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Post by Dstock7080 on Mar 4, 2008 17:35:41 GMT
25years ago today the District Line said goodbye to the last R Stock in passenger service.
(i was hoping to post a commemorative pic-- but my scanner is playing up!)
Coming just a couple of weeks after the last un-refurbished D Stock its been quite a reflective mood recently!
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Oracle
In memoriam
RIP 2012
Writing is such sweet sorrow: like heck it is!
Posts: 3,234
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Post by Oracle on Mar 4, 2008 21:14:41 GMT
Remember it well...picked the last in-service train at Hammersmith, yes those who can remember will remind themselves that I first had a go one week too early! We ran to Ealing Broadway, then I think we did the customary special last trip to Common.
Then it was the R Stock tour and that was that!
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Post by ruislip on Mar 4, 2008 22:08:33 GMT
I have a copy of Piers Connor's The R Stock Story that mentions the event. The most intriguing thing I read therein was the plans LT had to sell the R stock to Athens which fell through.
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Post by tubeprune on Mar 5, 2008 7:39:51 GMT
Is it really that long ago? I did an interview for Thames TV in Ealing Common Depot for the end of the R Stock. A gaggle of TV people showed up. We had to go over to the Alps where there was a scrap train in reasonable nick for the pictures. There was no requirement for Hi Vis or anything. The man carrying the tripod for the camera was nicknamed "Legs". Actually, he seems to have had a liquid lunch, since he was more legless than legs. He was staggering around the yard with me terrified that he would touch a juice rail and electrify his tripod!
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Post by Dstock7080 on Mar 5, 2008 11:03:49 GMT
Yes ! it is that long!
I remember dropping off from the last passenger service train to dash home to record THAMES NEWS on video (which i still have!) with Tubeprunes piece to camera- which was cut-short by a time overrun!
I then went back to join the train on its last trip to HSt then EBY and finally depot.
I still have one of the crude notices (pg.67 of said book) that myself and a colleague quickly made up during the afternoon, as we were given very little notice that this would be the last day.
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Oracle
In memoriam
RIP 2012
Writing is such sweet sorrow: like heck it is!
Posts: 3,234
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Post by Oracle on Mar 5, 2008 11:23:13 GMT
I wish I could remember the route taken by the farewell tour now. Did we go to Hounslow Central?
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Post by Dstock7080 on Mar 5, 2008 13:26:15 GMT
Dstock7080.fotopic.net/p48816421.htmlDstock7080.fotopic.net/p48816422.htmlMy photo album of the day shows (maybe not the correct order) Ealing Common Depot 12A road Acton east 21rd siding Uxbridge Harrow-on-the-Hill pfm6 (photo stop) Baker Street pfm2 (quick photo of train!) Upminster Whitechapel pfm4 (photo stop) Gloucester Road pfm1 (photo stop) other trains routed via pfm2, which they did on Suns anyway! Richmond Edgware Road pfm3 Wimbledon pfm4 High Street Kensington pfm4 Earl's Court pfm4 (quick photo of crew relief!) Olympia (then guessing, via HSt to EBwy) Ealing Common east, detrain Ealing Common depot 13E road.
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