District Railway electric multiple units
After a joint experiment with the Metropolitan Railway with which they operated the inner circle in London, a four rail DC system was chosen.
Following the testing of two prototype trains in 1903, electric multiple units were ordered to replace the steam locomotives and carriages.
In 1903, the District tested two seven car trains on the unopened line between Ealing and South Harrow.
[3] In August 1903 orders were placed for 420 cars, enough for 60 x 7-car trains, to allow the whole of the District Railway to be electrified.
[7] First- and third-class accommodation was provided in open saloons,[4] seating covered with rattan in third class and plush in first.
Twenty end motor cars were built with luggage compartments, but these were soon replaced with seating.
The cars had three hand-operated double sliding doors on each side and the cabs were fitted with unique elliptical windows.
[18][note 1] In the 1950s the trains were transferred to the Metropolitan line, where they worked the semi-fast service to Harrow and Uxbridge.
Ten 4-car units were transferred to the East London line and ran until 7 September 1963, when they were replaced by Q Stock.
These new bodies were similar in appearance to the older District stock but had an additional double sliding door on each side and the clerestory roof carried forward to the car ends, rather than rounded off.
'L Stock' 45 vehicles, 8 motor cars and 37 trailers, were made by the Union Construction Company, a UERL subsidiary.
The traction motors on these cars, still WT54Bs, were the first with roller bearings, significantly reducing the maintenance required.
[26] After the creation of the LPTB in 1933 and the amalgamation of the District and Metropolitan Railways some of the Met trains were extended to Barking to improve the service on the route.
[27] Four 'N Stock' six-car trains were experimentally fitted electro-pneumatic brakes and air-operated doors, and kept in block formation.
In the 1935–40 New Works Programme the replacement of these trailer cars and upgrading the fleet with electro-pneumatic brakes and guard controlled air-operated doors was the priority.
The remaining 28 x Q38 Stock cars formed 4-car units that worked the East London line until 1971.
In the 1950s the remaining small of number of 'H Stock' trains were used on the Olympia shuttle until 1957 when they were withdrawn.
As of June 2012[update] a G or Q23 Stock driving motor is a static exhibit at London Transport Museum at Covent Garden.
