Park is not on the Picadilly Line

The tiled names with quirky punctuation were a feature of the Yerkes tubes, which included what are now the Charing Cross and both northern branches of the Northern Line, hence why a "via Bank" passenger will only encounter them north of Camden Town.
Another feature, which I am sure has been mentioned before, (during Piccadilly month, I think) is that the tiling also had a different colour scheme at each station, to aid the illiterate in identifying their own station.

Arizona/Colorado
if, supposedly, the owner actually thought he was getting Tower Bridge, who is to say he took it to the right state?

timbo | 04.10.13 - 3:48 p.m. | #

The suggestion that the wrong bridge was bought is denied by those involved selling it.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/169982.how_london_bridge_was_sold_to_the_states/

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 04.10.13 - 3:54 p.m. | #

Is there a definitive list anywhere of Underground stations like Modern where the doors open on both sides? I know there's one on the Central Line at Stratford.

whiff | 04.10.13 - 5:02 p.m. | #

@timbo: My bad!

I seem to have confused Tufnell Park and Holloway Road in my mind.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Holloway_Road_stn_tiling.JPG

Briantist | Homepage | 04.10.13 - 5:06 p.m. | #

@whiff
Barking is another example

timbo | 04.10.13 - 5:15 p.m. | #

@andrew Bowden

I did say supposedly!

timbo | 04.10.13 - 6:05 p.m. | #

Thank you for linking my photo to your blog - a good read - will read a more of it from now on.

Gabriel | Homepage | 05.10.13 - 5:50 p.m. | #

Whilst noting that Balham is "Gateway to the South", you didn't mention that "Finchley Central is two and sixpence From Golders Green on the Northern Line" (Oh dear - how prices have changed!)

Dave | 06.10.13 - 5:40 a.m. | #

Morden may still be the furthest south that the Underground goes, but it is no longer the station that is furthest south on the Tube map - that distinction now goes to West Croydon

timbo | 08.10.13 - 2:51 p.m. | #











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