Steam Returns On The Underground

After many years, Steam Specials returned to the London Underground in 2013, when the 150th anniversary of the opening of the world’s first underground railway between Paddington and Farringdon was celebrated. Special trains ran on two Sundays in January. These were hauled by Metropolitan Railway steam locomotive number 1, at one end, and former Metropolitan Railway electric locomotive number 12, “Sarah Siddons” at the other. Met 1, in light steam, was also featured at the April 2013 Acton Depot Open Days with the Festiniog Railway’s locomotive “Prince” in action. In May, steam specials ran between Harrow –on –the-Hill and Amersham, this time the motive power consisted of Met 1, Pannier Tank 9466, and Prairie L150 plus no less than three class 20 diesels. To conclude the 2013 events, steam ran between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Uxbridge on the 8th of December, to celebrate the opening of the present Uxbridge terminus in 1938. Prairie locomotive L150 provided the motive power on this occasion. In 2014 two steam events were staged. On two Saturdays in August, the Centenary of the Hammersmith & City Line was celebrated with a series of steam hauled shuttles between Moorgate and Hammersmith using locomotive Met 1. Later in August, Met 1 and Prairie L150 ran between Rickmansworth and Chesham, to commemorate 125 years since the opening of the branch. This production features all these events filmed in a wide variety of locations.