With new Rolling Stock now appearing on much of the London Underground, it seems an opportune moment to take a step back and look at some trains of times past.
Below are a selection of photos showing various rolling stock in the seventies. These pictures were all taken by Nick Agnew, whom we thank for allowing us to reproduce them here, via MA.
1938 Tube Stock at Hounslow Central on the Piccadilly, July 1975. The train is about to head one station on to Hounslow West, then the Line’s terminus.
Articulated rolling stock isn’t a new idea. The converted ex-1935 tube stock units 10011 and 11011 (L14A and L14B) were part of an early unsuccessful trial production run. They were used as shunters at Acton until well into the seventies.
The silver stock with its wonderfully flared sides, pictured at Bromley-By-Bow on the District in 1997
A Circle Line Train at High Street Kensington, October 1973, again the flared sides are obvious.
A snowy day on the ELL in March 1973 – note the clerestory roof on the old rolling stock.
R Stock on the district line withdrawn 1980
My first london underground i saw has i was on the bus passing new cross station
I saw a London underground at new cross 20 years ago or 30 years ago
The 1935 articulated stock was not a failure. It did everything that it set out to do which was to prove that articulation worked in respect of tube stock. Rode rather well too, I recall one foot in each car and being able to stand quite well. Eventually the aluminium cored trucks were put under a service car for more trials and the rest was scrapped.
Not sure if this is relevant to why the articulation experiment went no further, but both 1938 and 1959/62 stock had six power bogies (“trucks” in Yerkes-speak) in a four car unit and ten in a seven car train. However, an articulated four car unit would only have had five bogies altogether, and a seven car artic would only have eight. Even if they were all powered, the train would be a bit of a sluggard. And these were the most powerful motors that could fit under the floor at the time, so uprating wouldn’t have been an option.
Timbeau….but each 1938 or 1959 motor truck had only one motor. By time of the articulated experiment (early 1970’s) the ‘standard’ was 50:50 motor cars to trailer cars and two motors on each bogie of the motor cars. Thus sufficient power would have been available even with the motors available then
R stock – I so remember these trains prior to 1980. I seem to remember that some of them were also painted red. Great memories of travelling from Upminster to Richmond with my mum and dad.
“I seem to remember that some of them were also painted red.”
Although most cars were originally painted red, the R stock were all silver by 1968. You may be remembering the similar-looking O, P and Q stocks which remained red until their withdrawal in 1971 (Q stock) and 1981 (O and P – by then known as CO and CP). R stock was phased out between 1981 and 1983.
The pre-war O, P and Q stocks were steel-bodied, as were the early R stocks (R38, converted from Q stock, and R47). R49 and R59 were aluminium bodied. As the aluminium cars did not need painting, the R38 and R47 cars were eventually painted silver to match – most trains had R38 driving cars and post-war non-driving cars
There were other recognition features as well, notably the provision of roller blinds on the R stock, instead of slip boards, for the destination displays. Compare the third and fourth pictures above.
I guess that just leaves the R2D2 stock and C3PO stock to be accounted for!
R2D2 entered the public imagination “A long time ago ( in a galaxy far, far away…”), when D stock was still the future!
I have noticed an error in a caption below a photo of a ‘R’ Stock train approaching Bromle-By-Bow station, which is recorded in the caption as 1997, whereas the last ‘R’ Stock train was scrapped back in 1983.
The weakness or R Stock & CO/CP stock was the doors – they had runners at the top and bottom and as the carriages were loaded they bent ( they were designed to) and the shape of the doorways changed and the doors refused to close. This resulted in the passengers being tipped off and then of course the doors would close ok and the train would make it’s way to the next station where it re-entered service. The previous station now had lots of people on and when they crowded on the next train the same would happen. I beleive the record was 7 consecutive trains with failing doors and tipping the people out ! At least that problem has been designed out now.
If you click on the image of R Stock at Bromley-by-Bow it indicates that the photograph was taken in 1977. It is almost certainly Sunday 15 May 1977, because I have a very similar photograph that I took on that day. The train is crossing from the westbound road to eastbound, having arrived wrong line. On the basis of memory and photographs, the line was closed from Aldgate triangle to Mile End and there was single line working by pilotman between Mile End and Bromley-by-Bow. Other photographs show an eastbound train on the westbound track at Bow Road, Red Arrow buses on rail replacement service at Mile End, and C stock trains in the middle platforms at Aldgate.
I’d just like to say that the last two posts are so good examples of what makes this site interesting….!