|
|
Post by graeme186 on Jun 11, 2011 19:42:06 GMT
Of course, 'A' stands for 'Amersham' so one of T410-T413 might be appropriate? We'll see what the morning brings!
Don't of course forget that car 5034 (originally 5008) was part of that first 'A' Stock formation on 12/06/61. 5034/35 was as of yesterday, formed up with 5088/89.
On Monday 13/06, 5010/11 will reach 50 years in passenger service and as of yesterday, was formed up with 5102/03.
Thanks MetControl for seeing what you can do for us.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2011 20:02:46 GMT
Duplicated post removed. I am ashamed!  I s-h-o-u-l-d be able to leave here at 7ish so I'll check before I set sail. Thanks in advance for the info. |
|
|
|
Post by citysig on Jun 12, 2011 5:26:36 GMT
Train 416 will be formed of 5004/5157 and so it's Chesham-Baker Streets for the bulk of the day ;D
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 5:52:52 GMT
Fantastic! I've never done the Chesham line so here is the perfect excuse! Thanks for the info.
|
|
|
|
Post by thc on Jun 12, 2011 17:52:53 GMT
Fantastic! I've never done the Chesham line so here is the perfect excuse! Thanks for the info. Unfortunately you won't have seen the best bits - the view across the Chess valley on the way into Chesham are a joy to behold on a sunny day. Which today patently wasn't.  THC |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 18:20:00 GMT
Hell no! Still, the A stock trips were f-a-r more enjoyable than the wretched 'Desiro's' that got me to town! I joined 5004 on the rear of the 10.31 from Baker Street to Chesham which I then took back as far as Chalfont & Latimer to get some pictures (despite the weather!). I then took 5014 to my next stop at Harrow On The Hill for a few pictures (including 5000) before the weather beat me. I took 5012 back to Baker Street and then home. I could have took the Jubilee from Wembley Park to Waterloo but where's the fun in that! If I had a website I'd post the pictures!
This is probably worthy of another thread but I was trying to think of any other non-steam stock that has seen half a century of uninterupted service and I only came up with the 1940 Waterloo & City stock. A handful of DEMUs made it (just ) too. As far as I am aware, that's it! Unless, of course......
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 19:05:57 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 19:52:35 GMT
This is probably worthy of another thread but I was trying to think of any other non-steam stock that has seen half a century of uninterupted service and I only came up with the 1940 Waterloo & City stock. A handful of DEMUs made it (just ) too. As far as I am aware, that's it! Unless, of course...... Some that have come to my mind (in the British Isles): the Liverpool Overhead Railway stock; the original Mersey Railway electric stock; and, perhaps more controversially on the list, some of the Blackpool Trams; the GNR(I)'s Hill of Howth cars; at least some of the Manx Electric stock (when did the MER cease to operate year round?), and the original Glasgow subway stock. And closer to home, some of the PO MailRail units? |
|
|
|
Post by phillw48 on Jun 12, 2011 20:20:02 GMT
This is probably worthy of another thread but I was trying to think of any other non-steam stock that has seen half a century of uninterupted service and I only came up with the 1940 Waterloo & City stock. A handful of DEMUs made it (just ) too. As far as I am aware, that's it! Unless, of course...... Some that have come to my mind (in the British Isles): the Liverpool Overhead Railway stock; the original Mersey Railway electric stock; and, perhaps more controversially on the list, some of the Blackpool Trams; the GNR(I)'s Hill of Howth cars; at least some of the Manx Electric stock (when did the MER cease to operate year round?), and the original Glasgow subway stock. And closer to home, some of the PO MailRail units? Not forgetting the 1938 stock on the IOW. |
|
|
|
Post by graeme186 on Jun 12, 2011 21:09:36 GMT
5034/35 was also in service today as T425 formed up with 5088/89 as I thought would be the case yesterday.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 22:39:44 GMT
The 1938 stock was out of service for two time periods. Firstly, between its withdrawal on the Bakerloo and its reintroduction on the Northern and then for refurbishment for the IOW. The original Glasgow subway stock was extensively rebuilt in the 1940s when it was converted from cable to electric operation. I was thinking of fully blown railway vehicles instead of trams. Anyway, I think that all of the Manx trams are on thier third body. As for the Post Office Railway, It was never designed for passenger use (except for very small people).
The Liverpool Overhead Railway? Nice one! I'd missed that! Were any of the original trains poerating at the end though?
Whatever the merits of the above, the record of the A stock is truly historic and I hope that the mainstram railway press realise it instead of banging on about the latest new livery for a class 66 or suchlike!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 23:01:23 GMT
The Liverpool Overhead Railway? Nice one! I'd missed that! Were any of the original trains poerating at the end though? Yes - the nearest the LOR got to new trains was heavily rebuilding a few of the originals. Agreed! |
|
|
|
Post by norbitonflyer on Jun 13, 2011 7:10:42 GMT
Some of the Southern Railway's suburban stock must have come close to fifty. (Were any vehicles from the original 1913 "Nutcracker" units still working in 1963?
(Edit - no: the last wooden bodied stock went ion 1960)
The 4EPBs were still running in the early 1990s, and many of them included ex 4-SUB trailers built in the 1940s - the first examples appeared in 1941, and I believe some of the early ones, which differed from post-war examples in having wooden roofs, survived into the EPB era.
And there are several diesel locomotives still running on NR that are over fifty years old - classes 08, 20, 31, 37.
There are also odd cases like Chiltern's "Bubble Cars", and the Deltic working for Alcan, which are indubitably 50 years old but have effectively come out of retirement.
The original Glasgow Subway cars were built in 1896, converted from cable to electric traction in 1935, and remained in use until 1977, by which time they were over eighty years old.
The youngest car on the Volks electric railway is 85 years old - the oldest is 119.
|
|
Oracle
In memoriam
RIP 2012
Writing is such sweet sorrow: like heck it is!
Posts: 3,234
|
Post by Oracle on Jun 13, 2011 8:46:14 GMT
The Brush electric locos on the Hythe Pier railway are over 80 years old and still running, one having been built in 1917.
|
|
|
|
Post by phillw48 on Jun 13, 2011 9:30:57 GMT
The Volks Electric cars are the oldest rail vehicles in the world still in use on their original line. Some of the Manx cars come a close second (Some were lost in a fire before WW1). If you are talking about main line stock there are several diesel locomotives in the USA still in use dating from the 1940's or earlier. For metro stock the Paris Metro 'Sprague' stock introduced in 1908 was not withdrawn until the late 60's the last not going until the early 80's, some of which were converted to permanent way vehicles and are still in use.
Some of the LOR stock was not rebuilt so lasted from 1896-1955.
|
|
|
|
Post by bassmike on Jun 13, 2011 10:21:17 GMT
not uk but the electric locos on the palma-soller line in majorca were built in the mid 1920's and are still in daily service,as are some of the trams working the extension to puerto soller.
|
|
Antje
侵略! S系, でゲソ! The Tube comes from the bottom of London!
Posts: 605
|
Post by Antje on Jun 13, 2011 10:34:21 GMT
not uk but the electric locos on the palma-soller line in majorca were built in the mid 1920's and are still in daily service,as are some of the trams working the extension to puerto soller. That is because the volume of traffic is not as demanding as that of the Underground itself. The A Stock may be one of the best in the world but continuing to satisfy only the enthusiasts could cripple the UK economy as it comes out of recession. |
|
|
|
Post by graeme186 on Jun 13, 2011 10:54:57 GMT
If anyone wants to photo/video 5010/11 on its 50th anniversary into passenger service today, it is currently formed into T452 with 5102/03. That means Watford-Baker Street this afternoon.
|
|
|
|
Post by norbitonflyer on Jun 18, 2011 22:39:41 GMT
A bit of research Some of the Southern Railway's suburban stock must have come close to fifty. (Edit - the last wooden bodied stock went in 1960) Further edit - these very last ones were former LBSCR ac vehicles - which survived longest because a. their bodies were relatively new compared with the rest of then pre-war SUBs (which were mainly former loco-hauled bodies mounted on new underframes) b. the former ac stock vehicles were still on their oiriginal underframes, which were non-standard, and therefore not suitable for fitting with new Bulleid-style post war bodies. They had been fitted with new cabs and electrical equipment on conversion for dc. Most of them were CP (1911) or CW (1925) stock, but a few were former South London Line driving trailers, built in 1910 (actually converted from loco-hauled stock) when the original 3 car sets for that line were converted to twice as many 2 car sets. The original 1909 SLL cars were retained as 2 car sets on conversion to dc for use on the SLL and Wandle Valley lines (they were out of gauge for most other lines) and they were eventually withdrawn in 1954 The 4EPBs were still running in the early 1990s, and many of them included ex 4-SUB trailers built in the 1940s - the first examples appeared in 1941, and I believe some of the early ones, which differed from post-war examples in having wooden roofs, survived into the EPB era. Apart from one 4-car set (4101), building of Bulleid type SUB vehicles did not start until 1945. The first EPBs each included a 1945 "augmentation" trailer, originally built to extend pre-war 3SUBs to 4SUB. As the first EPB, 5001, survived to the end, in 1995, its original trailer must have been close to fifty. [/quote] Finally, some of the 4CEPs and Gatwick Express GLVs (ex-2 HAP) came close - built in 1956 and finally withdrwan in 2005. The "4TC" which works with Sarah Siddons was fomed in 1966, but the vehicles are about ten years older, being former hauled stock. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2011 9:19:32 GMT
I think all of the above shows up one major fact. The A stock reaching 50 years of unbroken service on a line with the intensity of the MET is probably a unique achievement. One wonders what the annual mileage for each car is!
Does anyone have a list of anniversary dates for the stock? I'm sure that at least one forum member would be interested in a trip on 5057 on its birthday! ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by bassmike on Jun 19, 2011 18:21:35 GMT
the buenos aires metro has trains built in 1920 still running in daily service and running over new extensions of some lines
|
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Jun 19, 2011 18:55:49 GMT
The Dreadnought coaches, which the A Stock replaced, lasted till the end of the Aylesbury branch in 1961. Quite a few of these coaches were built in 1910, so that would be 51 years of unbroken service.
|
|
metman
Global Moderator
5056 05/12/1961-23/04/2012 RIP
Posts: 7,421
|
Post by metman on Jun 19, 2011 21:11:51 GMT
Yes, most of them were built in 1912, 9 in 1910 and the rest 1920-23. Not a bad effort, but not as good as the A stock! ;D
|
|
Ben
fotopic... whats that?
Posts: 4,282 
|
Post by Ben on Jun 19, 2011 21:35:57 GMT
In terms of proportion of originally built fleet, the A stock does exceptionally well. Perhaps in the top-ten of percentage for survival of uk passenger stock?
|
|
|
|
Post by graeme186 on Jun 20, 2011 21:00:07 GMT
Does anyone have a list of anniversary dates for the stock? I'm sure that at least one forum member would be interested in a trip on 5057 on its birthday! ;D 5012 and 5014 reach 50 years in passenger service this Sunday 26/06. I do hope that both are in service on Sunday but that may not be quite so easy given half the line is shut for engineering work! Forthcoming are 5016 & 5018 on 07/07 and 5020 and 5022 on 26/07 if of course, none have been withdrawn. I will advise further units nearer the time. |
|
|
|
Post by citysig on Jun 20, 2011 23:12:41 GMT
Without wanting to sound harsh... I know it's all very poignant and all that, but if we're to work our way through each and every date entered service of each and every A-Stock and hope that it is in service, you're setting quite an unachievable task for everyone, not least Neasden Depot "if" those responsible for allocating stock watch this thread. Whether or not 5004 getting a front-end repaint was as a result of marking the 50th anniversary or was simply a coincidence (yeh ok not many others have had the same treatment  ) will not mean each unit will be out and about on its birthday. It would be nice to make sure each one was out there, but routine maintenance and simply keeping enough of them going to cover the service, may mean several disappointments when it comes to each anniversary. As I said, don't want to cast a shadow over everything, just making sure everyone keeps realistic over this. Thank you ;D |
|
|
|
Post by causton on Jun 20, 2011 23:30:02 GMT
Just as a random question, how many trains are needed to work the current timetable - and how many A stocks are there about on the system? Are we at, or near to, a point where at least 1 S stock HAS to run each day to avoid a cancellation?  |
|
|
|
Post by citysig on Jun 21, 2011 11:53:45 GMT
Monday to Friday peak we run 48 trains. We've only lost about 3 whole trains so far, so no, we're not even close to a position of having to run the S-stock yet.
|
|
metman
Global Moderator
5056 05/12/1961-23/04/2012 RIP
Posts: 7,421
|
Post by metman on Jun 21, 2011 16:57:39 GMT
Yes there are 53 x 8 car trains, but I'm sure you'll agree, having a few S8s about does allow for the A stock to get more love and care. |
|
|
|
Post by redsetter on Jun 21, 2011 17:28:36 GMT
wonder why the chesham shuttle was axed so early on then?.if problems occur in the future is it likely to return to use.
|
|
I s-h-o-u-l-d be able to leave here at 7ish so I'll check before I set sail. Thanks in advance for the info.
) will not mean each unit will be out and about on its birthday. 
