Acton Works - overhauling Tube Trains in 1951

Great old reel showing some interesting maintenance work and heavy machining.

And some other interesting stuff (cars if you rewind to the start).

Still to be found in the wild on the Isle of Wight.

I don't think so Dave. Islandline is now re-engineered overground stock from Vivarail.

What an amazing film, thanks Neil! I drove underground trains in the late '80's, a typical eight hour shift on the Met and Circle would involve 198 station stops, all of them 'service' stops, ie no tiptoeing in cautiously, all don't-brake-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes, balls-out stuff, the only way you could keep time!

I went on to drive HST's on the 'big' railway, much less stressful!

John.

And not a pair of safety glasses in sight, even when hot drop forging! I guess you just squinted a lot in those days.

And great shot of the fabulous old Art Deco buildings at East Finchley station at the very start, glassed-in circular stairways and all. They don't build them like that any more, sadly.

Bedford to Milton Keynes has to Vivarail sets running but they have been taken out of service as Vivarail were maintaining them until this announcement Vivarail announces administration - Vivarail

Martin P

In the video that popped up next, An Overall Overhaul! (1934), they refurbish a London bus. I was much taken with the way the body was repainted.

Yes, that chap is pouring paint straight from a watering can, no rose. Excess paint collected in the trough below and reused.

Proof that all that fuss about master craftsmen applying primers and sanding down multiple coats in a clean room is a waste of time!

Dave

SOD. The company where I served my time painted transformers (the big ones at the end of your street) using flood painting. The transformer tank was hung from a crane over a large trough (about 15' square). The trough had a pump, connected to a hosepipe and the operator hosed a coat of paint over the previously shot blasted surface.

Martin

Changed only two years ago by the look of it

Actually only this year(finally).

Seeing those traction motors took me back to my days in the steel works changing the traction motors on one of the two material handling cars on the Blast Furnace was one of the worse jobs jn the steel work the top of the material handling car were level with the adjacent canal thus the rails on which the cars ran were level with the bottom of the canal and the canal wall leaked so always wet,wetter even more when it rained between the rails was a small inspection pit much like a concrete coffin without a lid so you got to squeeze into the water filled pit to disconnect the motor then struggle to get the rusty footbolts out drag the motor out and get to do it all in reverse

H