London Underground Quiz: The Northern line

Welcome back to the London Underground quiz! How are you doing so far? Today it’s the turn of the Northern line.

The Northern line has a lot of history. Its origins lie in the City & South London Railway which, when opened in December 1890, was the world’s first deep-level ‘tube’ railway.

As ever, answers can be found at the bottom of the page. Best of luck and stay well.

The Northern line: Questions

Q1.

Pictured above is James Henry Greathead. His invention- the ‘Greathead Shield’- made it possible to tunnel the City and South London line much deeper than the capital’s earlier ‘cut and cover’ lines.

Where in London can you find a statue dedicated to this genius engineer? And a bonus point if you can name the country in which he was born!

Q2. What rather unsettling nickname was given to the first carriages used on the City and South London Railway?

Q3.

The diagram above represents the route of the City & South London Railway as it appeared on opening in 1890.

There were originally six stations. The five listed are still open and now served by the Northern line. However, the original City terminal was abandoned long ago… what was that station called?

Q4.

Other sections of the Northern line have their roots in the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway which was established in 1890.

The finance for this scheme was masterminded by a controversial American businessman who is pictured above. Can you name him?

Q5. What is the name of the partially built station which lurks between Golders Green and Hampstead? Note; there are two possible answers here. You can have either its official name or its nickname. Two points though if you can identify both!

Q6.

‘Nightingale Lane’ was once suggested as a potential name for which station?

Q7.

From which 1981 film is the above clip taken? And at which station is the action taking place? There’s one point for each of those you get right, and a bonus point if you can name the actor shown!

Q8. At which Northern line station would you find the Archer sculpture?

Q9. In the 1920s and 30s, architect Charles Holden designed many tube stations. Outside which Northern line station can you find a pub named in his honour?

Q10.

In 2007, Norwegian daredevil Peter Olenick zipped down a Northern line escalator on skis! At which station was this audacious stunt carried out?

Answers

Q1: The statue of James Henry Greathead can be seen on Cornhill, outside the Royal Exchange/Bank station (you’re ok to have a point for any of those locations). Greathead was born in South Africa.

Q2: Early carriages on the City & South London line were nicknamed ‘Padded Cells’. This was due to their tiny windows and high cushioned seats.

Q3: The original City terminal of the City & South London line was King William Street. It closed in February 1900.

Q4: Charles Tyson Yerkes. This shady- but extremely interesting- figure was born in Philadelphia. Before coming to London, Yerkes played a major role in developing mass-transit in Chicago. He is sometimes referred to as the ‘Traction King.’

Q5: The unfinished station was to be called ‘North End’. Work was abandoned in 1906. Its nickname is ‘Bull & Bush’ after the popular ‘Old Bull & Bush‘ pub which stands close by.

The site of North End is in fact the deepest point on the entire tube network and in the 1950s the abandoned works were converted into a nuclear shelter.

Q6: Nightingale Lane was a name suggested for Clapham South. North Balham was also proposed. Which of those names do you prefer?

Q7: An American Werewolf in London. The station shown is Tottenham Court Road and the actor is Michael Carter. After alighting from the tube his character does not last for very long!

Q8: The Archer sits above East Finchley station.

Q9: The Charles Holden pub is located opposite Colliers Wood tube station.

Q10: Angel station- the escalator which Peter skied down is the longest in Western Europe. The authorities were not very happy…

So, how did you find those questions? Please let me know in the comments and if you enjoyed this quiz I’d be delighted if you could share it with your friends!

Thank you so much for playing. Be sure to come back tomorrow for our fifth quiz…the Hammersmith & City line.

In case you’ve missed any of the previous quizzes, click below to give them a go!