Hidden London Hangouts Episode 3 - Clapham South deep-level shelter

[@Clavichordist]

I'm glad I discovered this channel! I've been enjoying the reruns of your livestreams. I visited the London Transport Museum in 1985 when I took a trip from Boston Massachusetts to London and beyond. What really struck my interest was the beautiful steam locomotives used on the Metropolitan Lines. They really are strikingly beautiful and I'm glad some have been preserved. Speaking of flange squeal... Boston's first subway was the second electrified subway in the world with the City and South London being the first. The tunnel still used today between Boyleston Street and Tremont Street, just outside of Boyleston Street station, is one of the tightest, if not the tightest of any rail transit system in the world. The curve is so tight that there are huge reservoirs filled with grease to ensure that the greasers can slime up the rails to reduce the squeal and even that doesn't do much at all. With the curve so tight, the trams have to slow down to about 5 mph to round the curve otherwise they derail, and they have done that a few times. When the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) orders new trams for the green line light rail, nothing is off the shelf. About a decade ago, BREDA delivered some new cars for the line and one derailed in the tunnel on the curve causing about $10 million in damage to the track, tunnel and of course the tram. Heads rolled, people had meetings with their superiors, some were terminated, and all the new trams had to be recalled and retrofitted with new bogies all because someone didn't listen. If you want to hear this flange squeal, look up Boyleston Street station squeal on KZbin.

[@simonbiggs9102]

10/10 for brilliant cast and episodes

[@Trish1]

Another great episode and just love the war-time dressing up!! Fascinating to understand about the deep-level shelters - great photography. Thanks team ep3👍

[@unittaskforce]

A great video chat about the location of one of my favourite Hidden London tours. Been there at least three times and will go back!

[@Hannahtheredhead2454]

I’m geeking out and binging these hangouts today. You are the best and most passionate teachers. I want to get back to London and take the tours more than ever and spend more time at the Museum. Please keep doing these hangouts and let me know if a fan club starts-count me in. Thank you so much.

[@alexgrundon2346]

Jennifer Flannery LOVE YOU ❤️

[@fedemenni]

I did my first hidden tour back in 2015 in Aldwych, before the prices rocked sky high.. I love all those hidden tours but bit on the expensive note now but I can see there is a lot of work behind it ;-) I think I’ll need to start going to them again when this virus crisis will end. Loving these videos guys!

[@davekirwin]

Great outfits by Siddy, Laura and Chris. I love the informal chat style of the video and although I have been on the Clapham tour, it's always nice to hear more information and slideshows, great work everyone.

[@alexgrundon2346]

Dave Kirwin you’re so kind. Thank you

[@longbranchmike488]

Loving the historic outfits! Please do more on future editions, including you Alex!

[@alexgrundon2346]

Denis Copeland Oh please don’t make me dress up, Denis.... please!

[@andyb7813]

Ummm I think this will be my next tour - Great video, thanks guys

[@laurahilton3210]

Hi everyone, hope you are enjoying this episode 👍

[@johnje4285]

My 'go to' Saturday evening viewing. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you for the two shoutouts on hangouts! I didnt know about Clapham Bunkers and the others, I just imagined that people sheltered in regular platforms. I loved this episode and the stylish presentation throughout. The green and red moquette reminded me of the Central Line Underground trains. I will study the designs closely - when we can travel! Thank you all. John

[@lisawilson1498]

I seem to be very late to this. But oh boy I will enjoy playing catch up. Amazingly nerdy for me

[@spymash3746]

5:05 I do indeed, myself enjoy a "greased flange". It makes for a much smoother and enjoyable ride.

[@robertdewbery1361]

Thanks Guys. Super memories of my visit to Clapham South. As you say, I too was overwhelmed by the size, and all dug by hand!! I think some of you hogged the limelight this time, poor Laura only said 'hello' and 'goodbye'!! I do hope you do an episode on maquettes. Geoff Marshall and Viki Pipe aroused my interest in those with their great youtubes of ' Hidden Secrets of the Tube Lines'. Perhaps you could bring in their expertise, if you do?

[@johnaustin3814]

Hi Guys, Just discovered your site. I am researching some of my own history and was remembering that as a member of Staffordshire Army Cadets, we were accommodated in the shelters at Clapham when we went to London for the coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth overnight on the 1st June 1953. There were hundreds of cadets. I have to admit that my memories are extremely vague but I do remember the tunnels and the proximity of the guys adjacent and below. I was in an upper bunk!

[@tarquin12]

Such great information here, so well presented and lovely expert input! Who'd have known that London landmarks are hidden in the moquette? Wow! I shall apply greater scrutiny to the moquette when travelling on different Tube lines/different rolling stock. As a non-London-resident, it is often difficult to make the Hidden London tours - so thank you very much for these hangouts! Long may they continue!

[@alexgrundon2346]

tarquin12 you can sometimes get old seat covers in “Barman” moquette at Museum depot open days! Makes a gorgeous cushion!

[@GrettaLogue]

Love the war-time dress up! Hey, have you thought of running a swing jazz dance (lindy hop) event down there? I'm sure if would be an epic hit! G

[@alexgrundon2346]

GrettaLogue great idea but they would just use it as an excuse to dress up! 😂

[@malcolmpeck1951]

Absolutely brilliant guys, really loving the home format and I want a shed like Chris’s.Only found out about these from the Friends email news letter. When I was about 14 (1970) we lived directly above the Piccadilly lime section between Turnpike Lane and Manor House, we got used to it but you could here the trains passing below. A fist time visitor to our house would always be unnerved by it. Keep up the good work.

[@parttimespotter2027]

Love it ... my secondary school was around the corner

[@laurahilton3210]

Hello everyone!

[@helenaferret1758]

Please continue after the pandemic is finished!

[@alexgrundon2346]

Still going. Hope you’re still enjoying us!

[@philliphuggett4432]

Absolutely brilliant

[@alexgrundon2346]

Phillip Huggett ❤️

[@PupRiku]

I stayed right next to Clapham South on my last trip to London and I had no idea about this. What a shame.

[@glenncalderwood8945]

All I recall of Clapham South is how much wind blew into the entrance

[@alexgrundon2346]

Glenn Calderwood nobody wants wind in their entrance

[@teooria]

A fan of London Underground from Estonia here. :D I have a question about literature and the Tube. You talked about movies having been filmed there but have you got any information about different works of fiction where the setting is London Underground. My favourite is Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere" - the reason I became fascinated by the Tube even before my first visit to London in 2007. I know that Ben Aaronovitch is describing a lot of nooks and crannies of the Underground system in his "Rivers of London" series. Are there any other works a fan of the Tube should definitely read?

[@jamesnolan5878]

Really interesting episode, listening from Colombia!

[@alexgrundon2346]

James Nolan Colombia?! AMAZING!

[@markrochford897]

The wind Rush inhabitants spent time down there as well

[@RJE48]

All the episodes so far have been absolutely fascinating! What's an amazing set of videos and photos that you are all producing. I would love to be part of something like this, but I was thinking... You all are all saying about immersive theatre, what about a set of special events using a 1938 Stock Tube Train on the Northern Line where you start at ground level building next to Morden Tube. Everyone congregates then an air raid siren is Sounded, actors tell you to quickly walk into the Morden Tube and onto a specially scheduled 1938 stock train to Clapham South. The actors are saying about last nights blitz, and how one of their houses have been turned to rubble. Once at South Clapham you go above ground and are beckoned onto the shelter (sound effects put into the bushes via speakers!) Then everyone spends the night down there and gets the 1938 stock back to Morden in the morning! Overnight it would be as realistic as possible in the shelter. Okay my imagination has run wild but it's doable I think! I would love to be part of something like this. Keep up the great work 👌👍💪🙂

[@alexgrundon2346]

Robert Ede you should be writing screenplays! Awesome detail in your idea!

[@claudiocabraldias1153]

Very cool and interesting episode guys! Thanks for this awesome material and for keeping us entertained and informed at the same time. I'm actually a tunnel design engineer and have visited Clapham South deep shelters last year and found the tunnels quite remarkable piece of London and tunnelling history. I enjoyed especially to learn about its use during and after the WW2 and hopefully its conversion for future use in a near future. Quick question, the 8 shaped tunnel is the crosscut/cross passage connecting the shelter long tunnels? Cheers!

[@alexgrundon2346]

CLÁUDIO CABRAL DIAS you have the best name ever

[@marksmith5406]

Have you made your own station name inserts, for the LTMuseum Underground lightbox (ie. Clapham South, Charing Cross, in the old style lettering), or are these commercially available?

[@alexgrundon2346]

Mark Smith would you buy them?

[@marksmith5406]

@@alexgrundon2346 Yes

[@srfurley]

The entrance shafts to the shelters used to contain mercury arc rectifiers to power the lift motors. Do any of these disused rectifiers still remain in place? Are you going to do a video on the Kingsway Tram Subway?

[@SuperHonshu]

Is this the same station as the Chancery Station? Have you done one for Chancery Station?

[@jacksugden8190]

I couldn’t find a reason for Covent Garden station being built, however, were you aware that the station was now Grade II listed by English Heritage in 2011?.

[@garycross228]

Only recently discovered your amazing videos. I remember hearing years ago that the eventual plan was to link all of the deep underground shelter tunnels into a high speed Northern Line. Do you know why it never went ahead?

[@Catsarefab]

Is there a second shelter on the corner of Clapham High Street and Clapham Park Road?

[@pb4rton]

Just catching up with some episodes and on this occasion, I had to watch with no audio, but with the closed captions. Apparently Siddy has changed her name to "city" 🤣😂

[@shahjhanhaider26]

What will will happen to clapham south tunnel in event of next war if takes on

[@Blade_Daddy]

Love the ladies 40s hairstyles

[@jeffreycarson3183]

The Union Flag on the wall is the wrong way round if you still have it up.

[@alexgrundon2346]

Jeffrey Carson well spotted !

[@peebee143]

Yeah, loved it! Watched the video in three bites over the course of about 8 hours. Heard you read out one of my comments from last week. Will be watching, again, next week. Love this subject about part of London we do not normally get to see.