Watford Shuttle January 1927

Hi
I came across the text below during a 'poke about' at the LMA a few weeks ago and thought that it might interest a few people here. It is not something I had been aware of before.

It is taken from Metropolitan Railway 'Special Traffic Arrangments and Engineering Works' Notice No 594 dated for fortnight ending 29th January 1927.

Watford and Rickmansworth Shuttle Service
Sundays
Commencing on Sunday 16th January, the present service of trains will be cancelled and the Shuttle train will not be bought out, but trips will be worked by an Electric Locomotive and 3rd Brake Coach as under-

The Light Electric Locomotive booked to leave Wembley Park for Rickmansworth at 8.32am will convey a 3rd Steam Stock Brake Coach and place same in the Bay Road at Rickmansworth (arr 8.59am) then work 9.7am Up as booked.

The following trips will be worked by an Electric Loco, and 3rd Brake Coach-

Coach to work

(Loco Off 11.49am Dn) Rickmansworth dep 12.20pm Watford arr 12.26pm- dep 12.30pm, Rickmansworth arr 12.37pm (Loco Wks 1.19pm Up)

(Loco Off 12.32pm Dn) Rickmansworth dep 1.50 pm Watford arr 1.56pm- dep 2.6pm, Rickmansworth arr 2.11pm (Loco Wks 2.35pm Up)

(Loco Off 3.32pm Dn) Rickmansworth dep 3.44pm Watford arr 3.50- dep 3.58pm, Rickmansworth arr 4.4pm (Loco Wks 4.18pm Up)

(Loco Off 4.36pm Dn) Rickmansworth dep 4.50pm Watford arr 4.56pm- dep 5.1pm, Rickmansworth arr 5. 7pm ( Loco Wks 6.20pm Up)

(Loco Off 6. 1pm Dn) Rickmansworth dep 6.31pm Watford arr 6.38pm- dep 6.58pm, Rickmansworth arr 7.4pm (Loco Wks 8.17pm Up)

The 3rd Brake Coach to be attached to the 11.30pm Light Electric Locomotive from Rickmansworth to Wembley Park.

Weekdays
The following alterations have been made to the Shuttle Service commencing Monday 10th January-

The 6.35am Wembley Park to Rickmansworth and 7.13am Rickmansworth to Watford have been cancelled, and the Shuttle train bought into service commencing with the 7.27am trip from Watford to Rickmansworth. After this time the service is worked in accordance with the current Working Time Table until arrival at Watford at 10.13pm then to STOP.

The following trips have been cancelled:
10.15, 10.38, 10.54, 11.26 & 11.54 pm Watford to Rickmansworth
10.26, 10.46, 11.16 & 11.34 pm Rickmansworth to Watford
12.16am Rickmansworth to Wembley Park
The shuttle train is stabled at Watford.

Change Over of Stock- Saturdays Only
When required on Saturdays Only a change over Motor Coach and Trailer will leave Wembley Park Empty at 6.18pm for Watford arrive 6.44pm, and the 6.52pm into Watford will make up to full strength (two vehicles) and depart Watford at 7.6pm Empty to Wembley Park.

The 6.44pm into Watford to form 7.3pm to Rickmansworth.

NOTE:- The Trailer car must be attached at Aylesbury end of Motor Coach on the trip to Watford.

Firstly- apologies in the fact that I can't seem to get any formatting or tabling to work so the timing columns appear a bit juggled about- I hope they are readable though.

Now to one of my questions. At this time the Rickmansworth-Watford shuttle was worked by one of the two Met single cars- nos 46 or 69. I am assuming that the 6.44pm ECS from Wembley Park with the Trailer formed at the front would therefore need to be a driving (or control) trailer- would this be 1905 Saloon stock or could the single cars work with anything - with the replacement shuttle car formed at the rear. This would enable it to be at the country end at Watford ready to work the 7.3pm to Rickmansworth. This would leave the Trailer car still at the stop blocks ready to receive the incoming shuttle car off the 6.52pm arrival (to form the 7.6pm ECS back to Wembley Park). This raises a question to me- between 6.52 and 7.3pm both shuttle cars would be at Watford in what I assume to be different platforms. It does not seem a simple case of ECS in - rear car departs to Watford, next arrival from Watford to form ECS to attach/couple straight up to Trailer on arrival. There must have been some shunting of the 6.52pm arrival to attach to the front of the trailer car after the 7.3pm leaves for Rickmansworth and the ECS leaves at 7.6pm for Wembley Park. Does anybody have any ideas as to how the cars would have been dealt with at Watford? I hope my rather convoluted comment makes some sense..

How long did this arrangement of using an Electric Loco and a 3rd Brake last on the Shuttle service and was the use of it in response to some other event?

I am assuming by the use of the term 'Steam Stock' that the 3rd Brake was one of the so-called Dreadnough vehicles. The other stock around at the time- the 1898 Ashbury-built 'Bogie Stock' being referred to officially as, well, 'Bogie Stock' . Am I correct in making this assumption?

Finally was there a reason that the Trailer Car was needed for the trip between Wembley Park and Watford? Were the single cars prohibited from working along this section alone- it seems that it would certainly have made things easier at Watford if worked alone. Could it have been considered preferable to have two cars to enable better current collection with less chance of two vehicles getting gapped?

Thanks for bearing with me and assisting with my knowledge- as ever any assistance is greatly received. If anybody want a copy of the pics I took of the notice then please get in touch.

EDIT- I have fiddled around with the way the text looks so I hope that it has made the actual workings clearer. I was trying - but failing miserably through not being very computer literate - to preserve the form the document presented the info in. What is more important is the actual info.