A Green station on the green line. Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/jago... Patreon: / jagohazzard Just Watching Trains (2nd channel): / @justwatchingtrains-ji4ps Threads: www.threads.ne... Instagram: ...
My Pavlovian response whenever I hear 'Turnham Green' is Ian Dury singing 'This Is What We Find": "Single bachelor with little dog, Tony Green of Turnham Green Said, "Who's a clever boy, then, girl" Yes you know whom I mean 'Cause the mongrel laid a cable in the sandpit Of the playground of the park Where they had been And with a bit of tissue He wiped its bum-hole clean A bit of claggy on the waggy"
"Turning to Turnham" I like the tenuous link... Many years ago when learning the route between Leicester and Manton Junction the instructor told myself and the other 'road-learners' "It's easy to remember, we hang 'em at Langham, and poke 'em at Oakham". How relieved I was that the next signal-box wasn't at Duckham.
Back in the late 90s or early 00s, a D stock train somehow was given the wrong signal indicator and sent to Hounslow West. After getting the meeting with his manager minus the tea and biscuits as he should have looked at the route set before leaving and given an official warning, he was thanked by the same manager for "Attempting to reclaim the line to West"
I remember when District Line trains used to run through to Hounslow West. That's why there were 4 tracks, so the faster Piccadilly trains could race their green cousins.
Fascinating (well, to me) to see the LSWR map shown at 12:37 using the old spelling ‘shewing’ for ‘showing’. That must be one of the most modern uses of that spelling, surely (or shewly)
This was always my favourite station while we lived in London for one very simple reason: It was our local station. (That’s also why it was the one we used most, since pretty much any trip would use it twice!)
And yes, it was always just a little irritating that my commutes to and from school/college were just before the start of rush hour in each direction, especially given the destination in each case was on the Piccadilly Line!
You've made my day Jago. After hundreds of videos you're bringing it home to Turnham Green. Weirdly the other morning a Piccadilly train did stop during the rush hour morning peak as the District line was having one of its too common failures. It was a beautiful moment.
51 years I've lived on this spinning rock, I like to think of myself as quite educated and erudite, but today you have introduced me to the word 'impecunious'....trains and language, thank you 😊♥️
When I first moved to London 42 years ago I lived on Rusthall Avenue, W4 and used Turnham Green station because it had more trains unless I was heading towards Ealing, in which case I used the slightly closer Chiswick Park. My nearest non-Underground station was South Acton, which I used to go to a large photographic shop in Finchley Road and also to Broad Street for Liverpool Street station. My current nearest station is Northolt Park, which would make a worthy subject for a video.
I lived in London from 1986 to 1995 and for the last two years of my time there, Turnham Green was my local station. I lived on Flanders Road, around the corner from the station, just off Bath Avenue. As it happens, 29 years ago today, 15 September 1995, I bade goodbye to my home in Chiswick and to London and moved to France for a year. After that it was back to my native Ireland, where I have been ever since. I am very nostalgic for London (why else would I be so interested in Tube lore?), so today’s video couldn’t have been better timed. Next time I’m in London I must return to my old stomping ground and see how it’s changed in the intervening decades.
Just like you I moved to London in 1986 and lived in Gainsborough Road until 2009 and then moved to France where I still live. Turnham Green and Stamford Brook were my stations. I do miss Chiswick as j’y was a lovely area to live in.
I always thought Turnham Green dated to the English Civil War, when the Parliamentarians made a stand (under William Waller, a bit of a hero of mine) against the Royalists, where they would "Turn them at the Green".
As soon as UERL was mentioned for the first time in this video, I anxiously awaited a picture of Charles Yerkes (or should I say THE picture) to be shown.
I used to live near this station and needed to go to Uxbridge quite frequently. Needless to say I was annoyed by the Piccadilly Line not stopping, especially since Uxbridge is the least served branch. It is, however, possible for them to stop here full time without the new trains or signal upgrades. They do exactly that whenever the District is closed to Ealing Broadway
Another enjoyable video, thanks Jago. It's peculiar how your videos have an ambiance of a much more interesting and friendly London that differs from the grey concrete carbuncle that made me leave in the 80s, never to return.
I was waiting for the “it’s enough to Turnham Green” pun. I was not disappointed! Interestingly, Turnham Green is also mentioned in Mark Knopfler’s track, Junkie Doll. (An album track off his second solo album, Sailing to Philadelphia.)
I've worked around Russell Square, and live in commuting distance of Richmond. When going home late at night, I've often gone past a stopping district service between Hammersmith and Turnham Green, which I wouldn't have been able to catch otherwise. Can save up to 15 minutes, which is lovely after a long day! I really hope one day they will stop there all day, as planned.
Great pun Jago. And yeah you're right about the line you want never turning up, ever, no matter where between the District and Piccadilly line. I use the District to get off at Ealing Common as I know every Piccadilly Line there will use the Uxbridge branch. Have been known to wait nearly 30 mins for one......
When I was last in London in late 2019, I had an early-morning departure from King’s Cross to Edinburgh to catch. As I was staying near Stamford Brook at the time (the house actually backed onto the District & Picc), you’d expect me to catch a District to Hammersmith and change there. But no. Being the nerd that I am, I thought it would be fun to catch the District one stop in the wrong direction and board the Piccadilly at Turnham Green, just to say that I have done so. Ah, the things that make me happy… Also, Edinburgh was lovely but that’s beside the point.
Spot on. Going into town the Piccadilly trains whizzing by are frustrating Going back home the district trains never go where you want them to. So I bought a motorbike!
Really excellent video - thank you! My favourite weird route from times gone by is Ludgate Hill (where City Thameslink now is) to Wimbledon via Elephant & Castle, Loughborough Junction, Brixton & Clapham Junction. The was the last service to run to Ludgate Hill until closure in 1929.
Thanks for another informative and entertaining video. As you hint, waiting at Turnham Green trying to change from a Richmond train to a Ealing train is a dismal experience. Google Maps suggest that the 65 bus (sort of direct, but still taking nearly twice as long as driving) is quicker than using the District! If TfL are serious about improving orbital journeys, may I suggest that a junction station west of Acton Town, where the Underground crosses over the Overground, would be a positive move, particularly if it had platforms for the Piccadilly as well as the District. As and when the West London Orbital starts running, it also could have platforms.
There was another fracas at Turnham Green in 1642 when Charles I wasn’t able to advance on London. From such events, history unfurls. And Yerkes was involved in latter times. Huzzah!
50 years ago when I was a boy, the westbound platform of TG (District side) had a small lever frame incorporated in one of the canopy supports, that operated a number of finger posts to show the destination of the next train. It was out of use of course and chained up....but I wonder if its still there.
I concur that waiting for the Ealing Broadway train at Turnham is frustrating- seeing the Piccadilly zoom past and another train to Richmond. Thankfully I didn’t have to do that often.
Suppose you were to go back in time.. When do you think would be the most influential point to intervene would be? At the formation of the rail lines? Nationalisation? Or when they coalesced to TFL?
Current Service Eastbound - until 06:50 & after 22:34 (Mon-Sat) and until 07:44 & after 22:36 (Sunday) Westbound - until 06:52 & after 22:31 (Mon-Sat) and until 07:53 & after 22:31 (Sunday)
"Addison Road" is a station on the Washington DC Metro that at one time was a terminus (of the Blue and/or Orange Line, depending on how they were managing the flow) and therefore very visible on signs and maps, so It's always very strange for me to hear it come up as the name of a London station.
If you wait at Earl's Court for a train to Turnham Green, you'll probably see trains to Wimbledon and Kensington Olympia coming. Same issue as mentioned.
Frustratingly, Germany too has an issue with platform heights, at stations where regional trains and suburban S-Bahn trains stop at the same platform. You either have a step down from the S-Bahn, or a tripping hazard step up from a regional train.
Unusual tip # 23 .... the white Polythene balls on the top of stripy poles ( at 1:53 ) make excellent sideboard lamps ... with a B&Q colour changing bulb in side😝 ... ( tried - n - tested ) ............. DAVE™🛑
Very nice video. However (please don't hate me).....Turnham Green stn entrance is on Turnham Green Terrace. My first job there, worked in Jones Bro's model shop/wood yard/DIY. The green it is by is Acton Green. Bedford Pk, yes full of arty types. My school mate Peter's dad who designed a famous chair lived there. Why not mention the remnants of the LSWR that can be seen on the dive down to Hammersmith Stn ? That bit always fascinated me as a child when going to school.
Find it strange that the District Line serves Turnham Green but the Piccadilly Line trains pass through without stopping. And of course the Piccadilly Line that is to have new tube trains to replace the 1972 Stock.
Yes - “impecunious” is a delicicious word isn’t it?! You will have to ensure you contrast it some time with “boracic” when in an area where rhyming slang is used!
Personally I would like to see the Grove Road connection put back and H&C trains projected west, through Turnham Green, if possible with the Piccadilly from Hounslow to Heathrow expanded or supplemented to take S stock. That opens up a number of routing possibilities
The concept of 'weak and effeminate' re. boarding and alighting trains is alive and well at Bristol Temple Meads; a station where the on train announcements implore passengers to help one another off the train, due to the huge gap and drop between train and platform.
The other plan, which is part and parcel of the signalling and train upgrade, is the removal of the District line service to Ealing Broadway to provide more frequent services to Richmond and Wimbledon. The Piccadilly would then run a spur line from north of Acton Town to EB. This was envisaged to happen a year or two either side of 2024, but has obviously slipped. Also, I've heard - unofficially - that there may be a major problem with the 2024 stock which could further delay their introduction.
FYI: Think new Piccadilly trains replace District's Acton - Ealing in 1-2yrs. BTW: World's first public railway (separating track from trains) opened 1803. It was Surrey's CMGR, designed by a Ben Outram (allegedly giving us 'Tram' - tho that was 19th century 'fake news')