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London Rail 2000

Photos by Bill Holdsworth

Bill's visit to London during May allowed some time for railfanning. At right, you can see a commuter train with electric multiple unit (EMU) equipment at Liverpool Street station, one of 11 major terminals in London. The Great Eastern Railway built the station in 1874. A 1980s renovation perserved the trainshed.

This photo shows the grand trainshed at St. Pancras station, built in 1868 by the Midland Railway. The scene looks a bit lonely with only a diesel multiple unit (DMU) at right and an HST 125 set on the left. Once Britain finishes building its new Channel Tunnel Rail Link in a few years, St. Pancras will bustle with Eurostar trains from Brussels and Paris.

The famous engineer Isambard K. Brunel built Paddington station in 1854. This is a great place to wait for a plane. Heathrow Express trains (shown on the left) leave every 15 minutes for their 15-minute trip to the airport. Most airlines have a check-in desk at Paddington. Arrive early, check your baggage, and enjoy the rail action in a classic setting.

Local commuter trains and London Underground trains use platforms outside the trainshed at Paddington. Here a DMU commuter train arrives.

Victoria station boasts another one of London's classic trainsheds. This one was built in 1862.

Bill toured the East London Line, which uses the first tunnel built under the Thames River. The tunnel was completed in 1843 under Brunel's direction. At first only pedestrians used the tunnel, but mainline trains started using it in 1865. Now the line is a part of the London Underground system. The photo at left shows the staircase at Wapping station. The staircase dates from the tunnel's original use by pedestrians. An elevator, the red object on the right, uses the center of the shaft. The gentleman descending the stairs was Bill's guide, Tony Faulkner.

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