Produced by British Transport Films on behalf of London Transport – 1968.
This is the fourth in a series of four films covering the construction of the London underground’s Victoria line.
This film, Report Number 4, Equip and Complete, shows the stations being fitted out, new systems being introduced and the new trains being tested.
Halcrow were joint consulting engineers to the London Transport Board. Halcrow's share of the work included the reconstruction of the complex interchanges at Oxford Circus Station, Kings Cross Station, Finsbury Park Station, Highbury and Seven Sisters Station and the construction of some 6 miles of twin running tunnels, each of 3.7 metres internal diameter.
Halcrow's approach to the tunnelling was extremely innovative. Instead of using the traditional cast iron linings for the running tunnels concrete segments were expanded directly against the ground. This method eliminated both the lengthy process of bolting the tunnel segments together and also the necessity for grouting between the lining and the earth.
Interesting fact:
This was to be British Transport Films largest single project in terms of the quantity of footage that was shot.