IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Marlborough Gardens, UPMINSTER, RM14 1SE

The main entrance to Hall mead School http://www.sch.hallmeadschool.co.uk/

Eversleigh Gardens links Ingrebourne Gardens with Deyncourt Gardens on the way to Upminster station.

Here the Pannier Tank engine is at work, showering me with a great plume of steam! It has an extremely loud whistle too - it could be heard quite clearly from where we parked on nearby Ingrebourne Gardens (just two roads away)! Who needs an electric fire to keep you warm when you've got a good old steam train to do the job? An underground train being covered in steam is a VERY rare sight too, so enjoy it while you can! View taken looking west-southwest.

Also at the depot's Open Day was this GWR Pannier Tank Engine from the Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It didn't do a lot other than puff backwards and forwards along this very short, dead straight stretch of test track and let out a couple of plumes of steam each time, but it was still enough for it to be appreciated. Contrary to popular belief, this engine didn't get here under its own steam - it came here via low loader, which cost the London Transport Museum about £1,000. This shot makes an interesting comparison with old and new trains, as you can see a modern District line train in the siding in the background. View taken looking southwest.

This is a side view of the Pannier Tank engine, looking south.

This is a rear view of the Pannier Tank engine, looking west-southwest.

To finish off, here's the bogie being fitted to the D stock train in the shed. It's quite a simple job after disconnecting the power supply and shock absorber on the train - place the crane arms on the undercarriage on both sides of the carriage, raise the train, slide the bogey underneath, lower the train until you have a perfect fit, and insert some wooden discs which prevent wear and tear (for a while) to the bogey. Easy, if you know how! View taken looking west-southwest. The Pannier Tank engine is just outside behind me.

A second RLH came to join the fray of buses at the depot, this one retaining its original destination blinds from when it was on Route 248.

The view looking in the opposite direction to Image This time we can genuinely see down the carriage, as has always been the way on London Underground stock. What is very different, however, is that the grab handles aren't colour coded to match the colour of the line on the tube map - they are yellow instead of green - as is usual. You can also see the joins between the carriages (much like the articulation on London's modern articulated buses), which has replaced the traditional concept of having those doors between the carriages for emergencies and on which you can wind down the window for ventilation. Again, I'm unsure of the geographical location.

Eversleigh Gardens links Ingrebourne Gardens with Deyncourt Gardens on the way to Upminster station.