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24 October 2012
Last updated at
09:37
In pictures: Steam train to recreate London Tube journey
The steam train will return to the Metropolitan Line in January to recreate the first Tube journey made 150 years ago. The train will comprise a steam engine and coaches from the 19th Century and one of the oldest surviving electric locomotives.
The original route had seven stops between Paddington and Farringdon, via Baker Street, as seen in this sketch from 1863. The novelty of a train miles under bustling London drew 40,000 people on the inaugural day on 10 January 1863.
The 1898-built steam engine Met Locomotive No.1 was introduced in 1904 on the opening of the Uxbridge branch of the Metropolitan Line. It bid farewell after marking the Tube's centenary in 1963 and was due to be scrapped. Rail enthusiasts from Quainton Railway Society rescued and restored it.
The 1892-built Jubilee carriage is the oldest surviving Tube carriage. It was withdrawn from service in 1905 and was sold to the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway. Since 1940 it has been used as a shop, a clubhouse for US servicemen, a home and a farm outbuilding before being rescued in 1974.
These four carriages, known as Chesham carriages, were introduced to the Metropolitan Railways' Chesham branch in 1899. These wooden cars were also taken out of service after the Tube centenary celebrations. They were bought by Bluebell Railway Society, which uses it for heritage tours.
Built in 1922, No. 12 Sarah Siddons is one of the world's oldest serving electric locomotives and was running on the Metropolitan Line until the 1960s. Since being decommissioned it has towed railway vehicles and been used for special tours. Drivers used to cook toast on the electrical grid inside.
The popularity of the subterranean rail network linking London led to the expansion to the suburbs in the 19th Century. The service, which carried 26,000 passengers-a-day in 1863, set a new record in 2012 by carrying 4.4 million people on 3 August during the London Olympics.
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