#OnThisDay 31 years ago 'Motorail' services ceased: they allowed at their peak 100k passengers and their cars per year to travel the UK by train, although the GWR Night Riviera carried cars 1999-2005, providing a brief return of sorts. Dave Hitchborne buff.ly/s2QV0DK

#OnThisDay 120 years ago Greenwich Power Station opened. Originally a coal-fired facility for the tram network, it was converted to oil & gas and today is the emergency back-up to power London Underground if National Grid supplies are lost. @ltmuseum buff.ly/pHVNJ57

#OnThisDay 45 years ago Honeybourne station in Worcs. reopened. It was a key junction station, but declined and closed in 1969, then the line through here was singled in 1971. Its fortunes reversed with reopening 1981 (pictured) and line redoubling 2011. buff.ly/ybhXVrL

#OnThisDay 154 years ago the Muswell Hill & Palace Railway opened between Park Junction (Highgate) and Alexandra Palace via Muswell Hill (Cranley Gardens followed in 1902). Definitely the best-sited of 3 stations claiming to serve the palace! HC Casserley buff.ly/NVV0kV0

#OnThisDay 16 years ago London Overground (now Windrush Line) reached far into South London through extensions to West Croydon and Crystal Palace (latter pictured by @tubemapper.bsky.social), with intermediate stations 'going orange' and gaining platform roundels. buff.ly/vFVh3KA

And even a video.

#OnThisDay 16 years ago the two 3-CIG units on the quasi-heritage Lymington service retired marking the end of Slammers. They had been modified with centrally locked doors to comply with regulations that caused the demise of slam door stock. Geof Sheppard buff.ly/rrQ58eA

#OnThisDay 49 years ago the Glasgow Subway, complete with its original 1896 rolling stock, closed. It reopened 3 years later following major upgrade (see my 16 April #OTD). David Flett image at Copland Road (now Ibrox) looks almost like an AI fever dream! buff.ly/0rzFw94

#OnThisDay 141 years ago the Swanage Railway opened, initially independent but soon absorbed by the LSWR. After closure to passengers by BR in 1972 it was reopened gradually from 1979 to 2002, when it was reconnected to the mainline. 'Battle of Britain' Class 34070 Manston arrives at Swanage in 2023

#OnThisDay 38 years ago the last 1938 Stock ran in normal passenger service on the Tube. They retired from the Bakerloo in 1985 but 5 trains were overhauled and went to the Northern Line for 2 years, a very tired looking 10291 stands at Morden. Ian Docwra buff.ly/jFg6Y3L

#OnThisDay 7 years ago was the end of an era as the last Class 43 HST 'Inter-City 125' in regular service out of London Paddington departed. 43002+43198 arrived from Swansea and then formed the 18:30 to Taunton - the final departure. Video clip: GWR buff.ly/0nSQVzV

#OnThisDay 4 years ago Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Elizabeth Line, a week before public services commenced. A truly magnificent and hugely successful addition to our railways worthy of carrying her name. Guardian News buff.ly/zBLON36

#OnThisDay 99 years ago Wilston Samuel Jackson, Britain's first black train driver, was born in Jamaica. Moving to London in 1952 he became a driver in 1962, driving the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard. He died in 2018 and has a blue plaque at Kings Cross. Image: NR/PA Media

#OnThisDay 38 years ago Thameslink was born and the Snow Hill Tunnel linking Blackfriars and Farringdon reopened to trains after 19 years. Great little Thames TV clip marking the event with drivers eye footage and glimpses of the tunnel without rails: buff.ly/VSS5cKb

#OnThisDay 43 years ago Woodside to Selsdon closed (last train 13th May) resulting in the closure of Coombe Road, Bingham Road (pictured), and Selsdon stations. The trackbed north of Coombe Road was reopened by Croydon Tramlink 17 years later. Martin Jones www.facebook.com/share/p/1SvH...

#OnThisDay 10 years ago Lea Bridge station reopened after 31 years closure. 317672 was the accidental first train... the scheduled first train was due on the opposite platform, hence the crowds. 6089Gardener buff.ly/7PoPMvq

#OnThisDay 27 years ago the first stage of the Jubilee Line extension opened, between Stratford and North Greenwich. The latter was the only ‘new’ station on this section, although the other three saw significant rebuilding works. PEPSI697 commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:No...

#OnThisDay 41 years ago Homerton reopened after blitz damage suspended services 41 years before. Coinciding with the launch of the Richmond to North Woolwich electric service, losing the Richmond trains precipitated Broad Street's closure. Image of the (re)opening day: L. Bolton

#OnThisDay 40 years ago IBM station serving its factory on the Wemyss Bay branch became publicly advertised (the only purely acronym station name?) Since 2018 (last day pictured; Felix Alexander) it has had no service despite being ‘open’, one of several stations in similar limbo

#OnThisDay 39 years ago Stepney East station became 'Limehouse' in anticipation of the DLR's opening later that year. Beautifully evocative shot of a Class 302 EMU taking the tight curve on a winter's afternoon not long before the name change. Chris Firth buff.ly/4LkkOhF

#OnThisDay 140 years ago Blackfriars opened (initially St Paul's), accessed by a new railway bridge parallel to the 1864 original. Blackfriars Bridge station on the South Bank closed the same day, today the station spans the river in any event: Matt Brown buff.ly/z8YpUvF

#OnThisDay 49 years ago the Liverpool Loop Line was opened, forming a terminal loop at the Liverpool end of the 1886 Mersey Railway with three new subterranean stations (Liverpool Lime Street seen here with a Class 777). Today this is part of Merseyrail's Wirral Line

#OnThisDay 42 years ago the Jubilee Line's short-lived 1983 Stock was introduced. It was essentially a tube-sized D78 Stock but unlike that train was unreliable and the last one ran in 1998, replaced by the 1996 Stock. Fortune13 buff.ly/X2KV74y

#OnThisDay 173 years ago the Cotswold Line was formally opened by the Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway between Wolvercot Junction and Evesham. Public opening was 4 weeks later, delayed pending Board of Trade approval. Singled in the 1970s, 20 miles was redoubled in 2011

#OnThisDay 69 years ago Stratford Market station closed. The building survived, becoming the entrance to Stratford High Street DLR station on the same site. Not long before electification in 1984, a North Woolwich service passes the station site: Ian Baker buff.ly/537bngf

#OnThisDay 79 years ago the Central Line was extended from Stratford to Leytonstone. The latter is where we see a train that has just reversed eastbound to westbound, now headed to Wood Lane while an LNER steam service waits to depart towards Epping / Ongar. Photo: CRL Coles

#OnThisDay 100 years ago the GER closed passenger routes to Blackwall and North Greenwich (near Island Gardens DLR), site of this John Alsop image from the early C20th - note the now-Maritime Museum across the river. The routes are now largely reused / closely followed by the DLR

#OnThisDay 60 years ago traffic ceased on the Hammersmith & Chiswick branch, a curious arc that ran from South Acton to Chiswick High Road. Photo (Lens of Sutton) is Woodstock Road Halt in the 1910s, towards the end of passenger services. Map: my London Railway Atlas @CrecyRail

#OnThisDay 123 years ago electric services commenced on the Mersey Railway with these very American-looking units. The railway environment had been unpleasant being steam hauled and underground so the company was struggling, electrification was its saviour buff.ly/zL7IW7c

#OnThisDay 150 years ago the Midland Railway opened the Settle-Carlisle route to passengers; an alternative main line route towards Scotland. Deemed surplus to requirements by BR, it was run down and earmarked for closure. Video marking its 1989 reprieve: buff.ly/Wi9pceV

#OnThisDay 49 years ago Liverpool Exchange closed. Once a major terminus with destinations across The North, long distance services were diverted to Lime Street and finally local services diverted underground to the replacement at Moorfields, now forming part of the Northern Line

#OnThisDay 180 years ago the Preston & Wyre Joint Railway opened a branch from its line to Fleetwood to Blackpool (North). This 1968 image (John Orrell buff.ly/QtUNmuK) shows the original station in the foreground, the excursion platforms beyond are today's station.

#OnThisDay 86 years ago the LNER opened a new Loughton station in anticipation of Central Line trains (but did not arrive until 1948 due to WW2). Grade II listed and reminiscent of other LT stations of that era, it was designed by John Murray Easton. Images: Flickr (see alt text)

#OnThisDay 16 years ago the East London Line reopened as part of the @TfL Overground network (now Windrush Line), with new or reopened stations at Dalston Junction, Haggerston, Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street. Image: Julian Walker buff.ly/bXg6Dp0

#OnThisDay 129 years ago what is now London Underground suffered its first fatal bomb attack at Aldersgate Street (now Barbican), blamed on Russian anarchists. This depiction has chilling parallels with images of the 7/7 attacks, 108 years later @ltmuseum buff.ly/zMSmghc

#OnThisDay 257 years ago, Marc Isambard Brunel was born in France before fleeing to the USA in 1793. Marc moved to London in 1799 and is best known for the Thames Tunnel, used by the Windrush Line today, as well as being Isambard Kingdom Brunel's father. buff.ly/hdGYcMM

#OnThisDay 161 years ago the Great Eastern Railway extended from Loughton to Ongar, which is where we see 47635 'Jimmy Milne'. The route was transferred to the Central Line in the late 1940s, but Epping to Ongar subsequently closed in 1994 before reopening as the Epping Ongar Railway in 2004

#OnThisDay 58 years ago Somers Town goods depot closed, seen on the left of this stunning 1947 aerial image (source: buff.ly/mD6dlgh). It opened as 'St Pancras New Goods' on 1st November 1887 to supplement the original depot to the north, the site is now the British Library

#OnThisDay 57 years ago the South Suburban Gas Co. Sydenham gas works at Bell Green closed as North Sea gas replaced town gas across the country. Here's two of the resident saddle tank shunters Mary & Anne, source: buff.ly/HN5e6L1

#OnThisDay 9 years ago the last D78 Stock ran in normal service for LU (they still survive on the Isle of Wight, Borderlands Line and Greenford branch). Here's 7032 on the last day at Earl's Court buff.ly/UbjL81i and me driving the same unit, same place, 17 years before.

#OnThisDay 102 years ago, arguably the Northern Line was born. Camden Town to Euston (Bank branch) including these fabulous junctions at Camden opened, plus Euston to Moorgate of the former City & South London Railway reopened with widened tunnels. LT Museum collection buff.ly/LBlylcK

#OnThisDay 45 years ago a final CO/CP Stock farewell tour took in much of their old stomping ground and some unusual moves including reversal at Aldgate East and taking St Marys Curve to the East London Line and back again. At Uxbridge: bowroaduk buff.ly/aAmxlVD 🧵1/2

#OnThisDay 68 years ago the protoype English Electric Co. D200 (later Class 40 40122) made its maiden passenger trip from Liverpool Street to Norwich, 30 years to the day later it made its final journey for BR on the same route. @RailwayMuseum.bsky.social John Turner (53A Models) buff.ly/0Y3iSC3

Been promising myself a copy of this for a good while! Arrived this morning. @joebrownlondon.bsky.social

#OnThisDay 60 years ago the East London Line was disconnected from the GER mainline near Liverpool Street, and freight traffic ceased. This 1995 Illustration of Wapping in the 60's by Nick Hardcastle depicts a freight disappearing into the Thames Tunnel as an F Stock emerges.

#OnThisDay 46 years ago the Glasgow Subway reopened after 3 years' closure for modernisation including introducing these trains. It's the 3rd oldest metro; the original 1896 trains survived until 1977 and their replacements 2024. Cool video circa reopening buff.ly/zHzTIi8

#OnThisDay 109 years ago the Bakerloo Line extended from Willesden Junction to Watford Junction, the latter is where this group of gatewomen pose alongside their train at the height of WW1 and circa the time of the extension, due to the shortage of male labour @ltmuseum

#OnThisDay 86 years ago the Northern Line extended from East Finchley to High Barnet, which is seen here in 1989, with 1959 and 1972 Stocks waiting to depart: a scene that could easily have been from my time on the line ten years later (David Henderson buff.ly/9wPJaNY).

#OnThisDay 125 years ago Sir Edward Watkin died. Watkin (L) was chairman of the Great Central, South Eastern and Metropolitan Railways amongst other pursuits; Victorian railway royalty. The chap on the right? My great-grandfather and namesake Joseph Brown... and Watkin's butler.

#OnThisDay 40 years ago Heathrow Terminal 4 opened; the first Tube extension that I remember. Last July I jumped aboard a 1938 Stock test run around the Heathrow Loop before the heritage runs, it's not every day you see this beauty at Heathrow Terminal 4! Cue bemused customers...