London Underground A60 Stock
Encyclopedia
The A Stock is the type of train used on the Metropolitan Line
of the London Underground
. It was built in two batches (A60 and A62) by Cravens
of Sheffield
in the early 1960s. The trains replaced all the previous stock then used on the Metropolitan Line (such as F Stock
, P Stock
, T Stock
and locomotive hauled carriages). The A Stock started to be replaced by new trains of S Stock
from 2010.
The A Stock is currently the oldest type of train in passenger service on London Underground, and the last rolling stock to have independent motoring and braking controls. In addition, it has no PA announcements.
as part of the electrification of the Metropolitan Line
from to and under the 1935–1940 New Works Programme
. The project was delayed by the events of World War II
and the lack of funds available during the austerity period which followed the war: however, in 1946 two experimental trailers similar in exterior appearance to the production trains were built using underframes of the T Stock
. The trailers were scrapped when the trials concluded.
When the electrification project commenced in 1959, London Transport placed an order for 31 trains of the A60 Stock, which were built by Cravens
of Sheffield
. The first A Stock units (5004 and 5008) entered passenger service, beginning with the Watford service on 12 June 1961. Twenty-seven trains of the A62 Stock were built in 1962–63 to replace the F
and P
Stocks on the Uxbridge service. The roll-out was completed by December 1963.
The trains were designated as the A Stock to mark the electrification of the Metropolitan Line to Amersham. However the A Stock was also used on the former East London Line
(then a branch of the Metropolitan Line) between June 1977 to April 1985, May 1987 to 24 March 1995 and from 25 March 1998 until the line's closure for conversion to the London Overground
network on 22 December 2007.
lines. For this reason the trailer cars
feature three sets of doors per car.
A distinctive feature of this stock is the use of “tranverse” seating only. As it was designed for journeys which may last over an hour, most of the seating is of the high capacity 3 + 2 arrangement, oriented across the car's width as opposed to a longitudinal layout, where seats are arranged along the sides of the carriage. In addition, four tip up seats are provided at the rear of the driving motor. Nevertheless, despite each 8-car train seating 448 passengers, these trains provided fewer seats than the locomotive-hauled and T stock
trains which they replaced: however, the stock provides more seats than the S Stock
, which began replacing the A Stock from 31 July 2010. For the convenience of long-distance passengers the A stock is also equipped with luggage racks and umbrella hooks, being the only stock on the system to have these features, commonplace on most National Rail
passenger stock.
The A60 and A62 stocks are identical by appearance but the manufacturer of the compressor
s are different: The compressors fitted to A60 cars are of the Westinghouse
DHC 5A type, while A62 cars have the Reavell TBC 38Z type: the different sound of these can act as an identifying feature.
At 2.946 metre these are London Underground's widest trains.
When the trains were refurbished by Adtranz
(now Bombardier
) Derby between 1993 and 1998, car end windows were installed and the overall livery was revised. At the time of refurbishment the line on which they ran had a low priority for receiving new trains.
Until 11 December 2010, a single unit operated on the Chesham branch
at off-peak hours, with two two-unit services running directly to or from Aldgate at each peak hour period. Since 12 December 2010, the off-peak single formation was replaced by a half-hourly two-unit service from .
The A stock also operated in a single-unit formation on the East London Line
until 22 December 2007 when the line was closed for extension and conversion works.
When built they had a top speed of 70 mile per hour (World's fastest 4-rail train
), and operated at this speed until the late 1990s/early 2000s. They are permitted to travel at no more than 50 mile per hour to improve reliability. Despite this, these trains are the fastest on the London Underground network. The A Stock is the last rolling stock on the London underground that still feature independent brake and traction control. The A stock is also the last remaining stock currently on the London Underground not to have an automated
public address
system.
In further detail:
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. It was built in two batches (A60 and A62) by Cravens
Cravens
Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited was a railway rolling stock builder in the Darnall district of Sheffield, England. Cravens built many diagrams of coaching stock for the Pre-grouping Railway companies of Great Britain, the Grouped companies and for British Railways itself. They...
of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in the early 1960s. The trains replaced all the previous stock then used on the Metropolitan Line (such as F Stock
London Underground F Stock
The F Stock was built in 1920 and 1921 for the Metropolitan District Railway . 100 steel-bodied cars were built: 40 driving motors, 12 control trailers and 48 trailers...
, P Stock
London Underground O Stock
The O and P Stock was built for the Metropolitan Line and Hammersmith & City Line in 1937–1940 by Gloucester RC&W and Birmingham RC&W. In all there were 262 driving motors and 103 trailers...
, T Stock
London Underground T Stock
The T Stock was originally built in various batches by Metropolitan-Vickers and Birmingham RC&W for the Metropolitan Railway in 1927-31 for use on electric services from Baker Street and the City to Watford and Rickmansworth, though rarely some worked on the Uxbridge branch.The earlier batches were...
and locomotive hauled carriages). The A Stock started to be replaced by new trains of S Stock
London Underground S Stock
The S Stock is a class of sub-surface train currently being delivered by Bombardier Transportation in Derby to the London Underground to replace 177 existing trains on the Metropolitan, District, Hammersmith & City, and Circle lines, with a new fleet of standardised car design, totalling 191 trains...
from 2010.
The A Stock is currently the oldest type of train in passenger service on London Underground, and the last rolling stock to have independent motoring and braking controls. In addition, it has no PA announcements.
Development and introduction
The core design of the A Stock was formulated by W S Graff-Baker of the London Passenger Transport BoardLondon Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
as part of the electrification of the Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
from to and under the 1935–1940 New Works Programme
New Works Programme
The "New Works Programme, 1935 - 1940" was the major investment programme delivered by the London Passenger Transport Board , commonly known as London Transport, which had been created in 1933 to coordinate underground train, tram, trolleybus and bus services in the capital and the surrounding areas...
. The project was delayed by the events of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the lack of funds available during the austerity period which followed the war: however, in 1946 two experimental trailers similar in exterior appearance to the production trains were built using underframes of the T Stock
London Underground T Stock
The T Stock was originally built in various batches by Metropolitan-Vickers and Birmingham RC&W for the Metropolitan Railway in 1927-31 for use on electric services from Baker Street and the City to Watford and Rickmansworth, though rarely some worked on the Uxbridge branch.The earlier batches were...
. The trailers were scrapped when the trials concluded.
When the electrification project commenced in 1959, London Transport placed an order for 31 trains of the A60 Stock, which were built by Cravens
Cravens
Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited was a railway rolling stock builder in the Darnall district of Sheffield, England. Cravens built many diagrams of coaching stock for the Pre-grouping Railway companies of Great Britain, the Grouped companies and for British Railways itself. They...
of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. The first A Stock units (5004 and 5008) entered passenger service, beginning with the Watford service on 12 June 1961. Twenty-seven trains of the A62 Stock were built in 1962–63 to replace the F
London Underground F Stock
The F Stock was built in 1920 and 1921 for the Metropolitan District Railway . 100 steel-bodied cars were built: 40 driving motors, 12 control trailers and 48 trailers...
and P
London Underground O Stock
The O and P Stock was built for the Metropolitan Line and Hammersmith & City Line in 1937–1940 by Gloucester RC&W and Birmingham RC&W. In all there were 262 driving motors and 103 trailers...
Stocks on the Uxbridge service. The roll-out was completed by December 1963.
The trains were designated as the A Stock to mark the electrification of the Metropolitan Line to Amersham. However the A Stock was also used on the former East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
(then a branch of the Metropolitan Line) between June 1977 to April 1985, May 1987 to 24 March 1995 and from 25 March 1998 until the line's closure for conversion to the London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
network on 22 December 2007.
Design
The London Underground A60 and A62 Stocks were mainly designed as a compromise between the needs of longer distance “outer suburban” passengers on the outer reaches of the line and short distance “urban” passengers over part of the heavily used Circle and Hammersmith & CityHammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
lines. For this reason the trailer cars
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....
feature three sets of doors per car.
A distinctive feature of this stock is the use of “tranverse” seating only. As it was designed for journeys which may last over an hour, most of the seating is of the high capacity 3 + 2 arrangement, oriented across the car's width as opposed to a longitudinal layout, where seats are arranged along the sides of the carriage. In addition, four tip up seats are provided at the rear of the driving motor. Nevertheless, despite each 8-car train seating 448 passengers, these trains provided fewer seats than the locomotive-hauled and T stock
London Underground T Stock
The T Stock was originally built in various batches by Metropolitan-Vickers and Birmingham RC&W for the Metropolitan Railway in 1927-31 for use on electric services from Baker Street and the City to Watford and Rickmansworth, though rarely some worked on the Uxbridge branch.The earlier batches were...
trains which they replaced: however, the stock provides more seats than the S Stock
London Underground S Stock
The S Stock is a class of sub-surface train currently being delivered by Bombardier Transportation in Derby to the London Underground to replace 177 existing trains on the Metropolitan, District, Hammersmith & City, and Circle lines, with a new fleet of standardised car design, totalling 191 trains...
, which began replacing the A Stock from 31 July 2010. For the convenience of long-distance passengers the A stock is also equipped with luggage racks and umbrella hooks, being the only stock on the system to have these features, commonplace on most National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
passenger stock.
The A60 and A62 stocks are identical by appearance but the manufacturer of the compressor
Gas compressor
A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
s are different: The compressors fitted to A60 cars are of the Westinghouse
Westinghouse Rail Systems
Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd is a British supplier of railway signalling and control equipment to the rail industry worldwide. Its head office is in Chippenham, Wiltshire, where it manufactures a variety of mechanical and electrical/electronic railway signalling equipment...
DHC 5A type, while A62 cars have the Reavell TBC 38Z type: the different sound of these can act as an identifying feature.
At 2.946 metre these are London Underground's widest trains.
When the trains were refurbished by Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
(now Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
) Derby between 1993 and 1998, car end windows were installed and the overall livery was revised. At the time of refurbishment the line on which they ran had a low priority for receiving new trains.
Operation
A unit of the A stock consists of four cars: two powered driving motors at each end and two non-powered trailers in between. Each unit is further divided into two sets, consisting of a driving motor and trailer which are semi-permanently coupled. The A Stock operates in a two-unit formation of eight cars on the Metropolitan Line, between and , , and stations.Until 11 December 2010, a single unit operated on the Chesham branch
Chesham branch
The Chesham branch is a short single-track railway branch line in Buckinghamshire, England. Although no part of it is within London and it runs entirely above ground, it is owned and operated by the London Underground...
at off-peak hours, with two two-unit services running directly to or from Aldgate at each peak hour period. Since 12 December 2010, the off-peak single formation was replaced by a half-hourly two-unit service from .
The A stock also operated in a single-unit formation on the East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
until 22 December 2007 when the line was closed for extension and conversion works.
When built they had a top speed of 70 mile per hour (World's fastest 4-rail train
Land speed record for railed vehicles
Determination of the fastest rail vehicle in the world varies depending on the definition of "rail".Official absolute world record for conventional train is held by the French TGV...
), and operated at this speed until the late 1990s/early 2000s. They are permitted to travel at no more than 50 mile per hour to improve reliability. Despite this, these trains are the fastest on the London Underground network. The A Stock is the last rolling stock on the London underground that still feature independent brake and traction control. The A stock is also the last remaining stock currently on the London Underground not to have an automated
Speech synthesis
Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. A computer system used for this purpose is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware...
public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
system.
Other areas of operation
In addition to the Metropolitan line, the A Stock is permitted to traverse the following sections, subject to the following restrictions:| Section | Passengers permitted | Coupled units permitted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| to and Northfields Depot | Yes | No | Westbound local line only No access to Siding 7 at Northfields Depot |
| to | No | Yes | |
| to | Yes | Yes | No access to side platforms at Edgware Road |
| Edgware Road to | No | No | Specific authorization is required to run on this section |
| Edgware Road to | No | No | |
| to High Street Kensington and (via ), including the Cromwell Curve | No | Yes | No access to the Acton Town, , and sidings 15 miles per hour (24.1 km/h) speed limit at three bridges between Acton Town and South Harrow. |
| Embankment to Mansion House | No | No | |
| Jubilee Line tracks between and | Yes | Yes | No access to the Wembley Park and West Hampstead sidings Usage permitted only when ATO Automatic train operation Automatic train operation ensures partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.Most systems elect to maintain a driver to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies.... is not in use |
Destination blinds
As of 24 July 2010, the following stations are listed on the destination blinds of the A60/62 stock:| General | Fast Baker St | Farringdon | Wembley Park | East London Line | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Blank red panel) | Slow Lines | Harrow | Northwood | New Cross | |||||
| Special | Aldgate | Hillingdon | Rayners Lane | New Cross Gate | |||||
| Sorry not in service | Amersham | Kings Cross | Rickmansworth | Shoreditch | |||||
| Fast lines | Baker St | Liverpool St | Ruislip | Surrey Quays | |||||
| Fast Aldgate | Chalfont | Moorgate | Uxbridge | Whitechapel | |||||
| Fast Amersham | Chesham | Neasden | Watford | ||||||
Roster
Cars of the A Stock are identified by a four-digit number. The first digit identifies the type of car (driver or trailer) and the last three digits identify the set number (Numbers 000 to 231). The numbering system of the A stock upon introduction were as follows:| Sub-type | Driving Motors (DM) | Trailers (T) |
|---|---|---|
| A60 | 5000 to 5123 | 6000 to 6123 |
| A62 | 5124 to 5231 | 6124 to 6231 |
| Citation: | ||
In further detail:
| In service. '^' indicates operational DM | |
| * | Scrapped or cannibalised |
| Withdrawn after the introduction of the S Stock | |
| ** | Scrapped after the introduction of the S Stock |
| †† | Renumbered |
| †† | Rail Adhesion Train (not in service) |
| A60 Stock | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A DM | |T | D DM | | | A DM | |T | D DM | | | A DM | |T | D DM | A62 Stock |
| A DM | |T | D DM | | | A DM | |T | D DM | | | A DM | |T | D DM | Sandite Sandite Sandite is a substance used on railways in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands to combat leaves on the line, which can cause train wheels to slip and become damaged with flat spots... dispenser car. Withdrawals: S1. S2. WithdrawalThe London Underground A60 and A62 Stock reached its 50th year of passenger operation on 12 June 2011. The age of the fleet means that spare parts are becoming harder to obtain, and a number of cars have been cannibalisedCannibalization of machine parts Cannibalization of machine parts, in maintenance of mechanical or electronic systems with interchangeable parts, refers to the practice of removing parts or subsystems necessary for repair from another similar device, rather than from inventory, usually when resources become limited... to keep the rest of the fleet in operation while the S8 Stock London Underground S Stock The S Stock is a class of sub-surface train currently being delivered by Bombardier Transportation in Derby to the London Underground to replace 177 existing trains on the Metropolitan, District, Hammersmith & City, and Circle lines, with a new fleet of standardised car design, totalling 191 trains... is being introduced. The A Stock operated on the East London line East London Line The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London... until the cessation of Underground services on 22 December 2007. The units were returned to Neasden Depot Neasden Depot Neasden Depot or Neasden Works is a London Underground railway depot on the Metropolitan Line, located between Neasden and Wembley Park stations. Historically, when it opened, Neasden was also a manufacturer, producing locomotives and coaching stock for the Metropolitan Railway... via the St. Mary's curve before the link was severed permanently. Class 378 Capitalstar British Rail Class 378 The Class 378 Capitalstar is a type of electric multiple-unit train, part of Bombardier Transportation's Electrostar family. These trains are operating on the new London Overground network... units now operate on the line as part of the London Overground London Overground London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London... network after the first phase of extensions was completed on 23 May 2010. The first S8 Stock unit was introduced into passenger service on 31 July 2010. Although physically similar to the S7 Stock for the District District Line The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground... , Circle and Hammersmith & City Hammersmith & City Line The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map... lines, the main differences will be the layout and quantity of seats and the provision of two active sand hoppers for each rail due to the different conditions at the country end of the line. The final withdrawals of the A Stock after the introduction of the S8 Stock commenced on 9 and 10 October 2010, when sets no. 196, 197, 172 and 173 were scrapped at various locations, leaving 111 4-car sets and the Sandite Sandite Sandite is a substance used on railways in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands to combat leaves on the line, which can cause train wheels to slip and become damaged with flat spots... dispenser car (6036) available for service as of 27 December 2010: of the cars scrapped, a number were already out of passenger service owing to damage - car 5173, which last ran in service in 2007, suffered a cracked bogie and sustained damage after hitting a tree on the line near Ruislip. The wiring of car 5197 was damaged in February 2010. The first unit of fully serviceable A62 Stock (5179) was sent away to C F Booth C F Booth C F Booth Ltd is a business based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, dealing in recycling and scrap metal. Their main site is Clarence Metal Works adjacent to the Rotherham Ring Road, although there are, or have been, a number of other associated sites and businesses including a rail served... of Rotherham Rotherham Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of... for scrapping on 20 January 2011 along with 5006 which had suffered a major electrical failure a week previously. It was announced in early April 2011, that 5066/7 (having finished RAT duties in December 2010), is now being stripped out at Neasden and will be scrapped in the coming weeks. It made its final journey to Northwood along with 5166/7 on the 9th May 2011. However, these units went to Eastleigh Works instead. 5142/3 were collected for scrap from Northwood on 21/22 July 2011. 5154/5 was next to be collected, followed by 5132/3+5206/7 a week later, followed by 5004/5+5156/7 a week later, followed by 5048/9+5205/4, and currently as of 08/08/2011, units 5054/5 and 5058/9 are awaiting collection at Northwood sidings. In the week commencing 17/10/2011, 5032/33 and 5186/87 were at Northwood sidings. External links
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