Shuttles HSK to KO

An aside: in the past Underground Roving, i.e. trying to break the record for visiting all the stations in one day, required some interesting foreplanning. This meant that the attempts had to be made:

a) On a Monday-Friday because of the Shoreditch service
b) Ditto because of Epping-Ongar
c) Taking into account the early closures of the north of the Hainault Loop
d) The times when the Aldwych shuttle ran
e) Ditto Watford Junction service
and, getting back to relevance,
e) When there was an Olympia Exhibition on!

I recall that LT were given a list of dates and exhibitions (and shows) by the Olympia authorities, i.e. Earls Court, and the District services were arranged in advance. I believe that I am right that there were cancellations of events at Olympia but the service still ran anyway.

The simple answer to the question (did it go further north) is No, the shuttle did not go further north... but read on, it's not so simple.

Kensington (Addison Road/Olympia) was at the South end of the West London Railway, built to link the LNWR to the Thames (via the Kensington Canal), later extended by the West London Extension Rly to Clapham Junction, etc. - these were both joint railways, and form the route of today's London Overground Clapham Jcn -Willesden Jcn service. Many other connections were added - for a 1915 map see web.ukonline.co.uk/cj.tolley/rjd/rjd-039.htm - and a wide variety of passenger services were provided over the years (in particular pre WW1). There is also a Wikipedia article at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_London_Line .

Of Underground relevence were the Middle Circle - from Moorgate via the Metropolitan and H&C - and the Outer Circle - from Broad street via the North London and Willesden Junction - both of which continued over the District to Mansion House, at least in earlier days.

In 1906 the Met/H&C connection was electrified (through to Addison Road), for a curtailed Met worked Middle Circle service. In 1914 Willesden Junction to Earls Court was electrified by the LNWR, for a WJ-EC remnant of the Outer Circle - while initially worked by District trains, this was AIUI only until the LNWR electric trains were ready.

In 1940 both the electric services (LT Met from Edgware Road, and LMS Wileesden-Earls Court) were withdrawn, together with remaining advertised steam services from the WLER.
An unadvertised service continued to run for Post Office Savings Bank Staff, from Clapham Junction - the 'Kenny Belle' as it became known.

The District shuttle from HSK started in 1946 - for many years only at Exhibition times. AIUI, prior to this the District had not worked to (or through) Addison Road (Olympia) since 1914.

At this stage there was no segregation between 'Underground' and 'Main Line' - segregation of the District to its bay came later (and removal of all connections even later).

The 'Kenny Belle' became London's last steam suburban service (ironically worked by the Southern) - eventually it became advertised, dieselised, and finally developed into the Overground service we have to today.

There's a scan of the Kensington Olympia diagram somewhere on this site, before the automation enumerated in TC Supplement 15/1970.

Edit: I've found my copy and it says that the crossover (pre-1970) was controlled by a two lever groundframe, released by Annetts Key and permission lever 'A' in Kensington South SB.

Thanks for all the interesting info, everyone. Sorry I haven't had a chance to log on and reply sooner.

Wrong, no olympia untill earls court actually

yer sorry i will grab them tonight totally forgot its been abit manic at work recently

I thought I've keen "Olympia" on the St.James's Pk DMI. Am I imaging things?

Yes - it cannot be displayed through the central area.

Your question is I have to say entirely hypothetical.

Though (possibly) the train could be timetabled to go to Olympia, it cannot be described as such - at least on the equipment the public sees on the platform describers or those on the trains. I don't know if the signallers train describers can handle such a diagram, but I don't think so.

Normally westbound trains are diverted to OLY and will have to be announced as such. As stated for the platfom describers I *think* the train would have to run as far as Earls Court before it could be amended to OLY - I have to admit I haven't checked to see if there is an option - I'll happily stand corrected!

They tend to describe them as Putney Bridges giving them the correct description at South Ken once the equipment is able. PYB is chosen as its not a regular D stock reversing point.

There is a route on the DVA though, I believe, for Upminster to Olympia. So you could Display Olympia destination and set the DVA up for it, from anywhere.

OK - never noticed that one - probably as I've never looked (or needed to!).

I think they had already gone when I started 6 years ago - certainly I never drove one.