 Hello, thank you for joining me. I'm at London Paddington today. We're allowed to travel on trains again So what I'm going to do I'm going to get on the train And we're going to go to Acton because Acton is the only place in Britain that has a North South Eastern West station But it also has Acton Mainline, Acton Central and Acton Town So we're going to go and find a Crossrail train which should be somewhere over there and We're going to travel right to Mainline and when we get there, we'll explore all the other stations of Acton Well, this bit of the video wasn't planned. They seem to cancel every train that was going to Acton Mainline from Paddington when I say every train. There was one in about an hour But I didn't really want to wait an hour So what I did was I got on the next available train to Ealing Broadway and I'm now walking from Ealing Broadway To Acton Mainline station. So I'm going to hopefully get in have a look around the new station Show you the old one as well And I'm not actually going to go anywhere because my plan was to walk from Acton Mainline to another access station We'll get on to that soon. But regarding cancelling trains I would remember on the Great Western Mainline quite often, you know I'd get a tap where to watch trains and especially for steam trains coming through and what happened is if say the all-stations train to Reading was cancelled quite often the Semi-fast to Oxford would sometimes stop in its place But here it seems if you want to go to Acton Mainline from Paddington You just had to wait ages. So I might not actually have got there any quicker, but I'm an active sort of person I didn't fancy sitting around at Paddington for too long. So hence the reason we're walking through Acton from Ealing Broadway. So we're just going to continue on forward and soon we should be at Acton Mainline station That's Acton House behind me that Art Decker building and the Acton Mainline station and its new station building It's just here in front of me. Now interestingly, this is the oldest station in Acton But it's also got the newest station building or perhaps I should say It's it was the first station to serve Acton because I shouldn't think there's very much left of the original But here we are. Here's the new Acton Mainline station. So it opened in 1868 just a plain Acton because it was the only Acton station and the Mainline suffix was added in 1949. So I've got a travel card today So I'm going to use that to get me through the ticket barriers. In fact as this one's open I'm just going to walk straight through. So I've got a ticket and Because is if on cue whenever I try to put these for a ticket barrier and filming doesn't always work But let's just have a quick look. So now has ticket barriers this station It didn't use to we'll go and have a look at the old station building while it's still there. So Another station with a great rest of Mainline now to have ticket barriers. It's also the only one in London The great rest of Mainline in London. I've not actually ever been to before. That's probably where I know at the go So this footbridge Yeah, good for watching cars and buses. Well, look there's a class 66R. They're at number 69 So I was about to say is it any good for watching trains? I don't need to ask that question It clearly is if we go down here There she goes I'm surprised really. I know it's me, but about myself. I'm surprised myself I've not been to this railway station before because it's like one of the best ones for seeing Good strains and diesel locos. So I think I can answer that question I don't really answer why I've never been here before but I haven't but here we are my very first time This is a winning station for me today act to Mainline I'm not even getting a train But what I'm certainly going to do is have a look at the station. So there we are Has lifts now. So, you know fully accessible, which is good thing everyone can access it There's the old station ticket office just up there. So previously just had these steps There's no platforms on the fast lines. I've seen another class 66 up here and all it and there's a Purple line train cross rail train coming in So is that one going to stop? Yeah, so if I had waited At Paddington that would have been the train I'd have got so by By going to um, Ealing Ballway and walking back. I've got here in exactly the same time Then I would have, you know, if I'd sat around at Paddington, so I could have sat around but quite enjoyed the walk and there Is 66 number five eight five six eight, sorry So you have a look at that So, um Not a lot else to show you really. I've shown you most of the station. That's Acton house there, that big art deco building Cross rail train departing 60, 34506, so All the other class 66s have gone Right down the end of the yard. So I doubt we'll be able to see them From the platform. There's one I think I want to show you See where they've extended it just up here the platform That is to accommodate The nine-card trains of Elizabeth flying or purple trains or cross rail Nice to see got some flowers on the station making it, you know, bright and everything I'm thinking we might see whether we'll see any Heathrow Expresses or any other Great Western trains on the Mainline passing through but not so sure There's like a little workers compound. So it's still not quite finished really this station And then here the platform extension begins I'm not going to go any further up there. So I'm not going to get any closer to those class 66s I'm going to now make my way out because I don't actually need to catch a train here So that's the new acton mainline station building and there's the old one. Let's go across the road and have a little look there's not a lot to see and We'll have a look so yes, there's a new station entrance. So anyone arriving here who didn't know we'll have to go down there So I assume yeah, you're the whether there was a ticket office So yeah, you used to be able to buy a ticket there You've gone down there for the down platform and then this little area here Effectively was the concourse. So they never ever had ticket barriers here probably because well, exactly they could have had a line here if they put a little shelter for the into london platform, which It's typical whenever I wanted to get a train here. So I was saying earlier no trains are stopping There's now one coming in the opposite direction, which is stopping. So maybe I just this bad timing It's a bit frustrating. I mean, I don't mind walking, but if you had heavy luggage We wouldn't do best, please. So crossroad train has stopped and there's a Class 66 down there. So what I'm going to do now is I'm going to walk 957 yards to North Acton station I was making my way through this jungle of modern tower blocks looking for North Acton station and North Acton station is on the central line of the London underground It's quite a late opening. Well, I've been 1923 there was a hole because behind it is the Old Great Western North Main Line, which has now closed in preparation for building HS2 But there was once a hole on that, but that didn't last particularly long and wasn't really necessary Because on the whole all the trains used in that line were expresses to places further afield like Birkenhead So the london underground Suffice. So here there's the roundabout It's all been quite recently redeveloped. I've not been here for a while and it was never anything like this I've opened this North Acton square and down there. There's the station. So we're going to go down and have a look and What we're going to do we're going to travel towards London to our next Acton station Now I'm going to have to come back on myself. So this is the only station Acton station That you that the next station that way and the next station that way is an acton although technically there's actually the junction of the west rice tip line. So There's um, three next stations from here. I know it's getting complicated and two of them are acting I've got all these modern buildings And now I'm going to have to stop filming in a second to put my face covering on find my ticket and go through the ticket barriers into North Acton station There's a central line train arriving. Let's go into west rice tip So that's one that will not be stopping at any acton stations after North Acton So looking that way you've got the brick bridge the next bridge down there that carries the north london line Which I will end up on later because that's got some acting stations The disused tracks there that is the old north main line Which I've traveled on a few times when I used to divert trains from marilib and to Paddington But you can see they've started lifting it and it's actually track all stacked up And then here we get quite a good view of the station I'm going to run down the steps now and get on this train because It will take me to my next acton station East Acton This station was opened in 1920 So the one station down the central line towards London from north acton Now this one was opened by the Great Western Railway as a line to connect the Great Western main line To the network of other railway lines down at Shepard's Bush There's another train just pulling in So what we'll do once this train has been and gone We'll leave the station but there's some quite nice original Western pizzas to show you So before we came part of the central line network you'd have seen Theme trains coming through here Good trains passing the train Thoughts of the Great Western Theme Locos would have been here So it seems really strange now to see it There's a central line station But then if you go to other parts of the central line Such as up towards Ething Then there are all Great Eastern Railways And they would have been served by steam trains Before the London Underground came along So I'm just going to pull in and train out the station But there's something very Great Western up here to show you before we leave So we'll have to wait for that train to go to show you the one on that side I can certainly show you on this side We have some old Great Western shelters So just have a look at those Restored in Great Western colours Which I think is really nice And they sponsor the wait and then you're actually going to see another look So it looks like it's completely made out of wood It's not a brick structure It's a wooden structure The other station I know of to have old Great Western shelters is down in Gold Club But they are corrugated lion shelters Now for the train departs It will reveal the hut on the other side There we go Now I've made my way to the station So when you get to the end of the platform You go down to the ticket office It's just down the stairs I'm going to go down here to the ticket Here we are outside East Acton station It's in a residential area It's almost like a garden city to me It all looks very uniform That they've built the houses around a set plan Just like the Garden City movement There's places such as Welling Garden City That looks really nice There's those towers over there in the background Where we were at Northmatt So if you have a look at the housing estates of East Acton And then I'm going to go back to the station And we're going to travel to the other Remaining centralised station in Acton In 1923 But the station building we're going to see Which is a great traditional building Was opened in 1940 I'm going to carry this to myself That's a quiet journey Here we are I do quite like this station It's completely different to what we saw at East Acton In the West Acton station building It's kind of like that The only intermediate station there is On the branch to Ealing Broadway Well, technically which one is the branch Is this is the main line to Ealing Broadway Or is the main line to West Rises Or are they just equal I don't really know But well actually the majority of trains This isn't going to Ealing Broadway So it's the first Art Deco station we've seen so far I know we saw the Art Deco building Next to Acton main line That wasn't the railway station Just starting to rain as well That's the announcement Suggest station I like how at the ends of So you come down the stairs on each side Then you've got these nice Curve little waiting rooms So it's not a Charles Holden station As quite a lot of London underground stations are You see the nice curved wooden bench So this is Art Deco But it's slightly different to Charles Holden style I do like it very An impressive building Certainly well deserving of its status It was a train about to pull in You can see that In the ticket hall Nice and light And just like how the Charles Holden stations are What I was saying This one isn't Charles Holden So what I'm going to do I'm going to file my ticket I'm going to get out And I'm going to walk Not to an Acton station this time So I'm outside the ticket barriers Now I'm going to step outside the station And as I said I'm going to walk to Not an Acton station I'm going to walk to North Beading On the Big Adili line Because that's about the best place for me To get a station To get a train to Acton town The next station I'd like to visit So there we are Here's West Acton station I'm now going to walk Through the housing estate As I said To North Beading on the Piccadilly line But I'm not doing all the evening stations today Maybe another day So here we are Outside North Beading station So as I said Not an Acton station But it just was a convenient For me to add it in To get to North Beading So this station was opened in 1903 By the District Railway And it's got a quite traditional Railway station feel Rather than tube station But the service was replaced By the Piccadilly line In 1932 Never been here before So where do I look? I say yes Nice to see trains to Harrow and Uxbridge That way's just the men's toilet So I don't need to go there Looks like the bridge is this way I really like this station Nice old Lattice footbridge The only thing I'd say is It's not got disabled access But maybe one day I'll put another bridge in And make it disabled access But just look at that It feels like a rural country station Rather than stations from London So I think this is a very pleasant station So I'm going to wait for my train And we're going to get out of Ealing Perhaps one day we'll do all the stations of Ealing And we're going to find an Acton station Sorry I'm looking really silhouetted at the moment So I'm going to get on the platform And get my train I've arrived at North Acton This is one of the Charles Holden stations So when I was saying When we were at West Acton That was Art Deco style But not Charles Holden There's a Piccadilly line train coming in Now this station was opened by the District Railway Today there's no District lines train stopping here Due to engineering work But it was originally called Mill Hill Park Which not to be confused with Mill Hill on the Northern line Because that's nowhere near here But it was called Mill Hill Park And it was on the Piccadilly line to Ealing Broadway So where we were at our last station That was on a later branch Opened towards Park Royal And then as I said in 1910 it became Acton Town The Piccadilly line didn't start calling into in 1932 So we're now going to go up Have a look at the Charles Holden station building Make our way out And then I'm going to walk from here to Acton South So this is our final station on the London Underground At Acton The next two Acton stations Are on the London Overground So see how you can see the wooden effect From where you would have been carved in wood The wooden shuttering They've taken the shuttering away And you get the wooden effect in the concrete Here you can effectively do a complete circle Or square rather You can walk around Right the way around in a circle Or square Not really at today then So I just love this art deco style there It's fantastic High quality architecture I much prefer this You know to like say the new station As to what we saw at Acton Mainline Now we're going to go through into the big Holden ticket hall It's a fantastic piece of architecture So as we come out here We've got Acton Depot over there Also the museum depot In fact let's cross the road We're going to have a look at the station building From the outside I'm going to say it's off now No, no Out the station So we're going to go across I'm just seeing over there Big letters The word museum written So we'll have to go there to the museum depot They've also got a minute to railway So technically there's one Acton station I've just realised I'm not doing The Acton minute to railway station Which is well This is Acton town as you know The Charles Holden building If I was to walk along that road over there Up there's the museum depot There's a minute to railway there So that is on my list to do As a minute to railway Britain episode We'll do that in the future So that's one Acton station We're not doing today I'm now going to walk from here To South Acton But let's just see Another Piccadilly line train coming in I'm just walking through the housing estate I'm away from Acton town to South Acton Just passing these tower blocks This is the Park Road east of State I believe But this tower here This one's quite famous This is Harlech Tower But it's better known as Nelson Mandela House in Peckham Because it's where only falls and horses It's actually lived in this tower block And there is talk of demolishing this estate But because of this one's place in television There is a campaign to try and save it So I'm not sure what the latest is But I know they've been This estate here on this side Different slightly different era Everything's covered in brick You can see from there onwards They've redeveloped it So this estate basically carried on In the same format All the way down there But they've demolished up to here So this tower block here Which isn't quite as tall as Harlech Tower Is still standing But I'm not sure It's called Frampton Court This one Looks like it's lived in But there are some boarded up windows But there is talk that all of this Could be demolished soon And replaced with buildings like this Which would be rather a shame Unless they blow them up It would be quite a spectacle And see if I somehow think we won't blow them up They're probably just, you know Munch them down But then maybe they'll be saved And refurbished And people will be able to enjoy them Two years to come And the home of Del Boy Only Fools and Horses Will remain for us to come and see So here we are In another modern housing estate in Acton And in front of us Is South Acton Station I think this possibly might have been A level crossing once Somewhere around here Before this road became pedestrianised So this is our first one on London Overground I'm going to travel from here to Acton Central So we're going to go On this side Is a footbridge Which is also Looks like it's used by people Just crossing one side the other It doesn't have ticket barriers This station The first Acton station We've been to Which doesn't have ticket barriers So we're going to catch The train to Stratford to this station Opened in 1880 And it had been served by trains In and out of Broad Street So they'd have gone from Broad Street Down and off London Line To Richmond A bit like they do now Except they don't get to Broad Street The train will catch or go to Stratford So this is South Acton And here comes our train So we're going to jump on this London Overground train And we're going to go To Acton Central So here we are Acton Central We have been to every Acton station In London All seven of them I say in London Because there is one other Acton station But it's not here in Acton at all It's Acton Bridge Up in Cheshire on the West Coast Main Line Which we're not going to go to today But maybe one day So Acton Central It opened in 1853 Again, it was just called Acton This central suffix was added in 1925 What I find interesting about this station Is if you look at Third Rail And overhead It's where the Third Rail runs out And the overhead commences Down the end of the platform It tells drivers of class 387 units To put the pantograph down Because there's not much use be on there And at this end of the platform We have says 387 and 7110 units Put your pantograph up Pan up Because obviously if you don't You're not going to get very far Because Third Rail runs out Literally at the level crossing It's also quite unusual To have a level crossing at a London station So I'm going to make my way out Of the two areas And we'll have one last look at the station outside And that will complete our trip around Acton And maybe one day We could do one of the other state areas Like E-Link perhaps It's got more than one station But we'll wait and see So this is Acton So the pubs are open Might as well just go and get a point Somewhere in myself Anyway There's the level crossing This is Acton Central Station No, it's the old station That's cool The old station Mostly the old station building is now a pub So I hope you enjoyed this little trip around Acton Thank you very much for watching And take this off can't I? Thank you very much for watching And please do feel free to like, subscribe and comment And from Acton Central Station Thank you very much for watching Goodbye