London Underground T Stock
Encyclopedia
The T Stock was originally built in various batches by Metropolitan-Vickers and Birmingham RC&W for the Metropolitan Railway
in 1927-31 for use on electric services from Baker Street
and the City to Watford
and Rickmansworth, though rarely some worked on the Uxbridge
branch.
The earlier batches were built from wood and sandwiched trailers of 1898-1923 vintage, however later batches were steel in construction and worked with new built trailers. As built the group has some variations in equipment, mostly to allow use with existing stock such as the Saloon and Ashbury trailers and leading to incompatibilities within the class, however upon transfer the London Transport this was rectified and the entire fleet largely standardized about 1938.
T stock never ran to Aylesbury, though latterly worked to Chesham and Amersham after electrification. Prior to this, trains destined to beyond Rickmansworth were hauled by the famous Metropolitan Vickers Bo-Bo electric locomotives until Rickmansworth where a changeover to steam traction occurred.
These electric multiple unit
trains had slam doors with rounded tops, thought to be less prone to damage if accidentally opened in the tunnels north of Baker Street.
The stock was replaced from 1961 by the A60 and A62 Stock
with the final train running on 5 October 1962.
In 1961, two driving motor vehicles were converted into sleet locomotives
. These were numbered ESL118A and ESL118B, having previously been 2758 and 2749 respectively. After being withdrawn, both cars were preserved, currently located at the Spa Valley Railway
The rest of the coaches from the first batch had the same motor equipment but used vacuum brakes instead. They ran with converted Dreadnoughts of the 1920/23 batches to form 'MV' stock.
The second batch (of 1929) were very similar in terms of equipment to the first coaches of 1927 and were interchangeable. This batch included specially built trailers and when running with which were known as 'MW' trains; the W indicating Westinghouse Air Brakes were fitted.
The last batch (1931) were like the previous batch but had equipment by the GEC and used WT545 motors. They were found not to be as compatible as hoped, and remained segregated until the LPTB standardisation of Metropolitan Railway rolling stock.
When standardised, the MV stock trains were converted to air brakes. The Bogie Stock coaches in the W stock formations were withdrawn eventually and replaced by 7 more converted Dreadnought coaches. Following a reshuffle this allowed 9x8 coach and 10x6 coach trains, which were then designated 'T' stock. 22 motor cars remained spare however, but by 1961 this had been reduced to 6 spare.
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
in 1927-31 for use on electric services from Baker Street
Baker Street tube station
Baker Street tube station is a station on the London Underground at the junction of Baker Street and the Marylebone Road. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 1 and is served by five different lines...
and the City to Watford
Watford tube station
Watford is a station at the end of the Watford branch of London Underground's Metropolitan Line in the north-western part of the network in Zone 7, previously zone A.-Location and description:...
and Rickmansworth, though rarely some worked on the Uxbridge
Uxbridge tube station
Uxbridge is a London Underground station in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, north-west London. The station is the terminus of the Uxbridge branches of both the Metropolitan Line and the Piccadilly Line. The next station towards London is Hillingdon. The station is 15.5 miles west of...
branch.
The earlier batches were built from wood and sandwiched trailers of 1898-1923 vintage, however later batches were steel in construction and worked with new built trailers. As built the group has some variations in equipment, mostly to allow use with existing stock such as the Saloon and Ashbury trailers and leading to incompatibilities within the class, however upon transfer the London Transport this was rectified and the entire fleet largely standardized about 1938.
T stock never ran to Aylesbury, though latterly worked to Chesham and Amersham after electrification. Prior to this, trains destined to beyond Rickmansworth were hauled by the famous Metropolitan Vickers Bo-Bo electric locomotives until Rickmansworth where a changeover to steam traction occurred.
These electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
trains had slam doors with rounded tops, thought to be less prone to damage if accidentally opened in the tunnels north of Baker Street.
The stock was replaced from 1961 by the A60 and A62 Stock
London Underground A60 Stock
The A Stock is the type of train used on the Metropolitan Line of the London Underground. It was built in two batches by Cravens of Sheffield in the early 1960s. The trains replaced all the previous stock then used on the Metropolitan Line...
with the final train running on 5 October 1962.
In 1961, two driving motor vehicles were converted into sleet locomotives
London Underground sleet locomotives
Sleet locomotives were redundant London Underground cars converted to help with the removal of ice that built up on the conductor rails. The main batch of eighteen tube-gauge locomotives were built between 1938 and 1941 from motor cars originally built in 1903...
. These were numbered ESL118A and ESL118B, having previously been 2758 and 2749 respectively. After being withdrawn, both cars were preserved, currently located at the Spa Valley Railway
Spa Valley Railway
The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to...
Equipment details
The first coaches of the first batch (1927) had Westinghouse brakes, Metro-Vickers control systems and MV153 motors; they were used to replace the motor cars working with Bogie Stock trailers that formed 'W' trains.The rest of the coaches from the first batch had the same motor equipment but used vacuum brakes instead. They ran with converted Dreadnoughts of the 1920/23 batches to form 'MV' stock.
The second batch (of 1929) were very similar in terms of equipment to the first coaches of 1927 and were interchangeable. This batch included specially built trailers and when running with which were known as 'MW' trains; the W indicating Westinghouse Air Brakes were fitted.
The last batch (1931) were like the previous batch but had equipment by the GEC and used WT545 motors. They were found not to be as compatible as hoped, and remained segregated until the LPTB standardisation of Metropolitan Railway rolling stock.
When standardised, the MV stock trains were converted to air brakes. The Bogie Stock coaches in the W stock formations were withdrawn eventually and replaced by 7 more converted Dreadnought coaches. Following a reshuffle this allowed 9x8 coach and 10x6 coach trains, which were then designated 'T' stock. 22 motor cars remained spare however, but by 1961 this had been reduced to 6 spare.