A Stock withdrawals - Discussion

Well, just keep an eye on this thread or the Met line board as news of another A stock going for scrap will spread very fast!

Really, any idea which ones? 5066+5???

There are a few about still grubby but that numbers 10 units at least.

I must say the trains look so much better clean, they look nearly new where the paint is in good condition still!

Since we're nearing the end of the 'working week', I thought I would ask whether anybody is able to kindly confirm whether there will definitely be a movement of 8-cars of 'A' Stock from Neasden Depot to Northwood for scrap on Monday 09/05? If so, are the timings as per the January move? Thank you in anticipation.

I hope it isn't 5066, was expecting a hat-trick out of it ;D

5066 did the last public Shoreditch and also the last public ELL service (also taking in the Surrey Quays crossover) and I was on both of them.

Nothing has been confirmed at all. Last I heard was that all stock was being taken from Neasden now...

Unless any unforeseen circumstances occur, 8 cars of A-stock running as Train 771, will depart Neasden depot at 1143 Monday morning, 9th May, and will travel on its final journey to Northwood.

I haven't been made aware of the units concerned, though maybe the predictions so far made could be spot on. We haven't had any serious problems with the stock for the past few weeks, so it's not as if any unit has "leap-frogged" the plan like last time.

Thank you very much MetControl for the advice concerning the running of T771 on Monday.

Assuming one of the units is 5066, based on observations this week, there are five units I've not seen this week. Two of those five units were formed up together the week before and I expect I just didn't see that train this week because I've made fewer trips to London. The remaining three units are 5130, 5167 and 5175. I doubt whether it is 5175 as that had an external clean a fortnight ago. Re the other two, both were in service last week and were uncoupled over the holiday weekend. I'm wondering whether like 5006, one of them developed a defect that was deemed not economical to repair. We'll see on Monday.

Re the external clean programme, approx 30 units have been done to date.

Youve got the right idea redsetter

I believe 5130 & 5175 were formed up until 29th April, 5130 has also been cleaned recently. 5167 is rather dirty though.

These are the timings I've been given for the move, should be running as train 771.

To put the other point of view.

The internal design of the A-stock is broken. The seats have never had the necessary support, sagging in the middle and the bigger seats are not wide enough for three people, so much space gets wasted.

The internal layout of the Metropolitan line stock will always be a compromise, between the needs of London commuters, especially the central zones and the needs of the people living outside London. The A stock interior is too heavily biased towards the long distance punters to be a good design for the modern Metropolitan line. Possibly the S stock has gone a bit too far in the other direction, but other than having separate internal designs for the Amersham / Chesham branches and for the Watford / Uxbridge branches, it is a better compromise for these crowded times.

I don't think you will find it will be 5132 or 5207. The former is formed up with 5211 whilst the latter is formed up with 5102. I think you will find that it will be 5066 and 5167. 5207 is one of the 30 or so units that has had an external clean.

50 years ago the A stock was considered by some as inferior to the T stock they replaced. In 50 years time when the S stock is replaced by a ? Stock it will most likely enjoy the nostalgia that the A stock is currently revered with.

I will miss these great trains, as I grew up with them and unpainted trains in the 1960's were something different and exciting

Xerces Fobe