Most comprehensive possible rail tour

[Chris M]

What would be the route of the (theoretical) most comprehensive rail tour of the London Underground?
The aim is to cover as much of the system as possible, using only passenger moves and retracing the same stretches of track only as much as is required for necessary reversing moves.
How long would this journey take (assuming no service disruptions)?

[Phil]

Not enough info yet, Chris: you need to specify. For example, is the Vic 'in', and if so what stock would work it and how? Do you now count, for example, Baron's Court to Acton Town as 2 separate lines (Picc and DR) since they are now operated completely independently. And so on......??

[Oracle]

I have been mulling this one over, as strangely enough I talked about it, oh, 30 years ago! The Auto Tube Rambler used 1967 TS on non-ATO lines as well as the Hainault loop in auto mode, and covered a heck of a lot of the Underground including obviously the Central, in several hours. The problem now is that you have the Central ... and the stock that is designed for it. I assume that tripcocks could be fitted but can the stock run on all other lines? I am so out of date! I assume that the Vic is out unless the line was under a possession. Of course the Metro Sprague stock comes out to play during the night when it has exclusive run of the system but realistically it would surely not be practical in London?

That said, harking back to the historic 2 x Met locos and five brake van tours, I suppose you could have two batteries + tube gauge personnel carriers between.

[Deleted]

the 92's could run on the other lines (except vic) if it was fitted with a tripcock but no other trains could run on the central one because of the signalling system and two the positive rail in the city part is higher then anywhere else if memory serves me right

[Oracle]

The Vic train must have had a mod to the shoes to allow the traversing the Central...they did of course use 1967 Stock on the Loop shuttle. However 92TS would surely be able to run on the Vic in a possession (in theory). Or I suppose you could run 67TS on the Central, modified, under a possession. I just can't see it will ever be possible now unless battery locos were used that could run on all lines and they were coupled to trailer cars.

[Chris M]

Barons Court to Acton Town I consider 1 part of the system, similarly Rayners Lane to Uxbridge is 1 part. The aim is best defined as geographical route coverage rather than track coverage, so for example you would include the Kennington loop, as a distinct route, but not every crossover needs to be travelled.

The Vic is included as it is a part of the system. As this is purely theoretical it doesn't matter what stock is or isn't used.

[c5]

Well, if we exclude the Victoria and Central lines, what stock could run on all the other lines?

To run on the Central ATO will be needed, which some battery locos have. And to run on the Victoria will require a possesion of the entire line.

In answer to the other part of Chris' question about how long it would take? Well to do the whole network on one of these Tube Challenge takes about a complete traffic day, so my guess using railtour type setup would be 30hours??? That's a bit random though.

How about one of these


I take it a low loader will be needed to do the Waterloo and City line bit ;D ;D ;D

[Oracle]

Journey time would be at least 18 hours...say 24 up to the 30 as suggested?

[c5]

oracle said:

Journey time would be at least 18 hours...say 24 up to the 30 as suggested?

Yeah!!! Make that 24 hours and 37 mins! ;D ;D ;D

[Oracle]

24 hours for the travel and 37 minutes for a PNR?

[Deleted]

When i last broused the TfL intranet on the subject the only stocks with clearance to operate virtually anywhere were 1967 stock and 1972 stock. The Central would be out to both (and probably the Jubilee Extension, I can't quite remember). Since the 1967 stock can be fitted with a tripcock and, obviously, can run on the Victoria Line, then I'd say it must be the 1967's !

(Unless some remaining 1962's or 59's can be coupled to the east end Central Line Sandite train DM's which have the necessary equipment to pick up ATO codes for driving in a form of coded manual on the Central)

[Tomcakes]

It would probably be 72 stock or 59 stock - though most the latter now withdrawn.

Interesting sub point... are things now becoming more disjointed? Will we ever see a time again where one train type can work multiple lines - like the 38ts being Northern, Bakerloo and Piccadilly simultaneously? (I exclude SSR lines from this, as they are in effect one line with multiple service patterns). Now with things like the 73 stock having some funny signalling system which means it can't go anywhere but the Picc (and RNL-HOTH and BCTE-ECTE on the SSR) - 67 and 92 stocks being fitted with incompatible ATO systems - the end of the days where stocks were swapped between lines?

[trc666]

My idea for a railtour would be the following done in a 67 stock:

Seven Sisters > Finsbury Park > Holloway Road > King's Cross > Barons Court > Hammersmith (reverse) > Tower Hill > Whitechapel (rev) > Liverpool Street > Farringdon > Baker Street > Harrow-on-the-Hill > Chesham > Harrow-on-the-Hill (rev) > Rayners Lane (rev) > Acton Town > Hammersmith > Piccadilly Circus > King's Cross > Finsbury Park > Seven Sisters.

[railtechnician]

trc666 said:

My idea for a railtour would be the following done in a 67 stock:

Seven Sisters > Finsbury Park > Holloway Road > King's Cross > Barons Court > Hammersmith (reverse) > Tower Hill > Whitechapel (rev) > Liverpool Street > Farringdon > Baker Street > Harrow-on-the-Hill > Chesham > Harrow-on-the-Hill (rev) > Rayners Lane (rev) > Acton Town > Hammersmith > Piccadilly Circus > King's Cross > Finsbury Park > Seven Sisters.

I suppose that's busy but I wouldn't call it comprehensive! I know the Central is tricky and the W&C is impossible too but what happened to the Northern, Bakerloo and Jubilee?