District Line D Stock final withdrawal

[SpacePhoenix]

Just had a quick look at the London Evening Standard website, surprised not not see an article about the last day in service of the D stock

 

[D365]

There's an article in the Romford Recorder...

Commuters said goodbye to an Underground classic today on its final journey through London.

The D-stock District line train made its final trips along the route after 37 years in service.

Passengers made an event of their trips, tweeting using #CatchtheD, and were keen to share their own memories of the line.

Jack Gordon, a London Underground service operator who spearheaded interest in the event said: “When the time came for the D stock to go, I saw an opportunity to ‘pay it forward’ and show that same support and assistance that I had to a wider audience.

“I’m overwhelmed by the response. I started what I thought would be a small amount of interest mainly for my friends, and it’s turned into apparently a top 10 London trend with everyone from enthusiasts to commuters getting involved in the last day.

“It really is the end of an era for the ‘old-style’ trains on the underground.”

 

[Techniquest]

I eventually caught up with 7032+7007 at Whitechapel around 1051, could only manage a leap as far as Blackfriars with the restricted time I had today.

It's sad to see the end of an era, another part of London's railway history going, but I am very pleased I was in London to have a ride. I've uploaded a few photos and video clips via the #CatchTheD hashtag on Twitter, nothing fancy but they'll have to do!

 

[rebmcr]

“It really is the end of an era for the ‘old-style’ trains on the underground.”

Except for the '72TS and '73TS...

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Was very well done - the 1452 off Richmond was serendaded over the PA wth a rendering of "Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye" as the last D from Richmond.

Off at Temple - 2 pints in the Seven Stars and a final run to Ealing.

As someone said , a piece of metal , but the social and economic history is important - millions of journeys for all sorts of reasons. Good trains - never badly vandalised in the bad days and very reliable. Well done thoguh good and faithfull servants.

 

[Bald Rick]

I was leaving St James' Park today around 1045 when it was due to be heading west - I was going the other way but thought I would take a short detour. However it didn't appear on the Richmond service I expected and I couldn't hang around.

Whilst changing at Westminster a few minutes later I did see a suspiciously spotterish gaggle of youngsters looking eagerly up the track for an imminent westbound Richmond service, and heard them say quite clearly '**** it's an S-Stock' when their disappointment was clear!

 

[LiftFan]

It's a shame the D78 stock had to retire so early, given that the A60/62 were around 50 years old at their retirement. I do wonder how much more life some of the other tube stock has left though with the 73 going first and the 92s under the same threat NTfL poses. No mention yet of the 95 and 96 yet though...

 

[trash80]

It's a shame the D78 stock had to retire so early, given that the A60/62 were around 50 years old at their retirement. I do wonder how much more life some of the other tube stock has left though with the 73 going first and the 92s under the same threat NTfL poses. No mention yet of the 95 and 96 yet though...

It made 37 years which isn't bad. Deep Tube Upgrade won't happen for a few years yet and won't replace the 72TS until the end of the 2020s. I think you'll be seeing the 95/96 into the late 2030s at least.

 

[Mag_seven]

Managed to do it on the last run from Upminster to Ealing. Strange mixture of cranks and bemused "normals"!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Managed to do it on the last run from Upminster to Ealing. Strange mixture of cranks and bemused "normals"!

Much like the A stock last run - ! i

 

[Nym]

It's a shame the D78 stock had to retire so early, given that the A60/62 were around 50 years old at their retirement. I do wonder how much more life some of the other tube stock has left though with the 73 going first and the 92s under the same threat NTfL poses. No mention yet of the 95 and 96 yet though...

It's not all dead...

D78 RAT is shortly up and running, and although it's very much not original, most of the important pieces are completely unchanged.

 

[MatthewRead]

I thought the last D stock only had one booked diagram.

 

[Darren R]

It's not all dead...

D78 RAT is shortly up and running, and although it's very much not original, most of the important pieces are completely unchanged.

Not to mention the Class 230...!

(I'll let myself out)

 

[bluegoblin7]

Except for the '72TS and '73TS...

Indeed. My full quote finished "...on the sub-surface lines on the Underground", but that was cut out.

An 'article' (aka a collection of tweets) did later appear on the Evening sub-Standard, and BBC News picked it up too - it was in the 1830 London bulletin.

 

[bluegoblin7]

I was leaving St James' Park today around 1045 when it was due to be heading west - I was going the other way but thought I would take a short detour. However it didn't appear on the Richmond service I expected and I couldn't hang around.

Whilst changing at Westminster a few minutes later I did see a suspiciously spotterish gaggle of youngsters looking eagerly up the track for an imminent westbound Richmond service, and heard them say quite clearly '**** it's an S-Stock' when their disappointment was clear!

It was running, just about ~20 minutes late at that stage. Held up by a defective S stock at Bromley-by-Bow on the first westbound journey, and didn't regain the time until it was turned short at Gunnersbury on the penultimate Richmond trip.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Once the Farewell Tour has run and the units used for that have been decommissioned, how soon afterwards will LU be able to boost the traction voltage?

 

[londonboi198o5]

Once the Farewell Tour has run and the units used for that have been decommissioned, how soon afterwards will LU be able to boost the traction voltage?

Traction current has already been turned up on some sections

i would probablly hazard a guess that is has been turned up on the city section of the District/Circle already as well as when you depart South kensington EB you can hear the traction motors getting turned up when you go over the rail gap into the new traction current section although i am not 100 percent sure this is to do with voltage i have only noticed it the last few weeks.

 

[D365]

Don't forget that there will be a D Stock RAT (Route Adhesion Train), so it's not like they are electrically incapable of taking a 750V supply.

 

[bluegoblin7]

Traction current has already been turned up on some sections

i would probablly hazard a guess that is has been turned up on the city section of the District/Circle already as well as when you depart South kensington EB you can hear the traction motors getting turned up when you go over the rail gap into the new traction current section although i am not 100 percent sure this is to do with voltage i have only noticed it the last few weeks.

No traction current sections on the District have yet had the voltage increased - only the top end of the Met and the Hammersmith branch.

The voltage increase is managed in stages - first with tweaks to the regen and then to the full line voltage.

Considering that the Hammersmith branch was only upped in the last month, it will be some time before the whole SSR is running at the higher voltage.

A further, separate programme involves modifications to the S stock software allowing for higher acceleration rates. I don't know if any of these have yet taken place on the District (the information is passed via the CSDE tags, likewise for whether regen is permitted and at what voltage, rather than being hardcoded into the TCMS.).

 

[Dstock7080]

Don't forget that there will be a D Stock RAT (Route Adhesion Train), so it's not like they are electrically incapable of taking a 750V supply.

D Stock have of course run on 750vDC for its career between East Putney-Wimbledon and Gunnersbury-Richmond.

 

[rebmcr]

How will the RAT cope with S stock around it regen-ing the voltage above the nominal 750v?

 

[Nym]

How will the RAT cope with S stock around it regen-ing the voltage above the nominal 750v?

The 600V systems have been modified.

 

[ijmad]

The 600V systems have been modified.

I'd guess it's much easier to do a series of one-off modifications to the motors on a single RAT than alter the entire fleet of Ds to take 750V a few years ago if they wanted to raise the voltage when the S stock was introduced. Plus if the RAT breaks and it takes a week to fix it, I guess that's not such a big deal either.

 

[Nym]

I'd guess it's much easier to do a series of one-off modifications to the motors on a single RAT than alter the entire fleet of Ds to take 750V a few years ago if they wanted to raise the voltage when the S stock was introduced. Plus if the RAT breaks and it takes a week to fix it, I guess that's not such a big deal either.

One of the reasons there's two D78 RATs

 

[tranzitjim]

Just a quick confirmation if I may.


Are all S stock in service?

 

[londonboi198o5]

Just a quick confirmation if I may.


Are all S stock in service?

Yes the last S stock got delivered a few weeks ago.

Some trains are getting sent back to have upgrades fitted to them for ATO running. Only one train has been sent back with the new upgrades and modifications so far though

 

[bluegoblin7]

Yes the last S stock got delivered a few weeks ago.

Some trains are getting sent back to have upgrades fitted to them for ATO running. Only one train has been sent back with the new upgrades and modifications so far though

Two trains, 21467/8 & 21547/8 are still outstanding to be delivered. These trains are the two ATO test trains and remain at Old Dalby.

I haven't the numbers to hand but at least three S8 and one S7 are now fitted with ATO kit and running around on LU.

 

[Dstock7080]

S7 21321/22 has returned to London, 21301/02 21389/90 21349/50 21415/16 21419/20 are currently away.
S8s 21041/42 21063/64 21065/66 have already returned to London, 21081/82 21083/84 are currently away.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Yes the last S stock got delivered a few weeks ago.

Some trains are getting sent back to have upgrades fitted to them for ATO running. Only one train has been sent back with the new upgrades and modifications so far though

Did the latter built units have the upgrades and mods needed for ATO already installed or do they just need less upgrades and mods for ATO?

 

[bluegoblin7]

Did the latter built units have the upgrades and mods needed for ATO already installed or do they just need less upgrades and mods for ATO?

All trains will need to go back for ATO mods, aside from the two trial trains which, of course, haven't been delivered.