Northern City line tube stock before handover from LU to BR

[adamskiodp]

Hi folks,

Not sure if this should be here or in the London Underground forum, please move if necessary.

Does anyone know what rolling stock was used on the Northern City Line from Moorgate prior to the Class 313? Was it a form of tube stock or were there other mainline type stock used before the handover to BR in 1976?

Many thanks,

Adam

 

[Ianigsy]

I'm fairly sure that it was 1938 tube stock, at least from the documentary I saw a few years back about the Moorgate tragedy.

 

[Waldgrun]

Stock used on the Northern City branch prior to the takeover by B.R. and the introduction of class 313's was L.T. 1938 stock, which has replaced in the early 1960's 1927 std stock.

 

[adamskiodp]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Curiosity satisfied

Adam

 

[DelW]

IIRC the stock was moved on and off the Moorgate branch via the Alexandra Palace line from/to Highgate depot, which was kept open mainly for that purpose. I'm sure I've seen photos of the Northern City stock on that line, hauled by LT battery locos.

 

[DelW]

I have a book called "Northern Wastes" published in 1987, which describes the history of the aborted northern extensions of the Northern Line. It includes a photo of Standard Stock near Drayton Park in November 1958, and several photos of stock transfers near Crouch End station in July and August 1969, with 1938 stock hauled by battery locos. It gives the date of the last stock transfer via Finsbury Park as 29th September 1970, after which transfers ran via the Met and Widened Lines. LT trains were withdrawn in October 1975, and GN electrics took over from 16th August 1976.

 

[jellybaby]

It gives the date of the last stock transfer via Finsbury Park as 29th September 1970, after which transfers ran via the Met and Widened Lines. LT trains were withdrawn in October 1975, and GN electrics took over from 16th August 1976.

Where is/was that connection?

 

[edwin_m]

There's a long discussion on Kings Cross York Road on RMWeb, which notes that there were crossovers at Farringdon.

 

[CatfordCat]

Where is/was that connection?

from a 1975 Highbury Branch working timetable, the stock transfer route (after the Finsbury Park - Highgate line closed) was as follows -

Img004

• CatfordCat
• 2 Feb 2018

Extract of Northern Line (Highbury Branch) working timetable 10 Feb 1975

Not entirely sure where Finsbury Park No. 1 / 2 are (or were) but may help

 

[LiftFan]

The main reason for the Moorgate crash being so awful was because the small 1938 stock trains were much tinier than the mainline size tunnels; thus the carriages sandwiched onto the tops of one another.

 

[IainG81]

I went on the Northern City Branch today by total chance as i was at Moorgate due to engenering works. What a pleasure it was to see the old Network Southeast signs still in place. Like a short trip back to the 80's.

 

[whoosh]

Six car 1938 stock.

 

[NeroWolfe]

I went on the Northern City Branch today by total chance as i was at Moorgate due to engenering works. What a pleasure it was to see the old Network Southeast signs still in place. Like a short trip back to the 80's.

What have you done with all the passengers!

 

[Cricketer8for9]

I think Finsbury Park 1 and 2 were signal boxes.

 

[A0wen]

IIRC the stock was moved on and off the Moorgate branch via the Alexandra Palace line from/to Highgate depot, which was kept open mainly for that purpose. I'm sure I've seen photos of the Northern City stock on that line, hauled by LT battery locos.

That was the route until closure - when that line closed, they were dragged to Kings Cross, onto the Widened Lines and up to Neasden.

There's a picture on the web somewhere of battery locos dragging a unit through Kings Cross on that.

 

[CatfordCat]

That was the route until closure - when that line closed, they were dragged to Kings Cross, onto the Widened Lines and up to Neasden.

There's a picture on the web somewhere of battery locos dragging a unit through Kings Cross on that.

one here (not mine, just found it)

 

[Taunton]

were there other mainline type stock used before the handover to BR in 1976?

Well there were, but long previously, the original wooden stock the line opened with, which was withdrawn in 1939 and replaced by the pre-1938 tube stock; this also required substantial electrical reconfiguration, so it was all done over one weekend. This document is about the original main line sized trains

http://www.lurs.org.uk/articles14_htm_files/4 110 years of the gt northern and city.pdf

 

[adamskiodp]

Well there were, but long previously, the original wooden stock the line opened with, which was withdrawn in 1939 and replaced by the pre-1938 tube stock; this also required substantial electrical reconfiguration, so it was all done over one weekend. This document is about the original main line sized trains

http://www.lurs.org.uk/articles14_htm_files/4 110 years of the gt northern and city.pdf

Thankyou. Very interesting reading

Adam