The Underground in 1928

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And now for a look at a curious old book.
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Patreon: / jagohazzard

[@srhvideo]

Jago, I would have thought you'd know by now that your petty reasons for not liking the names "Transport for London" and "London's Transport Museum" are exactly what your audience want

[@stephenpegum9776]

Early on in this new video Jago, you mentioned war-time damage on the Underground. I was wondering if that would make an interesting subject for a future video? Just a thought !

[@PokhrajRoy.]

“My reasons for disliking it are entirely petty.” - Me talking about Pineapple on Pizza.

[@RichardFraser-y9t]

That is entirely reasonable

[@mach1nefan]

Sending threats online is always bad. However,

[@raymondmuench3266]

Nothing petty when pique is prompted by pineapple on pizza.

[@meijiturtle3814]

You're quit correct, Jago. I find TfL irritating as well. London Transport is shorter and to the point. There was no need to scrap it!

[@cak813]

Pineapple does not belong on pizza. 😖😖 That’s an abomination.

[@ericfeatherstone]

"Who doesn't like trains? Only monsters." Well now, I think you should ask Idris the dragon about that! I'm sure Ivor the Engine's firebox was very cozy and well regarded. 🙂

[@SportyMabamba]

Idris wasn’t a monster, he was a good boy 😄

[@martinjude66]

Ivors firebox😮 filth absolute filth

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

I love picking up antique books and reading how things have changed. I have a Pelican book from the 1930s on Jazz which declared that jazz was dead because Earl "Fatha" Hines could read music, and obviously, that couldn't be jazz. I love the idea of the Underground Group existing before the public transportation boards of the 1930s. The old map is definitely not as readable, though arguably more geographically accurate.

[@kevelliott]

Haha Earl Hines not jazz because he could read!! Well I guess that also rules out the bands of Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, Don Redman, Paul Whiteman....oh wait

[@barrykeen5643]

I well remember the F stock 'dreadnoughts' or Tanks as they were affectionately known. Being steel bodied they were much heavier than the 'normal' stock and when they were running fast between Finchley Road and Harrow on the Hill they were wonderfully smooth compared to the quite bouncy O and P 1938 stock. Happy days!!

[@zenoelea8239]

That's probably because flattened out all the bumps in the track.

[@geoff1201]

I remember F stock from the East London line in the early 1960s. The oval windows always looked weird to me.

[@bobcosmic]

Jago Hazzard always delivers and enlightens!

[@lukestevens8735]

I wish every KZbinr took as much care over integrating their sponsors.

[@wjekat]

Are you feeling unwell, dear Jago? A video about the Underground’s history failing to mention Charles Yerkes? Something must be seriously wrong.

[@RichardWatt]

But can Seal O Green delight us with his rendition of "Forget You"?

[@brolydictcumberbatchmontou401]

I love Seal of Approval and his flappy thumbs up!!

[@nigelcole1936]

A video at 1928… that’s nearly 7:30pm, how lovely, thanks Jago. Thanks also to the Seal of Approval. fascinating history of this period.

[@brettpalfrey4665]

The trouble is, now when I hear Frank Pick, or Harry Beck mentioned, I think of Geoff Marshall cardboard cut outs, or Harry Beck wih monstrous spectacles..Can't think why?

[@frglee]

My grandma was born in 1900 and lived in East Ham. In the 1920s she worked in the City near Moorgate and told stories of occasionally spending her lunch hour going round on the Circle Line, then called 'Inner Circle' I think. Curiously enough, in the mid 70s I also worked in Moorgate for a bit and when wet weather prevented sandwiches in Finsbury Square, I would have them going round on the Circle Line sometimes too - anything to get out of the office for a bit.

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

For a few years in the late 70s I used to regularly attend a training school near Old Street, just up from Finsbury Square.. On the last day of the course, we always used to finish at lunchtime. Sooo, rather than rush home, I used to go down to Moorgate to get on the Circle, do a whole lap and a half, getting off at South Kensington to get the Piccadilly west to Hounslow... Looking back, amazing at how quiet it used to be in the early afternoon back then.

[@moaningpheromones]

These personal stories are gold, the worst part becomes trying to read them all @@CaseyJonesNumber1

[@RichardOndiekiOsiemo]

"I will have them going round on the Circle Line sometimes..." Could this be the origin of the phrase "Going round in circles" 😂😂

[@MrTonyHeath]

In the 50s I worked for Westinghouse in York Way. At Christmas we had a pub bonanza called the Good Cheer Club where new boys bought a drink for 3 old hands. I was only 16 and not used to alcohol and became tiddly to put it mildly. So, fearful of going home, I traveled round and round on the Circle line until I sobered up. As I remember, it took 50 minutes per lap.

[@Trek001]

The last time I was this early to a Jago Hazzard video, _Kamchatka_ had not sighted torpedo boats yet ... ... ... Wait - wrong channel, sorry Jago

[@francisboyle1739]

Last time I was this early Charles Tyson Yerkes was still in short pants.

[@Tevildo]

Ahh, but are you writing from a (currently) cold and wet corner of South-East London?

[@camenbert5837]

Drachinefel shout!

[@adrianrutterford762]

Thank you for an informative and amusing video, Mr H. The last section regarding the need for a dynamic organisation is as true today as it was nearly a century ago. Only a pedant would point out that seals have flippers not fins. Darn it!! Revealed my true identity.

[@WillKemp]

The seal of approval was very effective - normally, I skip forward over in-video ads, but your seal of approval kept me captivated till the end. Well done! I hope the surfshark people (and anyone else who may want to sponsor your channel) realise what good value you are🙂

[@Del_S]

Did the book shop have Fly Fishing by J.R. Hartley, or did the Ghost of Charles Yerkes get the last copy?

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

Thank god it was 'Shepherd's bush' and not 'Shepherdesses bush'.....

[@ianthomson9363]

😂

[@timhubbard8895]

Well said, Mr Frank Pick! He was truly a man of vision who was far ahead of his time.

[@michaeljohnson9421]

On a slight tangent, interesting to see the Piccadilly Line train with just one headlight working (around 2.35). I've never seen that before. I assume the rules permit this - as long as there's one headlight in operation, the train is good to go. I'm not sure when the present arrangement of two headlights, one each side like a car, came in. Older Underground trains had various other set-ups - the 1959 stock had two headlights on the same side, which I always thought was weird. I'd suggest a video on this subject, but it might be just that little bit too niche!

[@RogersRamblings]

The first stock with lights each side was the C69.

[@eekee6034]

The single headlamp was normal when I was little. As far as I recall, it was quite deliberate but I don't recall the reason. Before my time and on main lines, trains had different arrangements of headlamps to show what they were carrying and whether they were express trains.

[@mattiasthorslund6467]

"Too niche" is just the right level of detail for this channel!

[@RobinWildlife]

No I'm sorry, that 'disliking the TFL name' video will have to be made. You can't just say something like that and not follow through!

[@MacNuggetUK]

I have this exact book! Bought it after I'd been working at London Underground on the Trackernet system so got my historical geek on with this book!

[@rupep2424]

Interesting! FYI: I still reckon the Northern Line should be 2 lines - even with the revelation that previously it was...

[@highpath4776]

The underground group (esp General Buses) were helped by the 1924 London Act. It might be worth though looking at (in the main) the Local Authority transport in London - mainly the Corporation Tramway operations (LCC and others)

[@keith800]

Interesting video as usual , yes amazing what you can find in bookshops and boot fares , I find the older rolling stock quite interesting and feel not enough attention is shown to them.

[@petersmith4455]

hi there, great video, its a pity the clowns didn't save an F stock train for preservation but at least Sarah Siddons and John Hampden made it to this day

[@julianaylor4351]

I have a book that belonged to my late parents about penguin book from the 1950s, about 1930s cinema and a secondhand of my own which is a 1931 Radio Times guide to the BBC. My house was built in 1926 as part of Metroland Estate across a park ( formally a dairy farm ), with the Piccadilly Line on its other side. There's probably an advert for houses in my neighbourhood somewhere. Mentioning 1928, reminds me of the 1928 train on the Bakerloo that were still in use until the early 1970s; the 1938 train also still around at the time on that line, to only be withdrawn later. My favourite book on the London Underground is a history of the architecture of each station, that I once found in a discount London bookshop. I also a large collection of used cardboard tube tickets, the little rectangular plain green ones ( sometimes halved ) and the magnetic yellow strip ones, that my younger brother came across once, in a bag, that someone had forgot to throw away. Does your seal of approval live in the Thames Estuary? 😁 Personally I found it annoying when the company name was changed from London Transport to Transport For London, which is factually incorrect, because some the tube lines have branches extending into other counties. The first name implies that the transport company is based in London, which of course it is at its HQ is Central London and the second one is more possessive in tone, which flies in the face of the outer branches of various tube lines. Typical modern sloppy grammar misuse. I was taught proper old fashioned English grammar at primary school.

[@harrypenn611]

Amazing to think what he had yet to do when he wrote that book and the great changes he made happen

[@jodypitt3629]

Lol, how I love your sense of humour Jago

[@teecefamilykent]

One of the most thought provoking videos yet sir! Bravo I say, bravo!

[@michaelwright2986]

It is very open minded of the seal to extend its approval to a shark. Perhaps, despite all indications to the contrary, the peaceable kingdom is approaching.

[@JagoHazzard]

The sea lion shall lie down with the… er… sea lamb.

[@emjackson2289]

A fascinating video and its quite amazing that, even in 1928, what we see today as "the tube train" was in essence the very thing even then (much the way that Locomotion @ Shildon has DMUs and EMUs that are basically, recognisably what is a Class 156 Sprinter say but 40 yrs before even those were running). But I'll end with this - based on 10:11 - While a professionally curated group of underground trains clink across pristine sets of points in slow motion to try and represent aspirations of modern, comfortable urban railway solutions you could be having a real Tyne & Wear Metro experience #oldschooltrainsforoldschoolcommuters

[@dougmorris2134]

Dear Jago, yet again a fascinating look at London’s UndergrounD railways. To me there is only one (No two) special trains/rolling stock. The first: the Standard stock, I have a feeling that it was those that I saw as a very young train watcher ( not spotter) from the “Railway Tavern” Bollo Lane (grandad’s pub) and travelled on much later on Ryde Rail in the last year on the Isle of Wight, as class 485. The second: has to be the 1938 stock. I travelled on those when I worked in London in the 70s. Beautiful little trains then and, yes on the Isle of Wight as class 483. Happy memories my memories. Including a 38 stock train with 27 stock Metro Camell stock trailers. I’ll always regard it as “London Transport” the best integrated transport system. I’ll have to look out for that book. Best wishes from

[@dougmorris2134]

Best wishes from Oxfordshire, also no UndergrounD

[@SkeletonSyskey]

The Seal Of Approval Can Sell Anything

[@PokhrajRoy.]

2:51 It’s like stepping into a Time Machine, this video. Although 1928 wasn’t a good year for some of us lol

[@mikeportjogger1]

"London Transport" sounds like a giant, monolithic corporation. "Transport for London" sounds like a friendly campaigning group that's on everybody's side.It's a clever psychological trick, and it works on a lot of people.

[@HerbertDuckshort]

I intensely dislike the gratuitous overuse of the poorly understood word “iconic”. It makes me want to scream…..very loudly. Fortunately JH always uses it in the correct context.

[@alexmaple4]

“Who doesn’t like trains? Only monsters.” Jago Hazzard

[@TikTokBrian]

I’m sure someone else must have mentioned this but the Standard Stock began in 1923. I used to travel to school in the early 1960s on the Central Line. These were the earlier (1923 to 1929) trains. The Piccadilly Line had the later batch (1931 to 1934) trains which were very slightly tapered at the ends because the cars were slightly longer.

[@52Royston]

In the late 1940’s, on very rare occasions, they would run F stock on the District Line; presumably that was all that was left. We boys found the manual doors fascinating and would try to open the doors as the train was running between the stations. This was guaranteed to excite any adult in the carriage.

[@1258-Eckhart]

You could manually open the doors in the Berlin Underground well into the 1980's. As the train ran into a station, there was an unspoken competition over who could open the doors first and leap out of the still moving train.

[@simonwinter8839]

"Roaring tale from the tube" Roaring twenties ?

[@makkari1]

I was once charged with updating Emergency Planning for a significant Government Department. On reading the version to be updated, I was confused when I found that if senior bods had to be transferred from London to our other main site a hundred or so miles away, the instructions said TfL should be contacted for taxis to be arranged. I thought about it for a while, decide that couldn't be right, then carried on reading. There were many idiosyncrasies and nonsensical entries. In the end, I worked out that the long since defunct Departmental Section responsible for transporting around had been called "London Transport". This had been, before it was abolished, an internal Departmental Section with six people, with nothing to do with public transport. Some bright spark, in demonstrating a complete lack of both understanding and common sense relating to the task in hand, had simply used "replace all". "TfL" appeared 67 times in the document. I decided to seek out the muppet concerned, only to find they had retired a few months before. I bit the bullet and rewrote the whole thing.

[@andyrichardsvideovlogs8835]

One of your very best Sir Jago

[@davepoole9520]

I don't like the term Transport for London either. It sounds too much like it was devised by advertising executives to make it sound like it's working for its passengers and the metropolis but those same executives cost so much money to come up with that name after a 'consultation period' than it didn't leave TfL enough money to actually invest in the system and put its money where its mouth was.

[@roberthuron9160]

A New York addendum; that F stock car had its counterpart on three railroads! The owl-eyed commutes existed on the Long Island,Pennsylvania,and the Hudson &Manhattan[now PATH],as MP54'S(DCand AC,respectively),and MP38's on the H&M! All told there were approximately 2000+ cars operating in and around New York and environs! There were combinations,mail cars,and straight baggage cars,as well as coaches! A very nice complicated history! Oh,yes the first Steel subway car,for the IRT,was produced by the Altoona Works of the Pennsylvania! That lead to Mr. Stillwell and his designs for the H&M,and Erie Railroads,then the BMT AB Standards,another long history,but interesting! Thank you for your patience and understanding,trying to condense a multi-volume history into 3 paragraphs,is a mind bending exercise! Thank you 😇 😊! Jago,a magnificent capsulation! Thank you!! 😇!!

[@martynnotman3467]

Ive always been very confused by the layout of St Pancras. Video please Jago!

[@norbitonflyer5625]

7;23 The "London Electric Railways" were the three Tube lines originally built by the Yerkes Group. (I could be mistaken, but I think the LER also included the District). The City & South London and the central were merged into UERL later, and had a number of differences, notably in electrification systems (both were originally 3-rail) until 1924 and 1940 respectively.

[@risingchads]

The LER was created to legally merge the separate Piccadilly, Bakerloo and Hampstead companies into one to save money - but never included the District. Done to avoid bankruptcy.

[@RogersRamblings]

I had a copy, a brilliant book that has much to teach about operating the Underground. I only got rid of it when I ran away from home.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

The Ad was just too good 😂

[@stuartcastle2814]

Even though it goes underground, the DLR didn't exist either, and isn't a London Underground line.. :)

[@PabloBD]

More nerding out, please

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Next video The Underground in 1929, video after The Underground in 1930 etc. Etc.

[@isashax]

Very interesting video, as usual! I would like being able to see the tube in all the different eras. So many changes!

[@Richardincancale]

The London Underground and the London County Council seemed to have made a kind of golden era between the wars, building a transport mete for the right reasons, public housing, forward thinking planning.

[@theundeniablegem]

Jago… please invite the seal of approval back for another appearance, his appearance was a delight 😂

[@DavidRGray]

Wonderful, as always, Jago and I do love the way you skirted around the dodgy American chap.

[@nigelbetts3893]

Transport For London (TFL). Here in Ireland we just changed one letter TFI (Transport For Ireland), Google is sometimes a little confused when you go searching for TFI rather than TFL😊

[@philipgibbard304]

Top marks, Jago!

[@ice_cream_melt]

Very informative as always, although I must say that the sponsor ad really "sealed" the deal

[@MiddayDolomite]

That sponsorship reading gets my seal of approval, as would a video about Petty Reasons for Disliking a Name.

[@mickeydodds1]

More Johnny Morris than J.P. Thomas!

[@martinjude66]

Love all that history. These sort of books are a real treat. I ll look out for it

[@roderickmain9697]

Transport for London. It could have been worse. It could have been Transportation for London ...which I'm sure our friend Charles Tyson Yerkes would have approved of, being American. Great find, Jago. I'm sure it will assist in your future endeavors.

[@Tevildo]

We should be thankful we didn't get "tubeLines" with a lower-case "t".

[@Ass_Burgers_Syndrome]

I've never liked the name Transport for London either. Possibly for the same petty reasons but reasons nonetheless.

[@marlenevermeulen5355]

Another most interesting history about The Underground in 1928 Jago.

[@TheClockwise770]

Forgive me for mentioning but that Surf shark seal sounds remarkably like Winston Churchill. Great video as always Jago thanks

[@davidfulton179]

The Hazzman and I may share some of the same language peeves that have shortlisted us both for exclusion from cocktail parties. "Transport" is by far a more common as a verb than an adjective, at least in the nowadays. "Transport Museum" almost sounds like a metaphorical task (and if you are a word geek of a certain complexion, you might find my use of "metaphor" here cringeworthy in a way that only you and Stephen Fry might roll your eyes at). When someone asks "may I arrange transport?" I find myself waiting the other shoe to drop, syllabically speaking. Perhaps my good sir is expecting me to finish for him? Provide the "...tation. ba-dum-bah!"

[@SmudgeThomas]

I have similar feelings about TfL, and still call it London transport by default. I'm 31...

[@NESTABROWN9]

Wayne X. Brown: What happen the light is the front face of train? See 2:34sec. Bulb gone?? Should take to depot. of repair to mate some replace bulb light on... Pretty weird of this one missing light out is! 😨

[@nomadMik]

I've never minded _Transport for London_ because it sounds so much less ridiculous than _Transport for New South Wales_ (a real org)… but I suppose _I'm_ being petty saying that!

[@AtheistOrphan]

9:14 - Fond memories of riding this stock on the IOW as a nipper in the 70s. They were so bouncy they once caused one of my teeth to fall out!

[@user-eg8pv2om7j]

I have a copy of this book. A future video ? The tunnel cleaning train Why a modern version isn't used today , preferring fluffers to vaccuum braked vaccuum trains ?

[@tomasjones3755]

Really like understanding the pre 1933 underground. Thx BTW - Seal ‘O Approval sounds old and has loose dentures

[@trevorelliston1]

The “Watford Joint stock” on the Bakerloo must have been one of the shortest lived stocks as it only lasted about 10 years and was gone about two years after the book was produced. It was introduced in 1920, based on pre World War One designs, and once the Standard stock came out it was such a big improvement with shorter station stop times due to having more and bigger air doors that LER decided to scrap it. Some of the motors and the control gear was installed in the control trailers in the 1920 District “F” stock, turning them in to “single equipped” motor cars, to improve performance, in particular when the trains were split by uncoupling, which was a feature of district line working for many years.

[@Krzyszczynski]

1928 was also the year the newly-rebuilt Piccadilly Circus station opened after being worked on for four years.

[@llwyde1104]

I want more about the 'standard' stock class...i seem to remember them! I can't be that old....can I nurse? Nurse! NURSE😮

[@the-real-iandavid]

Do your videos know no bounds? Yet more interesting facts AND a talking seal! Whatever next; interviews with real Martians?

[@pizzalover3]

Well said on Harry Beck. Now. Who would play him on a hypothetical video...😉

[@ulicnik24]

Did't Charles Y. change London transport for better as well? I think he has indisputable position in the history of London Underground.

[@johnsowerby7182]

Please nerd out properly. A video (or more) on the signaling systems employed on the Tube would be fascinating.

[@john1703]

Transport can be a verb or a noun, hence an action or a system. Transportation is a noun and refers to the action of transporting (sometimes to Australia). So the TfL use is arguably correct, unless you mean that it should be T for people in London, who might not all be Londoners. Now, where should an apostrophe be placed? So, TfPiL.

[@MrMatVids]

Why is the yellow line on the platform staggered at Clapham South in the last piece of video?

[@colingymer]

Pity I only happened on this "episode" when it was a month old, as suspected, the greed merchants have worked out the book might be in demand.....

[@Albanwinter]

"The impression must always be dynamic." Yes, it is. I miss the Underground.

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

The Northern Line has _always_ been a thing.

[@tqft]

Well that's just unfair. Now I need to know your "petty reasons", and wondered if they were relatable haha.

[@annika_panicka]

"Transport" has a cargo-related ring to it. Why does it vex you so? I'd watch that video. 📦

[@Andrewjg_89]

Wish that the Bakerloo Line was to extend to Lewisham and onwards towards Bromley and Hayes back to where the London Underground was formed. And the Victoria Line extended from Walthamstow Central to Chingford or Woodford. And the Victoria Line from Brixton to Crystal Palace or Croydon that would have been on the tube map of today. And the Jubilee Line that could have extended from North Greenwich to North Woolwich. Plus the Northern Line could have gone down as far as Sutton.

[@NHGMitchell]

As I recall, JP Thomas's book talks about his philosophy of "saving seconds." Maybe the subject of a future video?

[@bordershader]

I'm worried Seal of approval will get eaten by the surf shark 🥺

[@doctordeej]

I’m with you on the awful TfL, it was, is, and alsways will be London Transport to me.

[@melodymonger]

"The Seal of Approval" 😂. Another fascinating video Jago, thanks 👍

[@fastertrackcreative]

I love your dry humour! The ends of the carriage at 8:40 look like an attempt to wrap a train-shaped present.

[@rainyfeathers9148]

That book is like a rare item in an rpg🤩 , I hope you saved after you bought it... twice to make sure🤣

[@WolfmanWoody]

I can remember Bakerloo tube trains running form Watford Station. Used to look out for them on the trains down from Manchester. Also sure I rode on one of two of the standard stock and others that seemed quite old in the 50s.

[@DavidShepheard]

Thanks for the video on J.P. Thomas. I did know quite a lot of history about London Underground, already. But, since I've been watching your videos, I've come to realise just how dysfunctional and suboptimal some of the lines on the Underground were. People like Leslie Green get lots of credit, because they opened up stuff, but the people who closed stuff and switched stuff about are just as important. I hope you can talk more about some of J.P. Thomas's unfulfilled plans, at some point.

[@CarolineFord1]

Nice seal! 😊

[@lassepeterson2740]

Only monsters dont like trains . But trains are monsters . Trains dont like each other ask the signal system .

[@DavidWilson-hh2gn]

If I remember correctly the F stock ran on the New Cross and New Cross Gate lines.