CP Stock on the District Line in the 60s

I seem to recall reading that the Circle used 5-car formations - presumably 3+2 0/P stock.
O/P, Q and R stocks could not interwork.

Q stock was, I understand, entirely made up of 4 car units. R stock was single ended 4 car (east end) and 2-car (west end) units, running as 6 or 8 car trains (with one or two 2-car units).

When the District went over to 7-car trains, the 4 car R stock sets were reformed into 3- and 5- car sets, so that a 7 car trains could be 5+2 or 3+2+2. Some CO/CP stock was formed as 3+2+2.

Slight correction, 2-car R Stock units faced east.

Prior to C Stock being used on the Edgware Rd service it was restricted to 5 or 6-car CO/CPs.
Even in the early '80s 6-car CO/CPs were often supplied for the main-line service, when a 7-car wasn't available.

I seem to recall that when I started in the 70s there was a restriction on allowable CO/CP train formations because some formations had too much Train Line progation delay, affecting the emergency brake performance. Caused by tortuous air paths through the autocouplers I think. I don't recall which formations were forbidden but I expect 2 car at the front wouldn't be too clever.

When the District formations were changed 1970/71, a 7-car CO/CP would have to have two two-car units in it as well as a three. Care also had to be taken that on a 7-car train, a CO motor car was not at the outer ends, as the guard was in the cab and platform sighting could be problematical!

Ah, perhaps that brake performance restriction would have been to not have two 2 car units at one end, but formed as 2 car - 3 car - 2 car, but that doesn't solve the guard in the cabs issue. Were the CO's made into 3 cars?

Another correction, Q stock was "car"stock and not run in fixed rakes. Yes, they ran as 4 car and 2 car units, but each car could be uncoupled. The stock was, like the rest of the stock, "handed" east/west. There were no air pipes or electrical connections on the west end driving motors of Q stock. C/O/P and R stock was handed, but was in fixed formations. Stock "could" and has been run the wrong way round, but because the couplings were handed, they could not couple if the unit was wrong way round. R stock had Ward couplings on the west end driving cars and no air pipes or electrical connections.

Coupling and uncoupling was generally done away with in 1971/72 when the DR went over to 7 car working. I worked on the DR 1970-73. I don't recall any 5 car trains running then though there was a 7 car ran to edgware Road on the first Saturday of the new timetable! It tipped out at High Street. the platform at Bayswater was barely long enough for 6 cars, let alone 7 or 8.

I was not aware of any brake problems with 4x2 car COP formations. Yes, CO cars were not to be run on the outer ends of 7 car trains.

The only time I worked an R stock the "wrong way round" was on a very hor summer Sunday, there were several cable fires and to get the service running, we were diverted round the top of the Circle and back round to Earls Court. By that time the train was the wrong way round, so we have a bonus empty trip to get the stock facing the right way!

R stock could not run as 5 car trains pre-1971. It was fixed formation 4 car and 2 car sets. Unless the works took one of the non-driving cars out of a set, highly unlikely, and yes, Q stock was usually left coupled as 4 and 2 car sets, but was strictly speaking "car" stock and not "unit" stock.

CO stock was not allowed on the outer ends of 8 car sets as the guard would be in the tunnel at certain places.