Museum Trains and riding on them.

[subway156]

I know there is a great preservation program in your country. I have participated in two journeys here in New York City (I live about 80 miles from the city border in Pennsylvania). I just had the pleasure of riding R-1 R-9's from the Pre-WWII era. Those units are excellent for high speed rolling and in town touring on the elevated lines of Brooklyn. How often does the LU conduct such excursions? My wife and I will be moving to Scotland in 2015 and I am already drooling just at the thought of riding on historic rolling stock. I have read much about the LU and fins it totally fascinating. The equipment and their appearance is really cool for someone who now only sees stainless steel. I was a regular NYC patron in the 50's and 60's and recall all the old iron that was used back then. Right now, NYC is really going and doing well with it's musuem stock. Units from the 60's are now being preserved and thankfully they have a wonderful facility to do the job. Anyway, I was just wondering. I hope you are all well and enjoying riding your trains. P.S., I am not really a new member. When I changed servers, I lost all my prior information and had to join anew. My name is Frank Raniere and I am on facebook every day.

 

[yorkie]

Quite a few coming up, see http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/events/vehicles-on-the-move for example next weekend there is an 'Art Deco' special, it looks like that train is preserved 1938 tube stock.

Also the trains on the Isle of Wight (Island Line) are 1938 tube stock (designated class 483), in regular passenger service.

The Bakerloo Line still uses 1972 tube stock, and the Piccadilly Line still uses 1973 tube stock. Both are due to be replaced once the Surface stock has been replaced, but this isn't realistically going to happen before 2015 (even if the stock started to arrive in 2015, it would take much longer for all '72 and '73 stocks to be replaced).

The older stock is certainly much more interesting, and I am sure you will enjoy your time here! Feel free to ask any other questions you have!

 

[Met Driver]

There are only really three examples of "heritage" stock being used on excursion-type journies at the moment. These are the 1938 stock (as mentioned above), 1920s Metroplitan Railway locomotive no. 12 "Sarah Siddons" (which normally hauls ex-British Rail Mark I stock), and two units of recently withdrawn Metropolitan line A Stock, one of which will be used for Sandite duties each autumn.

There is an ongoing project to restore a train of District line Q Stock: http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/friends/projects/heritage-underground-trains

As well as a 3 car unit of prototype 1960 Stock which, although in working order, is not currently certified to run and unfortunately does not have a great deal of managerial support allegedly due to it being privately owned.

 

[LexyBoy]

Whilst not "heritage", most of the Glasgow Subway stock dates from the 70s, and if you get the train down to Kings Cross then it could well be an HST dating from the late 70s.

 

[Yew]

Dont forget there asre plenty of heritage railways set up on disused branch lines

 

[Metrailway]

Dont forget there asre plenty of heritage railways set up on disused branch lines

Indeed, including the Epping Ongar Railway, which previously was part of the Underground's Central Line until 1994.

There is also other LU stock preserved around the country - the Metropolitan Ashbury coaches are at the Bluebell Railway, and the Metropolitan Dreadnought coaches are currently at Quainton Road. Both are occasional visitors to Underground. Quainton Road also has a 3 car unit of CO/CP stock.

 

[subway156]

Is the Glasgow rollingstock ever to be replaced with newer units? Is there any surviving "F" stock units? I have read about them and they seemed to have been excellent. I can never get enough of riding on the New York subway, often riding back to old neighborhoods just for a look. But the newest trains have wonderful air-conditioning but are quite surgically clean in their design and look. I wish they would bring back exterior colors, but that would only encourage the dreaded tagging. Your country appears to have that in hand. Well done.

 

[Muzer]

I believe there are teams of people whose jobs are to track down and remove graffiti, on the London Underground nowadays. That'll be why you rarely see any.

 

[Dstock7080]

It has taken many years (from 1984/5) to finally control the graffiti menace on LU. There are certainly no teams watching the trains, as some are still attacked badly.

Sadly no F Stock survived and all were scrapped.

The Glasgow Subway already has plans to replace their rolling stock with a driverless version:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17510931

Frankly, London has a woeful lack of running heritage rolling stock compared with the fine collection in New York. We have only 4-cars of 1938, 4-cars of 1960 (privately owned), 8-cars (2 units) of A Stock - and that's it!
What happened to the Standard Stock? all scrapped after many years storage; the Q Stock project has stalled after being scaled back; total lack of COP/R Stock.

 

[Muzer]

OK, I'm probably just going crazy then

 

[yorksrob]

It has taken many years (from 1984/5) to finally control the graffiti menace on LU. There are certainly no teams watching the trains, as some are still attacked badly.

Sadly no F Stock survived and all were scrapped.

The Glasgow Subway already has plans to replace their rolling stock with a driverless version:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17510931

Frankly, London has a woeful lack of running heritage rolling stock compared with the fine collection in New York. We have only 4-cars of 1938, 4-cars of 1960 (privately owned), 8-cars (2 units) of A Stock - and that's it!
What happened to the Standard Stock? all scrapped after many years storage; the Q Stock project has stalled after being scaled back; total lack of COP/R Stock.

Then we have the ridiculous situation on the Southern region where we have serviceable an d well maintained stock available, but they aren't able to run tours on it because of health and safety hysteria.
The thumper is, of course, the glorious exception that proves the rule !

 

[steamybrian]

....
What happened to the Standard Stock?....

The last of the LT Standard Stock from the 1920s finished working life in 1991on the Isle Of Wight Ryde to Shanklin line. Five cars were preserved and donated by BR to London Underground and are normally stored at Acton Museum.
The Spa Valley Railway has two cars of the 1930s Metropolitan Railway T stock which are awaiting completion of restoration.

 

[Dstock7080]

Five cars were preserved and donated by BR to London Underground and are normally stored at Acton Museum.

Sadly, of those five repatriated from the IoW only 2 remain in the Museum Depot. The other cars in the Museum Depot consist of 1 car from the Science Museum and 2 DM cars formerly with LU departmental use.

The other 3 cars from the IoW and 3 other cars stored at Acton Works were scrapped 2012/13.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Is there still a plan to get some of those working again, or has that been quietly shelved?

 

[Dstock7080]

Is there still a plan to get some of those working again, or has that been quietly shelved?

The Standard Stock is very much at the bottom of the list.

Following my comments above, i have today received an update on the Q Stock project.
It is now hoped to initially restore 3 cars (Q38 DMs 4416, 4417; Q35 trailer 08063) to operational condition. A later phase would see Q23 DM 4184 receive 'functioning motors', it currently has no motors, then add this to provide a 4-car train. (no thoughts of adding Q23 4248 ??)

A target for completion is the District Railway 150 anniversary in 2018.

 

[subway156]

Just want you all to know that I appreciate all your answers. I am indeed very lucky to be able to particiapte in what happens in NYC. They have a car there from the 1939 NY World's fair. It is the last surviving unit out of 50 which I wish they would get around to refurbishing. I rode them when I was a youngster from 1953 to 1968, while still living in the City. It is located at the Coney Island Shops, which is the headqaurters for restoring museum cars. It had been robbed of certain parts to be used on other cars (the older Low-V units) and they must manufacture them from scratch to make it run. The amazing thing is that the shop at Coney Island can make magic happen. Riding the other older units is proof and I encourage anyone who appreciates it, to get a ride on any of them. I can certainly appreciate the 150th Anniversary of London's system. Your country does things with such an exquisite ceremony that makes the ordinary become a dream into reality. Something that we all take for granted, public transit can be an emotional experience because it brings about memories of childhood, the past in general or even family related events. I hope I am not making an ass of myself. I feel strongly about it because of the pride I have in being a New Yorker. I look forward to riding the system in Glasgow because Scotland will become my home in the future. But I also have a genuine appreciation for learning about the system in London, the first and greatest of them all.

 

[Yew]

The Standard Stock is very much at the bottom of the list.

I think the '80 stock is the bottom of the list

 

[bluegoblin7]

I think the '80 stock is the bottom of the list

Do you mean '83 (Jubilee line) stock?