The LNER Encyclopedia

Metroland
Although electric, the services to the outer suburbs were locomotive hauled, with a steam locomotive being substituted at Rickmansworth for the journey onwards to Amersham and Aylesbury.

Does anybody know what type of heating was used on these trains. What type of heating was used when the train was hauled by electric locomotive.
Only the locos changed not the train so steam heating would have been used when steam hauled.

Alan

In the early days of electric loco traction there was no means of heating the steam-stock carriages on the electrified section. After leaving the steam loco at Wembley (or later at Rickmansworth) steam heating was not available and the train just got colder.
A solution was found after another problem had been solved. Originally the electric locomotives relied on the locomotive's own pickups for supply from the rails. This caused gapping problems until bus-lines were attached to the carriages enabling track current to be fed from the carriage pick-ups to the electric loco. With this development each coach now had an available electicity supply and, eventually, this was used to supply heating elements which were fitted inside each compartment.

Hi belbink thanks for your reply, I've often wondered about the heating on these trains and you have provided the answer Alan