Central London Railway 1903 Stock

The Central London Railway (which eventually became the London Underground's Central Line) was the first true "tube" railway in London [1]. It initially used electric locomotives hauling trailers but as soon as the railway opened in 1900 it was drawing complaints from property ownes above the line about excessive vibration, this was found to be caused by the heavy locomotives and their large unsprung weights [2]. The locomotives were replaced in 1903 by electric multiple units, known as 1903 Stock, some of which were new build and some converted from the loco-hauled trailers.

Preserved Sleet locomotive ESL 107 at LT Museum Acton

Information
Number built:	259 (88 motor cars, 99 trailers, 72 control trailers)
Built:	1900-03, 1913
Builder:	Ashbury Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (later Metro-Cammell) Brush
Engine:	(Original) 2 British Thomson-Houston traction motors per motor car (Ealing) 2 GE212 traction motors per motor car (550v DC third rail)
Power:	(Original) 500 hp (372 kW) (Ealing) 960 hp (720 kW)

The new motor cars were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (BRCW) and Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, the original trailers having been built by the Ashbury Railway Carriage & Wagon Company and Brush. In 1908 some trailers were converted to control trailers to allow for shorter trains in the off-peak [3].

The fleet was augmented in the 1910s with the extension of the line to Ealing, extra stock was built by Brush with more powerful traction motors (the original stock was found to be underpowered when used in a lengthy formation). In the 1920s all stock was retrofitted with air-doors.

The CLR became part of London Underground in 1933 (and was renamed the Central Line soon afterwards). The 1903 Stock was replaced by Standard Stock as the CLR's central third rail system was replaced by the standard LU fourth rail.

Some 1903 Stock lived on as sleet locomotives. One of these locomotives, ESL107 has been preserved, it is the only 1903 Stock to have survived.

1903 Stock in service [5]

Interior view [5]

Another view of ESL 107

Cab of ESL 107

[1] Paul Moss, London Underground (Haynes, 2014) p. 29
[2] J. Graeme Bruce & Desmond Croome, The Twopenny Tube (Capital Transport, 1996) p. 15
[3] Brian Hardy, Underground Train File Tube Stock 1933-1959 (Capital Transport, 2001) p. 5
[4] John Glover, London Underground Rolling Stock in Colour (Ian Allan, 2009) p. 31

[5] "Fireproof cars on the Central London", Street Railway Journal Vol. XXII No. 9 (Nov 7 1903) p. 851

Metropolitan Railway 1906 Stock (M and N Stock)

The Metropolitan Railway began the electrification of it's lines in the early 1900s, with the first electric services running between Baker Street and Uxbridge in 1905. Electrification gave the Metropolitan Railway a problem however, they were left with a number of nearly new surplus locomotive hauled carriages. In 1906 the Metropolitan Railway began to convert these carriages into electric multiple units [1].

Side view of an M Stock DM [2]

Information for M Stock
Number built:	58 (Carriages)
Built:	1898-1900 (Conversions 1906)
Builder:	Ashbury Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (Conversions) British Thomson-Houston
Motor:	4 GE69 electric motors per power car (600v DC fourth rail)
Power:	1, 600 hp (1, 194 kW)
Formation:	Driving Motor (DM) + Trailer (T) + T + T + T + T + DM

The first conversions were 4-car rakes converted in 1906. They were initially found to be underpowered and were retro-fitted with more powerful motors. These cars, later in 6-car rakes, were known as N Stock and were later used on the Metropolitan Stanmore branch.

Also created were 7-car rakes with GE69 motors [2], two motors apiece on each bogie on the Driving Motor. These M Stock trains were later strengthened to 8-car rakes. Behind the cab in each Driving Motor the former guard and luggage compartment became an equipment area containing switching and other control electrical apparatus which took up about a third of the coach [3].

M Stock on test [2]

GE69 electric motor [2]

Equipment area behind the driver's seat in the cab [2]

[1] Piers Connor, The London Underground Electric Train (Crowood Press, 2015) p. 135
[2] "Converted coaches on the Metropolitan Railway", The Electrician (Oct 12 1906) p. 1004
[3] Oliver Green, The London Underground. An Illustrated History (Ian Allan, 1987) p. 26