The London Underground Has Secrets You Wouldn't Expect

[@Thoughty2]

Go to displate.com/thoughty2 or use my code THOUGHTY2 to access my discount 27% OFF 1 Displates and 37% OFF 2+ Displates. Check out their selected designs that you can now get with the new Textra finish.

[@astro._gaming]

How do you make these animatons?

[@pistachioeuan3336]

@@astro._gaming he doesn’t

[@floutsch]

Seriously dude, I've been watching you since you wore suits and ties. And I truly love you ("no homo" ^^). Someone once said you're shitposting. And you do. So eloquently and not in the sense of "bullshitting". Always interesting and presented in a funny way. This, right here, this was absolute poetry! Thank you.

[@RenegadeShepTheSpacer]

Any chance of an update on the book? I pledged, so I'm curious what's happening.

[@astro._gaming]

@@pistachioeuan3336 ik but what software

[@liambrunton3344]

I’m a signalling engineer on London Underground and I’m really impressed with some of the knowledge of the system this guy does his research! For anyone interested the same signalling at its basic routes is still in use to this day we often go into the signal rooms and find fuses dating back to the 60s in some places! It’s amazing really how the same train detection systems only just being phased out with a WiFi based system now as there even leaving the old system in place as a fail safe as it’s proven so reliable they trust it more then the new systems! It basically works by using one of the running rails as a continuous solid rail and the other broken into blocks of a few hundred yards each using insulating block joints, as the train passes over the rails its axel completes a circuit between the rails and picks up a relay in the signal room which then lights a lamp on a display board showing the signaller where the train is! There obviously has been advancements over the years with failsafes like train stops and axel counters being introduced but at its basic principle it’s not really changed in years

[@lucystevenson2682]

Thank you for that information, it's really fascinating. I agree that leaving the original system as a backup, WiFi is still sketchy atm.

[@bikerfirefarter7280]

​@@lucystevenson2682if it ain't broke...

[@bayupamungkas8791]

Greetings from signalling engineer from the other side of the globe. Cant be more agree with how reliable track circuit is. Compared to axle counter, it can even detect if the rail is broken or damaged. The downside is, when we need to change track layout with many stages, it is very tricky to modify track circuit compared to axle counter. Thus why, in my country axle counter is more popular nowday

[@kencarp57]

The principle of Occam's Razor says it best... make it as simple as possible without loosing any functionality. Block signaling is very efficient, inexpensive, and very reliable - as long as it is implemented in a way that works correctly. Replacing these simple and reliable systems with things like WiFi, GPS, etc. introduces a LOT more complexity into the system, with many more point of failure.

[@Gaybraham.Lincoln]

Very very interesting. It's crazy, man. Sometimes I look at these things and think we can't have been adept enough to create systems like this in the past. Modern humans seem much less skillful

[@lesleythompson810]

As a Londoner born and bred i thoroughly enjoyed this, thank you for including the Bethnal Green tube disaster, was covered up for such a long time. My grandad was a fireman during the 2nd war and was called to it. Lovely to hear the poor folks remembered

[@davidhabert]

I hate to sound morbid here, but I'm a bit surprised that another tube disaster wasn't mentioned in this video, which is just as important. *The Kings Cross Fire disaster in 1987.* The way that disaster occurred was a major wake up call in replacing the wooden escalators which had rubbish and grease underneath them, which sadly was set alight by a discarded match which was lit.

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@davidhabert The reason that and other disasters on the tube were not mention was because that was not the videos main subject, yes it caused change but not innovation.

[@davidhabert]

@@HalfdeadRider I'm not disagreeing with you about the subject of this video was about. But like you said , it caused change. But the only innovation that came out of this disaster was to upgrade safety and penitential hazards on the London Underground. Great video anyway.

[@geoffsnail3982]

Moorgate, too. That did lead to the innovation of automatic braking.​@@davidhabert

[@AncientWildTV]

@@davidhabert how did the Kings Cross Fire specifically influence changes in safety regulations for public transportation systems exactly??

[@johntomlinson2323]

This was such a well done, informative video! I’m a born and bred Southern Californian, where public transport is all but an abysmal failure. I visited London only once in my life back in 2015, and rode the tube everywhere, back and forth, day in, and day out. It was such a smooth operation! I never knew the history behind it all, so thank you for the history lesson! Cheers!

[@thoughty2fan278]

Even nearly 10 years after I’ve began watching you I still get excited when I see you’ve uploaded ❤

[@TheOGSticks11]

Hell yeah. The RIF days.

[@CatherineBaker-ll5ev]

I'm in the same boat ❤ fellow super fan of the informative British mustache man. S'been too long between the posts though I must say.

[@TheDorsoduroMan]

Me too. Glad I’m not alone

[@yanisdecraeye9853]

Same here probably watched every video on his channel

[@thoughty2fan278]

@@TheOGSticks11 too right lmao , I sent him a long message on Instagram but he never seen it , I genuinely attribute thoughty2 to being the reason why I like to learn

[@FreekDijkstra]

The lost and found items are truly mind-boggling. I remember an old documentary of lost items on the Dutch Railways, where they had a section of lost dentures. The employee interviewed for the documentary explained that at some point an elderly men who lost his denture came in, fitted the assorted items one by one and happily left with the one that was his.

[@timmellor2599]

That jar of sperm is surprising as the contents are worth thousands for even the smallest jars!

[@MusicCrow]

😳

[@flickingbollocks5542]

That briefcase with 10

[@flickingbollocks5542]

They found my briefcase with the £10k in it. I just hope they'll believe it's mine.

[@ThisisRubbishlo]

😂😂😂

[@adriansacher5244]

Great video! My fiancé and I travelled to London for the first time last year and took the tube everywhere. Being from Canada, we really appreciated the history and efficiency of this system and this video just made us want to go back and visit ☺

[@COOLGOLDBAR]

f that for normal people its too expensive to use everyday to get to work and often trains are cancelled and staff on strike, its really a shole of a transportation system.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

My mum was a police woman in Hertfordshire, during The Blitz. She remembered the first night, she was on night duty. Ended up on the roof with a pair of binoculars, watching the Orange glow of the fires under lighting the clouds to the south. A very sobering experience, because all her family that weren't serving in the forces, were living around the docks of London.

[@PardonMeBut...]

On phones, before you press 'Read more', at the end it says 'nig'.

[@briandavison4447]

As a Swedish citizen and resident of Stockholm, I can recommend the Stockholm underground (tunnelbanan, or just t-bana). It has the world's longest art exhibition. Try it! Stockholm's great in summer.

[@englishmadcow7461]

I loved Stockholm underground when visited in 97. The artwork is also wonderful.

[@sykoteddy]

And for how long was the art exhibition considered vandalism, before it wasn't?

[@mattgthomas8620]

Honestly, I've been getting impatient waiting for you next video. Glad it's finally dropped... Your videos are like medicine to me, cannot go without...

[@mickbenton8196]

I lived in a house in Belsize Park. The basement had a sub level. There was a steel door that led to a spiral staircase that went down to the Northern line.

[@Greg_Gatsby]

Interesting! 😳

[@ads2829]

A lot of lords of the manor and the well to do, influential movers and shakers have them. Weirdly a documentary has been deleted from the net. Google Ricky dearman. An actor. His kids have given details that no child would know. If you google it, please be aware that it's very traumatic. It's been made to be a hoax. Make your own mind up.

[@georgie3593]

Wow thats insane

[@deco2gogo]

That is fascinating, I can't imagine having one's own private entry to the tube! Have you ever been down to the bottom? Does it lead to a station, or is there any sort of platform where a train used to stop? I wonder who that staircase was built for?

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@deco2gogo Possibly built for maintenance staff to live in and work from?

[@JKPippa]

London is my favourite city in the world and getting to travel there and use the Underground was a dream come true, believe it or not.

[@mason7067]

Life hack, go to the lost items office, say you lost your umbrella. Describe the umbrella you want. Get free umbrella.

[@captainpeg4629]

I'm surprised he didn't mention the London Necropolis Railway which was in use for about 100 years and used to transport London's dead to the outcity boundaries due to overcrowding in the existing city cemeteries

[@krisstopher8259]

he could do an entire episode about that

[@TreeLBollingTreeMan]

It also carried mourners

[@adrianbaron4994]

Probably because it was never underground, it ran on the surface only ( in fact on viaducts from Waterloo to out beyond Clapham ) and maybe some of its " passengers" might not be described as " public" ?

[@edwardoleyba3075]

Brings a rather apt meaning to the word “Terminus”.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

Waterloo to Brookwood Cemetery

[@Svenne23]

I went to London two weeks ago. As a guy from berlin/ 31:28 I was amazed how good the tube works. Very efficient and impressive!

[@sidbrun_]

14:20 the Victoria Line has ventilation?? Have they checked that it's actually working?

[@Michelle_Schu-blacka]

As a Londoner, you forget just how cool and iconic this place is and just how much of it you don't even know exists. I remember finding out that a nature path I used to get to the gym and random side paths with no purpose were actually the remnants of the abandoned plan to extend the Northern Line to Edgware Station, and that the inexplicable tunnel at the end of the platform at Edgware is part of that extension. I remember driving to a collection for work and noticing that is turned onto Abbey Road. I remember thinking 'that's the same name as the famous Beatles album', which I assumed was probably in Liverpool. I drove a bit further down and was shocked when I saw the Zebra Crossing and the studio. I keep meaning to go exploring properly but there's always too much drama in my life to have any desire to leave my house.

[@lindas.8036]

I am a long time subscriber, and I really really do not like the thumbnails. If I see one outside of my subscription feed, I skip over it. I do not like that it almost always shows a man with a frightened or angry or horrified look on his face, usually with an open mouth and bugging eyes. I usually look at videos for information, not fright or anger or to be horrified. I realize that the content is usually very different from the thumbnail, and will not unsubscribe because of the thumbnails, but I surely do not like them at all. I would rather have a screen shot, or just words! I think creating art for a thumbnail adds to the production costs, and understand why they need to be kept low. It's like sponsored videos--we skip thru the commercial and try not to hiss or spit too much! But I do enjoy the content! Thank you.

[@tomeik1421]

Yeah but there’s gotta be a limit to the ads….. last day i searched for a specific moment in a video by skipping with 10 sec and after every 10 sec skipped i got a ad

[@truhhhhhhhokIII3]

This! Theres some other british dude that does the same thing, its like they darken the eyes and make it look like a half zombie but too cartoonish to look real and i roll my eyes so hard at the thumbnails too. So maybe british people think zombies are cool bc of that movie shaun of the dead?

[@thatboymagic1220]

This is way to personal, the man has got to think about the majority not 2 people who don’t like thumbnails

[@woodlanditguy2951]

I don't like the thumbnails either, not because they are bad or anything, they just don't grab my attention. When I think of "Thoughty2" his thumbnails don't fit to the content. Love your vids, just try and make the thumbnails more relevant to the subject matter. The scene at 0:37 would have been a perfect example of a great thumbnail for this video.

[@colinwhite7052]

Yeah, he needs to adapt to your style. We have all looked over your personal concern. Apologies.

[@dennisanderson3895]

14:56 Constructing ventilation shafts/escapes that look like simple, stylish adornments is absolutely BRILLIANT! The imagineer behind that better have gotten a bonus! (OK, we can suppose they did NOT, but it would have been a nice gesture.)

[@tulkmunny]

There literally is a pub named “Londoners” here in Zim… it’s 2am now, I would have gone over to get some pics and show how the underground influences the building structure… interior decor and all the signage… 😅it’s crazy

[@danny-b75]

Yeah! Thanks. It just im 48 and when thougt2 uploads a new video, I genuinely get excited and pleased. Just the narration brilliant generally faultless. 🎉 Thanks

[@amaechivictor5221]

We have missed your educational videos lately... It's been over two months now... Am happy you are back Sir ❤😊

[@GThu1]

The second electric metro built in Budapest, opened just 6 years later than in London.

[@StoffelDilligas]

I hated getting on the underground, especially during rush hour. Not having a seat when you've got to get from Wimbledon to Upminster. I had to meet my wife at her mum's home, and had to use the tube. For shits and giggles I opted to wear my wolf contact lenses, they were quite subtle even though they were black and yellow. It was brilliant, I had a bench seating area all to myself. People would get on the train, spot the vacant seat opposite me and sit down. I would look up from my book, they'd see my eyes, stand up and go move somewhere else. I would highly recommend giving it a try

[@buzzkillington1719]

You seem very ill I hope you are ok

[@helenbartoszek243]

Brilliant, great idea!

[@olliehines3021]

Absolutely no chance anyone would care about that on the tube but okay 😅

[@hazzmati]

Is this how furries act in real life

[@Jumbo344]

Very odd individual indeed.

[@D.Cooper420]

My great grandmother was one of the 173 that died at Bethnal Green that day. It would always give me the chills hearing my mother tell me the story as a child. Thanks for the great information.

[@Iam_Dunn]

This was utterly fascinating! Thank You Thoughty2 Fun Fact: My great, great, great, great, great grandfather was “Factor” (manager basically) of the 2nd permanent Hudson’s Bay post at Moose Factory, ON CAN. As factor he was responsible for buying hundreds of thousands Beaver pelts that were shipped back to England to supply you guys with those dapper top hats. My 5x Grandfather on the other side of my family provided those pelts as a trapper. You’re welcome Great Britain and Europe. :) ❤

[@Stephan1988]

Been some time. Welcome back Thoughty..

[@DavidAnderson-m5c]

*London UnderGround Mosquito:* We are the most irritating pest in any underground system. *New York Subway Rat:* Hold my pizza slice.

[@ibrahim-sj2cr]

NYC subway bedbugs are worse

[@erickalear7609]

Here I thought one could only get Lyme and other bug bite illnesses in nature, and then the London Underground said "wanna see our evolved mosquitoes?"

[@StuartAnderson-xl4bo]

London rats are older and bigger oh and London rats caused the plague before the States was even a country 😅😅😅 London rats would mug NY rats for their pizza 🍕

[@passportkaya]

NYC wins ❤🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@TheRocketbabydoll]

There rats on the underground for sure….rats get everywhere, along with the tube mice you always find running below the rails

[@RainbowCleft]

I spent some time in London in the early eighties. I still envy the public transportation. We traveled all over London, saw all the touristy sights and then we traveled to Wales and Scotland. We never needed a car!

[@delta.alpha.novmbr8802]

The amount of work an open cut trench( from the surface down) is unbelievable. Especially before modern heavy equipment. You have to move all that dirt by hand, and then 80% of it back. And compact it. As someone who does work like this, with heavy equipment, I’m impressed. They don’t make people like that anymore

[@jamesn.economou9922]

They never did. This story is nonsense. You are talking about over a millions tons of rock, cut out with axes, to absolute perfections. Miles and miles and miles of it. These tunnels were there, and they simply found them, and cleaned them up. Put the pretty tile on, and layed the track.

[@Pkbristolyt]

@@jamesn.economou9922your saying the tunnels were just there already ? Surely someone had to make them at some point 😂

[@workout4780]

​@@Pkbristolyt ObViOuSlY iT wAs ThE aLiEnS

[@jamesn.economou9922]

@@Pkbristolyt of course. The tunnels and a lot of the buildings are older than we are told. I don't know how they did it, but people seem to EASILY believe 19th century builders could throw up, megalithic stone castles and underground stone tunnels, in their spare time, with hand tools. It's bonkers, but here we are.

[@stumblingmumbler]

​@@jamesn.economou9922🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

[@Rico_Chesco]

I just found you about a week ago an i watched sooo many videos in that time. Your videos are so nice, important topics, very interesting. I want to say: thank you, 42.

[@lazrseagull54]

I do love Londons underground but it does give a false impression of what public transport is like in British cities when you realise Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Brighton, Nottingham and Sheffield have no underground lines at all. The UK currently only has 4 cities that have any form of underground local rail, compared to over 20 in Germany and over 10 in Spain.

[@eyybabyj1397]

I've just returned home from my first trip to London. I both love and hated the London underground. A train every 3-5 minutes was fantastic and if you've played video games it felt like fast travelling across the map of london in minutes. The only downside is the horrific amount of people using it.

[@trevorgriffiths5611]

I’d love it if you did a video on secret ghost stations..

[@valkyrja--]

Not a thing

[@trevorgriffiths5611]

@@valkyrja-- Actually there are a lot of disused underground stations.. That’s what I mean..

[@danieldanton1129]

So not a s​tation for ghosts? Boo @@trevorgriffiths5611

[@deco2gogo]

I'd love to see a Thoughty2 video on the disused tube stations, too. I've been to Aldwych, as it was still open part-time when I lived in London in 1985. I used to explore all the tube stations, and Aldwych was just one stop from my station, Holborn. I wish I had known about all of the ghost stations back then, I would have been watching out for the abandoned platforms.

[@jeanninehochet]

Just come across your channel and found it really interesting and very entertaining. I’ve visited London a number of times and I just love using the tube, apart from rush hour when you realise you now know how sardines feel. I’ve subscribed and look forward to watching more videos.

[@Slit518]

When I was in London I found the Underground so efficient I loved it. It was easy to ready & understand, and you could get virtually anywhere in a short period of time. NYC's subway system doesn't compare. It is hard to read and all over the place.

[@ssokolow]

Re: "hard to read", watch Cheddar's "Why New Yorkers Insisted On a 'Worse' Subway Map". The TL;DR is that they do a lot of walking and prefer a map that can also be used to effectively plan the walked part of the trip.

[@ssokolow]

...as for inefficiencies in the on-the-ground routes, see The B1M's "The Secret Subway That Could Save New York" for a glimpse of the policy and politics that make it that way.

[@Fannyschmeller2002]

@@ssokolowthat’s an excuse for their inefficiency 😂. Everyone knows Americans don’t like walking any further than 10 minute walks at a time

[@karlosh9286]

I did work on LUL, on the Signal and Electrical Dept back in the 80s to early 90s . I heard that a false leg was handed into the Lost Property Office at one point !

[@METALFREAK03]

This just makes me feel pride of being a Londoner and English.

[@Rusco17]

Not much else to be proud of sadly

[@northbaseuk882]

It really was and still is an incredible feat of human engineering and perseverance. If you want to see and do everything in London for me personally there's simply no other way to get around. I love it.

[@Callimoone]

I love the tube and use it regularly when in London for work. Took my son recently and he loves it too! There's so much history and the tales it could tell!

[@chelinfusco6403]

We've missed you. But this was worth the waiting. Thank you.

[@bryanparkhurst17]

I just got back from Europe after going to the 80th anniversary ceremony for D day. I have to admit I really enjoy the London underground. It's it's a lot nicer than the Paris metro. And as a history geek this video was absolutely spot on wonderful. And I still have my oyster card...lol

[@Pink3h]

Every time I've been in London in my life (quite a few times, seeing as I have family in the UK), I continue to thoroughly enjoy going on the tube, despite the lack of enthusiasm of those around me. I always view it as an experience on its own, and I love the little details that so many people often overlook and/or ignore, so I very much enjoyed this video with interesting facts! =D

[@JUMALATION1]

I am a HUGE infrastructure nerd, this video was like finding El Dorado for me 🤩 As a Finnish citizen born and raised in Helsinki, we also have a lot of tunnels, and many of them would serve as shelter during war time. A few of them are what I would call metro "embryo stations" (instead of ghost stations). They were built for a potential future metro line, in addition or premature to the simple Y-shaped metro line we have today. I have a burning interest in getting to explore these stations, but it's highly unlikely that I would be let in there.

[@davethatcher4954]

You can visit some tunnels. There are organized tours.

[@JUMALATION1]

@@davethatcher4954 Many of the Helsinki tunnels are in daily use for various activities and as parking space. I'm more interested in the more "secret" places. I would love to have a look at the huge water reservoir under the Esplanadi park, for example.

[@franrowe8696]

​@@JUMALATION1urban explorers may be able to help?

[@gustymaat7011]

Pretend to be a KZbin blogger with 3M views... request an escort... pay maybe 50$ (as a bribe offer, expect that to go slightly up) and POOF you're in

[@rjsuvakjr]

I suggested it back in March. He really listens to his patreon supporters.

[@optical_ideas]

Have seen many underground systems, but London is the most beautiful in my opinion. In some streets there are also fake buildings between regular buildings for ventilation. Walking by they are only noticeable if you take a closer look. Then you can see that doors and windows are not real. Bricked up and nicely painted

[@Rxu844]

Just got back from London about a month ago and I rode the tube every day and everywhere I needed to go. I fell in love with it and it made getting around London very easy and enjoyable. I could see how being overcrowded would make it challenging but it’s still the best transport system I’ve ever been on. While riding the tube I would always marvel at the thought that this was built but hand by people and to do it today would be so expensive that no government would be able to pull it off to the level of that.

[@COOLGOLDBAR]

its awful, how is it the best? seriously always cancellations and staff on strikes on top of that its soo expensive to use its either transport or food for most people working minmum wage.

[@ElNeroDiablo]

Ahh, Harry Beck's map of the London Underground~ Jay Foreman has a great video going over the history and revisions of Beck's work as part of his "Unfinished London" series, for those wanting a more in-depth look at how the modern Underground map came to be.

[@reeno02]

Loved this video. Thought the Kings Cross disaster might’ve been mentioned

[@edwardoleyba3075]

Fun Fact. Philippines intend to build an underground railway in Manila. Two days ago the whole of metro Manila was flooded. I have a feeling that this project is not going to end well!! 😉

[@jumpingjeffflash9946]

American visiting London in Dec. it's such a cool city, nice people, the tube is great for getting around. I love visiting your city.

[@Aegius]

Have fun. I suggest staying at a hotel close to Victoria station. That would be the most convenient regarding distance.

[@jumpingjeffflash9946]

@@Aegius booked at a hotel in Tower Hill, I like that area and the nearby tower gateway DLR and tower hill tube stations make it convenient for a jet lagged, luggage toting person. I've been to Victoria station having taken the Gatwick Express but I learned a trick the last time which is better. gatwick to blackfriars, much easier. Last year was the rail strike which screwed me but a Londoner gave me a better tip, Tower Hill to Monument, walk to Bank, tube to London bridge to LGW, that was great.

[@COOLGOLDBAR]

nice people no, its the worse in ter ms of friendliness of strangers, you must live in awful places to thhink people here are nice

[@jumpingjeffflash9946]

@@COOLGOLDBAR I'm west of Boston, Mass on the east coast, every interaction w/a Londoner has been nothing but positive.

[@adied5225]

There's a Doctor Who called the Web of Fear that was transmitted in 1966. When the BBC requested to use Aldwych and Covent Garden stations, as the story was set in the London Underground, the Fees charged and limited hours available to the actors and crew, were more than the show could afford so they built a replica in the studio. Apparently it was so realistic that the BBC received a letter of complaint from London transport as they believed the Underground had been used without their permission . At least that's what I've heard.

[@tomeldee]

The Budapest Metro in Hungary was the first European mainland underground railway, and the third in the world after the London Underground and Chicago "L". It started operating in 1896 and still operates today!

[@marsbaal4344]

1875 Istanbul Tünel 😎

[@tomeldee]

@@marsbaal4344 wow that's new info, why it is not in the worldwide metro lists at all?

[@Bethany_mo]

My favorite thing about this channel is how all the videos are interesting in some way. There have been several on topics that I have no interest in whatsoever. I will sometimes skip the ones that don’t sound interesting at face value, then I will remember who posted them and go back and watch them. Sure enough I get into whatever it’s about every time. I also love the video spacing, nothing kills a channel for me faster than constant uploads.

[@mrtelechi]

This is already very interesting but, your narration is just superb, mixing humour and amazing facts. Thank you.

[@edwinwhitaker5679]

James Henry Greathead worked with Peter William Barlow from whom he became acquainted with the rectangular tunneling shield system. He spent some time (1866-1867) as an assistant engineer on the Midland Railway working with Barlow's brother William Henry Barlow. In 1869 he was involved in building the second underwater crossing of the Thames in Central London. This was the Tower Subway, which was cable hauled. William Henry Barlow was the engineer while Greathead was in charge of the actual bore. Greathead designed and patented his tunneling shield but this was derived from an earlier design.

[@Bille994]

The Brits have actually contributed so much to the world we live in today... It's crazy, especially considering how small of a country the UK is

[@Initiative_Offical]

Still can't use spices though

[@Bille994]

@@Initiative_Offical Speak for yourself 😂

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

The London Underground is a wonderfully British development. An absolute godsend on both the Times I was foolhardy enough to live there.

[@SearchIndex]

I’m here for the ‘shaft errection’ humor😂

[@Kasperbjerby]

London is really impressive in general, its amazing how it evolved

[@singbike5832]

I'm American, and in my (admittedly limited) experience of the Tube, I thought it was easy to use and not scary and dirty like some of the subways in the US. I wouldn't even want to step foot in most subway systems in the US...NYC subway entrances look like you're about to descend into hell. So for Londoners who don't like the Tube, you could definitely do worse!

[@familyfamily575]

I’m British and just went on holiday to NYC. Fucking hell the subway was just awful. My mum (who loves trains and hates taxis) refused to go on it multiple times. It was just terrifying

[@singbike5832]

​@@familyfamily575 I don't blame her...I wouldn't set foot in a NYC subway.

[@englishmadcow7461]

I remember the old wood carriages along with bulbs in place of the oil lamps in the late 70s 😍🇬🇧😀

[@dennisanderson3895]

The unimagined benefit as civilian shelter during WW1 is bittersweet. Grand cheers for the intuitive utilization, damnation for the need to think of it. Very heartening that the consideration of forming child/library/etc niches within! [As a central U.S. native with some but not subversive exposure to other cultures, may I say this was a fine example of stoicism, the "British Upper Lip"? Personal emotion to the moment's event notwithstanding, "Damn. Well, here's what we need to do now, let's get started on that." (Or am I way off?)

[@Rory-xy4kk]

Thank you for this great video. You forgot to mention Metro Line M1 (Budapest Metro). It was built from 1894 to 1896, so it was the 1st underground on the European mainland (the world's 2nd oldest underground after the London Underground as well). Thanks again.

[@BassandoForte]

2nd oldest ELECTRIFED underground rail system... The 2nd oldest underground rail system was opened in GLASGOW in 1896 - But it was rope hauled like the San Francisco trams... 👍

[@lazrseagull54]

​@@BassandoForteNo, the Glasgow Subway opened 7 months after the Budapest metro, making it the 3rd oldest in the world.

[@markellis6413]

4 rails is to allow the current to be returned by the 4th rail rather than the running rails - as it is isolated and doesn't run the risk of power being passed via the running rails to the cast iron tunnel walls..

[@christophermcdonald1122]

The Bakerloo line extension to Lewisham via Old Kent Road needs to be prioritized.

[@stuartbrett1048]

Thank you so much for this brilliantly informative program. One of your best. I can still remember in the late 80s I think a fire broke out on an underground escalator causing quite a lot of damage and a bit of loss of life after which it was decided to remove the wooden escalators for the metal ones

[@natesylvester8493]

This video is a good way of introducing historical walking tours in and around modern day London.

[@realbadger]

There's quite a good BBC documentary (viewable on YoutTube) about the numerous ghosts and hauntings throughout the expansive London Underground, but I'd love to see a video with Your take on it...

[@spacemissing]

Some of the "lost" items are likely abandoned on purpose.

[@Zwei-Rosen]

The German southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg doesn't only provide the best tunnel boring machines, constructed by the Herrenknecht company, but also has invented an innovative method of cut & cover tunnel construction: in the state capital Stuttgart they built an underground tunnel with upside-down L-shaped concrete segments. One side of the street was closed for traffic, and a narrow pit for one side wall as well as a shallow layer beneath the street level was excavated, in order to build the half of the concrete tunnel roof. When one side was finished, traffic was blocked on the other side of the street and ran above the new tunnel roof of the first half, and the whole process was repeated on the other side. When finished, the soil underneath the subterranean concrete arch was removed and the tunnel floor and the rail tracks were built without further interference with the traffic above.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

3:44 REALLY really refreshing humour. Gawd bless ya Gov!

[@kathleen8942]

Boston's subway is almost 10 years older than New York's, begun in 1897. The public transit system in fact began with the ferry system in 1630

[@devinchi1]

These station names all sound familiar because of a game I used to play called "Hellgate: London" Off the top of my head I remember: Picadilly circus Kings cross Green park station Russel square Covent garden market (Sorry if any are wrong, its been awhile)

[@timmellor2599]

I’m proud of the Underground, and I’ve used it since I was a child. However you have to credit Moscow for their system. Not only is it more frequent than ours (just!) but some of its stations are works of art, more than in London.

[@CJones-v5d]

One interesting fact is that on the initial section between Paddington and Farringdon, the stations were colour coded and some of that coding is still visible today. The reason was when the underground started many of the passengers were illiterate so they would use the colour to identify which station they were at.

[@antihero8603]

THE LEGEND IS BACK!!!

[@CathodeRayTube99]

The King's Cross fire claimed nearly as many lives as the Bethnal Green disaster. Excellent video by the way.

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

The underground has become more interesting, since the 'upperground' in London is occupied territory these days, I understand? Anyway, great vid again 👍 Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱, TW.

[@zatoth13]

1987-King’s Cross Station fire killed 37 people. It led to more stringent measures with the escalators, including removal of all Underground’s wooden escalators, and improved radio communications for emergencies. It also created an understanding for a phenomenon known as the the Trench Effect.

[@johnnysmith863]

Very interesting and another well made video, thanks!

[@Rovinman]

Nice Video ! Brings back memories ! I used to carry out Asset Surveys on a lot of the Underground stations, and go in a LOT of unused areas, and get covered in lots of dust ! I think most of the Dirt was from the Victorian era ! ! ! Stay underground ! Stay safe ! Stu xx

[@TheOgizer]

Been waiting for your next video Man, well it's here 😂 and Iam greatfull.

[@LabzAli]

I have traveled to every station on the London Underground including all the new ones the Overground and the Jubilee line

[@jordanwhite352]

About the mosquito thing, considering how much more aggressive the mosquitoes are in New York City, especially Brooklyn, I would not be surprised if New York has developed a similar thing.

[@hypsyzygy506]

I think different underground lines have actually developed their own separate species because each is an isolated population. The ancestral species fed on the blood of birds, but the London Underground Mosquito feeds on the available mammals (birds being in somewhat short supply).

[@Durzo1259]

I think you need to edit it to "...not be surprised if *London* has developed a similar thing."

[@gcewing]

So obviously we need to develop a breed of underground bird to provide the mosquitos with an alternative food source.

[@HannahAdamsSister]

I love videos like this, makes you realise how mind-blowing things that we take for granted actually are.

[@thefeelingofunfair4052]

I have watched him for years but there is NO way he is saying " Thoughty2" instead of 42

[@grus.clausen]

It's a reference.

[@Ursichan]

It has to be the Answer to Life, Universe, and Everything as according to Douglas Adam's books, starting with The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 😂❤

[@Bims-t5b]

It might be the great head Shield now but before there was a more complicated version called the Brunel shield and it worked similarly but instead each miner had their own chamber like the great head but there were small wooden planks the miner would screw out and take away some dirt then continue on and on until every one was done they moved it forward with jacks like the great head shield

[@bnthern]

one of your best presentation - you for got to mention how FAR underground it is for those in America where ours is only a 15 to twenty feet down!

[@stevemichael8458]

So did you :) For anyone interested, the deepest is the Jubilee line platforms at Waterloo station at 26m (85ft) below sea level.

[@FrancescaHarrison]

My uncle would work on the tracks at night, fixing the electrics. He died during lockdown from lung disease, my dad is still convinced it’s him working down there that caused it. Even after using its lines for a few days you realise your practically coughing up black, God knows how bad it must be to practically live down there as an engineer. Certain parts of the underground are also rumoured haunted, which is… lovely 😀

[@sjmarham]

Well that would be the asbestos, metallic particles and 'organic' materials, Tube Dust. Also doesn't help ventilation pulls air from surface level where there are cars.

[@matthewmckever2312]

Theres a statue of Greathead at Bank that also serves as a ventilation shaft

[@skat3yboi]

London underground system is truly an engineering marvel..no wonder other countries study it when building their own..

[@dianesullivan3034]

Wonderfully informative. Loved the bad jokes and play on words. 👍

[@sherijobe9754]

Our maps for our trains in Atl. Ga. use the same mapping pattern. Blows me away knowing how old the idea was.

[@josekentucky86]

HOORAY!!! WELCOME BACK BROTHER!!🤘🇨🇦

[@philread7668]

'YOU WOULDN'T NOTICE IT AMONGST ALL THE OTHER OLD SHIT IN LONDON', brilliant. Made me snort out my beer.

[@jordanwhite352]

Another thing about Victorian era traffic is that if I'm more correctly, while London did have a fledgling sewage system, it was not widespread throughout the city, nor is it obviously as refined and updated as The modern day one so you not only had to do with all that traffic but all that traffic with who running down the sides of the streets and sidewalks. 💩

[@Timeless-wisdom-now]

Path not sidewalk

[@samkotlin8938]

Maybe Pavements?

[@sicilypitts7333]

I have about a 50 year old map of the "Tube". It's one of my favorites! Oh, and I'm a Texan! 🤠❤️

[@mik99D]

Another brilliant video. Concise, accurate and funny. As one would expect.

[@jimpemberton]

I just got back from an extended stay in London a few days ago. Sure the traffic is busy, but it's one of the better cities to navigate, and is easy enough with the buses and tube system. Oyster card in hand, I frequently used the Citymapper app to find my way around. The only drawback was it not having updates on closed bus stops. Try finding a bus to leave downtown Westminster when the King goes to Parliament. Otherwise, it will even tell you how long until the next bus or train is arriving at your stop as well as the few few behind it. It's a most enjoyable city to visit.

[@Balza504]

Is not the fact that they managed to get a park bench or a boat in the train… is the fact that they “forgot” about it 😂😅