Ten sets were refurbished and ran on the Isle of Wight as Class 483, making them the oldest passenger rolling stock operating timetabled services on the National Rail network at the time of their withdrawal in January 2021.

The trains represented a major technical advance, as all the electrical equipment was located under the floor for the first time.

All previous tube stock had large equipment compartments behind the driving cabs in motor cars, which reduced the space available for passengers by about a third.

They were starting to show their age by the late 1960s; the first withdrawals from the Northern line took place in the early 1970s with the introduction of the 1972 Stock trains.

The Bakerloo line trains received an "Extra Heavy Overhaul" (EHO) to keep them in service long after their intended withdrawal date.

As part of the New Works Programme of 1935–1940, there were plans to operate nine-car trains of 1938 stock on the Northern line.

Ordinarily, the driver moves the master controller from 'off' up to 'full series' and then further to the 'full parallel' position when the train will be under full power.

The traction switchgear will remain in 'full parallel' unless the driver moves the master controller from 'full series' to any position towards 'off'.

In 1988, ten sets of 1938 stock were bought by Network SouthEast for use on the Island Line service on the Isle of Wight, and were allocated two-car TOPS Class 483.

These units were heavily rebuilt and introduced between 1989 and 1992 to replace the even older Class 485 and 486 trains that had been running on the line since 1967, also constructed from ex-Tube stock.

[6] As of January 2021, on withdrawal, the Class 483s were the oldest stock in mainline usage in the United Kingdom, aged 82 years.

[7] After running many years in Network SouthEast (NSE) colours, the trains were repainted into a Dinosaur themed livery to celebrate the Isle of Wight's rich palaeontological history.

In 2019, South Western Railway announced that as part of a £26m programme of improvements to the Island Line, the Class 483s were finally due to be replaced, following a spate of severe service interruptions from technical faults arising in the 81-year-old stock.

483006 and 483008 were obtained by the London Transport Traction Group for preservation and are currently at the Llanelli & Mynwydd Mawr Railway in Carmarthenshire.

[9][10] South Wales two of the four preserved units are remaining on the Isle of Wight; 483007 was transferred to the adjacent Isle of Wight Steam Railway,[11] initially as a static exhibit but with a medium-term goal of running the train, either via propulsion from one of the railway's diesel shunters or through the installation of a battery power supply system,[12] while 483004, which had previously been used as a source of spare parts after withdrawal, was purchased by and delivered to Holliers Farm in Hale Common, near the village of Arreton.

A train hit the dead end wall of the station, killing 43 people including the driver in unclear circumstances.

A complete train was purchased by the Epping Ongar Railway from the Isle of Wight Island Line in 2020, for restoration and eventual conversion to battery power.

Another unit, 483-007, known as "Jess Harper," was acquired by the Isle of Wight Steam Railway for static display.

[18] Alderney Railway formerly rostered some 1938 stock cars formerly used on the Bakerloo and Northern lines until they were withdrawn in 2000 due to severe rust issues.

[19] On 9 January 2013, 1938 tube stock appeared on a £1.28 British postage stamp as part of a set commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first London underground train journey.