Can anyone shed any light on this photo?

[adc82140]

This photo has been brought to my attention. It's of real interest to me because this is precisely where my house now stands (so I'm told). It's the former Tarmac depot in Fordingbridge, Hampshire. For the benefit of those using screen readers, it shows what I believe to be many carriages of brand new bogie-less 1995 or 1996 stock sitting atop wooden blocks, in a large yard.

Was new LU stock ever stored in Fordingbridge, or is someone having me on?

 

[eastwestdivide]

Quick google for

Fordingbridge tube stock

reveals this:

https://www.squarewheels.org.uk/rly/stock/1995tubeStock/

Alstom produced these trains at the staggering rate of nearly two per week, although this should be put into context by noting that the bodyshells were imported ready-build from a Spanish manufacturer. However, it took much longer than half a week per train to commission them, ...

Accordingly, a great many of the new trains were delivered to Ruislip from Washwood Heath, Birmingham (by rail via Didcot and Greenford), acceptance tests were carried out and then they were sent off to be stored out of the way at places like MOD Kineton in Warwickshire, and Fordingbridge in Hampshire.

and a reference in the LURS "Underground News" magazine index (PDF) at

https://www.lurs.org.uk/UN%20INDEX%201998.pdf

Fordingbridge: stored 1995 Tube Stock car bodies

 

[adc82140]

Blimey. So I have had tube stock in my garden. That line of trees is still there, as seen here from my back window.

 

[eastwestdivide]

You never know what's underground in your garden until you dig around a bit!

 

[Mikey C]

Interesting that the bodies were delivered fully painted, indeed externally complete other than the roundels