The Metropolitan Railway (MetR) and the Metropolitan District Railway (District) were the first two underground railways to be constructed in London, starting in the 1860s, and the first of the world's metro systems. Although separate and independent companies and often fierce rivals, the histories of the MetR and District are inextricably linked through their joint construction of the Inner Circle (now the Circle Line). This article charts the history of the two companies until they become part of the London Underground. The MetR was closely associated with the Great Western Railway and could be seen as a 19th century precursor of Crossrail. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... // The First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA was built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ... The Circle Line of the London Underground became known as such in 1949, when it was separated from its parent lines, the Metropolitan Line and the District Line, although it had been shown on Underground maps since 1947. ... The Circle Line of the London Underground became known as such in 1949, when it was separated from its parent lines, the Metropolitan Line and the District Line, although it had been shown on Underground maps since 1947. ... The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... For the similar scheme in Glasgow, see Glasgow Crossrail Crossrail is a project to build a new east-west railway connection under central London, with one connection to the west and two to the east. ...

The rapid expansion of road traffic into London in the first four decades of the 19th century had stimulated many proposals for railways into the central area including a number of schemes for underground routes. Charles Pearson, Solicitor to the City of London was a leading promoter of several of these schemes and in the early 1850s did much to win government approval for the construction of the first of these lines the MetR. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Pearson (October 1793 - September 1862) was Solicitor to the City of London and an early promoter of the need for an underground railway in central London. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region Greater London Status sui generis, City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor John Stuttard  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - City  1. ... // Production of steel revolutionized by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Railroads begin to supplant canals in the United States as a primary means of transporting goods. ...

Coat of arms of the Metropolitan Railway

Download high resolution version (1760x1168, 618 KB)coat-of-arms of the Metropolitan Railway, seen in Londons Transport Museum, 2004-09-04. ... Download high resolution version (1760x1168, 618 KB)coat-of-arms of the Metropolitan Railway, seen in Londons Transport Museum, 2004-09-04. ...

Metropolitan Railway

Metropolitan Railway steam locomotive number 23, the only surviving locomotive from the world's first underground railway, is preserved at London's Transport Museum

The MetR was incorporated in 1853 as the North Metropolitan Railway and was re-incorporated on 7 August 1854 as a mixed-gauge line: it opened on 10 January 1863 from a junction with the Great Western Railway (GWR) main line at Bishops Road, Paddington to Victoria Street (later Farringdon Street) in the City of London. A plaque commemorating the opening is at street level outside Baker Street station on the north side of Marylebone Road. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 601 KB) Metropolitan Railway A Class 4-4-0T steam locomotive 23, built 1866. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 601 KB) Metropolitan Railway A Class 4-4-0T steam locomotive 23, built 1866. ... Metropolitan Railway steam locomotive number 23, the only surviving locomotive from the worlds first underground railway, is preserved in the museum Londons Transport Museum, formerly known as the London Transport Museum, is a museum which seeks to conserve and explain the transport heritage of London, the capital city... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... Farringdon is an historic area of the City of London, represented today by the wards of Farringdon Within and Farringdon Without. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region Greater London Status sui generis, City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor John Stuttard  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - City  1. ... Baker Street tube station is a station on the London Underground located on Baker Street. ...

Construction began in February 1860 and was overseen by John Fowler (engineer), whose use of the "cut-and-cover" method caused massive traffic disruption in north London: during the work, the Fleet Sewer burst into the diggings and flooded the partly-built tunnel. From opening the line was worked for six months by the GWR with broad-gauge rolling stock, but in August 1863, after massive disagreement between the two companies, the MetR found itself having to work the line, and provide standard gauge rolling stock, at six months’ notice. With assistance from the Great Northern Railway this was achieved: the broad gauge was removed in 1869. 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Sir John Fowler (July 15, 1817–November 10, 1898) was born in Wadsley, South Yorkshire, England. ... An underground pedestrian tunnel between buildings at MIT. Note the utility pipes running along the ceiling. ... Great Western Railway broad gauge steam locomotives awaiting scrapping in 1892 after the conversion to standard gauge. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... The Great Northern Railway (GNR) was a British railway company, founded by the London & York Railway Act of 1846. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

By the turn of the century the MetR had its foot in both the main-line and in the underground system for London.

Line openings

West and Central London

The MetR began extending into West London and further into the City:

• Hammersmith and City Railway: this first extension to the MetR was also brought about in cooperation with the GWR; the section between Westbourne Park and Edgware Road, giving access to the MetR, was already the property of the GWR and was constructed without Parliamentary sanction. Although the through line opened in 1864 some stations opened later:
  • 13 June 1864: Notting Hill (now Ladbroke Grove), Shepherd's Bush, Hammersmith
  • 1 February 1866: Westbourne Park
  • 16 December 1868: Latimer Road

• City extension: by 1864 the District (see below) had been sanctioned, and the MetR gradually extended its City line from Farringdon Street to meet it:
  • 23 December 1865: to Moorgate Street (now Moorgate)
  • 12 July 1875: to Bishopsgate (now Liverpool Street)
  • 18 November 1876: to Aldgate, with an impressive terminus there.

• South Kensington branch opened in sections:
  • 1 October 1868: Praed Street Junction (Paddington) - Gloucester Road
  • 24 December 1868: South Kensington

• Extension to Richmond
  • Opened on 1 October 1877 over the lines of the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) via Hammersmith (Grove Road) to Ravenscourt Park. The District had opened its own service to Richmond using a connection to the L&SWR tracks from its own Hammersmith station in June 1877. The MetR ended its service to Richmond on 31 December 1906.

The Hammersmith and City Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured salmon pink on the Tube map. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Ladbroke Grove is a London Underground station on the Hammersmith and City Line, between Latimer Road and Westbourne Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2. ... Shepherds Bush is a London Underground station. ... Hammersmith tube station is a London Underground station in Hammersmith. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Westbourne Park is a London Underground station on the Hammersmith & City Line, opened on February 1, 1866. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Latimer Road Tube Station is part of the Hammersmith and City Line on the London Underground Categories: Hammersmith & City Line stations | London Underground stubs ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Moorgate station is a tube and mainline station in the City of London, located on Moorgate, the street of the same name, north of London Wall. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Liverpool Street station Liverpool Street station, also called London Liverpool Street, is a mainline railway station in the north eastern corner of the City of London, in the heart of the financial district, with entrances on Bishopsgate and Liverpool Street itself. ... is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1876 Pick up Sticks(MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Trains at Aldgate tube station Entrance to Aldgate tube station Aldgate tube station is a London Underground station located at Aldgate in the City of London. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... District line building Piccadilly line building Gloucester Road is a London Underground station in Kensington, near the intersection of Gloucester Road and Cromwell Road. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Located on Cromwell Road in South Kensington, London, South Kensington tube station is the closest London Underground station to the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert Museums, as well as to Imperial College. ... Richmond station is a station in Richmond upon Thames, in South West London England, and is a south-western terminus of London Undergrounds District Line, and the western terminus of the North London Line (now run by Silverlink and called the Silverlink Metro). ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Waterloo Station The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1840 to 1923. ... Hammersmith (Grove Road) was a station on the Metropolitan Railway adjacent to Hammersmith station. ... Ravenscourt Park is a London Underground station on the District Line, in Travelcard Zone 2. ... Hammersmith tube station is a London Underground station in Hammersmith. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

"Metro-land"

Shortly after its west and central London extensions MetR began expansion to the north and north-west. Railways always had a great deal of influence on the areas through which they ran, not least in this case. In the 1920s the term Metro-land was coined by the MetR's marketing department: advertisements extolling the benefits of healthy and bracing air and a train service unequalled for frequency and rapidity ... to and from the City without change of carriage appeared; and the railway provided a broad-sheet for House Seekers. Shortly after World War I estates were being laid out (at Neasden, Wembley Park, Pinner and Rickmansworth), and places such as Harrow Garden Village came into existence. John Betjeman was a great follower of this form of suburbia and made a celebrated television documentary called Metro-land in 1973. Metropolitan steam locomotive Metro-land (or Metroland) refers, broadly speaking, to the suburban areas north-west of London, in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex, served by the Metropolitan Railway, an independent company until absorbed by the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) in 1933. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Neasden Neasden is a place in the London Borough of Brent. ... Wembley Park tube station is a London Underground station at Wembley. ... Pinner is a suburb in north-west London. ... // , Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles (7km) west of Watford. ... Harrow Garden Village was a housing development in the 1930s around Rayners Lane tube station in London, England, which had been up then a country halt on the Metropolitan Line. ... A collection of Betjemans poetry, published by John Murray in January 2006 Sir John Betjeman CBE (28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Whos Who as a poet and hack. He was born to a middle-class family... Metro-land was a widely praised and fondly remembered documentary for BBC television by the then Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman (1906-84). ...

• Metropolitan and St John's Wood Railway:
  • April 1868: to Swiss Cottage
• Progressive extensions towards the Home Counties
  • 30 June 1879: to West Hampstead
  • 24 November 1879: to Willesden Green
  • 2 August 1880: to Harrow (now Harrow-on-the-Hill)
  • 25 May 1885: Pinner
  • 1 September 1887: to Rickmansworth
  • July 1889: to Chesham
  • September 1892: to Amersham and Aylesbury (turning the Chesham route into a branch line)
  • 4 July 1904: westwards from Harrow to Uxbridge

The Metropolitan & St. ... Swiss Cottage was opened as the terminus of its Metropolitan Line branch. ... The phrase Home Counties is used to designate the group of English counties which border or surround London. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... West Hampstead tube station is a London Underground station at West Hampstead, on West End Lane between Broadhurst Gardens and Blackburn Road. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Willesden Green tube station is a London Underground station at Willesden. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Categories: Metropolitan Line stations | London railway stations | British railway stations | London Underground stubs ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Pinner tube station is a London Underground station on the Metropolitan Line in zone 5. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... Rickmansworth is a London Underground and National Rail station in the town of Rickmansworth, in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire just north of London. ... Chesham lies at the end of the Chesham branch of the Metropolitan line, and opened 8 July 1889 as the original northern terminus of the Metropolitan Railway from Baker Street. ... Amersham station is a London Underground station in Travelcard Zone D on the Metropolitan line. ... Aylesbury railway station is the only railway station in Aylesbury. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... Categories: Metropolitan Line stations | Piccadilly Line stations | London Underground stubs ...

Aylesbury-Verney Junction

The Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway (A&BR) between Aylesbury and Verney Junction was incorporated on 6 August 1860, opened on 23 September 1868, and amalgamated with the MetR on 1 July 1891. It served intermediate stations at Waddesdon Manor (renamed Waddesdon on 1 October 1920), Quainton Road, Grandborough (renamed Granborough on 6 October 1920) Road, and Winslow Road.^[1] Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in south east England. ... Verney Junction is a hamlet in the parish of Middle Claydon in north Buckinghamshire, England. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

The section from just north of Quainton Road was used as the link from the London Extension of the Great Central Railway (GCR) to the MetR tracks into London, forming the Great Central Main Line which opened for passenger traffic on 15 March 1899. The Great Central Railway (GCR) was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 on the completion of its London Extension. ... The Great Central Main Line (GCML), also known as the London Extension of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was a main railway line in England that linked Sheffield with Marylebone Station in London via Nottingham and Leicester. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

In April 1906 the MetR section from Harrow to Verney Junction was leased to a Joint Committee of the MetR and GCR: it was worked on a five-yearly basis alternately by the joint lessees.

Passenger services on the line were withdrawn between Quainton Road and Verney Junction from 6 July 1936, and the intermediate stations of Granborough Road and Winslow Road closed. The last through service, a parcels train from Verney Junction, was on 6 September 1947. is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Brill Tramway

For full information see Brill Tramway.

North of Aylesbury, at Quainton Road, a 6½-mile (10 km) branch railway ran to Brill. It started life as the Wotton Tramway built and run under the auspices of the Duke of Buckingham. The Brill Tramway closed to all traffic on the night of 30 November / 1 December 1935. Quainton Road station in 2006, showing the platform used by the Brill trams The Brill Tramway (or Brill branch), originally known as the Wotton Tramway, was the common name for a far-flung and little used section of the Metropolitan Railway in Buckinghamshire, England. ... Quainton Road railway station at Quainton in Buckinghamshire, England was a through station on the impoverished Aylesbury & Buckingham Railway (A&BR), a branch line running from Aylesbury station, connecting with the GWR, to Verney Junction, connecting with the LNWR cross-country route between Oxford and Cambridge. ... For other uses of the word Brill see Brill (disambiguation) Brill is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, close to the border with Oxfordshire. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ...

Metropolitan District Railway

The District was incorporated ten years later than the MetR, on 29 July 1864. As noted above, it was set up to complete the "Inner Circle". is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Line openings

The core section of the District commenced at the MetR's South Kensington station and extended in stages to Mansion House. Sections were opened as follows with the District also running westwards over the MetR's tracks to Gloucester Road and High Street Kensington: Located on Cromwell Road in South Kensington, London, South Kensington tube station is the closest London Underground station to the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert Museums, as well as to Imperial College. ... Mansion House entrance Mansion House is a London Underground station in the City of London, near Mansion House (although Bank is actually closer). ... District line building Piccadilly line building Gloucester Road is a London Underground station in Kensington, near the intersection of Gloucester Road and Cromwell Road. ... High Street Kensington is a London Underground station at High Street in Kensington. ...

• 24 December 1868: South Kensington to Westminster.
• 30 May 1870: Westminster to Blackfriars.
  • 12 April 1869: Gloucester Road to West Brompton (Earl's Court was opened on 10 October 1871).
• 3 July 1871: Blackfriars to Mansion House.
  • Also High Street Kensington to the West Brompton branch.

From this core, the District began extending branches to reach new population centres, mainly in the west: is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other items relating to Westminster, see Westminster (disambiguation) Westminster tube station on the London Underground serves the Circle, District and Jubilee lines. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Blackfriars station Blackfriars station is a London Underground and mainline station in the City of London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames, and near the Blackfriars Bridge. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... West Brompton is both a mainline railway on the West London Line (WLL) which connects Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction stns. ... Earls Court tube station is a London Underground station in Earls Court (note the inconsistency of spelling between the tube station and the above-ground area). ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

• 1 February 1872: Earl's Court to Addison Road (renamed Kensington (Olympia) in 1946) on the West London Joint Railway.
• 9 September 1874: Earl's Court to Hammersmith.
• 1 June 1877: Hammersmith to Ravenscourt Park, where a connection was made with the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR), allowing District trains to run over L&SWR tracks to Richmond (The L&SWR branch to Richmond from Addison Road via stations at Shepherd's Bush and Hammersmith (Grove Road) had been opened in 1869).
• 1 July 1879: Turnham Green - Ealing (now Ealing Broadway).
• 1 March 1880: West Brompton to Putney Bridge & Fulham (now Putney Bridge).
• 1 March 1883: Ealing Broadway to Windsor via a connection at Ealing Broadway to the Great Western Railway tracks. The service was withdrawn on 30 September 1885.
• 1 May 1883: Mill Hill Park (now Acton Town) to Hounslow Town (closed shortly afterwards).
• 21 July 1884: Osterley & Spring Grove (now Osterley) to Hounslow Barracks (now Hounslow West).
• 6 October 1884: Mansion House to the MetR's Tower Hill. New tracks east of Tower Hill towards St. Mary's (now closed) enabled the District to reach Whitechapel and also connect to the East London Railway. District trains began to run to the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway's New Cross (now New Cross Gate) station. The trains used the Thames Tunnel to pass under the river.
• 3 June 1889: Putney Bridge to Wimbledon, was opened by the L&SWR with the District having running rights.
• 2 June 1902: Whitechapel to Bromley-by-Bow and, via a connection there, on to the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway and to Upminster.
• 23 June 1903: Ealing Common to Park Royal & Twyford Abbey.
• 28 June 1903: Park Royal & Twyford Abbey to South Harrow.
• 13 June 1905: Acton Town to South Acton.
• 1 March 1910: South Harrow to Rayners Lane where it met the MetR then continued, via MetR tracks, to Uxbridge.

This completed the Metropolitan District Railway system. is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Kensington (Olympia) station is a railway and tube station in West London. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The West London Line is a short overground railway linking Clapham Junction in the south to Willesden Junction in the north. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Hammersmith tube station is a London Underground station in Hammersmith. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Ravenscourt Park is a London Underground station on the District Line, in Travelcard Zone 2. ... Waterloo Station The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1840 to 1923. ... Richmond station is a station in Richmond upon Thames, in South West London England, and is a south-western terminus of London Undergrounds District Line, and the western terminus of the North London Line (now run by Silverlink and called the Silverlink Metro). ... Shepherds Bush is a closed London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) station in Shepherds Bush, west London. ... Hammersmith (Grove Road) was a station on the Metropolitan Railway adjacent to Hammersmith station. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Turnham Green is a London Underground station in Chiswick in west London. ... Ealing Broadway is a main line and London Underground railway station, in Ealing. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Putney Bridge is a station on the District Line, Wimbledon branch, in Zone 2, between Parsons Green and East Putney. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Windsor and Eton Central railway station is one of two railway stations in the town of Windsor, Berkshire, England - the other being Windsor and Eton Riverside railway station. ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Acton Town tube station is a station on the London Underground. ... Hounslow Town station was built in early 1883 at the western terminus of the Hounslow & Metropolitan Railway Companys line from Acton to Hounslow. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Osterley is a London Underground station on the A4 Great West Road in Osterley in west London. ... Hounslow West is a London Underground station in Hounslow in west London. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Mark Lane tube station is a disused station on the Circle and District Lines of the London Underground, west of the modern Tower Hill station. ... St Marys (Whitechapel Road) was a station on London Undergrounds District Line located between the present-day stations at Whitechapel and Aldgate East. ... Whitechapel is a London Underground station in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. ... Crossing the Thames The River Thames has always formed a barrier to any links between the north and south of London, particularly to the eastern side where communication to the routes to the Continent are concerned. ... The LB&SCRs coat of arms, displayed above the entrance to Gipsy Hill railway station. ... New Cross Gate station is a London Underground and railway station in New Cross. ... Interior of the Thames Tunnel, mid-19th century The Thames Tunnel was the worlds first underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Wimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Bromley by Bow Station is a London Underground station on the District and Hammersmith and City lines, located in Bromley by Bow. ... The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) is a railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with East London and south Essex towns. ... Upminster station is a London Underground and National Rail station located in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Park Royal & Twyford Abbey is a closed station on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Station on the Piccadilly Line, zone 5, between Sudbury Hill and Rayners Lane tube station. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... South Acton tube station was a station on the western end of the London Undergrounds District Line, formerly located at Ordnance Survey grid reference TQ201792. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Rayners Lane is a London Underground station, adjacent to Harrow Garden Village in north west London. ... Categories: Metropolitan Line stations | Piccadilly Line stations | London Underground stubs ...

Steam locomotives

Concern about smoke and steam in the tunnels led to new designs of locomotive. In 1861 (before the line opened) trials were made with the experimental "hot brick" locomotive nicknamed Fowler's Ghost. This was unsuccessful and the first public trains were hauled by GWR Metropolitan Class condensing 2-4-0 tank engines designed by Daniel Gooch. The above were broad gauge. They were followed by standard gauge Great Northern Railway locomotives and then by the Metropolitan Railway's own standard gauge locomotives: Sir John Fowler (July 15, 1817–November 10, 1898) was born in Wadsley, South Yorkshire, England. ... The Great Western Railway Metropolitan Class 2-4-0T broad gauge steam locomotives with condensing apparatus for working trains on the Metropolitan Railway. ... Steam locomotive condensing apparatus Differs in purpose from the usual closed cycle steam engine condenser, in that its function is primarily either to recover water, or to avoid excessive emissions to the atmosphere, rather than maintaining a vacuum to improve both efficiency and power. ... Sir Daniel Gooch was the first chief mechanical engineer of the Great Western Railway from 1837 to 1864. ...

• Metropolitan Railway A Class
• Metropolitan Railway B Class
• Metropolitan Railway C Class
• Metropolitan Railway D Class
• Metropolitan Railway E Class
• Metropolitan Railway F Class
• Metropolitan Railway G Class
• Metropolitan Railway H Class
• Metropolitan Railway K Class
• GWR 9700 Class

Preserved A Class No. ... Preserved A Class No. ... The Metropolitan Railway C Class was a group of four 0-4-4 tank engines built in 1891 by Neilson & Company. ... The Metropolitan Railway D Class was a group of six 2-4-0 tank engines built in 1894 by Sharp Stewart. ... L48 at Neasden, 1961. ... L52 at Neasden 1961. ... The Metropolitan Railway G Class consisted of four 0-6-4T steam locomotives, numbered 94 to 97. ... The Metropolitan Railway H Class consisted of eight 4-4-4T steam locomotives, numbered 103 to 110. ... The Metropolitan Railway K Class consisted of six 2-6-4T steam locomotives, numbered 111 to 116. ... 9729 at Highbridge Yard after the Western Rgeion had taken over the S&D. 11 engines of the 5700 Class, nos 9700-10 were turned out with various modifications for working along the Metropolitan Line. ...

Electrification

Electrification had been considered by the MetR as early as the 1880s, but such a method of traction was still in its infancy, and agreement would need to be reached with the District because of the shared ownership of the Inner Circle. Experiments were later carried out on the Earl's Court-High Street Kensington section, and a jointly-owned train of six coaches began a passenger service in 1900. As a result of those tests a MetR/District committee in 1901 recommended overhead AC traction on the Ganz three-phase system. This was accepted by both parties but when an American lead group, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited (UER), took control of the District there was disagreement. The group was led by Charles Yerkes, whose experience in the United States led him to favour DC, with third-rail pickup similar to that in use on the City & South London Railway and Central London Railway. After arbritration by the Board of Trade the latter system was taken up and the railways began electrifying the routes, using multiple-unit stock. // Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... City lights viewed in a motion blurred exposure. ... The Ganz electric works in Budapest is probably best known for the manufacture of tramcars, but was also a pioneer in the application of three-phase alternating current to electric railways. ... The Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited (UERL) was the holding company, for three of the new deep-level tube underground railway lines constructed in London in the first decade of the 20th century. ... Charles Tyson Yerkes (June 25, 1837 – December 29, 1905) was an American financier, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Direct current (DC or continuous current) is the continuous flow of electricity through a conductor such as a wire from high to low potential. ... Third rail at the West Falls Church Metro stop in Washington, D.C., electrified to 750 volts. ... The City & South London Railway (C&SLR), originally known as City of London & Southwark Subway, is considered to be the first real deep-level tube railway in the world. ... For the medical meaning of central line, see central line. ... The Board of Trade circa 1808. ...

• In 1902 the District commenced building the Lots Road Power Station to supply power to their network, which opened in 1905. The MetR built its own power station at Neasden.
• 1 January 1905: Baker Street - Uxbridge. The line opened in July 1904, and was worked by steam for the first six months
• 1 July 1905: Aldgate-Whitechapel, initially for the District service
• 13-24 September 1905: gradual electrification of the Inner Circle
• 5 November 1905: completion of the electrification of the District lines with the electrification of the Edgware Road-Hammersmith and the Addison Road (now Olympia) branch^[2]
• 1 March 1910: Rayners Lane - South Harrow. This enabled the District to extend its services to Uxbridge
• 31 March 1913: East London Railway. MetR provided the service.

Services on the "Extension line" in the open remained steam-hauled for some years, necessitating change of locomotives: 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Lots Road Power Station, viewed from the River Thames Lots Road Power Station was a coal-fired power station adjacent to the River Thames in Lots Road near Victoria railway station in London, England which supplied electric power to the London Underground system. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Neasden Neasden is a place in the London Borough of Brent. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Rayners Lane is a London Underground station, adjacent to Harrow Garden Village in north west London. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

• 1 November 1906: electric locomotives on trains for Chesham, Aylesbury and Verney Junction were changed for steam locomotives at Wembley Park
• 19 July 1908: Harrow became the change point
• 5 January 1925: extended to Rickmansworth
• 9 September 1961: Amersham became the terminus of the Metropolitan Line

Two branches were built with electric traction from the outset: November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Electric traction was always the best option for the tube lines in London. ... London Underground steam locomotives. ... Wembley Park tube station is a London Underground station at Wembley. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rickmansworth is a London Underground and National Rail station in the town of Rickmansworth, in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire just north of London. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• 2 November 1925: Moor Park to Watford, a joint venture with the London and North Eastern Railway
• 10 December 1932: Wembley Park tube station to Stanmore, operated by the MetR from the outset, but on 20 November 1939 taken over by the Bakerloo Line, and from 1979 by the Jubilee Line

is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Moor Park is a London Underground station in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire. ... Watford is a station at the end of the Watford branch of London Undergrounds Metropolitan Line in the north-western part of the network in Zone A. // The station is in Cassiobury Park Avenue, at the junction with Metropolitan Station Approach, in the Cassiobury area of Watford. ... LNER timetable for Autumn 1926 detailing the resumption of services after the General Strike. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wembley Park tube station is a London Underground station at Wembley. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bakerloo Line is a line of the London Underground and coloured brown on the Tube map. ... The Jubilee Line is a line on the London Underground, coloured silver grey on the Tube map. ...

Later history

Although much of the line was electrified, steam-hauled passenger trains ran beyond Amersham until 1961 and maintenance trains as late as 1971. In addition, an annual "Steam on the Met" event ran until 2000, when it was suspended prior to the reorganisation of London Underground in readiness for the introduction of the new "Public-Private Partnership" (PPP) maintenance contracts for the network, though the London Underground Railway Safety Case does permit running future specials. Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... Public-private partnership (PPP) is a system in which a government service or private business venture is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies. ... The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ...

The MetR and District were taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933, becoming the Metropolitan and District Lines of the London Underground. 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

The section north of Aylesbury closed in 1936, though services did get to Quainton Road again between 1943 and 1948. In the same year a service extension from Whitechapel to Barking was implemented along the District Line tracks. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... The District Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. ...

Preserved Metropolitan Railway carriages

The Vintage Carriages Trust has three preserved MetR Dreadnought carriages.-1... HMS Audacious, a British super-dreadnought launched in 1912 A dreadnought was a battleship of the early 20th century, of a type modelled after the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought of 1906. ...

The Bluebell Railway has four of the older MetR Ashbury and Craven Carriages, and a fifth, built at Neasden, is at London's Transport Museum. Sheffield Park Station Exterior The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East Sussex and West Sussex, England. ... The Ashbury Carriage and Iron Company Limited, was founded by John Ashbury in 1837 at Knott Mill in Manchester, England, near the original terminus of the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway. ... Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited was a railway car builder in Sheffield, England and supplier of the London Underground A60 Stock. ... Metropolitan Railway steam locomotive number 23, the only surviving locomotive from the worlds first underground railway, is preserved in the museum Londons Transport Museum, formerly known as the London Transport Museum, is a museum which seeks to conserve and explain the transport heritage of London, the capital city...

The Spa Valley Railway is home to two later MetR T Stock carriages. Jinty 47493. ... The T Stock was built for the Metropolitan Railway in 1931-32 for use on electric services from Baker Street to Uxbridge and Watford. ...

Notes

1. ^ Dow (1965), p. 191
2. ^ Wolmar (2004), p. 126

References

Dow, George (1965) Great Central, Vol III : Fay sets the pace, London : Ian Allan, 437p

Wolmar, Christian (2004) The Subterranean Railway : how the London Underground was built and how it changed the city forever, London : Atlantic, 351 p., ISBN 1-84354-022-3