London Underground G Stock
Encyclopedia
The G Stock were 50 electric multiple unit
train
carriages built for the Metropolitan District Railway
in 1923 by Gloucester RC&W. They operated on the District line
of the London Underground
until 1971 (with most cars being withdrawn in the early 1960s).
trailer cars which were in poor condition. Some steel-framed B Stock motor cars were converted to trailers, themselves being replaced by new G Stock motorcars. The G Stock consisted entirely of motor cars, all built with a clerestory
roof similar in style to the B Stock with which they would work.
was standardising its post-1923 stock and were reclassified as Q23 Stock. A major part of the Q Stock
project was the replacement of the potentially dangerous manually operated sliding doors (which could be opened by passengers between stations) with air operated doors controlled by the guard.
shuttle, replacing a B Stock
car. These two cars, numbered 4167 and 4176, were not rebuilt into Q Stock and were classified G23 Stock.
In 1965, several cars were renumbered by adding 100 to the number to avoid conflicting numbers with the 1967 Stock
being built for the Victoria Line
.
Two driving motors have been preserved.
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
carriages built for the Metropolitan District Railway
Metropolitan District Railway
The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...
in 1923 by Gloucester RC&W. They operated on the District line
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
until 1971 (with most cars being withdrawn in the early 1960s).
Construction
The G Stock was built to allow the scrapping of some of wooden-built B StockLondon Underground B Stock
The London Underground B Stock was built in 1905 for the Metropolitan District Railway . 420 vehicles were built, formed into sixty 7-car units....
trailer cars which were in poor condition. Some steel-framed B Stock motor cars were converted to trailers, themselves being replaced by new G Stock motorcars. The G Stock consisted entirely of motor cars, all built with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
roof similar in style to the B Stock with which they would work.
Q Stock
In 1938, forty-eight of these cars were rebuilt when the District LineDistrict Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
was standardising its post-1923 stock and were reclassified as Q23 Stock. A major part of the Q Stock
London Underground Q Stock
The Q Stock consisted of various District Line trains built from 1923 until the mid 1930s, originally built with manually operated sliding doors. Following conversion to air operated doors, the trains became collectively known as Q Stock...
project was the replacement of the potentially dangerous manually operated sliding doors (which could be opened by passengers between stations) with air operated doors controlled by the guard.
South Acton shuttle
The two remaining cars were rebuilt into single cars for use on the South ActonSouth Acton
South Acton is the name of two railway stations:* South Acton, London** South Acton railway station* South Acton on the Fitchburg Line on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
shuttle, replacing a B Stock
London Underground B Stock
The London Underground B Stock was built in 1905 for the Metropolitan District Railway . 420 vehicles were built, formed into sixty 7-car units....
car. These two cars, numbered 4167 and 4176, were not rebuilt into Q Stock and were classified G23 Stock.
In 1965, several cars were renumbered by adding 100 to the number to avoid conflicting numbers with the 1967 Stock
London Underground 1967 Stock
The 1967 Stock was a fleet of deep-level tube stock which operated on the Victoria line between 1 September 1968 and 30 June 2011, and was the original rolling stock provided from the line's opening...
being built for the Victoria Line
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
.
Withdrawal
The majority of the cars were withdrawn in the early 1960s as CO/CP Stock trains transferred from the Metropolitan line started to become available. The last of the Q Stock was withdrawn in 1971.Two driving motors have been preserved.
- DM no. 4184 - London Transport Museum, ActonActon, LondonActon is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
- DM no. 4248 - London Transport Museum, Covent GardenCovent GardenCovent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...