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Former LUL Boardroom Art Work - London Transport Decade by Decade

This is a record of the pictures around the wall of the former LUL Boardroom, showing London Transport decade-by-decade.

These were painted by Duncan Lamb, a a senior member of the Architect’s Department, and where presented to L.T. before he retired. It is worth noting the period dress of those in the pictures - form bowler hats to punks!

All photos in this series © Tom Chaffin

1910-1920

Showing what appears to be District Railway ‘B’ Stock, the original Bakerloo Line Oxford Circus station building, designed by Leslie Green and a London General Omnibus Company B-type bus.

1920-1930

Showing Underground Group G Class Stock, a typical modernist Charles Holden designed station of the period - possibly Morden (now unfortunately with an office building over the top) and what appears to be ST type bus first introduced in 1930.

1930-1940

1938 tube stock, designed by William Graff-Baker, past president of the Institution, the Felix Lander designed Park Royal station which opened in March 1936. The green coach is a ‘Leyland TF Green Line’ coach which employed a revolutionary under floor engine design’.

1970-1980

Piccadilly Line 1973 Stock, the updated ticket hall at Charing Cross, the then southern terminal of the Jubilee Line and a Damiler Fleetline bus., initially branded ‘The Londoner’ by LT, upon the types introduction

1980 - 1990

The rather unsuccessful 1983 stock built for the new Jubilee Line, the updated entrance to Tower Hill station and what appears to be a MCW Metrobus bus outside the Tower of London.

1940-1950

District Line R Stock, the first trains on the Underground in unpainted aluminium, a post war station, possibly West Acton which was designed by the Great Western Railway architect Brian Lewis and completed in November 1940. A RT (Regent Three) bus approaches the bus stop.

Incidentally, this particular bus was noteworthy in that vents are (just!) visible in the roof dome which were fitted prior to the bus (RT 2776) being one of three that embarked upon a foreign tour to North America in the early 1950’s. The vehicle was also noteworthy for carrying a GB plate on the rear panel and for retaining its original body/commemorative plaque for most of its life

1950-1960

Central Line 1962 stock, Stockwell bus garage, which when it opened in 1952, had the largest unsupported roof span of any building in Europe and a iconic Routemaster bus.

1960-1970

Victoria Line 1967 stock, which were the first trains to use Automatic Train Operation, Blackhorse Road on the Victoria Line, complete with fibreglass relief of a black stallion. The station was designed in-house by the London Transport Design panel which included architect Kenneth Seymour and Misha Black. An AEC Swift bus pulls up outside.

The final Locomotive & Carriage Institution Committee meeting held in the former LUL Boardroom

Most Locomotive & Carriage Institution Committee meetings and some lectures were held in the former LUL Boardroom , on the 7th Floor.

One memorable lecture held in this room was by Christopher Garnett of GNER who had just completed a marathon season to complete the bid to extend the East Coast Mainline franchise. Despite being obviously completely shattered by working long hours during the bidding process, he kept his appointment to talk to the Institution.

Former LUL Boardroom - Room 724

Originally the Chairman's personal former staff office, the office was later the LUL Boardroom until the LUL Baord moved to Palestra

Former Chairman’s Office - Room 727, “The District Room”

The majority of the Institution lectures were held in former Chairman’s Office on the 7th Floor

Former Chairman’s Office Art Work

This is a record of the pictures around the wall of the the former Chairman’s Office / District Room

All photos in this series © Tom Chaffin

The Locomotive & Carriage Institution ‘home’ for the winter lecture season for some 25 years, from 1994 to 2019, was the London Transport Headquarters of 55 Broadway.

55 Broadway is a grade 1 listed and was It was designed by Charles Holden. It was built between 1927 and 1929 for the Underground Electric Railway Company of London. When built, it was the tallest steel-framed office building in London. The upper floors of the building are on a cruciform plan, with the office ‘wings’ centred around the clock tower so as to gain as much natural light as possible.

Transport for London sadly moved out of 55 Broadway in 2019, with the building sold to Integrity International Group for conversion into luxury flats.

Photos © - as shown below

CLICK ON IMAGES FOR AN ENLARGEMENT

Members enjoying the last Locomotive & Carriage Institution lecture held in 55 Broadway.

Our Vice President, Nick Agnew (next to the flip chart) says farewell to 55 Broadway.

Note picture of Frank Pick to the left of Nick

The room has walnut panelling to dado height with walnut panelled doors.

The door beside Nick leads to the Chairman’s former personal staff office - later the LUL Boardroom, Room 724.

An oil painting of Albert Henry Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield, Chairman of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London and then London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) from 1933 to 1947.

Looking over Broadway and Tothill Street from the roof, and including the London Eye, Central Hall Westminster, the Shard, Westminster Abbey and the Victoria Tower

The clock tower from the roof of the main building

The walnut-panelled corridor from the former Chairman’s office, with the former LUL Board Room on the left and lift lobby at the far end

Over the years a handful of meetings were held on the 10th floor, when the Boardroom was not available

10th Floor Dining Room exit to roof terrace

Looking over Caxton Street and the St Ermin’s Hotel, from the roof. Note Battersea Power Station chimneys in the distance.

Staircase to roof. Note ornate tiles and banisters

The seventh floor landing with Travertine floor and floor tiles

Model of 55 Broadway on the 10th Floor

LHS: photo - © Humphrey Gillott, RHS: © Roland Gillott

7th Floor Lift Lobby Doors

Between the doors to the West Wing are the former Cutler mailing ‘chutes’ to the post room marked”Mail Country” and “Mail London and Aboard”

The final Locomotive & Carriage Institution lecture held in 55 Broadway was on Direct Rail Services.

The former Chairman’s office is an octagonal shaped room, with french windows on the left hand side (hidden by the blinds) leading to a small stone balcony.

An print of a painting of bus conductress during WW II. The text below reads

“How proud upon the quarterdeck you stand, conductor - captain- of the mighty bus! Like some Columbus you survey the Strand. A calm newcomer in a sea of fuss.

You maybe tired - how cheerfully you clip. Clip in the dark with one eye on the street - Two decks, one pair of legs, a rolling ship - Much on your mind - and fat men on your feet!

The sirens blow and death is in the air. Still at her post the trusty captain stands. And counts her change and scampers up the stair. As brave as a sailor the King commands.

A.P Herbert

Copies of iconic London Transport Posters

7th Floor Corridor and Lobby

10th Floor

: © Roland Gillott

10th Floor Roof Gardens

West Wing of the building at night

Close-up of the down pipe gullies with the London Transport bulls eye

10th Floor Roof Garden

View of the junction of Broadway and Tothill Street - the 7th floor former Chairman’s office being adjacent to the balcony on the left

View across St James’s Park with the Post Office Tower in the distance.

View down to Dacre Street - the building site is the 10 Broadway - or New Scotland Yard, the Headquarters of the Metropolitan Police from 1967 to 2016

Stairs between the office floors

Stair Case

London Transport Memorabilia

Old London Transport signs on the lower levels of the staircase

The text on the plaque next to the sign is reproduced below:

Railway Heritage Feature Richmond Station sign (c1935-38) This vitreous enamel sign stood, for many years, outside Richmond Richmond mainline station. Photographic evidence shows it in place by the late 1930s and it appears to have been removed during the 1970s. The date of manufacture can certainly be better understood given the overall design and various styles of lettering and logos it shows. During the 1930s, when the new London Transport (formed in 1933) experimented with various designs of signs, most used this pale yellow background with the maroon border. The arrow at the base of the sign was known as a ‘Mexican arrow’ and this example, with three flights on the arrow, dates it to post 1933, as prior to that date it would have had four flights. The sign also uses colour blocks as background to the text and this was increasingly used as a device by the Underground during this period. The design of some signs was further standardised when, in 1938, LT issued the first ‘Standard Signs Manual’. Richmond was owned and primarily served by the Southern Railway who, during this period developed their own ‘house style’ that included this “sunshine” style of lined out lettering. The underground logo, using the company’s Johnston typeface, has the distinctive white bands (or “ribbons”) above and below the letters. Then, as now, Richmond was served by the District Line. The “LMS” lettering refers to the London Midland & Scottish Railway, another of the ‘big four’ railway companies that had been formed in 1923, and ran the North London Railway services between Richmond and Broad Street. This service is now provided by London Overground. The sign is a fascinating reminder of an earlier period of ‘co-ordination’ of elements of London's transport service that finally came to fruition with the formation of TfL. LU acquired the sign in 2008 from a private collector, who had salvaged the sign when it was removed, and is displayed here as part of LU’s heritage.

The text on the plaque next to the sign is reproduced below:

Railway Heritage Feature Directional sign from Blackfriars tube station, (c1930) This vitreous enamel sign was situated inside the entrance to the original Blackfriars station and was salvaged during the building work in c1975. The station was heavily redeveloped during that period, resulting in the demolition of the original c1870 highly ornate facade. The sign is typical of those designed for use on the Underground during the late 1920s and early 1930s when much thought was given to the standardisation of sign design and typefaces used. The sign displays the ones heavy timber frames used – In the early 1930s Charles Holden developed a slimmer bronze frame for signs used on new and reconstructed stations. It appears that many older stations that received new signs at this time continued to have the timber framed versions. The pale yellow background was also commonly used – along with the use of the purposely designed Johnston black lettering that works so well in this situation being both legible and authoritative. The style of the arrow, the flight of which appears to pierce the ring of the roundel, is also indicative of the sign’s age. This device, commonly known as ‘Mexican arrow’, was used on signs from the mid-1920s until the 1960s as a unique graphic tool and also added familiarity to the brand London Transport. The use of four flights to the arrow dates it to the years either side of 1930. By c1932 it was used with three flights and later decades saw the number gradually drop to two, then one and finally none. The sign was donated by Mr. A H Rolph

Section of pre-Beck Underground Map of London (c1930) showing 55 Broadway at St James Park

St John’s Wood station sign

These are examples of Train Interval Indicators or headway clocks that show the eastbound/westbound, northbound/southbound, Inner Rail/Outer Rail services at appropriate locations on the lines described over a 24 hour period.

A second set was located in the HQ Control Office on the second floor, east wing until it’s demise and although the dials on the ground floor have been disconnected, the mechanisms remain and the occasional ‘click’ could still be heard!

The paper dials were placed on the COM (Railways) desk every (week-day) morning and deficiencies in the service drawn to the appropriate management team’s attention where this was felt appropriate!

Similar clocks were provided for appropriate locations on the tram and trolleybus networks and a survivor from the trolleybus era and formally located in the ticket hall at Ealing Common station is now held by the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colvill near Lowestoft, where former London trams and trolleybuses still operate.

A memorial to Lord Ashfield, creator of London Transport

66 716 Naming

Post 2003 Pre 2003