NR train on LU

I believe you are right Jono.

It was a battery loco hauling Gatwick Express mk2s, there is something about it on one of the many websites out there.

The then new 1984 locos

I assume they just used open air sections, not the SSR tunnels. Wouldn't that not be able to go into certain parts of the system.

Like C stocks can't go further east up the district.

www.rail-net.co.uk/storypage.php?storyid=70

Found it!

I'm sure I've seen a BR Blue Mk2 photo somewhere before on the Underground network... Was there another trial for clearance or something?

DT..I am wracking my brain but I seem to recall that LT borrowed a BR Mk2E or F set that was not used at weekends, the stock chosen as they had non-opening windows. Tubeprune will no doubt correct me! However, one car off of the set was indeed used for gauging purposes and was sent down the Circle's inner rail between two battery locos but fouled in a couple of places...Cannon Street comes to mind but I am no doubt completely erroneous here.

Two battery locos, L18 and L38, went from West Ruislip to Wimbledon BR depot. Both were fitted with buckeye couplers. This was in early 1982

They (eventually, after application of large hammers etc) coupled to a BR MkII coach a took it for a nice little trip around the sub-surface railway, going round the H&C to (IIRC) Barking and back along the District.

I understand that the Mk II got as bit too close to Mother Earth somewhere on the H&C hence the tours done with No 12 in the autumn of 1982 were confined to the Met Main.

I've got got a copy of the Timetable Notice somewhere, I'll try and find it and post it.

I suspect that people will have photos of the two battery locos with the MkII coach tucked away as well. Needless to say, a number of people with cameras were out and about on the day.

I think you'll find it was a 305 - 304s spent their lives in the West Midlands.

Fair enough Colin; the D's are reliable; but single doors were a bad idea.

The design of the brake system made almost impossible to move a train with a slight application of brakes which which they did with conventional locos when dropping rails from a long rail train or doing other work where they needed to move the locos a few feet at a time,this severely limited what trains these locos could haul and in the end they were given up as a bad job.