A Stock Farewell Tour

Sorry, custard is at home, not enough space in my bag.

I recon he ATE it! ;D ;D

Museum Shop stand with mugs, carriage timetables, luggage racks/expensive) badges and assorted books/posters. All to be available at Acton Open Day next week. Also Friends of the Museum stand. I have not seen that many people at Amersham since the last day of steam in 1962!

My shot of the farewell tour at Kilburn
www.flickr.com/photos/juliang2006/8036142636/

A brilliant tour overall! Car C was the place to be. Unfortunatly don't know anybody from the forum personally so don't know what other DD members were in it. I was the one eating fish and chips!

A great way to end the A Stocks 50 years on the Met!

RIP A60/A62 Stock 1961-2012

It wasn't just me then, I haven't stopped thinking about the long whistle and the dets since, I really can't get over this being the end

I was so pleased to see so many people at Wembley and the A stock get a really good send off, everyone did the stock proud. Like I say, I'm still shell shocked that this is the end of the A stock, I'm never going to forget today.

I spent most of my time sat with a retired Neasden driver and his wife and he was recounting all his memories of the line and working for the firm. I hadn't really taken many pictures today – spent most of my time chatting with friends and retired staff.

He did say something really poignant though – just that he didn't understand why the kids (in Car A) were rushing up and down like loons in the cars to take a million and one photos. He was very quiet when we left Baker Street and I was very much the same; occasionally his wife would interject and say something along the lines of, "Remember when..." and, "That's the last time you'll do this trip [on this train] through here..."

Then he said, "Can't take any pictures when we get to Wembley – I just want to watch it go..." And he went and stood on the platform with his wife and some other former colleagues and they just all stood there quietly.

This kind of sums up the sombre mood on the platform once we had detrained. I think it was more a mark of respect than anything. There was light chit-chat to begin with, but then the wait on the platform for the train to move resulted in not very much being said. It was the waiting... Awful. Then as the brakes released and the train pulled away, a PA was made to the effect of how it was the last trip for this train. It had been a good day – weather was good, motors were great.

The last word said over the PA was, "Farewell."

Last departure from Baker Street:

www.flickr.com/photos/24772733@N05/8036243498/in/photostream

www.flickr.com/photos/24772733@N05/8036255495/in/photostream

Doesn't surprise me, it absolutely hammered through Dollis Hill

I'd like to say well done to LUL staff for making today and last Wednesday so memorable/special, and it's pleasing to see such a turn out of enthusiasts and well wishers.

Also have to say that I'm gutted that the end has finally arrived, I'm not sure the Met will ever be the same again. Seems like a little gap has appeared, where the A60s once filled it. Ho hum...

Here are some of my shots from today, and last Wednesday;

mainlinesouth.smugmug.com/Trains/London-Underground-Farewell/25612154_6QCDXQ#!i=2114020302&k=j6F7ZSs

Hopefully they reflect the final workings well.

Relatively uncommon these days, one might argue, for a 'final run' anywhere on the railway of such magnitude to be with a set which is not to be preserved (if I've understood correctly which is which).

I am depressed tonight on two counts. First, and my wife agrees, it just seems such a dreadful waste in days of economic difficulty to scrap perfectly competent trains. Second, all the logic I can muster points to an 8 car A stock set being the ideal SSL excursion train, as we saw today - far more appropriate than the scumbled Mk1s and more than C or D stock.

150 years of the Met next year and we won't have secured, for preservation, a set of the stock which served the line with distinction for the most recent third of that.

It feels wrong, and that blistering run towards Neasden, thrilling as it was, almost made the end more painful. With the aroma of brake dust in the air, it was difficult to bid that set, still hot from dashing through North West London as it was made to do, 'Farewell', when the 'nibbler' awaits.

Maybe I am betraying the fact that I am a member of the support crew for 70013, which has form for having run a 'last train' of some note, when the A stock was already well run-in!

If anyone has a video of the tour passing Dollis Hill, i'd love to see it to see the speed that it passed!

A bloody good send off, especially the detonators! HIP! HIP! *BANG BANG BANG* excellent timing.

I agree with 78019 that an operational A Stock train should be preserved and used for special occasions such as the recent events on the Amersham Heritage Open day featuring 'Sarah Siddons' and the 38 stock set. It is almost certainly too late for the remaining for sets remaining. However we have the too RAT units plus 5112/3 currently stored at Acton. It may be that a group needs to be formed to achieve this aim perhap;s on the lines of the Cravens 1960 preserved set. Whilst a static 5034 in a museum is welcome, it would be tragic if the opportunity to loose an operational set for ever were allowed to happen. Perhaps a business case could be drawn up for such a project