A unique tour featuring the first diesel on the underground, plus mileage behind Metropolitan Vickers “Sarah Siddons” electric over routes unfamiliar to many of us especially in ex BR “4TC” stock. Well done to the Class 20 locomotive society and London Underground for a superb and unusual day out
POWER ROUTE
Sarah Siddons} Wembley Park-Harrow on the Hill-Watford
20227(d)}
20227} Watford-Rickmansworth-Chalfont-Chesham
Sarah Siddons (d)}
Sarah Siddons} Chesham-Chalfont-Rickmansworth-Harrow on the Hill
20227(d)}
20227} Harrow on the Hill-Rickmansworth-Chalfont-Amersham
Sarah Siddons (d)}
Sarah Siddons} Amersham-Chalfont-Rickmansworth-Watford
20227(d)}
20227} Watford-Harrow on the Hill
Sarah Siddons (d)}
Sarah Siddons} Harrow on the Hill-Rayners Lane-Uxbridge
20227(d)}
20227} Uxbridge-Rayners Lane-Harrow on the Hill
Sarah Siddons (d)}
Sarah Siddons} Harrow on the Hill-Rayners Lane
20227(d)}
20227} Rayners Lane-Harrow on the Hill-Wembley Park
Sarah Siddons (d)}
Tour Report
The £17-50 tour ching included the bonus of a free LU Travelcard for the day so a few of us used turbos 165013/026 from Marylebone to get to the unknown haunt of Harrow on the Hill. A beast of a Class A Met line tube took us back to Wembley Park.
A few minutes down, Metropolitan Vicker’s 1921 built monster, number 12 ” Sarah Siddons” arrived hauling a 5 coach rake. At the rear of the ex 4TC (8015) and mk iib FO consist was an immaculate 20227. After an initial farce over seats we were soon enjoying growling Sarah thrash to astonished looks from normals on parallel running tubes.
The first of many reversals saw 20227 take over for the climb up the bank to Chalfont before the steep descent into Chesham. To give us a branch path the scheduled service had been replaced by a bus, imagine that on today’s Network Rail!
A 1 minute turnround at Chesham then Sarah showed off her hp in a steady climb back up to Chalfont and downhill to Harrow. A reversal at Harrow, then a rainy lunch stop at Amersham before various jaunts to Watford and Harrow. This station was visited by the tour six times! The last new destination was Uxbridge where Sarah at the stops and 20227 thrashing on departure were perhaps the highlights of a truly outrageous day out. 5 hours of non stop action with 45 powered miles behind each loco, and all on track unfamiliar to both us and 20227. The Metropolitan line proved to be a bit more than just another tube line and it was especially nice to have a class 20 on a mainline again….
Metro Gnome Phot-spot
“Sarah Siddons” at Watford West with the tour
Thanks to Glenn Jones for this view of 20227 making her visit to Watford Met
20227 at Amersham looking good
Thanks to Trev Rolfe for this 20227 view
Thanks to Trev Rolfe for this rare view of 20227 at the locks at Chesham, a rare loco hauled haunt, Sarah powered the took back up the steep climb out of Chesham
Sarah at Uxbridge, another unusual loco hauled venue for the Metro Gnome!
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