The Love of the Underground

The history of the Underground interests me. I also love all the trivia that comes with the Tube; longest escalator, deepest station, etc. etc. Fascinating stuff.

For me it was all down to the travelling experience. You would descend onto the quiet, dimmly lit, haunting platform with the smell of dust and ions in the air. A gentle breeze would pick up and the litter would start blowing down the track. A distant rumble could be heard getting louder and louder. A set of lights would appear reflecting of the tunnel wall taking the corner before the station entrance. The noise is now defening the wind blowing a gale and out from the tunnel the 38 tube stock races into the station at 35mph giving it full ep. The whine of the back emf being used for the regenerative braking and the deep low murmor of the motors as they grind to a halt. Oh! the memories.

What station is that? (2nd pic)

North Weald? See the old style adjustment switch in the rails? Staggered too.

I too like the history of the Underground. I also find interesting the present and it's future and the fact it's continuously changing. From an engineering point of view - research it's history and you'll realise why its the way it is now and the ingenuity employed to build it.

As a kid I always wondered what it would be like to work on the Underground.

The system has its own unique identity; stations, trains, decorative features, area lines pass through/under/over... I can't put a finger on it...

From the ultra modern and awe inspiring Canary Wharf to the ex GER station at Buckhurst Hill, LU is unique.

I can't really add anything new, you lot have said it all already. The diversity of the system is one factor, Victoria station packed all day long whilst Chesham sleeps! The social impact it has made, whole new communities springing up and then being swallowed into suburbia just because the tube went there. Even today you can see the housing market trends by looking at the areas around tube lines.

The thing that fascinates me in my current role is the fact that we are spending billions (literally) on upgrading the SSR network which was designed and built by Victorians. Even when we have finished this single biggest upgrade in the history of the system it will still, essentially, rely on infrastructure that was put in place from circa 1864. Amazing!

It was the first and it is not all shiny and new, it has atmosphere that line 4 in Paris (as a random example) will never have. This atmosphere is so tangible it imprints itself on even the newest sections of the system. The staff play an important part in continuing this atmosphere, even if they don't know it - Our quirks in the way we work and even our choice of language is unique, some staff don't even know the origins of the terminology they use (thats history for you, great!) but they use it anyway!

Some of the oldest parts of the system will probably outlast some of the more recent additions. The original brick arch tunnels given regular maintenance could last another 150 years where the current main threat to them is water seepage. The standard of brick laying skills used in their construction no longer exist.