Unexpected – as the poor thing has been rather ill recently – but the lovingly restored 1938 era tube train will be taking trips along the tube network in a couple of weeks time, and you can be on it.

I’ve been on it quite a few times in the past – and it is a lovely trip to take, not just for the train itself with its art-deco interior and 1980s adverts still in place, but also the joy of watching stunned passengers on the platforms as you pass various stations in the old train.

There are five trips on Sunday 12th September.

£25 – 8:50 Ealing Broadway to Harrow on the Hill

£25 – 10:26 Harrow on the Hill to Amersham (via the North Curve!)

£15 – 11:30 Amersham to Watford and back again

£20 – 12:57 Amersham to Harrow of the Hill and back again

£20 – 14:30 Amersham to Harrow on the Hill

You also get free trips on the lovely Sarah Siddons, subject to spare seats being available (normally costs £5).

All tickets should be purchased in advance through the Online Ticket Office online (warning - based on previous experience, use Microsoft Internet Explorer to book tickets) or over the phone on 020 7565 7298.

In addition, free heritage bus service will run every 15 minutes between Amersham Old Town and Amersham station.  This service will link you to the variety of activities taking place as part of their Heritage Day, between 11am and 5pm.

Some years ago, I cam within a whiskers length of getting a tour of the Kingsway subway tunnel that runs near to Holborn in central London, and is now largely used as a storage box by the local council.

Sadly, my attempts which came so close to success were thwarted by an officious oik, who’s ranting email within Camden Council was accidentally (?) cc’d to me – and he was basically furious that a decsion was taken without his input.

Visit cancelled.

A few years later, I won a charity auction from the Transport Museum for a tour of the tunnels. Woo I thought, but again the council proved, umm, difficult and the prize was later substituted for a tour of the disused Aldwych tube station.

Close, but still no cigar.

Yesterday, my heart positively leapt as The Londonist advised that an art installation is to be put in the tunnels, and the public will be allowed in on tours. The tickets were expected to be made available yesterday, but I had an email this morning from the organisers confirming ticket availability at last.

Finally, I get in to see the tunnels (and some art).

So if you want to admire an art event see the tunnels – then swiftly click hither.

Incidentally, some years ago as part of the London Open House events, I went to see the iconic Isokon Flats in Belsize Park which were about to be restored – and the same people behind the Kingsway event had put art installations inside the semi-derelict apartments. It worked really well, so I am actually quite pleased that they are behind the Kingsway event as well.

Another outing for the iconic restored 1938 tube train – this time on a Friday evening along the District line. This weekend (29th/30th Aug) the Upminster depot is open to the public for its 50th anniversary, and the 1938 train will be on display.

Being normally stored safely at London Transport Museum’s Depot at Acton, the train has to get back – and so on Friday 4th Sept the 1938 stock train will be making its return to the depot, and you can be a passenger on that train.

It will depart Upminster station at 19:52 and will run non-stop to Ealing Broadway – approximately 90 minutes. Tickets are £20 each and are limited to 150 places only.

Book tickets for this event via their website or telephone 0207 565 7298.

I’ve done quite a few trips on the train, and the look of the general public as the old train goes through the stations is by far the best fun you can have. I’ll bet a few spectators will wonder if they had a few more post-work drinks that remembered when the train passes their bleary eyes on this Friday evening!

Please note, there will be a photo opportunity at Whitechapel platform 4 from 20:35 until 20:48 and reverse at High Street Kensington platform 2 at 21:19.

Today was the highly anticipated 1938 tube train run along the modern Jubilee Line extension, and a rare chance to visit the disused platforms at Charing Cross station. Although I have been on the train several times – the last one booking an entire carriage for a private group, this was still a chance not to be missed.

As the excited crowd gathered at Stratford station, the tannoy repeatedly asked passengers for the 1938 heritage train to assemble by platform 13. Unlucky for those on the platform waiting for a normal train who were politely evicted – but lucky for the rest of us!

Shortly before the train arrived, we were let onto the platforms and I noticed a nice touch in that the display indicator mentioned the train trip. Previous trips on the Northern Line have usually just said “train not in service”. Small things like this make me a happy person.

As the train pulled in, the usual rush to get photos of it arriving, and I also managed to snap a shot of the old train and a modern one sitting next to each other before the modern train took off with conventional passengers.

A few people I recognised were there, so we traveled together for much of the journey – The Charlton dwelling author of the 853 blog and fellow tube geek, London Stuff (who snuck into the drivers cabin for a while)

After a short wait we were off!

As before, the trip was basically a run along the train lines without stopping – so in itself it shouldn’t  be that exciting. Somehow though, the nostalgia, and the sheer unusualness of the trip makes it worthwhile – and as before, watching the dumbfounded looks of people on the platforms as this bizarre old train passes through the station is a sheer delight.

After leg-stretching at West Hampstead as the train was stopped and turned around, we re-embarked and headed back down the line towards Green Park. Here the excitement got palpable, as the train deviated from the usual line and hurtled down the old tracks to the disused platforms at Charing Cross. Even though that was my normal station for many years, it was really nice to see the old platforms again.

We were given a very healthy 20 minutes to take photos of the old platforms and wander around a bit, while various people posed in the drivers cabin for photos. Then back on the train and off up to West Hampstead again where our trip ended. A second trip later in the day took people back along the line to Stratford.

Even though I have been on the train a few times, two new things struck me today. One was that the old lights never ever flickered throughout the journey. Considering how often modern strip lights flicker or go out on trains, this was an interesting oddity. The other, is that I was able to see a lot more of the tunnel infrastructure as we went along. I suspect a fair bit was lit up, but the lack of double glazing on the old trains does seem to make it a lot easier to peer out in to the tunnel gloom.

The tickets to this trip, even though it was mid-week rather than at the weekend, sold out so fast that I really wouldn’t be surprised if they try to squeeze another run in before the signaling upgrade makes it impossible to run the old train along the tracks.

As an end-point, as I got off at West Hampstead, I was approached by the press officer who had overheard my chatter on the train and asked if LBC Radio could ask me a few questions. It is actually quite difficult to put into words why I enjoy taking these heritage trips, especially when a microphone is pointed at you, so I fluffed my lines a bit. Maybe the train racing past in the background means they might not use the interview. Erk!

Photo credit to darryl853

As usual, some photos on my Flickr account.

I get emails from a person within TfL letting me know of upcoming heritage trips, so I usually post a note on the blog when I get told about them.

How about this – a chance to take the tube to the closed Charing Cross tube station – and not just any tube train, but the heritage 1938 stock.

Just had an email from TfL letting me know that there will be another excursion of the heritage train in a few weeks time, but this time along the Jubilee Line – and the trip will include a stop at the disused Charing Cross platforms on the old part of the Jubilee Line.

They say it is likely to be the last time a heritage train can run along the Jubilee Line, as the new signalling system being installed will make future trips impossible. As that new signalling is itself shutting the Jubilee Line most weekends (DiamondGeezer passim), this heritage trip will take place on a Wednesday, not at the weekends as would be normally expected. Specifically, Wednesday 5th August. Still, I’d expect a fair number of tube fans will jump at the chance, especially for the chance to get to the closed tube station (we tube geeks like things like that).

This is part of the Jubilee line’s 30th/10th anniversary celebrations, and likely to be the last opportunity to ride on 38 stock on the Jubilee line before their new signalling is commissioned.

There are two trips:

Trip a) Stratford to West Hampstead, down to Charing Cross and then back to West Hampstead: costs £25 per person
Trip b) West Hampstead to Stratford: costs £10 per person

The train arrives at Stratford, platform 14 at 11:00 and leaves at 11:22 (plenty of time for photo opportunities), there’s also 20 minutes scheduled at Charing Cross disused Jubilee line platforms for more photo opportunities. The train arrives at the end of trip a) at West Hampstead at 13:18.

Trip b) from West Hampstead at 13:48 and arrive back at Stratford at 14:28.

Tickets for both trips are being sold from next week by the London Transport Museum via their website www.ltmuseum.co.uk or their ticket line 020 7565 7298.

Huge cheers to TfL for letting me know about this – and while I have done the heritage run a few times, the sight of the train inside the disused Charing Cross station might make it worth another go. Not to mention the look on the faces of the bankers and financial whizzes when travelling through Canary Wharf station in an ancient tube train

Update:

Tickets now on sale at the London Transport Museum website.