Child of the first war, forgotten by the second ... they called it 'Metroland'
Well they did back then, but we're calling it ... Secrets, of the Metropolitan Line
Now Chesham used to have three platforms
one of them you can still see here has been turned into a garden
which won a competition back in 1993
Best of all though, I do like the old water tower
which is still there, from the days of steam
So we're on the single line between Chesham and Chalfont
takes about seven minutes to travel in total
it is the longest distance between two stations, anywhere on the London Underground network
and Chesham trains, used to arrive at Chalfont on Platform 3
and this is where the four-car shuttle that used to run, between here, when it was old A Stock
It's a shame, if it had still been running today, it would be the only place on the Underground
where four car trains ... run ... back and forth
So we're in the beautiful sunshine at Amersham station
the furthest west, that the London Underground goes
Or is it ... ?
Chesham station is actually slightly further west than Amersham
On a public train, however ...
If you're a driver, when you leave Amersham station
and you go into the sidings that are just beyond the station
at that point, you are further west than Chesham
Now back in the day - by which we mean the late nineteenth century
the Metropolitan Railway actually extended beyond Amersham, to Aylebury
Quainton Road, Brill, and even a place called Verney Junction. Where the hell is that?
So at Watford, it's not so much a 'thing to see', but a 'last chance to see'
if you've never been to Watford station - go soon
In a couple of years when the extend the line from Croxley to Watford Junction
Watford Met, the terminus here will close completely
and will come off the London Underground map
I'm standing under the newest part, of the Metropolitan Line
which isn't here yet, because it's a bridge that hasn't been built
but it should be built by 2018
heading off east, after Croxley, cutting off Watford
and heading towards Watford Junction instead
And where the old abandoned British Rail Croxley Green line is
it will run down, and connect up with Watford Junction station
and the tube will have a whole bunch of new stations, added to the map
So we've just left Croxley heading south, and I need you to look out of this window
for a secret piece of track called the North Curve
which links Croxley to Rickmansworth station
Now, one train a day leaves Rickmansworth about 5am in the morning going to Croxley and Watford
There it is!
And one leaves at about midnight, coming out of Watford, going back to Rickmansworth
Now a fan of the tube I may be, but I wasn't prepared to get up at 4am
to go and get the 5am train from Chesham, that goes round the curve to Watford
So instead, we got a shot of where the track goes around the curve
And actually, under this bridge
which may be the only point of the London Underground
that goes, sort of, underground outside of London!
Oh, and here's an animation to show how it might look on the map
if it were actually on the tube map ... which, it isn't
Next we stopped at Moor Park station, to walk down this corridor - used by Art on the Underground
for some very nice posters, to track down and locate
the Sandy Lodge entrance and exit
So this is some of the famous countryside that Metroland is famous for
trees and pathways going off, in all directions
and you get to it, but coming to the "Secret" entrance/exit
at Moor Park station, which is not at the front
but around the back, up some steps
and I bet there are people that commute to London everyday from this station
that have never been in or out this way
We headed south, and got to a point where we wanted to reminisce about the good old days of steam
... at Rickmansworth
Chalfont not the only Metropolitan Line station with an abandoned platform
Rickmansworth - down this end - has also got an oooold platform
Was used up until 1961
this is point where steam trains used to start and electric trains used to stop
and you would come out of London, get off your electric train
and get onto a steam train, and carry on up
So we've changed at Harrow on the hill, we're heading west again
this time to Uxbridge to finish there
Now we haven't done the section beyond Wembley Park
because there are some disused stations, which we're going to cover another time instead
Keep an eye out, for the abandoned tube station video
which I think we'll do at somepoint, in the future
We made a quick stop at Ruislip Manor, to check out this really lovely clock
I love it!
And then onto the end of the line, at Uxbridge, which gave us a question
Is it a Piccadilly, or Metropolitan Line station?
especially when I tell you that Charles Holden designed this, to mirror
Cockfosters, at the other end of the Piccadilly Line
We say it's Met line station because more Met trains call here
And here, are some of the cool things to look out for
Theses winged wheels, above the entrance to the station
may help you fly into work
But before you do, take a moment to admire the many original features
including the stained-glass windows
and these one penny weighing machines, that are still on the platforms
So at the end of the line, we bring to an end
of this whole series of videos
We've done all eleven lines now, on the underground, if you have
or especially if you haven't watched any of the previous ones
now is the time to click on Youtube, on screen, and go back and watch some of them
and that is the end of the series - sad i know
unless of course we do maybe the Overground, or DLR next
We'll see!