61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
Now that a decision has been made about the future of the Island Line, with D78s set to come in (as class 484), I'd like to make a case for saving one of the old units, as although they're old and non-standard, they do represent an important part of our railway history, having been the oldest stock on the network since they were introduced to BR (as was).
Keeping one in working order on the island is unlikely, as there isn't much space in the depot and "depot mascots" aren't really a thing any more... but they don't take up much space as far as trains go, so a single vehicle or even a 2-car set could sit quite happily in the NRM or at Shildon, particularly if repainted into NSE or the "dinosaur" livery.
On the other hand, London Transport Museum already has 1938 stock preserved, so should other soon-to-be-history stock be prioritised?
So, is there a case to be made? Do your worst!
Keeping one in working order on the island is unlikely, as there isn't much space in the depot and "depot mascots" aren't really a thing any more... but they don't take up much space as far as trains go, so a single vehicle or even a 2-car set could sit quite happily in the NRM or at Shildon, particularly if repainted into NSE or the "dinosaur" livery.
On the other hand, London Transport Museum already has 1938 stock preserved, so should other soon-to-be-history stock be prioritised?
So, is there a case to be made? Do your worst!