London Underground 1959 Stock
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The 1956 and 1959 Tube Stock was a type of London Underground tube train built by Metro-Cammell, operated at various times on the Northern Line, Bakerloo Line, Central Line and Piccadilly Line. The units had a long career, with the final examples remaining in service until 2000, three years beyond their planned withdrawal date.
1956 Tube Stock
Before mass production of the 1959 Stock, several 1956 Tube Stock units were built as prototyes by Birmingham RC&W, Gloucester RC&W and Metro-Cammell. These units were tested on the Piccadilly Line, and remained in service after production trains were introduced. In latter life they were transferred to the Northern Line, but were replaced as non-standard by 1962 Stock cascaded from the Central Line in 1995.
1959 Tube Stock
The 1959 Tube Stock was initially used on the Piccadilly and Bakerloo Lines. The extension to Heathrow, which opened in the early 1970s, coincided with the introduction of new 1973 Stock. In addition, the new 1972 Stock was introduced on the Bakerloo Line. Therefore, the majority of the 1959 Stock was transferred to the Northern Line.
By the mid-1990s, these units were ageing, and were in need of works attention. By now, all remaining 1959 Stock was concentrated on the Northern Line. A single unit was refurbished in a trial, but it was decided not to refurbish the fleet, and instead, new trains in the form of 1995 Stock were built as replacements. Withdrawal of the 1959 Stock was a drawn out affair, and when the last example was withdrawn on 27 January 2000, it was the only remaining tube train to be crewed with a motorman and a guard. One unit was repainted in "heritage" red and cream livery in 1990 to commemorate the line's 100th anniversary.
Several vehicles have been preserved. These include:
- DM 1030 - Mangapps Railway Museum
- DM 1031 - London Underground, Morden depot
- DM 1044 - Alderney Railway
- DM 1045 - Alderney Railway
- DM 1304 - Privately-owned, Monmouth
- T 2044 - Mangapps Railway Museum