# Aldwych Underground Sation - November 2012 - Guided Tour



## Cane! (Dec 11, 2012)

As Christmas is fast approaching I couldn't think of a better way to treat my Dad than a visit to Aldwych tube station. Plus I get to have a good look round myself!

Thankfully I managed to get two tickets during London Transport Museum's open day there on the 30th. 

Unlike previous years there were no restrictions on what camera you used, as long as you didn't use any 'professional audio/visual' equipment or tripods, you were free you use any point n shoot or DSLR. Happy days! 


*History:
Aldwych originally opened as Strand in 1907. The station was the terminus of a short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn. The branch was the subject of a number of unrealised extension proposals that would have seen the tunnels through the station extended southwards. 

In March 1908, the off-peak shuttle service began to use the western platform at Strand and the through platform at Holborn, crossing between the two branch tunnels south of Holborn. Low usage, led to the withdrawal of the second peak hours shuttle and the eastern tunnel was taken out of use. On 9 May 1915, three of the Underground stations in the area were renamed and Strand station became Aldwych. Sunday services ended in April 1917 and, in August of the same year, the eastern tunnel and platform at Aldwych and the bay platform at Holborn were formally closed. A German bombing campaign in September 1917, led the disused platform to be used as storage for 300 pictures from the National Gallery until December 1918.

Wartime efficiency measures led to the branch being scheduled for temporary closure in 1940. It closed on 22 September 1940, shortly after the start of The Blitz, and was partly fitted-out by the City of Westminster for use as an air-raid shelter. The tunnels between Aldwych and Holborn were used to store items from the British Museum, including the Elgin Marbles. The branch reopened on 1 July 1946, but patronage continued to be low. In 1958, the station was one of three that London Transport announced would be closed. Again, the station survived, but the service was reduced in June 1958 to run only during Monday to Friday peak hours and Saturday morning and early afternoons.The Saturday service was withdrawn in June 1962.

After operating only during peak hours for more than 30 years, the final station closure announcement came on 4 January 1993. The original 1907 lifts required replacement at a cost of £3 million. This was not justifiable as only 450 passengers used the station each day and it was losing London Regional Transport £150,000 per year. Permission was granted by the Secretary of State for Transport on 1 September 1994 and the Aldwych branch closed on 30 September.*

A few pics:


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## Mars Lander (Dec 11, 2012)

Wow heard so much about this place , be ace to do a none permission visit , but i guess thats mighty tricky here


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## Cane! (Dec 11, 2012)

Someone has done a non-permission visit, but i believe a lot of planning was involved!


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## Bones out (Dec 11, 2012)

Yes, there have been more than one previous non permission visit.

No worth a criminal conviction for in my book.

You done well here to capture her without 150 fellow tourists in your frame 

Last time I went it was like being at holborn in rush hour.


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## Mars Lander (Dec 11, 2012)

How rude of me just commenting on the place and not your content which i think looks absolutley fab and is such a great report, really like the look of your images are they split toned a bit? love the bluey shadows and orangey hi's , a look i always try with my non hdr stuff.


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## flyboys90 (Dec 11, 2012)

Great photos,thanks for sharing.


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## Derek (Dec 11, 2012)

Notice the trackbed in the long abandoned station has no suicide trench - the tracks are simply laid on the ground.

According to Tubeman on Skyscraper City forum, the trenches were retro fitted in the 1930's following some nasty incidents. 

Derek


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## Cane! (Dec 12, 2012)

Bonesout said:


> Yes, there have been more than one previous non permission visit.
> 
> No worth a criminal conviction for in my book.
> 
> ...



Yeah i agree, as much as i enjoy the occasional explore I wouldn't risk my job doing a uninvited visit!



AltDayOut said:


> How rude of me just commenting on the place and not your content which i think looks absolutley fab and is such a great report, really like the look of your images are they split toned a bit? love the bluey shadows and orangey hi's , a look i always try with my non hdr stuff.



That's right, i adjusted the shadows to add a bit of a teal/blue colour to it. The lighting down there is terrible & as you can't use a tripod the ISO is wacked all the way up to something like 3200.



Derek said:


> Notice the trackbed in the long abandoned station has no suicide trench - the tracks are simply laid on the ground.
> 
> According to Tubeman on Skyscraper City forum, the trenches were retro fitted in the 1930's following some nasty incidents.
> 
> Derek



That's right, they mentioned that the suicide trench was added later. 

One thing that was also mentioned was the train that's on the other platform took 15 days to get there from the Acton depot. This was due to the rails being changed to suit all the new trains that currently run on the underground.


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## Walrus75 (Dec 18, 2012)

A rare trip to London last week reminded me how much I like the London Underground (had a bit of a nosy around the Goodge St deep level shelter entrances but no piccies) and your report adds nicely to a few underground trips last week, thanks very much 



> The tunnels between Aldwych and Holborn were used to store items from the British Museum, including* the Elgin Marbles.*


Dammit, I knew I'd forgotten to check out something whilst I was in there!


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## MrDan (Jan 3, 2013)

You did great to get shots without the other people in. I've spoken to someone who has done Aldwych without permission. Seemed like hard work with risks I'd be unwilling to take.
I really like these photos you've managed to take though, what camera restrictions were in place before?


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## Ramsgatonian (Jan 3, 2013)

Very interesting photographs.

Thanks!


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