Sunday sees the return of steam locomotion to the London Underground as part of a package of special events to mark the 150th anniversary of the Tube.

Met Locomotive No1 will pull heritage coaches on a non stop 32 minute journey from Kensington Olympia to Moorgate at 7.15pm, before returning to haul two further services between Edgware Road and Moorgate later that evening.

Before that a panel discussion will be held tomorrow (Thursday) at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden looking at the past, present and future of the Tube network. Speakers include the transport commentator Christian Wolmar and several authors of Underground related books and internet blogs.

Next Thursday and Friday a two day conference will take place charting the development of travel beneath the Metropolis since 1863. It will feature a presentation about the difficulties with operating steam hauled trains underground and includes a look at how the Tube brought working and middle class commuters together for the first time. The conference is hosted by the Centre for Metropolitan History.

And February sees the launch of an exhibition at the London Transport Museum depicting 150 of the greatest posters created for the Underground over the last century. The chosen posters were selected from over 3300 in the museum’s archive and visitors will have the chance to vote for their favourite. The most popular poster will be revealed at the end of the exhibition in October.

For further details about events to mark the London Underground’s 150th anniversary visit ltmuseum.co.uk

POSTER GALLERY

Celebrating 25 years of escalators on the Underground.

A modernist poster from 1930 by Alan Rogers

Recruitment poster from World War II

HISTORICAL PHOTOS

Second World War shelter at Piccadilly Circus underground station

A crowded Northern Line platform at Charing Cross (now Embankment) 

Crowded platform at Piccadilly Circus around 1930