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Farewell the last Metropolitan Line A Stock 29/09/12


Xerces Fobe2

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The original type code series had been almost exhausted having started from A and B in the early years of the 20th Century. With a few gaps in the sequence T had been reached which latterly denoted the MV and MW stock when reclassified and freely mixed together in its later years. The powers that be determined the A stock would represent a fresh start alphabetically and in terms of the standard of accommodation provided to passengers. The letter was appropriate for Amersham and it has always been considered that if it meant anything at all it was "A for Amersham" stock. The electrification beyond Rickmansworth also saw off Met. trains working to Aylesbury as the section beyond Amersham was then transferred entirely to BR operation. "A for Aylesbury" would have been equally apt had the stock ever reached that far.

 

There is no modern B-stock. In the original series not all letters were used and so it is again.

 

C69 and C77 stock (now simply referred to as C stock) was coded for "Circle Line" despite the fact that it had always been intended to use it also on the (then Metropolitan) Hammersmith & City and District Line Wimbledon - Edgware Road routes. D78 stock (now known as D stock) is indeed "D for District" though it may not work between High Street and Edgware Road due to its dimensions; that section remains the preserve of C stock for now.

 

S was chosen as I understand it because a generic type code was sought for "Surface" stock as opposed to the much smaller tube stock. The S refers to the fact that the Met, H&C, District and Circle Lines have always been known as the Surface (not subsurface) lines.

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XF/Nigel,

 

Thank you for posting the video. You must have been in carriage C (6035) or D (5035).

 

Here's a thought for you, the Finchley Road-Wembley Park leg of that final run was supposed to take 7 1/2 minutes. Your video shows it only took 6 1/2 minutes. I don't think the ipad speedo app showing 74mph can have been that far off the truth. I can't ever remember an A60 travelling at that speed in the 1970s even before the problem with cracked rails forced the general clamp down on top speeds.

 

Did you manage to make it to the sales tables at Amersham or not bother?

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XF/Nigel,

 

Thank you for posting the video. You must have been in carriage C (6035) or D (5035).

 

Here's a thought for you, the Finchley Road-Wembley Park leg of that final run was supposed to take 7 1/2 minutes. Your video shows it only took 6 1/2 minutes. I don't think the ipad speedo app showing 74mph can have been that far off the truth. I can't ever remember an A60 travelling at that speed in the 1970s even before the problem with cracked rails forced the general clamp down on top speeds.

 

Did you manage to make it to the sales tables at Amersham or not bother?

 

It was fun - I was in coach C and I had a hunch it would be a lively ride hence why a sttod up with the camera at the window and am I glad I did as without doubt this was the best rail tour that I have ever been on -well done LTM.. I did not bother with the sales table at Amersham however a 4 car A60 in silver is now planned for Croxley WRD, just imagine that the Croxley Link was completed with the quadrupling of the Met track in the early 1960's!

 

LastAStockTimetable_zpsa9c54317.jpg

DSCN8617edt.jpg

 

 

XF

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Someone's been scanning the Farewell Tour booklet and playing with their New Johnston font set again! I think the designs on the front and back covers of the booklet,and on the promotional posters were inspired, "Silver" at the dawning of the A 60 era and "LUL Corporate" at the twilight.

 

Are you planning to use Phil Radley's kits or scratchbuilding?

 

You don't even need to assume that the Met used the Croxley Link just work on the basis that the Met did reach Watford Junction after all through Cassiobury Park and shared the stabling facilities at Croxley.

 

Given that the country's crying out for growth, I don't know why they don't just get on with the Croxley link, and restore the Bakerloo service between Harrow & Wealdstone to Watford Junction whilst they're at it. If it's worth diverting the Met to the Junction and reactivating the 4th rail from Watford High Street to the Junction, then it's worth relaying and reactivating the 4th rail between Harrow and Watford High Street at the same time. The extra capacity north of Harrow on the Watford DC lines is needed in the peak periods. Rant over, nurse is coming to give me my medicine now. she says it's not good for me to get over excited like this! :)

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Someone's been scanning the Farewell Tour booklet and playing with their New Johnston font set again! I think the designs on the front and back covers of the booklet,and on the promotional posters were inspired, "Silver" at the dawning of the A 60 era and "LUL Corporate" at the twilight.

 

Are you planning to use Phil Radley's kits or scratchbuilding?

 

You don't even need to assume that the Met used the Croxley Link just work on the basis that the Met did reach Watford Junction after all through Cassiobury Park and shared the stabling facilities at Croxley.

 

Given that the country's crying out for growth, I don't know why they don't just get on with the Croxley link, and restore the Bakerloo service between Harrow & Wealdstone to Watford Junction whilst they're at it. If it's worth diverting the Met to the Junction and reactivating the 4th rail from Watford High Street to the Junction, then it's worth relaying and reactivating the 4th rail between Harrow and Watford High Street at the same time. The extra capacity north of Harrow on the Watford DC lines is needed in the peak periods. Rant over, nurse is coming to give me my medicine now. she says it's not good for me to get over excited like this! :)

 

These photos were of the actual posters at Moorgate Station and not scans of the Farewell Tour Booklet.

 

I intend to purchase a Radley Models Kit when funds allow, however I will fit them with Black Beetle rather than Tenshodo Motor bogies . Croxley WRD is seeing increasing amounts of Underground stock visiting it for 2 reasons - firstly I like it and secondly many visitors at Show confuse the layout with the Met line and like Underground stock. That said we do run the layout as a LMR/Bakerloo line for a good part of the time and more EMUs are being built!

 

The Croxley Link delays are unbelievable http://www.tfl.gov.u...hemes/2053.aspx

"In partnership with Hertfordshire County Council, we applied for a Transport and Works Act Order from the Secretary of State for Transport in January 2012. This is required before any work can start.

If the application is successful, construction will begin in 2014 and the extension would be open by 2016". I agree with you just get on with it; why wait another 15 month or so for a bits of paper to be signed? I also think the Bakerloo going back to Watford Jct will not happen as the Overground is now run by TFL and there is just not enough capacity at Watford Jct.

 

XF

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Although long gone now, i still miss the 'A' stock trains with their comfortable, foreward facing seats-after all this time, my wife and i still find sitting 'sideways' uncomfortable , litterally causing ' a pain in the neck' and all the announcements- some seventy plus on a journey from uxbridge to aldgate and no way of excape !

Bombardier's 'buy our trains, else we'll go bankrupt' ploy certainly worked - gresham's law in action ?

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Actually the S Stock was purchased because Bombardier was a shareholder of Metronet. It's not a bad train by all accounts and the S8's will soon be needing their first heavy overhaul.

 

As for the A Stock the last two units including the RAT car have been moved to Ealing Common Depot and begun being moved by road for scrap. I understand one Trailer car has been kept back temporarily to be robbed of parts for the Q Stock restoration project.

 

Regards,

 

Dan

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