The History Zone
Electrifying London
New Works Rolling Stock
The period from 1935 is when EMU design in the UK came
of age. The London Underground were at the forefront of this age of progression
and designed units that set the standards which were benchmarks for the next
30 years. One man can claim responsibility for the, the Undergrounds CME
Mr. W.S.Graff-Baker who took over the post in 1934. These are the trains
that came into being during and immediately after his reign.
1935 Experimental Tube Stock
With the announcement of the New Works programme came
the need to provide modern efficient units to provide the more demanding
service. Graff-Bakers team set about designing the new age tube train and
set themselves the target of improving a number of key areas. Firstly the
equipment had to be mounted under the floor so as to leave all available
space in the car bodies except for the driving cabs available for passenger
seating. Secondly the traction motors would be smaller and more evenly
distributed along the train length to make for better acceleration and Thirdly
the electrical equipment must be the most modern and efficient then
available.
To put possible solutions to these demands into practice
12 two car units (marshalled into 4 six car trains) were built in 1935 each
featuring different equipments from various manufacturers. The first nine
units were built with a streamlined cab end with a view to achieving higher
speeds whilst the final three units had a flatter front end. All units featured
under floor equipment and as a result a six car unit had the same seating
capacity as a seven car train of 'Standard' stock.
Above: A streamlined unit of 1935 experimental tube stock with the flat front type below
All units were extensively trialed with the flat front
style of body decided upon as the best design with the equipment supplied
by Crompton Parkinson decreed as the standard for the production trains.
All the streamlined units were stored during the second world war and when
hostilities ceased they were all converted to tailer cars to insert in 1938
tube stock units. The flat fronted units lasted a number of years on odd
duties.
1938 Tube Stock
These units were the production stock built as a result
of the experimental stock mentioned above and were nearly identical to the
flat front design of the last three units. The type went on to become the
most numerous and widely traveled tube trains ever built. The units were
built in 4 and 3 car sets, a four car was formed of a driving motor at each
end which had a driving cab and two motored axles with an un-powered trailer
and a non-driving motor (NDM) coach in between, the NDM had two powered axles
like the driving motors but had no driving controls. The compressors were
fitted to the trailer and NDM coaches and motor generator sets to the driving
motors. Three car units had the same vehicles except for the NDM which was
omitted from the formation.
After initial teething problems which did not get ironed
out until after the war the 38 stock settled down to provide the back bone
of tube services. During their life span they worked on the Bakerloo, Northern,
Piccadilly and East London Line and also on parts of the Central line.
Withdrawals started in the 1970s but the type was found to to indispensable
and the last sets remained in service up until 1986.
Eighteen of the driving motor coaches have found a new
lease of life on the Island Line service between Ryde and Shanklin on the
Isle Of Wight.
O and P Stock
Both the Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines
were in need of new stock in the mid 1930s. So the opportunity was taken
to push the available technology to the limits and produce a train that was
fitting of the age. The result was the O and P stock types.
Both types were virtually identical with open saloon layout of each of their
two driving motor coaches that initially made up each unit. A middle vehicle
was added after a while to make them up to three car sets and this was a
trailer car with driving motor vehicles either side of it. The most distinctive
feature of the stock was the flared skirt on the lower bodyside which eliminated
door foot steps and thus the possibility of late passengers trying to board
a moving train. The interiors featured forced air ventilation. One of the
major differences between O and P stock was that the guards door operation
position was provided in the driving cab on the former but on the latter
was found at the inner end of one of the motor coaches.
The traction control apparatus featured a device known
as a Metadyne machine which accelerated the motors of the train under the
drivers control but without the need for traction resistances as had been
the case on all previous stock. This development went on to prove troublesome
in service and was removed in the mid 1950 when the trains were converted
to standard camshaft and resistance control equipment that had proved successful
on the 1938 stock.
The units were first used on the Hammersmith & City
and Uxbridge and Watford sections of the Metropolitan Line but during the
course of their lives they also saw service on the District and Circle lines
as well. The last sets ran in passenger service in March 1981.
District Line Q Stock Programme
The Q stock programme started in 1938 and was devised
to modernise the District Line fleet that comprised of many different types
of vehicles of varying vintages. The idea being to eliminate the oldest stock
on the line and bring all stock built from 1923 onward up to more modern
standard. The Q stock programme involved very little new building of vehicles
at all compared to the number of existing cars that were to be upgraded.
The reclassifying of units involved fitting them with
air operated sling doors with passenger door control, electro pneumatic brakes
with retardation control and making all stock fully compatible. In order
to be able to dispose of all the pre 1920 built stock 25 new driving motor
and 183 new trailer cars were built and these featured identical body shells
as used on the O and P stock.
Above:
A Q stock train with an assortment of vehicles in it's consist in the early 50's
Even after the programme was complete it was still possible
to see Q stock trains running on the District Line with vehicles of no fewer
than six different types in their formation. The last Q stock ran (on the
East London Line) in 1971.
R Stock
After the Second World War ended the district drew up
plans to replace the large number of older units that still operated on the
Circle Line and to replace District Line vehicles destroyed by enemy action
during the war. The R stock used the same internal and external arrangement
as the O and P stock but their the similarities ended. All vehicles in the
units were motor coaches, one axle on each bogie being motorised. The trains
were built as six and two car sets, the former had a driving cab on each
outer end but the two cars only had the cab at one end as they were required
to be detached during off peak periods when passenger loadings were lower.
All but six of the driving motor cars of the first batch of R stock which
was delivered in 1949 (but refered to as R47 stock) were converted from 1938
built Q stock motor coaches. All R stock featured similar internal layout
to O and P stock but with fluorescent lighting.
The second batch of R stock cars delivered in 1952 (know
as R49 stock) featured a new development in EMU construction in the use of
aluminium alloy for the body and frame work of the vehicles. Some non driving
and driving motor coaches of this second batch were converted from 1938 Q
stock cars. During the delivery of this batch an experiment was carried out
in leaving one new build car unpainted so that it ran in it's bare aluminium
finish rather than LT train red. It was found that difficulties arose with
this and it was decided to form a complete eight car formation of unpainted
cars. In due course this became the preferred livery for all new LT trains
from the 1950s onward; the classic underground silver train look was thus
created. A third and final batch of R stock was built in 1959 (R59 stock).
As the converted Q stock cars were originally built of steel it was necessary
to paint them in an aluminium finnish to match the unpainted exterior of
the new build R stock cars.
During 1971 the R stock were reformed into seven coach
trains and the detaching of the two car sets during off peak periods ceased.
The last R stock ran in service in 1983.
1956/59/62 Tube Stock
In order to cope with a build up of traffic on the Central
and Piccadilly lines new stock was required to replace the last of the 'Standard'
stock still in use on these lines in the 1950s. In order to evaluate different
ideas for the new builds three seven car trains were ordered, one from each
of the main builders of the time; Met-Cam, BRC&W and Gloucester RC&W.
The trains were made up of a three and a four car unit as per the 1938 stock.
All of the trains were roughly identical with differences only in their
electrical equipment. The internal layout was exactly that of the 1938 stock
and the external layout differed from that stock only in respect of a more
flat front and the use of aluminium alloy for the body skin, which was left
unpainted as per the R49 stock. The main internal difference from the 1938
stock was the use of fluorescent strip lighting. The first use of rubber
suspension was made on these trains which was incorporated into all subsequent
designs. It was fair to say that the 1956 stock experimental trains were
simply an advancement of the 1938 stock design.
The first production units built as a result of the 1956
stock trials began delivery in 1959 for use on the Piccadilly Line, these
units were to all intents and purposes clones of the 1956 stock trains and
were built by Met-Cam in three and four car units. The 1959 stock was transferred
to the Northern Line from 1975.
Above: A brand new 1959 stock unit
The 1962 stock was built only in four car units by Met-Cam
with BR Derby works building all the trailer cars. There were only slight
detail differences between the 1959 and 1962 stock and the two were fully
compatible. The first units arrived on the Central Line in early 1962 and
their delivery enabled 'on loan' units of 1959 stock to be returned to the
Piccadilly Line. The 1962 stock continued to work the Central Line until
1993 when they were displaced by new stock. Some have subsequently been
reallocated to the Northern Line.
Continue to part eleven - Post War Developments
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