Chronoyster - 24 December 1868

On 24 December 1868, the Metropolitan District Railway extended from Gloucester Road to Westminster.

Route map of London Underground as it was 24 December 1868

South Kensington

Around the corner from South Kensington station, in Thurloe Square, there is almost a "Leinster Gardens" situation except that instead of the railway running beneath it runs behind. This, however, is a functional property - just very thin front to back.

Sloane Square

The large pipe that carries the River Westbourne.

Victoria

Not actually in the tube station, but in the mainline station, a couple of original maps of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.

The new Cardinal Place entrance.

St. James's Park

Missing S.

55 Broadway, finished in 1929, still headquarters of London Underground, once the tallest office building in London.

Westminster

At Exit 3, this revolving door leads to Portcullis House. Pass Holders Entrance Only.

Next: 12 April 1869

Chronoyster - 16 December 1868

On 16 December 1868, a new station opened.

Route map of London Underground as it was 16 December 1868

Latimer Road

There is nothing to take a photo of at Latimer Road. Absolutely nothing. That would be ghoulish.

Next: 24 December 1868

"Triple Crown" challenge

There is a new concept of tube challenge called the "Triple Crown", which I like to think of as the tube challenging equivalent of a triathlon.
It involves completing the three individual challenges as follows
1. Visit all the stations of the Docklands Light Railway
2. Visit all the stops of the Croydon Trams
3. Visit all the stations of the Circle Line "bottle" (all the stations on or inside the bottle shape of the Circle Line, plus Edgware Road and Marylebone for historical reasons)
one after the other!

Two of these I'd done before, and I've linked to my previous posts above, but I'd never even been on one of the Croydon trams before!

A competition day was organised for Saturday 12 August, with prizes for the best times on each phase and the overall time as well. I was attending the World Athletics Championship that day, but I did manage to complete it earlier on Monday 7 August.

DLR
Beckton, dep. 08:28:36
Poplar, arr. 08:47:24, dep. 08:49:14
Stratford, arr. 08:59:26, dep. 09:08:19
Stratford International, arr. 09:10:44, dep. 09:14:17
Woolwich Arsenal, arr. 09:37:54
Southeastern to Lewisham, dep. 09:44:39, arr. 09:58:00
Lewisham, dep. 10:03:44
Bank, arr. 10:29:57, dep. 10:32:02
Shadwell, arr. 10:35:30, dep. 10:40:40
Tower Gateway, arr. 10:43:09
Time = 2 hr 14 min 33 sec (Personal best)

Circle line "Bottle"
Start at Aldgate
Circle to Gloucester Road, dep. 10:58:22, arr. 11:19:36
Piccadilly to Kings Cross, dep. 11:22:35, arr. 11:41:46
Metropolitan to Liverpool Street, dep. 11:43:15, arr. 11:50:50
Central to Notting Hill Gate, dep. 11:51:51, arr. 12:09:00
District to High Street Kensington, dep. 12:13:15, arr. 12:14:59
District to Edgware Road, dep. 12:21:00, arr. 12:29:35
Walk to Edgware Road (Bakerloo)
Bakerloo to Regents Park, dep. 12:36:30, arr. 12:40:12
Walk to Great Portland Street
Metropolitan to Euston Square, dep. 12:45:37, arr. 12:47:02
Walk to Warren Street
Northern to Charing Cross, dep. 12:53:10, arr. 12:57:55
Time = 1 hr 59 min 33 sec (Personal best)

Tramlink
Wimbledon, dep. 13:30:16
Reeves Corner, arr. 13:53:57
Walk to George Street
George Street, dep. 14:07:19
West Croydon, arr. 14:13:28, dep. 14:14:36
New Addington, arr. 14:40:49, dep. 14:42:26
Sandilands, arr. 14:58:10, dep. 14:58:55
Arena, arr. 15:05:22, dep. 15:11:23
Elmers End, arr. 15:13:43
Walk to Harrington Road
Harrington Road, dep. 15:33:00
Beckenham Junction, arr. 15:42:15
Time = 2 hr 11 min 59 sec

Total Triple Crown time = 7 hr 13 min 39 sec

Chronoyster - 1 October 1868

On 1 October 1868, a new branch of the Metropolitan District Railway opened between Edgware Road and Gloucester Road

Route map of London Underground as it was 1 October 1868

Paddington (Praed Street)

Bayswater

Bayswater gave me an opportunity to visit the "houses" at 23 and 24 Leinster Gardens. When this branch of the MDR was built using cut-and-cover, an open gap was required so that the steam locomotives could "vent off". Rather than leave a gap in the terrace of houses, fake facades were used at numbers 23 and 24 to match those of the properties on either side. Complete with fake doors and black painted "windows".

Leinster Gardens was mentioned in the season 3 episode "His Last Vow" of "Sherlock", although I doubt there is even space for the narrow corridor they show.

When I visited it was raining hard and I didn't stay any longer than necessary. The street cleaner in my photo is sheltering in front of one of the fake doors. He obviously knew there were no residents that would mind.

Notting Hill Gate

Still raining, so I was rushing to find anything to represent Notting Hill Gate, and settled on this wiry elephant.

High Street Kensington

Have you ever looked up at these motifs? "MR" for Metropolitan Railway, "DR" for District Railway and "AD 1906" for the year when the original station was replaced by the shopping arcade.

Gloucester Road

Next: 16 December 1868