Rickmansworth (RIC/ZRI)

Rickmansworth is a stop on the Metropolitan Line in Hertfordshire. It is also served by Chiltern Railways services between London Marylebone and Aylesbury.

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Metropolitan Line) & National Rail (London-Aylesbury Line)
Station code:	RIC/ZRI
Opened:	1887
Platforms:	3

The station was opened by the Metropolitan Railway in 1887 on it's extension from Pinner. It served as the line's terminus for two years before the line was extended to Chesham. The Great Central Railway also used Rickmansworth on it's services into London Marylebone.

The Metropolitan Railway electrified the line as far as Rickmansworth in 1925. The station was used for the changeover between electric and steam locomotives until the line was electrified out to Amersham in the early 1960s [1].

The station has two platforms in use, the bay platform still exists but is seldom used nowadays. Rickmansworth is used as a crew changeover point for Metropolitan Line trains and there is also stabling nearby [2]. Access between the two platforms is via a subway.

A Chiltern 165 departs bound for Aylesbury

The platforms have LU roundels

View of the platforms sans trains

A Chiltern train prepares to depart

The station has LU and NR signage

Two Chiltern trains at Rickmansworth

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Rickmansworth to Aylesbury (Middleton Press, 2005) Fig. 3
[2] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 152

South Kensington (ZSK)

South Kensington is a tube station in South West London serving both sub-surface and deep-level tube lines.

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Circle, District & Piccadilly Lines)
Station code:	ZSK
Opened:	1868
Platforms:	4

The station was opened by the Metropolitan Railway and Metropolitan District Railway in 1868 [1]. A couple of years later an "Outer Circle" service operated by the North London Railway out of Broad Street to Willesden Junction began. Another service that began in 1872 was the "Middle Circle" between Moorgate and Paddington. These services were withdrawn or cut back by the start of the twentieth century. One service that did survive was the "Inner Circle" which became the Circle Line.

The sub-surface platforms (which are actually in the open air - there was once a roof over the platforms) now consist of a single island platform though once had seven platforms for the services mentioned above. The Piccadilly Line reached South Kensington in 1906 on it's Westward expansion to Hammersmith.

South Kensington is now served by the Circle, District and Piccadilly Lines.

A District Line train arrives at the station

Telephone boxes on the platform

Look down the platform, subway down to the Piccadilly can be seen

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 156

York (YRK)

York is about half way between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh on the East Coast Main Line and is a major junction and railway hub in the North East. It is also next to the National Railway Museum (see below).

Information
Type:	National Rail (East Coast Main Line)
Station code:	YRK
Opened:	1877
Platforms:	11

York's first railway station opened in 1839 on a different site, followed by another station inside the city walls in 1841. The current York station opened in 1877 just outside the city walls as a through station and was the largest station in the world when it was built.

Most platforms are covered by a long curving roof. The station was extensively damaged in the Second World War by bombing but was repaired in 1947 and is now Grade II* listed.

York once had fifteen platforms though some have been removed due to remodelling, a major example taking place in 1988 as part of the East Coast Main Line's electrification. The station was renovated in 2009. York is currently managed by London Northeastern Railway (LNER) and is also served by Cross Country, East Midlands Trains, Northern, Hull Trains, Trans Pennine Express and Grand Central.

Virgin Trains East Coast 43 305 pauses with a ECML express

A Northern Pacer in one of the bay platforms

TPE 185 123 under the curved roof

Northern 142 023 in one the bays, a former platform is to the right

A Class 800 Azuma, the future of traction at York

National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum is home to much of the National Collection of rolling stock and other preserved items. The museum was opened on the site of a former roundhouse next to the ECML (and York station) in 1975. Exhibits include Mallard, Flying Scotsman and the first Modernisation Plan diesel locomotive D8000 (below).

Bedford St Johns (BSJ)

Nowadays a single platform halt Bedford St Johns was Bedford's first station though is much changed since it opened in the mid-nineteenth century.

Information
Type:	National Rail (Marston Vale Line)
Station code:	BSJ
Opened:	1846
Platforms:	1

It was opened as Bedford by the Buckinghamshire Railway as part of the Oxford-Cambridge Line (more commonly known as the Varsity Line) in 1846. Confusingly the Midland Railway also called their station Bedford which they opened in 1859. In 1924 the original station was renamed Bedford St Johns and the newer station Bedford Midland Road.

The Varsity Line began to be closed in the late 1960s leaving just the route from Bedford St Johns to Bletchley. The original Bedford St Johns, by then a terminus, was closed in 1984 and a new single platform halt built on a new chord line to Bedford. The Bedford-Bletchley route is now known as the Marston Vale Line.

Bedford St Johns is a basic unmanned stop with just a single bus shelter and a passenger information screen. There are firm plans to re-open the Varsity Line which means Bedford St Johns could be restored as a more substantial station one day.

WMR 153 374 arrives with a Bletchley bound service

The full length of the platform can be seen in this photo

Station sign, former operator London Midland gave gold sign due to Olympian success in Bedford

Station sign

A bus shelter and a couple of benches make up Bedford St John's facilities

Colindale (ZCD)

Colindale is a stop on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line between Hendon Central and Burnt Oak.

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Northern Line)
Station code:	ZCD
Opened:	1924
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1924 as part of the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway extension to Edgware. It had a surface building designed by Stanley Heaps in the classical style like other new stations of the period. The station was built with a single island platform with steps up to the surface.

Unfortunately the building was destroyed by a German bomb during the Blitz, thirteen people were killed in the station and on two trains which were in the station at the time.

A "temporary" wooden station building was set up though not replaced until 1962 by the current building. Colindale is close to RAF Museum London (see below).

Looking North

A Southbound 95ts train departs

Station entrance

Platform view looking South

RAF Museum London
Built on the site of the former Hendon Aerodrome the RAF Museum London opened in 1972 and has now grown to include several hangars preserving dozens of RAF and other military aircraft and other collections.