Electric multiple units have operated on the London Underground since 1898, and exclusively since 1961. They are of two sizes, smaller deep-tube trains and larger sub-surface trains that are of a similar size to those on British main lines.

The Waterloo & City line opened in 1898 with electric multiple units, and the later tube railways followed, using trains that were known as gate stock, as access was via lattice gates at each end of each car. The earlier railways had electrified the underground sections by 1907. Pneumatic sliding doors were introduced on tube trains in 1920 and sub-surface trains in the late 1930s. Until the early 1960s an electric locomotive was exchanged for a steam locomotive on the Metropolitan line beyond Rickmansworth. The Victoria line opened in the late 1960s using Automatic Train Operation (ATO), and the last train with a guard ran in 2000.

Sub-surface stock Before 1933 the sub-surface lines were run by two companies, the District Railway and Metropolitan Railway. As the Circle line was operated jointly, they collaborated in building a prototype in 1900.

Stock Image Entered service Withdrawn Line(s) Notes Joint Prototype District A 6-car train, 3 cars owned by each company

District Railway

Initially District Railway cars were compatible, except for A Stock, and trains were made up from cars of any age, until the incompatible F Stock arrived in 1920. The District classified its rolling stock using letters of the alphabet in 1925, before the fleet was rebuilt, forming main line and local pools. The H Stock designation was used in 1925 for rebuilt B Stock cars and by LT in the 1930s for the remaining cars with hand-operated doors. Stock Introduced Withdrawn Notes A Stock Two prototype 7-car trains. B Stock Motor cars converted into 1926 H Stock. C Stock Rebuilt 1926–30, reclassified as 1938 H Stock by LT. D Stock Rebuilt 1926–30, reclassified as 1938 H Stock by LT. E Stock Rebuilt 1926–30, reclassified as 1938 H Stock by LT. F Stock Incompatible with the other District Railway trains, transferred to the Metropolitan line in the 1950s G Stock Converted to Q23 Stock except for the single G23 cars that operated South Acton shuttles. H Stock Converted B Stock cars K Stock Converted to Q Stock from 1937 L Stock Converted to Q Stock from 1937

Metropolitan Railway

The Metropolitan Railway used both Westinghouse (BWE) and Thomson-Houston (BTH) control equipment, making the cars incompatible. Originally cars had a saloon layout, but after 1906 surplus bogie compartment carriages built in 1898 and 1900 were converted. Compartment stock was introduced on Watford services after 1927.

Class Introduced Withdrawn Formation Motor cars Comments V 7-car 150 BWE200 BTH The original electric rolling stock, built in 1904–06. Hammersmith & City 6-car 150 BTH Jointly owned with the Great Western Railway. Some trains lent to the Mersey Railway 1942–45. W 5-car to 8-car 1927/30/31 Bogie stock trailers that ran with 150 BWE motor cars before converted to run with the 200 BTH motor cars. Converted to run with motor cars from the MW pool in 1927. M 7-car, then 8-car 200 BTH Bogie stock conversion N 6-car, then 4-car 150 BWE Bogie stock conversion Circle 5-car 200 BTH200 BWE Refurbished after 1933, when the motors were replaced. HustleS 8-carExperimental compartment stock with swing doors, and motor cars with electro-pneumatic control equipment MV 7-car 1927 Compartment stock, the MV stock trailers rebuilt from carriages. Converted in 1935 and reclassified T Stock in 1938. MW 8-car 1927/30/31

London Transport In 1933 the Metropolitan and District railways were merged with the other underground railways, tramway companies and bus operators to form the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB), which continued the District Railway classification system. Stock Image Entered service Withdrawn Line(s) Notes H Stock District Second use of the designation, for District Railway trains that remained with hand-operated doors. M/N Stock Hammersmith & CityDistrict Converted to Q Stock in 1937 O/P Stock Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan,East London and District Converted to CO/CP stock in the 1950s. Q Stock DistrictEast London District Railway cars built after 1923 with new Q38 cars. R Stock District Q38 cars formed with new cars. T Stock Metropolitan Converted from Metropolitan Railway compartment stock A Stock MetropolitanEast London C Stock Circle DistrictHammersmith & City D Stock District S Stock Metropolitan (2010–current)Hammersmith & City (2012–current)Circle (2013–current)District (2013–current) In service

Great Northern & City The Great Northern & City Railway (now the Northern City Line) was a tube built in the early 20th century with an internal diameter of to take main-line trains.

Stock Entered service Withdrawn Line(s) Notes GN&C Stock Northern City Line Replaced by Standard Stock

Tube stock The deep-level tubes use smaller trains that run in two circular tunnels with a diameter of about . Stock Image Entered service Withdrawn Line(s) Notes Original Waterloo & City line stock Waterloo & City 1903 Stock Central Central London Stock, with trailers rebuilt from locomotive hauled cars that entered service in 1900. Refurbished in 1926–28. Gate Stock Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly Except for two cars that ran on the Aldwych branch and were scrapped in 1956. 1914 Stock circa 1935 Bakerloo For the extension to Paddington 1915 Stock Bakerloo, Central Motor cars, used on the Bakerloo line until replaced by Joint Stock in 1920/21. Refurbished with the rest of the Central London Stock in 1926–28. Watford Joint Stock Bakerloo Jointly owned with the London & North Western Railway, and replaced by Standard Stock with air-operated doors. Three 3-car sets were modified for use by the LMSR on the Watford Junction-Rickmansworth and Croxley Green shuttles. These were withdrawn in 1939. 1919/22 Stock Bakerloo, Piccadilly First trains with air-operated doors Standard Stock Bakerloo, Central, Northern, Piccadilly, Northern City Line Also known as pre-1938 Standard Stock trains ran on the Isle of Wight 1967–92. 1935 Stock Four six-car prototypes, some with air-conditioning and stream-lining. Non-streamlined units converted into two cars in 1940 1938 Stock Bakerloo, Piccadilly, Northern, Northern City Line, East London Withdrawn in 1985, but five trains re-entered service the following year to allow stock to be converted for One Person Operation. In 1989 some trains were sold to replace Standard Stock on the Isle of Wight. Waterloo & City 1940s stock Waterloo & City 1949 Stock Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly To supplement 1938 Stock 1956 Stock Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly Prototype trains with unpainted aluminium bodies. 1959 Stock Central, Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly Minor changes from 1956 Stock 1960 Stock Central Prototype motors cars that ran with converted pre-1938 Stock, then converted 1938 Stock. 1962 Stock Central, Piccadilly, Northern Compatible with 1959 Stock. 1967 Stock Victoria 1972 Stock Bakerloo 1973 Stock Piccadilly 1983 Stock Jubilee 1986 Stock Jubilee Prototypes 1992 Stock Central, Waterloo & City 1995 Stock 1997–2000 Northern 1996 Stock 1997–1998 Jubilee 2009 Stock 2009–2011 Victoria

References Notes

Books

External links