Underground Review Part 1 (DVD)

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John Laker bought his first cine camera in 1974 and set about recording the changing London Underground scene. This DVD features some of the several hours of film he has shot of the London Underground over the past 15 years, much of it in live sound. Most lines and types of rolling stock are featured. We start with views underground on the Jubilee, Victoria and Bakerloo Lines. Surfacing on the Jubilee Line we see the 1983 Stock and the 1986 Prototypes. After seeing D Stock at West Kensington we take a detailed look at the Wimbledon branch of the District Line in the 1970s. We also see BR empty stock workings. In 1982 Metropolitan loco Sarah Siddons toured the Metropolitan lines pulling a rake of BR MK2 air conditioned stock. This was a rare opportunity to ride behind one of these unique locomotives since their withdrawal in 1961 and created considerable interest. The DVD covers the tours in detail with many interesting locations on the Watford, Amersham and Uxbridge branches. On the Hainault-Woodford branch of the Central Line we see the 1960 Prototype stock in action together with one of the two red fronted 1962 stock cars. Next we visit the Barnet branch of the Northern Line. We see 0 stock pilots with the preserved 0 stock trailer passing at speed, a glimpse inside Acton Works of car bodies being lifted and memories of the Bakerloo Line to Watford with scenes at Harrow and Wealdstone and Hatch End of 1938 Stock and BR Class 501 E.M.U's. Memories of the R Stock follow including the Farewell tour of 1983 at such locations as Ruislip, Uxbridge, Edgware Road, Notting Hill Gate and culminating with the final run into Ealing Common Depot. Returning to the Northern Line in 1978. The final part is a spectacular look at the operational problems caused by snow and severe frost in the winter of 1982. We see and hear fantastic arcing as trains attempt to keep running in atrocious conditions, on the Metropolitan, Piccadilly and District lines.