The last day of the 1959 stock

I wonder how many people here traveled on that specially arranged train. I knew about it but just couldn't make it on the day. My last 59 was the heritage train a few days before Xmas 1999.

but the point of keeping a preserved stock, is to preserve it as it was, not modify it to how it should be.

If the D stock was withdrawn pre-refurb, and we saved one for preservation, we wouldn't refurbish one 'because it would be better that way'

we already have a nostalgia train, what we want is how the train actually was!

The aluminium 72MkI in the LT Musuem has been buffed back to as new a condition as possible, and I think it looks great.

Phil is right, but not only was the decision 'not to paint' not a cosmetic consideration, the decision 'to paint' wasn't either. The reason why LU first began to apply a corporate image to their stock was in order to give a 'management is in charge' impression to the customers.

TBH, I think it was a good decision, by the 1980s , even before the graffiti craze the 59/62s were looking weathered and grimy. Unpainted trains look nice at first but don't age well.

Condition of Museum Stock.

I think I read that York's rule is to maintain exhibits in their 'Withdrawn' condition.

Of course 'restoring' an exhibit to an earlier condition could be rather costly (ie. De-streamlined to streamlined, Double to single chimney and so on.

but surely they would try and match all the seating moquettes up, so that there would be the proper 1959 stock seats not the orange northern line covers.

This is entirely my opinion, and off topic too, so please forgive me! I always thought there were three important phases in a stocks life that a preserved unit could aim to recreate, those being the origional condition, the final condition, and the new standard currently in commercial use.

Whilst the 59 stock did look nice in herritage livery, preserving a uit of the stock in this would only serve as a curiosity; it not being representative of the majority of the stock either at the start of revenue earning life or at the end. Remember too that there was a unit semi refurbished in LUL corporate, and whilst there would be a sick pleasure to be gained from seeing this up and about (indeed perhaps the CO/CP stock or even the standard tube stock in red white and blue), it wouldnt nessessarily be appropriate. If there was only one car of 59 preserved it would have to be a plain aluminium one. Buffed up they look beautifull even today, so just imagine how much of a stir they must have caused when first new.
Back on thread I think the LT museum have made a very good decision to do that. They would have encounterd a lot more hassel. Would we prefer 2 cars preserved in withdrawn (yet neat) condition, or one car in origional condition?