Metropolitan Westinghouse OO Gauge

[Jarmstro]

I agree, I've trawled all of my Met and LT books and any information is a bit vague when it comes to whether all of the Westinghouse and BTH locos were 'reconstructed' and withdrawal or scrapping dates. We do know one Westinghouse loco and one BTH loco were reconstructed in 1919 and after these two it was it was decided to construct twenty new locomotives. The BTH electrical equipment was removed and used in multiple units. Both the Westinghouse and BTH locos had gone by 1922/1923 once the Metropolitan Vickers locos were in service.

When I was researching the Met Bo-Bo for my 7mm model I did notice two different rivet patterns on the solebar depending upon the loco number which I think may indicate either a reconstructed or new chassis.

The line from Harrow to Watford and Rickmansworth was electrified in 1925, Rickmansworth to Amersham and Chesham in 1960-62.



Then onto the electric multiple units . 1913 stock, etc, etc

I've recently retired and may well treat myself if I can find some one who would take on a commission to build an 00 gauge basic and condensed layout (just the track work) of Ricky circa late 1920's. I don't enjoy baseboard building and track laying myself. Then any EMUs and my electric locos won't look so ridiculous!

 

[Jarmstro]

A 3D print for a Class C. I'm going to have to scratch build a chassis for this one. It's a winter job and requires patience. Inside cylinders so wont be too bad but I need the melancholy of winter in order to do it. It'll have to wait.. (The Rapido E chassis doesn't fit.)

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

A 3D print for a Class C. I'm going to have to scratch build a chassis for this one. It's a winter job and requires patience. Inside cylinders so wont be too bad but I need the melancholy of winter in order to do it. It'll have to wait.. (The Rapido E chassis doesn't fit.)

I suspect it's the boiler pitch. I very much doubt the Hornby SECR H chassis would fit, again due to the boiler pitch.

 

[Jarmstro]

I suspect it's the boiler pitch. I very much doubt the Hornby SECR H chassis would fit, again due to the boiler pitch.

It doesn't matter. I'll enjoy making the chassis.



I've made many and my mantra, which I need to remember and so should everyone, is to make the coupling rods first!

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I've recently retired and may well treat myself if I can find some one who would take on a commission to build an 00 gauge basic and condensed layout (just the track work) of Ricky circa late 1920's. I don't enjoy baseboard building and track laying myself. Then any EMUs and my electric locos won't look so ridiculous!

Belated congratulations on retirement. I myself retired 6 months ago.

If you have the space why not model a slice of Neasden - Met steam and electrics plus you can also throw in the GC as well!

Then, because I was brought up in Chorleywood the Met piqued my interest but of course I never knew anything other than A stock and BR 115's for going to school in Watford or up to London. One of my abiding memories is the amazingly hard, scratchy and prickly upholstery on the 115's.! As a school kid in shorts it wasn't nice! What I just can't remember is how much a ticket was to Watford or Baker St? It must have been peanuts.

I recall when we first moved to Aylesbury in the early 1970s the return fare to Marylebone was 75 pence. How times have changed as an off-peak return is now £29.40.

Like yourself I remember the BR 115s and the days when they used to stop at Moor Park which is not the case now. And on Sundays when you had to change at Amersham onto an A stock Baker Street train. I also managed to visit both Baker Street (Met) and Harrow signal boxes way back in the late 1970s. I do pick up occasional titbits about (including the friction between) the Met (TfL) and Chiltern Line as my sister is a signaller at Marylebone.

The bay platform and yard at Aylesbury is now the car park.


And A stock approaching platform 3 at Harrow on the Hill on an Uxbridge service - I somehow caught the arcing.

 

[Jarmstro]

Belated congratulations on retirement. I myself retired 6 months ago.

If you have the space why not model a slice of Neasden - Met steam and electrics plus you can also throw in the GC as well!



I recall when we first moved to Aylesbury in the early 1970s the return fare to Marylebone was 75 pence. How times have changed as an off-peak return is now £29.40.

Like yourself I remember the BR 115s and the days when they used to stop at Moor Park which is not the case now. And on Sundays when you had to change at Amersham onto an A stock Baker Street train. I also managed to visit both Baker Street (Met) and Harrow signal boxes way back in the late 1970s. I do pick up occasional titbits about (including the friction between) the Met (TfL) and Chiltern Line as my sister is a signaller at Marylebone.

The bay platform and yard at Aylesbury is now the car park.
View attachment 267495

And A stock approaching platform 3 at Harrow on the Hill on an Uxbridge service - I somehow caught the arcing.
View attachment 267497

Well, well. Thanks so much for posting those photos. It takes me back to 1968 when I started secondary school. As far as I can recall everything stopped at Chorleywood and Moor Park so going to school in Watford I could just jump on the first train to turn up. There were no trains from Amersham to Watford so sometimes there could be a bit of a wait at Moor Park. I can't remember how much a child's fare was back then but it was really negligible. I also used to go to Chesham quite often where there was a gun shop.

I am also pretty sure that there were no toilets at any Met stations except Baker St (for which there was a charge) and of course none on the A stock. On a trip from Amersham to Baker St there must have been quite a few purple faces.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I am also pretty sure that there were no toilets at any Met stations except Baker St (for which there was a charge) and of course none on the A stock. On a trip from Amersham to Baker St there must have been quite a few purple faces.

Harrow on the Hill and Farringdon had toilets otherwise they were few and far between on the Met and LT. Others did exist but I suspect they were closed by LT during WWII. When I was doing some family research my great grandmother was the Ladies attendant at Willesden Green (her husband worked on the Met and suffered a fatal incident on the railway. I assume the Met gave her employment as she had three young children - one being my grandmother).

There were no trains from Amersham to Watford so sometimes there could be a bit of a wait at Moor Park.

I think there were at least probably one or two which used the north curve to get from Ricky stabling to Watford but they were very very early in the morning - almost empty stock movements.

 

[cctransuk]

@Dave. Re the Tenshodo axle diameter. Ah!! Could well be. I just assumed the whole axle was 1mm and the bit sticking out was to cater for EM/P4. I just snipped it off and never looked at the rest of it. Re the Boxcab ( or Thomas Houston as some call them) I have a file for a 3D print and will have a go at one at some stage if I can get hold of more of these bogies. Wired together in parallel, my, my, they run sweet if a bit quick. This engine would give the best RTR a run for its money. EDIT: I've bought two more from Japan. A bit dearer but never mind. So the British Thomas Houston is under starters orders.

Tenshedo bogies always had a reputation for being 'jack-rabbits'. Black Beetles are far more controllable and, contrary to received wisdom, ARE still available from the producer in Australia.

Alternatively, Highlevel produce some very nice motor bogies.

John Isherwood.

 

[Jarmstro]

Harrow on the Hill and Farringdon had toilets otherwise they were few and far between on the Met and LT. Others did exist but I suspect they were closed by LT during WWII. When I was doing some family research my great grandmother was the Ladies attendant at Willesden Green (her husband worked on the Met and suffered a fatal incident on the railway. I assume the Met gave her employment as she had three young children - one being my grandmother).



I think there were at least probably one or two which used the north curve to get from Ricky stabling to Watford but they were very very early in the morning - almost empty stock movements.

I'm getting nostalgia overload! Have to say that I think that they were better days. As a twelve year old I could go up to London or to school in Watford and walk back over the common from the station to our house in complete safety.So could my mother who had a jewellers shop in Amersham on the Hill. It's probably rose tinted spectacles but life seemed better back then.. I am glad I grew up in Metroland in a Metroland house.

 

[David B]

And A stock approaching platform 3 at Harrow on the Hill on an Uxbridge service - I somehow caught the arcing.
View attachment 267497

I’m loving this focus on the Met - I’d read all about its main line aspirations, but it wasn’t until I finally experienced my first ride beyond Finchley Road that I realised how special it was compared to the rest of the Underground….at the bottom of the long descent from Kilburn to Neasden, the A stock must have been topping 70mph, then maintaining 60 or so on the level to Wembley before the motors started whining with the effort of climbing past Northwick Park at 50mph. What a rollercoaster….and at that stage I hadn’t experienced the climb from Ricky to Amersham, and the headlong descent back down again. I later moved to Northwood and then to Pinner, using the A stock every working day. I came to love those ugly workhorses. One very small point (and I hesitate to mention it in view of your amazing location-finding on Brian’s thread), but isn’t that A stock leaving Harrow on the southbound local? And I love the very characteristic arcing.

 

[oldravendale]

I’m loving this focus on the Met - I’d read all about its main line aspirations, but it wasn’t until I finally experienced my first ride beyond Finchley Road that I realised how special it was compared to the rest of the Underground….at the bottom of the long descent from Kilburn to Neasden, the A stock must have been topping 70mph, then maintaining 60 or so on the level to Wembley before the motors started whining with the effort of climbing past Northwick Park at 50mph. What a rollercoaster….and at that stage I hadn’t experienced the climb from Ricky to Amersham, and the headlong descent back down again. I later moved to Northwood and then to Pinner, using the A stock every working day. I came to love those ugly workhorses. One very small point (and I hesitate to mention it in view of your amazing location-finding on Brian’s thread), but isn’t that A stock leaving Harrow on the southbound local? And I love the very characteristic arcing.

The same route but with a Bug on seven Dreadnoughts was even more exciting...

Brian

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

but isn’t that A stock leaving Harrow on the southbound local?

It does appear so, I remember the Aylesbury train I was on had caught up with the Uxbridge train at Harrow South Junction.

The 3rd and 4th rail tracks seen are part of the large scissors crossover I've highlighted in green on the annotated NLS OS 1:1,250/1:2,500 1944-1975 extract. Purple = Met Fast, Magenta = Met Local, Blue = GC.