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Post by londonstuff on Aug 6, 2008 19:30:50 GMT
I'm sure I remember somewhere, ages ago, a video/documentary/London Lite, something, saying that Aldwych could still be hired out as a party venue.
Was this ever or is this still the case?
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Post by MarkP on Aug 6, 2008 22:56:08 GMT
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Post by londonstuff on Aug 6, 2008 23:21:58 GMT
Apparently the ride goes upside down at one point and clings to the tunnel roof, with any money that falls into suicide pits going towards the Crossrail extension. I've also heard the food joint next to the shop will sell amazing burgers, with the bun in the shape of a roundel  Seriously, how cool would it be to have a private party at Aldwych if it were possible!? |
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mrfs42
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Post by mrfs42 on Aug 7, 2008 0:11:56 GMT
Seriously, how cool would it be to have a private party at Aldwych if it were possible!? Hmmmm. Thinks about wedding reception venues. Especially as angelislington has been to Aldwych on a service train and I haven't.  |
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Post by compsci on Aug 7, 2008 5:58:58 GMT
I would not put it past the museum cafe to serve roundel shaped burgers. They already use roundel ice cubes.
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Post by tubeprune on Aug 7, 2008 6:03:45 GMT
Is there any reader here who actually crewed the Aldwych train? I mean did anyone ever do Holborn-Aldwych and back 8 times an hour?
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Post by suncloud on Aug 7, 2008 12:29:50 GMT
Seriously, how cool would it be to have a private party at Aldwych if it were possible!? Hmmmm. Thinks about wedding reception venues. Especially as angelislington has been to Aldwych on a service train and I haven't. And you could get the 38ts to run the wedding party along the Northern and then through Euston and Kings Cross loops... |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2008 17:28:55 GMT
Is there any reader here who actually crewed the Aldwych train? I mean did anyone ever do Holborn-Aldwych and back 8 times an hour? No but there is one Acton driver (still serving) that used to do it all the time. I saw a youtube video of the last run and that is definately his voice and he has confirmed to me that he did the last run. He nearenough did it all the time and got to know quite a few of the passengers. Could it be possible it was a split turn? DOC |
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Post by ruislip on Aug 7, 2008 18:56:46 GMT
Is there any reader here who actually crewed the Aldwych train? I mean did anyone ever do Holborn-Aldwych and back 8 times an hour? Didn't you used to? |
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Post by maxtube on Aug 7, 2008 19:19:31 GMT
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Post by mrfs42 on Aug 7, 2008 19:30:05 GMT
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Post by tubeprune on Aug 8, 2008 7:23:11 GMT
Is there any reader here who actually crewed the Aldwych train? I mean did anyone ever do Holborn-Aldwych and back 8 times an hour? Didn't you used to? Yes but I wondered if anyopne else did? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2008 12:03:56 GMT
Hmmmm. Thinks about wedding reception venues. How ANYONE in their right mind would want to get married on a train and hold their wedding reception at a station is completley beyond me .  ADDITIONAL COMMENT REMOVED BY CHRISW |
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Post by Colin on Aug 8, 2008 13:33:00 GMT
I think that's a little harsh and to a certain degree, an uncalled for insult seniorpiccdriver - if you actually knew the happy couple (as I indeed do), I think you would appreciate why certain things appeal to them and not to you.
At the end of the day, if we all liked the same thing, life would be pretty boring.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2008 13:59:58 GMT
point taken colin , i did not mean any offence as i never do in any of my posts . of the original post that i replied to , there was a smiley at the end of the comment , i have/ had no idea they were actually seriously consdidering a station as a venue for their wedding reception , thats why i made my tongue in cheek reply , if that is what the happy couple wish to do then good luck to them , its not something i would do . on the two occasions i have tied the knot and commited myself to a life sentence, trains have been the furthest from my mind lol if there is free booze laid on for this bash , then id love to gatecrash the venue , ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by solidbond on Aug 8, 2008 14:08:29 GMT
Is there any reader here who actually crewed the Aldwych train? I mean did anyone ever do Holborn-Aldwych and back 8 times an hour? I worked it back in '86, when I travelled to Northfields for my job. It was quite handy for me if I could get the late turn, as I could phone up from Hainault, and go straight to Holborn for the pick up  Could it be possible it was a split turn? DOC No - it was an early turn that took the train out of Northfields, up to Holborn, shunted to the shuttle platform, worked about 18 round trips, stabled the train and made their way to Wood Green for grub. The late turn booked on at Northfields (or phoned up ) then made their way to Holborn, prepped the train, worked about 19 round trips, then ran the train empty to Wood Green for grub, and the train was worked back to Northfields, via a rusty rail move at Down Street(?) by another crew. |
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Post by ruislip on Aug 8, 2008 15:57:22 GMT
I would have loved to taken a trip on the branch just to ride on the lifts at Aldwych.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2008 17:03:30 GMT
From the days when the branch was operational (c.1992)  |
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Post by johnb2 on Aug 8, 2008 20:30:45 GMT
I would have loved to taken a trip on the branch just to ride on the lifts at Aldwych. At one time, the company then I worked for, rented office space (late 1960s) from LT (as it was then) in what had been a shop in Surrey St actually on the Aldwych stn premises. We had our own front door onto the street but a back entrance into the booking hall to allow us to use the station toilets. This back door was beside the lifts. The lifts creaked and groaned as they worked and the gates closed with a lovely rattle and clash. The 'booking office' was in fact a mobile stand on it's own wheels which was sometimes out in the booking hall and at other times was wheeled into the lift!!!!! We got to know the then station staff quite well, the more senior guy was Les. I used the station regularly for about a year, it seems old fashioned even then |
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Post by tubeprune on Aug 9, 2008 7:21:32 GMT
In my time, the lift was called for by the guard of the train pressing a plunger on the platform at Holborn just before departing for Aldwych. The liftman brought the lift down to meet the train.
Haven't we had a thread on this before? *wonders if my senility has finally arrived*
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Post by mrfs42 on Aug 9, 2008 13:51:12 GMT
Haven't we had a thread on this before? *wonders if my senility has finally arrived* No it hasn't - I think it was mentioned in a thread. However it may be germane to provide the quote from the peril for the automation of the signalling in 1980: B10 - Lift Bell HolbornThe bell push located on the Holborn (Aldwych branch) platform, for the purpose of indicating to the liftman at Aldwych that the train is about to leave for Aldwych, will be removed and the bell will be rung automatically by track circuit operation. Looking at the diagram, there appears to be a blockjoint about 25m off the end of the platform towards Holborn that would activate the bell; unless the delta for A1001 - Holborn branch home was used, which was just to the Holborn side of the WB Picc. However it was activated, it would have been a mildy interesting bit of circuitry, as the branch was/is one track circuit 'H' between A1001 (Holborn branch home) and A1002 (Aldwych Home). Some thought would need to be put into false activation, either by Holborn bound trains or the circuit picking up again before the train had reached Aldwych. I'd hesitate to suggest it was something like the platform track at Holborn (G) AND the branch TC (H) both occupied, suppression for the other direction would be intiated by Delta H (1) as the train approached Holborn; Delta H (2) would be too close to Aldwych for the lift, at about 90m from Aldwych platform. |
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Post by maxtube on Aug 9, 2008 20:59:30 GMT
I would have loved to taken a trip on the branch just to ride on the lifts at Aldwych. Not much chance of that now, when the station closed the lift cables were cut!  I actually have a 20 mph speed limit sign from the Aldwych branch, but I wonder if it is from the 1994-closed tunnel, or the 1917-closed one. Probably the former. It's black, and the '20' is in white plastic, so a light could shine through. |
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Post by ruislip on Aug 9, 2008 21:06:32 GMT
In my time, the lift was called for by the guard of the train pressing a plunger on the platform at Holborn just before departing for Aldwych. The liftman brought the lift down to meet the train. Did the lifts descend to platform level @ Aldwych? |
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Post by abe on Aug 11, 2008 9:37:53 GMT
No, like many of the Yerkes stations the shafts stopped above the level of the platforms. A long, sloping corridor led down to the level of the footbridge across the platforms; flights of steps then led down to the platforms.
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Post by johnb2 on Aug 11, 2008 19:40:58 GMT
No, like many of the Yerkes stations the shafts stopped above the level of the platforms. A long, sloping corridor led down to the level of the footbridge across the platforms; flights of steps then led down to the platforms. The bell that the guard set off, was nicely timed, the lift went down as soon as the bell sounded and then with a gentle stroll from the lift one arrived on the platform just as the train was pulling in. Sometimes when I worked there, as mentioned above, we'd hear the bell, (it was pretty loud), and belt from the office, via our back door which opened directly into the booking hall and just miss the lift  . If the lift man was quick he could get in another up/down before the train left and then with a quick sprint we could catch that train |
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Post by ruislip on Aug 12, 2008 3:51:42 GMT
Did the Aldwych shuttle ever operate under OPO?
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Post by abe on Aug 12, 2008 7:36:16 GMT
Yes, for many years. I presume that it was introduced at the same time as OPO on the main Piccadilly line, otherwise there would have been a few lonely guards being driven insane through repeated shuttling between Holborn and Aldwych!
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Post by SE13 on Aug 12, 2008 16:53:32 GMT
More to the point, when did OPO get introduced on The Picc? I remember the guards being there, I just don't remember the point at which I finally decided they were no longer there.....
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2008 18:00:15 GMT
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Post by ianvisits on Aug 14, 2008 20:19:08 GMT
Another snippet about the lifts - as there were two of them, if one broke down the other would be moved alongside and there is a door which links the two for evacuation.
There were also three lift shafts constructed - although only two were ever used.
At the lower level, the original plans was to have people exit the lifts at the rear (as did happen at the street level for a while) and take a separate passageway down to the platforms, but that was abandoned during construction. The tunnels still exist, but are unfinished.
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. If the lift man was quick he could get in another up/down before the train left and then with a quick sprint we could catch that train 
