Chronoyster - 10 January 1863

The first post in this series features the first seven stations that opened with the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863. Wikipedia has Edgware Road as opening on 1 October 1863. Sam Cullen of https://innsidetrack.wordpress.com goes by that list, but I can't find any source that indicates why Edgware Road opened later than the other stations. I suspect that someone (probably American) misunderstood the format of the date 10/01/1863.

I'm trying to take a photo for each station, related to art, design or architecture, or of some notable oddity. If necessary, a location close to the station. But keeping away from anything railway related.

Route map of London Underground as it was 10 January 1863

Paddington (Hammersmith & City / Circle)

I'd never been to look at the "Rolling Bridge" at Paddington Basin, so I took this opportunity. It was designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the same man who designed the "New Routemaster" bus and the Olympic cauldron for London 2012. It has to be the most pointless location for a bridge - the channel it crosses is a dead end about 30 feet long.

Edgware Road (Circle / District / Hammersmith & City)

This is "Wrapper", the 2012, artwork by Jacqueline Poncelet, which wraps an electricity sub-station at Edgware Road, from outside the station and from the platform.

Baker Street

Great Portland Street

Euston Square

A location just around the corner from the station now. Apparently, Giuseppe Mazzini once lived at 187 North Gower Street. Has anybody noticed how they cover the blue plaque when 187 North Gower Street plays 221B Baker Street?

King's Cross St. Pancras

A picture of the cash cow that is the queue waiting to be pictured at Platform 9 3/4.

Statue of famous locomotive designer Sir Nigel Gresley.

Farringdon

Next : 13 June 1864

Chronoyster

After (almost) completing my Labyrinth Challenge in 2016, I've been trying to come up with a new "gimmick" for 2017. Inspired by the recent 154th anniversary of the Underground, I've decided I'm going to visit every station in chronological order according to when they first opened, or more accurately when they first saw trains in the service of what we would now recognise as the Underground.

I know what you thinking, that guy has already done that as a pub crawl (I know, Sam Cullen,
https://innsidetrack.wordpress.com), but what difference should that make? I'm also thinking of expanding it slightly by also including stations that are still open that were once, but are no longer, Underground stations. The former East London Line, which is now part of Overground, for instance.

Having done the Labyrinth Challenge, I can now say that I have either stepped onto or stepped off of (often both) a train at all 270 Underground stations. But often, if the Labyrinth was on the platform or anywhere else inside the ticket barriers, I didn't actually see much of the station. Even if the Labyrinth was in the ticket hall, so I had to exit the barriers and re-enter, I didn't leave the station property, except when I had to walk or catch a bus to the next one. So, this time, I'm going to take my time, leave the station and have a proper look around.

I'm going to buy a new Oyster card, which I will use only for this project, which I will call the "Chronoyster". When I request a journey history, that will be the log of my travels.

So I start with my first 7 stations, by going back to 10 January 1863...