Photo courtesy of Icanhascheezburger.com |
Which London
tube line has the longest route?
What name was originally proposed for the
Jubilee Line?
Which was the first station that used
kestrels to scare away pigeons?
Which is the only tube station not to have
letters of the word "mackerel" in it?
[ANSWERS at the end of the post.]
To celebrate 150 years of the tube, the Post Office has issued special stamps. They feature original steam trains, Victorian workers excavating the underground and Edwardian passengers. |
10 January 2013 marks the 150th anniversary
of the opening of the London Metropolitan Railway, and the birth of London 's modern tube network. The world's first underground passenger railway took 2,000
workers, 3 years to dig over 3.5 miles of track to link Paddington, Euston and
Kings Cross to London 's
business district.
"London
Underground was the first transport system of its kind, embodying the
engineering ingenuity of our Victorian forefathers and providing a template for
similar schemes around the world."
Mayor of London , Boris Johnson.
'Cut and cover' construction in action. Photo courtesy of Transport For London |
Those first Victorian trains sound even
more uncomfortable than their modern counterparts; the carriages were
windowless and lit by gas lamps, and soon earned the nickname 'padded cells.' Added to that, steam
powered trains and poor ventilation meant passengers and drivers alike,
frequently complained of feeling ill during their journey.
In the 19th century as London 's streets became ever more congested,
a solution had to be found for getting around the city. The idea of an
underground railway was hit on and work started in 1860. The early construction
technique was 'cut and cover'. This is just as it sounds: navvies dug a deep
ditch which was braced and roof, and covered over to form a tunnel. This work
was hugely disruptive as whole streets had to be closed and extremely dangerous
for the workers.
The shield in situ. Photo courtesy of Transport For London |
A step forward was made with the invention
of a tunneling device called, 'the shield'. Inspired by an engineer who
observed how a worm chewed through wood, the shield was so called because it
protected the men working behind it. However, it was not a sophisticated
structure so much as an iron frame with pockets for workers to stand in with
their shovels. Their excavations were then reinforced with brick and
iron and the shield jacked forward. With modern technology it takes just a week
to create what would have taken the Victorian's a year.
Another improvement in technique was made
when James Greathead, with co-worker Barlow, developed a mechanised shield.
This was a circular device, 2.21m in
diameter which was inched forward by hydraulic jacks, and as the ground was
excavated the exposed surface was lined with curved metal ribs. The basis of
this design is still the foundation of most modern tunneling devices used
today.
Statue of James Greathead - near the Royal Exchange, London. |
Have you traveled on the underground
either in London ,
or abroad?
What was your experience?
Quiz answers.
Which tube line has the longest route?
This
is the Central line; over 34 miles of track covers the distance from West Ruislip to Epping.
What name was first proposed for the
Jubilee Line?
It was originally going to be called the
Fleet Line.
Which was the first station that used
kestrels to scare away pigeons?
This
was Northfields, on the Piccadilly line, which used hawks and kestrels to deal
with a pigeon problem.
Which is the only tube station not to have
letters of the word "mackerel" in it?
Did You Know?
The iconic London Underground map was
created in 1933 by Harry Beck. He was paid just five guineas for the design,
which is still in use today.
The font used on London Underground signage
was designed in 1916 by Edward Johnston.
Originally the boundaries of the tube
network were limited by the extent of London
clay, an excellent substrate to tunnel through.
Fine post! ;-) Here's some more trivia. To this day, the font, Johnston is jealously guarded by Travel for London. It's very difficult to get hold of unless you're going to be doing some work for them.
ReplyDeleteCheers
MTM
Well I never! Thank you for that, MTM.
Delete