3D Network Diagram

It used to be that editing the tube map in AI revealed the relative levels that the lines pass each other one, though much of this is hidden when you look at the map as a lot occurs under the interchange blobs.

Would be good to see the system with depth though, the gradient diagrams must exist somewhere.

Always thought it would be fun to recreate the system with plastic straws in line colour, one straw per track and the correct track layout. Could be a lengthy project though.

I imagine there must the original plans hanging around in some office somewhere. I wonder if a FoI request would reveal where they are stored?

Ben, can you imagine how long that would take - Fun, and the end result would be something else, but time consuming none the less. Even a single line with it's twists and turns plus crossovers would be an interesting project - I volunteer to do the Waterloo & City! ;D

When I worked at the LTM this was a very common request ie a 3d representation of the LUL network. Our answer was and I suspect would still be " It was be a vast project to be able to show all the complex of tunnels that criss-cross it would be enormous " As far as I am aware nothing was ever done along these lines (pardon the pun). As an example try and imagine how all the lines intersect at Kings Cross. Now multiply that by the number of interchange stations in Zone 1 You can now see how complex a task it would be.

When I worked on the Crossrail project as an enabling works surveyor back in the mid 1990s the information that I gathered regarding HT & LT cables, signalling, communications, HVAC, fire detection & suppression, drainage, gas, electrical and water services was input into virtual 3D image software to create one or more 3D facility images of each of the stations. I am in no doubt whatsover that the civil engineers would have used similar software to plot the new tunnels in relation to what existed in terms of existing lines, sewers, other companies deep level tunnels and cable networks and facilities etc.

As we should probably know 3D views of many of the interchange stations have long been available as models made by planners and cutaway views in various publications. Certainly the fire plans for stations show 3D views of all the running tunnels, shafts and passageways.

While it would be a massive undertaking to create a 3D representation of the entire LUL network I have no doubt that all the necessary information exists. I would not be surprised to learn that much of it is classified and the remainder would be withheld from general availability for security, on a need to know basis very few people need such information!

Over the years, research from the original plans deposited with Parliament and various authorities have given me a number of gradient diagrams. However, a couple of years ago I acquired a very large set of blueprints giving the gradients and curve radii for all the tube lines up to c.1930. The blueprints are about 40x80 cm each, bound into a book with about 35 sheets. It includes the differences between each tunnel, as there are locations where this differs. It makes for an interesting view, but because of the size and fragility I don't get them out very often.