Riding the underground Mail Rail in London

Two postal adventures were experienced by us last week, the new Postal Museum in London, and its associated Mail Rail newly opened to the general public having been closed for many years.

The underground Mail Rail was in use from the early 1920’s to its closure in 2003 to carry mail and parcels between mail sorting offices and mainline railway stations, being quicker to transport than by road.

Unknown by almost everyone, there are 6½ miles Mail Rail tunnels. A small part of the tunnel system, involving a circular stretch of track from the Mount Pleasant sorting office, is now open for the public to ride on. When in use the electric trains transporting the mail were unmanned, apart from when maintenance was required.

Riding the Mail Rail, and seeing its museum exhibits, is an engaging visitor attraction, and is fun. Recommended by us.

Mark Williams’ On The Rails Episode 10: Diesel Generation

Continuing with my Friday episodes from Mark Williams Discovery TV channel programme, On The Rails, where he looks at the 200 years of Railways.

In episode 10 Mark examines the development of diesel-electric systems in 1953, in which he drives a Class 31 diesel-electric with a cab that has a hot plate, windshield wipers and an ashtray.

This is the last of the ten of Mark Williams On The Rails videos. You can review them all HERE.

Mark Williams’ On The Rails Episode 9: Going Underground

Continuing with my episodes from Mark Williams Discovery TV channel programme, On The Rails, where he looks at the 200 years of Railways.

In episode 9 Mark examines London’s Underground and takes a ride through one of the first tunnels built under the Thames.

Mark Williams’ On The Rails Episode 8: Speed and Power

Continuing with my Friday episodes from Mark Williams Discovery TV channel programme, On The Rails, where he looks at the 200 years of Railways.

In episode 8 Mark looks back at the golden age of the railways in the 1920s and ’30s; the race for speed, which led to locomotives setting records.

Mark Williams’ On The Rails Episode 7: Big Country

Continuing with my Friday episodes from Mark Williams Discovery TV channel programme, On The Rails, where he looks at the 200 years of Railways.

In episode 7 Mark examines the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad between 1862 and 1869, which linked the east and west coasts of America.

Mark Williams’ On The Rails Episode 6: Death on the Tracks

Continuing with my Friday episodes from Mark Williams Discovery TV channel programme, On The Rails, where he looks at the 200 years of Railways.

In episode 6 Mark climbs inside boilers, revisits the site of early train disasters and examines gadgets that helped reduce rail fatalities.

Waterloo railway station building works continue

While in London yesterday, and arriving by train to Waterloo, as is my want I took a photo of the ongoing construction work at the station.

The project, to bring the old international station platforms into use for suburban trains, is due for completion in December 2018. The building works began in 2015, as I far as my photo record shows.

Bringing platforms 20 to 24 into use seems to be more involved than I’d ever imagined. Here are two photos on the work. The one on the left was taken in August 2017, and the one on the right was taken yesterday. You’ll notice that platforms 20-24 were fully operation last year, and not now. Beneath the photos is an artist impression, taken from THIS website, of the final appearance of that part of the station.

I have to say I’m unclear as to why people at shown at the lower level, when the platforms are above. Perhaps someone will remove my confusion.