Met electric no5 Jhon Hampden

[simon b]

Hi all. Having seen Met no12 Sarah Siddons a few times on various trains, it got me wondering about the condition of it's sister no5.

 

Does anyone know if it's still capable of running under it's own power, or is it now just a static exhibit? Just wondering how plausible it would be to get it back out on the main line.

[Dan Hamblin]

I understand it has given up a number of components to help keep Sarah Siddons operational.

 

Regards,

 

Dan

[simon b]

19 hours ago, Dan Hamblin said:

I understand it has given up a number of components to help keep Sarah Siddons operational.

 

Regards,

 

Dan

Thanks for that.  Keeping no12 running is a worthy cause, but it would be great to see it operational again one day.

[pete_mcfarlane]

I would imagine that extracting it from the Covent Garden museum would be a bit of a challenge. It's upstairs, hemmed in by other vehicles and the structure of the building (some of which seems to have been built around the vehicles). 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by pete_mcfarlane
typo

[MrSimon]

It looked in quite good external condition on Thursday -

no flaking paint like the Tram that’s in there

[Northmoor]

On 18/09/2021 at 11:26, simon b said:

Hi all. Having seen Met no12 Sarah Siddons a few times on various trains, it got me wondering about the condition of it's sister no5.

 

Does anyone know if it's still capable of running under it's own power, or is it now just a static exhibit? Just wondering how plausible it would be to get it back out on the main line.

I think you should assume that it's never going to run again.  Sarah Siddons has required a fair few mods to make it tolerably safe to operate in the 21st century (and relative to most modern equipment, it's still lethal), including compatibility with (some) modern LU signalling.  To operate John Hampden - removal from its location in the LTM aside - you'd have to do the same, so neither of them would be in original/as-withdrawn condition.

[pete_mcfarlane]

The one thing I dislike about the current display of No5 (and the other stock in the upstairs gallery at the LTM) is that you can only see them from platform level (presumably to allow east access to the carriage interiors)

You can see what I mean about it being tricky to extract. 

[simon b]

It does seem a little cramped upstairs doesn't it? 

 

Looking at that pic above has reminded me that some Q stock vehicles are being restored, so hopefully we might be able to ride them at some point.

[Dava]

No. 1 John Lyon survived as Neasden shunter till 1972 & scrapped 1974 with frame defects so could have been a preservation contender. Good excuse for a photo.

 

courtesy https://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/3486/top-marks-for-veteran-electric-locos-nameplate-as-debate-continues/

 

[willjam39]

Surprised it had gone that long and not been looked at for preservation. 

[5944]

On 19/09/2021 at 20:56, Northmoor said:

I think you should assume that it's never going to run again.  Sarah Siddons has required a fair few mods to make it tolerably safe to operate in the 21st century (and relative to most modern equipment, it's still lethal), including compatibility with (some) modern LU signalling.  To operate John Hampden - removal from its location in the LTM aside - you'd have to do the same, so neither of them would be in original/as-withdrawn condition.

Lots of non-original perspex panels and warning labels last time I looked inside it, and even there were still exposed cables, busbars and contactors everywhere! 

[willjam39]

dread to think the amount of asbestos removal required if they did try to rebuild to run