A stock preservation

Neilw - Is that your very own 62ts in your back garden?

*Mods* - without wishing to go too far off topic would it be ok for some pictures of the above to be posted? We are after all talking about preserved trains and by the looks of it there is a fine example above! That is of course if you wouldnt mind Neil?

Just to add, sorry if you have posted them in the past - I will have more than likely missed it!!

Brilliant! Look forward to it bud!

Sticking with the preservation theme here can I ask how you came about it, how difficult it was to purchase and did u get it straight from Tfl?

I thought I would do a quick check with Knights Rail Services at Eastleigh. They confirm they are unable to enter into any negotiations with third parties about former LUL rolling stock. So unless they have decided to store 5000 & 6000 then it’s bad luck for all of us.

its a pretty poor excuse.how it can be seen as operational is another matter when its on the back of a transporter is another matter.

other stock has been seen to be in private hands,however in some cases that's been scrapped later in some cases.

It was quite easy to acquire former LUL rolling stock until quite recently and fairly cheaply. So this is clearly a new change of direction.

And I certainly cannot see the reason why they have decided to take this course of action. If someone is willing to save and store an ex LUL train or part of one, then why not offer it for sale? In the 50’s Bus preservation was unheard of – this is why so few examples exist of pre 40’s buses, trolleys & trams. Yes there are other reasons I accept, but preservationists were almost completely unheard of back then. Now it’s quite normal. In fact most of the Routemasters that came off in the last decade found willing homes either in preservation or alternative uses. Very few ended up in the scrap yard.

Could it not be conceivable that with the current clear interest in railway memorabilia, that someone - somewhere could find the space to preserve a few carriages? I hardly think it would spoil the contract with the scrap yard as LUL could "on paper" dispose of it to the dealer who then sells it on to the new owner. This happens with main line stock. You can even buy a Diesel Locomotive or DMU with relative ease. In fact Booths offer them for sale on their website. Theres also mention of LUL carrages, but this is currently not the case.

As I have said before, I have space here (at South Mimms) and elsewhere where I could store a carriage. For me it would need to have historic interest. So something like 5000 to make it worthwhile. I even went after the carriage we travelled in on the 67 stock tour! But it’s not going to happen unless LUL relax their stance.

To highlight how things have changed, in the mid nineties, a 62 stock train was offered for auction by the then LUL Business Manager (and well know Transport author) Mike Horne. It was well advertised - including in the Evening Standard. The train was taken to Moorgate (Met platforms) for public viewing. Sadly on that occasion, there were no takers. However a small handful did get sold on to private preservationists. Part of one 59 stock was also purchased by the Met Police for training. So perhaps the 59/62 stocks are quite well represented outside of LUL. Including the well restored one in Nottinghamshire of course!

In addition one operational unit of the 60’s Cravens Stock (inc 38 stock trailer) was also sold to private preservationists, as was a 4 car 62 (for a relatively small sum). And LUL have been extremely generous in allowing these trains to remain on LUL metals.

In fact, even a number of the short lived 83 stocks were saved in various guises, one I think as a recording studio in a London hospital, and a group of carriages are in use as offices on old railway land in Shoreditch.

With the exception of the 67TS DM to Walthamstow Pump House, it seems LUL have decided not to release any more to private owners. That’s a shame in my view, as I feel that, in the case of the A stock and the 67 stock these are just as worthy of preservation.

Yes its going to be a struggle, and some projects will inevitably fall by the wayside. But if they survive they will offer a glimpse at time of rapid change for London Underground. And also random sales give the opportunity that at some point in the future, these carriages to be collected back into one unit and brought back into operational use, if future generations deem it worthy and possible.

Lastly in the LT/LRT Act, there is a legal requirement for LBSL/LUL to save items of historical interest for future generations. Its under that remit that the London Transport Museum exists. However its obviously not possible to save every example. Sadly once cut up - there’s no going back.....

Ah yes, but the price of scrap metal makes it a good business to be in these days

I wonder if one or more of the London Mayoral candidates might run with this - worth ago ?

XF

A thought...I wonder how feasible it would be to take current carriage 5034 (the former 5008), and to attach that to current carriages 6234/6235/5235 (the former 6008/09/5009), and renumber the lot to their original numbers. It'd be double-ended, and a good candidate for preserving, as it was part of the first A60 to run in service...

the plan is yes, but quite a bit of work to do yet..........

There is very little left on the A stock. It WAS REMOVED in the 1990's refurb.

@undergrounddriver

- That's great news - does that mean that the 3rd unit will be retained by the LTM (along the lines of the 38ts) do you think ?

- Shame it couldn't have been 5000 - but nonetheless great news to hear that a running example will be retained. ;D ;D

From a realistic point of view, the trouble with keeping 5000 as a working unit is that the 'D'-end cab has been a "middle" since OPO, and therefore lacks a lot of equipment necessary to operate the unit on its own with passengers.

Of course, if an 8-car train was to be retained that would be a different matter!

its best left (asbestos) alone in situ,when disturbed or worse cut then the fibers are released.

its a great shame about the loss of 5000,but at least there looks another unit to be saved which is on the positive side.asbestos or not i would be quite happy to continue using the A stock.

I hope the additional one is 5056 (for Metman's sake).