The East Coast Main Line National Express trains are to stop serving tea in cups and saucers. Apparently passengers in First Class dining cars complain about the noise of spoons rattling about in their saucers, so mugs are replacing cups and saucers (couldn’t they just switch to plastic spoons?)

The new-style drinking vessels are designated as ‘quiet mugs’, and although still made of china, have undergone extensive testing, both with trains going at speed, passing other trains travelling in the opposite direction and rounding curves (really?).

The new crockery will not be used by Standard Class passengers, however, who will still be served out of cardboard cups.

The first cup and saucer appeared on a British train on the trial run of a dining car by the Great Northern Railway between London and Peterborough in 1879, which means they could not have received many complaints over the ensuing 129 years.

Via The Railway Herald

I used to travel a lot - and always paid extra for first class (to avoid the screaming kids), and a cup of tea served properly in a cup and saucer was one of those refined delicacies which made the trip just a tiny bit more enjoyable.

The decision to stop serving tea correctly makes me a bit sadder this morning.

There is a section of the London Underground which has a short bit of track, and just a single train which shuttles between two stations at either end - and it isn’t the Waterloo and City line.

I am referring to a tiny spur line on the Northern Line which links Finchley Central to Mill Hill East - and this weekend I wandered up to partly have a look at the line, but mainly as the track runs over a viaduct bridge which is reported to be the tallest on the entire tube network.

On arriving at Finchley Central, I popped across the platform to the waiting shuttle train - which was surprisingly busy for a Saturday morning on what I presumed would be a quiet part of the network. The trip to Mill Hill East goes over four bridges and initially you are at the same height as the houses before they suddenly drop away and you go over the viaduct. Alas, there are no grand views to gasp at as you go over the bridge, and a few minutes later you pull into Mill Hill East station.

Despite being stuck on a tiny spur line, it lacks any quaint historic traits, being very much a modernised platform and cleaned up station building. Nice to see the modern fitments are available, but a bit of a shame that there is nothing cute to look at.

The end of the track points directly at a private house - I wonder what it feels like to look out of your window and see a tube train heading directly for you?

It is worth possibly noting a bit of history.

The first railway was the G.N.R.’s branch line from Finsbury Park to Edgware, which was opened in 1867 - and  Mill Hill East station was opened, as Mill Hill, in the same year. From 1868 trains ran from Edgware to Ludgate Hill and Loughborough Junction but in 1869 they were diverted to Moorgate; in 1872, with the building of the branch from Finchley to High Barnet, through services were withdrawn from the Edgware line and a shuttle service was instituted from Edgware to Finchley. A station was opened in Bunns Lane (later Mill Hill Broadway overland station) in 1906 but the line later suffered from road competition and was closed to passenger traffic in 1939.

A proposal under the 1935-40 New Works Programme to link it to London Transport’s Underground system was not carried out in full; the eastern end of the branch, from Finchley Central to Mill Hill East, was electrified in 1941 to serve the near-by barracks, while frequent Underground trains began running to the west end of London, the City, and Morden over the Northern line.

In 1970 the rest of the railway lay derelict, although looking at maps suggests that much of the original single track route is still there, covered in trees.

I decided to walk back from Mill Hill East towards Finchley station, so I could get to see the viaduct from a vastly more interesting location - underneath it.

It’s a short walk along modern busy roads before you come to what is quite a rural looking bit of road (inc pavements on only one side) and yet also very busy - which makes taking photos sans cars in the view surprisingly difficult.

There is a stream running under the viaduct, and I presume that if it was responsible for cutting the steep valley I was in - then it must have been significantly more vigorous in its youth.

Curing round a corner, you can finally see the impressive 13 span viaduct in the distance - the Dollis Brook Viaduct - after the stream which runs under it.

I spent some time taking loads of photos - and on one side the hillside is open and it was tempting to scramble up the hill to get some more photos, but I was less dressed for “scrambling in the undergrowth” and more for “meeting friend for lunch later”, so that plan had to be curtailed.

Having gone down a steep road to get to the viaduct, you have to go up an equally steep hill at the other end to get towards Finchley Central station - noticing on the route this rather sad bit of Victorian street lighting - probably an old gas lamp.

There was also a side alley and I noticed that it had a footbridge which passed over the railway, so a quick stop there to get a view of the viaduct from above - although you can’t really see a lot from there thanks to the trees lining the route.

Having spent an hour going up and down more often than the stockmarket has been wont to behave recently, it was not a surprise to see that my destination station was at the bottom of another slope.

Maybe I shall go back one day in more appropriate clothing to see how much of the disused line is still walkable - as it seems to be part of the Northern Heights walk.

More photos - as usual on my Flickr account

A couple of weeks ago, the Transport Museum held another of their scavanger hunts where teams are sent off around London to take photos of a subject based on a sheet of clues.

This hunt was themed on the tube roundel – which is 100 years old this year.

It is no longer just a tube roundel now though, and the sign is used for all forms of TfL transport – including as I have now learnt, even street furniture!

Four teams were formed – and we have all uploaded our photos/blog onto a website, and the winners of a public vote wins a prize.

I won’t do a tacky “vote for me please” pleading comment, as I would prefer to leave it up to you to choose which team to pick.

http://www.webjam.com/roundel_scavenger_hunt

We may live in an age where trains are bland tubes with garish colours and an announcement every 30 seconds, but there are still some good old fashioned steam trains in use on the UK’s railways. Not just confined to distant heritage routes, but some actually run right through central London.

It was to see one of these majestic metal beasts that had me up early on a Saturday morning to head over to Kennsington Olympia where I knew The Cathedral Express was due to charge through at 9:30am. The train actually runs from Waterloo station, but I thought it would be better to get photos away from the main station.

Alas, my morning was not a good one as I had forgotten that the Jubilee Line was out of action today, so I made my way over towards Earl’s Court convinced that I would probably miss the train as I hadn’t allowed extra time for the delays. I got to Earl’s Court and decided to take the next train to West Brompton station, which was easier to get to from there, and would still give me a view. The tube train stuck at the station for probably only a few minutes, but when you are up against the clock to get to your destination, it is incredible how it aches as you mentally beg the tube train to get a move on!

Anyhow, got to West Brompton and ran across the footbridge to the overland train side, hoping that I hadn’t missed the steam train. Saw a chap there with camera and tripod, and as he could only be there for one thing - I asked if I had missed the train.

Nope - got about 5 minutes he said, and my heart was able to calm down somewhat.

Alas, the sun was right in our faces so it was tempting to go down onto the opposite platform to get better photos - however I usually find that when I do that, one of those modern carbuncles comes along and gets in the way - ruining the photo.

Today though - I stayed on the footbridge and after a few minutes, you could hear that wonderfully nostalgic sound of a steam train in the distance and shortly afterwards white smoke was seen coming over the trees.

Then it arrived, charging through the station at full speed with the thundering roar of the engines and a massive blast on the whistle - almost as a tribute to the small gang of enthusiasts on the platforms taking photos.

As it past under the footbridge, we were enveloped for a moment in the warm embrace of the smoke from its chimney and we gasped on that memorable burnt flinty smell that can only come from the coal burner flaming away below us.

It took an hour to get there, in some panic - and the event lasted maybe 30 seconds. But what a wonderful 30 seconds it was.

–

There are a few steam trains which run from London mainline stations, but you have to be careful as they are often diesel hauled to somewhere outside the city, then hooked up to a steam engine.

There is a website - UK Steam Info, which maintains a list of steam train tours, and where possible also puts up the timetable so you can work out when to be at a spot along the route if you want to see them charge past.

A few more photos, as usual on Flickr.

Go to the National Rail website - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/SPB/details.html

Then click on ‘Local Bus Map’

Then click on ‘Local Map’

Now zoom out.

I wonder what zone that is in - or is it part of London Transport International?

Hat tip to District Dave