Scan of a print taken July 1989: Two snaps of Dennis Howells’ 94XX pannier tank at Watford with a special working to Chesham to mark the centenary off the Chesham Branch. Chesham Station was opened on 8 July 1889 by the Metropolitan Railway as the company's temporary northern terminus when the railway was extended from Rickmansworth. The line had been intended to extend across the Chilterns and connect to the London and North Western Railway's Euston-Birmingham line at Tring, but this never came to fruition. However, before work was begun, the Metropolitan chose an alternative route across the Chilterns via Aylesbury. The Aylesbury route opened in 1892 effectively relegating the line to Chesham as a branch from the new route.
The Chesham Centenary was the first of the ‘Steam on the Met’ special weekends that continued into the 1990s. On this occasion the locos involved were No. 9466, Met No. 1 and ‘Sarah Siddons’ and although my memory is a bit hazy, I think the event took place over two consecutive weekends and there was a run mid-week for LT staff and their relatives. A feature of the event was that the two steam locos were worked by crews from their home base, the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road.
Tags: 9466 0-6-0PT 94XX Chesham Centenary Chesham 100 Watford
Scan of a print taken July 1989: Two snaps of Dennis Howells’ 94XX pannier tank at Watford with a special working to Chesham to mark the centenary off the Chesham Branch. Chesham Station was opened on 8 July 1889 by the Metropolitan Railway as the company's temporary northern terminus when the railway was extended from Rickmansworth. The line had been intended to extend across the Chilterns and connect to the London and North Western Railway's Euston-Birmingham line at Tring, but this never came to fruition. However, before work was begun, the Metropolitan chose an alternative route across the Chilterns via Aylesbury. The Aylesbury route opened in 1892 effectively relegating the line to Chesham as a branch from the new route.
The Chesham Centenary was the first of the ‘Steam on the Met’ special weekends that continued into the 1990s. On this occasion the locos involved were No. 9466, Met No. 1 and ‘Sarah Siddons’ and although my memory is a bit hazy, I think the event took place over two consecutive weekends and there was a run mid-week for LT staff and their relatives. A feature of the event was that the two steam locos were worked by crews from their home base, the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road.
Tags: 9466 0-6-0PT 94XX Chesham Centenary Chesham 100 Watford
Scan of a print taken July 1989: 'Sarah Siddons' is about to 'tail' a Chesham 100 working, with (out of the picture) ex BR(WR) 94XX No. 9466 at 'the sharp end', whilst LT battery loco No. 44 is on display in the adjacent siding.
Tags: Sarah Siddons LT Battery Loco Chesham 100
Scan of a print taken July 1989: Presumably No. 44 was selected for display as part of 'Chesham 100' as this was the number carried by Quainton's preserved Metropolitan E Class tank when it was acquired by London Transport from the Met. The LT battery locos are used on engineers workings (predominately at night) and can draw power from the 630 V electrified rails like a normal tube train, or run on 320 V DC traction batteries, which are recharged during the day whilst the locos are back in their depots.
Tags: LT battery locos Watford tube station Chesham 100