London Underground engineering stock

London Underground engineering stock
A train carrying track ballast and sleepers passes through Holborn
Stock typeDeep-level tube
Notes/references
London transport portal

Over the years, London Underground has acquired various types of engineering stock to help with the construction of new lines and maintenance of existing lines. Some of these wagons were inherited from its predecessors, many were built new and some were acquired second-hand from the main-line railways. Several types of specialist wagons have been used, which are described below.

Overview

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London Underground uses a numbering system comprising the wagon number prefixed with a letter which designates the wagon's type. These are summarised below.

Prefix Type Description
B Brake van Manned wagon used for guard's accommodation and for braking purposes. No longer used.
BW Ballast wagon Open wagon, for transport of ballast
C Crane Powerful crane for track laying/lifting and/or recovering de-railed rolling stock
DEC Diesel-electric crane
DHC Diesel-hydraulic crane
CM Cement mixer wagon Specialist flat wagon, with a cement mixer. These wagons have been modified and now form part of Tubelines's DISAB ballast sucking machines.
CW Cable drum wagon A short wagon for transporting cable drums through deep level tunnels. For signal wiring
F Flat wagon Flat wagon, for transport of rails or sleepers Now only used in train formation with tampers 771, 772 and 773.
FB Flat brake Flat wagon, with brake van compartment. No longer used.
GP General purpose wagon General purpose wagon
HD High deck wagon to carry a stack of track panels no more than 4 panels high.
HW Hopper wagon Hopper, for transport of fresh ballast
J Jib carrier Specialist flat wagon, for carrying the jib of a crane;
JC
JLE Jubilee Line Extension The same as General Purpose wagons (GP), used in the construction of the Jubilee Line Extension. The only difference is that the JLE's wagons have larger handbrake wheels.
MW Match wagon Wagons paired with the cement mixer wagons. Now used as GP wagons semi-permanently coupled together.
RW Rail wagon Specialist flat wagon, for transport of rails
SB "Turbot" ballast wagon Specialist ballast wagon, that will deliver ballast to the trackbed. Can also be used to transfer plant, used ballast or scrap.
TMM Tamping machine Ballast tamper for packing ballast to make lines more durable. Numbered 771, 772, 773 and 774.

771, 772 and 773 can only be transported through deep-level tunnels in train formation. 774 is for sub-surface lines only.

WPW Well wagon Specialist flat wagon, with lowered central section to enable larger loads to be carried. All have prefix JLE. Commonly known as a 'Low Loader'.[citation needed]
LWRT Long Welded Rail Train Used for the transportation of pre welded strings of 90m rail. Consists of 4 specially modified Rail Wagons and GP wagon which is configured into the centre of the train.

Brake vans

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London Transport Flat Brake Van No. FB. 578

The London Underground has used various designs of brake van. They were used for the guard's accommodation and for braking purposes (when wagons in the train were not fitted with automatic brakes).

Two brake vans of interest were numbers FB578 and FB579. These were 'flat' brake vans, converted from flat wagons. The conversion consisted of building a small guard's compartment on one end of the flat wagon. Therefore, these wagons could be used for carrying small items, such as sleepers, in addition to their role as a brake van.

Six brake vans numbered B580–5 were built for London Transport by British Railways (BR) at the latter's Ashford Works in the early 1960s. They were built to a design which had been produced for BR since 1950 (BR Diagram 1/506 and 1/507), totalling 3588 units, and were the final examples of that design to be constructed.[1]

Stock list

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Numbers Built Converted Builder Use Notes
TLC1 1904 1948 ?/London Transport tunnel line cleaning wagon converted from BW108
TLC2 1893 1948 ?/London Transport tunnel line cleaning wagon converted from BW248
TCC1 1938 1972-77 Metro-Cammell/London Transport DM-A converted from 10226
TCC2 1938 1972-77 London Transport dust extractor car
TCC3 1938 1972-77 London Transport heavy refuse car
TCC4 1938 1972-77 London Transport dust extractor car
TCC5 1938 1972-77 Metro-Cammell/London Transport DM-D converted from 10087
BW4 1897 10-ton ballast wagon
BW12 1893 10-ton ballast wagon converted to MW518
BW21 1891 10-ton ballast wagon
BW108 1904 10-ton ballast wagon converted to TLC1
BW123 1900 10-ton ballast wagon converted to MW541
BW182 1896 10-ton ballast wagon converted to MW532
BW193 1897 10-ton ballast wagon converted to MW540
BW203 1897 10-ton ballast wagon converted to MW531
BW214 1897 10-ton ballast wagon
BW245 1897 10-ton ballast wagon
BW248 1893 10-ton ballast wagon converted to TLC2
HW201-HW222 1981 WH Davis 30-ton bogie hopper wagon
SB231-SB290 1982-88 1995 ?/ABB Group turbot wagon
F303 1907 15-ton bogie flat wagon
F304-F306 1964 10-ton 4-wheel flat wagon
F308-F309 1925 flat wagon converted to JC688/J689
F310-F315 1931 30-ton bogie flat wagon F310 converted to J691
F316-F326 1935 30-ton bogie flat wagon
F327 1935 flat wagon converted to B578
F328-F329 1935 10-ton 4-wheel flat wagon
F330 1935 flat wagon converted to B579
F331-F340 1937 30-ton bogie flat wagon
F341-F371 1951 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company 30-ton bogie flat wagon F355 permanently coupled with F351
F372-F375 1956 30-ton bogie flat wagon
F376-F377 1959 30-ton bogie flat wagon
F378-F383 1959 30-ton bogie flat wagon
F384-F391 1965 30-ton bogie flat wagon
F392-F398 1965-66 Ashford Works 30-ton bogie flat wagon
HW400-HW406 1935 20-ton hopper wagon
HW407-HW411 1938 20-ton hopper wagon
HW412-HW434 1951 20-ton hopper wagon
HW435-HW437 1965 20-ton hopper wagon
RW454-RW459 1931 20-ton rail wagon
RW460-RW465 1935 20-ton rail wagon
RW466-RW475 1937 20-ton rail wagon
RW476-RW487 1950 20-ton rail wagon
RW48-8RW489 1951 20-ton rail wagon
RW490-RW494 1958 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company 20-ton rail wagon
RW495-RW506 1965 Ashford Works 20-ton rail wagon
MW518 1893 10-ton tube match wagon converted from BW12
MW531 1897 10-ton tube match wagon converted from BW203
MW532 1896 10-ton tube match wagon converted from BW182
MW540 1897 10-ton surface match wagon converted from BW193
MW541 1900 10-ton surface match wagon converted from BW123
B555-B560 1935 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company 20-ton brake van
B578-B579 1935 18-ton brake van converted from F327/F330
B580-B585 1962 Ashford Works 20-ton brake van
C605 1925 Grafton Engineering Company steam crane
C606 1931 Ransome & Rapier steam crane
C616 1939 Butler & Company steam crane
DEC617 1955 Taylor & Hubbard diesel-electric crane
DEC618 1956 Taylor & Hubbard diesel-electric crane
C620 1926 Thomas Smith & Sons steam crane
C621 1935 Thomas Smith & Sons steam crane
DEC622 1964 Taylor & Hubbard diesel-electric crane
C623 1982 Cowans Sheldon 7.5-ton diesel crane
C624-C626 1984 Cowans Sheldon 7.5-ton diesel crane
DHC627 1986 Cowans Sheldon 10-ton twin-jib diesel crane
DHC628 1993 Cowans Sheldon 10-ton twin-jib diesel crane
G662 1906 1934 Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport surface gauging car
G663 1931 1963 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport tube gauging car converted from pre-1938 trailer 7131
TRC666 1973 1987 Metro-Cammell/London Transport track recording car converted from 514
J683 1937 1975 ?/London Transport jib carrier converted from WPW1001
J684 1931 jib carrier
JC688 1925 jib carrier converted from F308
J689 1925 jib carrier converted from F309
J691 1931 jib carrier converted from F312
TW730 1932 tank wagon
PBT761-PBT763 1966 Plasser & Theurer ballast tamping machine
PTL764 1973 Plasser & Theurer lining machine
SC765 1975 Plasser & Theurer ballast tamping machine
TMM771-TMM773 1980 Plasser & Theurer track maintenance machine
TMM774 2007 Plasser & Theurer track maintenance machine
TMM775-TMM776 2016 Matisa track maintenance machine Type B45 UE
RG802 1923 1956 Metro-Cammell/London Transport tube gauging car converted from pre-1938 trailer 75241; originally control trailer 5241
RG803 1923 1956 Metro-Cammell/London Transport tube gauging car converted from pre-1938 trailer 75245; originally control trailer 5245
RW801-RW826 1986 Procor Engineering 20-ton rail wagon
PC850-PC851 1931 1965 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport personnel carrier converted from pre-1938 trailer 7061/7063
PC852 1931 1966 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport personnel carrier converted from pre-1938 trailer 7080
PC854 1931 1966 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport personnel carrier converted from pre-1938 trailer 7158
PC855 1931 1966 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport personnel carrier converted from pre-1938 trailer 7071
PC856 1927 1972 Metro Cammell Weymann/London Transport personnel carrier converted from pre-1938 trailer 70518
HD871-HD876 1987 Procor Engineering 40-ton high-deck wagon
GP901-GP941 1985 Procor Engineering 30-ton general purpose wagon
CM950-CM955 1985 Procor Engineering cement mixer
MW956-MW960 1985 Procor Engineering match wagon
990 ballast hopper Docklands Light Railway (DLR); originally numbered 100
992 CT30 crane DLR; originally numbered 92
993 battery locomotive DLR; originally numbered 93
994 GEC-Alsthom diesel locomotive DLR; originally numbered 94
995 Ruston diesel locomotive DLR; originally numbered 95
996 flat wagon DLR; originally numbered 96
997 Freightliner flat wagon DLR; originally numbered 97
998 Freightliner 3-plank wagon DLR; originally numbered 98
999 Freightliner flat wagon DLR; originally numbered 99
WPW1000 1937 diesel generator wagon generator removed
CW1050-CW1052 1940 cable drum wagon
CW1053-CW1055 1996 Bombardier cable well wagon
98401 1988 Permaquip track maintenance machine acquired from Network SouthEast (W&C), 1994
JLE1-JLE15 1994 Bombardier general purpose wagon transferred from Jubilee Line Extension (JLE)
JLE16-JLE19 1994 Bombardier bogie well wagon transferred from JLE
JLE20-JLE23 1994 Bombardier 4-wheel cable drum wagon transferred from JLE

All data from London Underground Rolling Stock, 1st[2] through 15th[3] editions.

Preserved units

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Number Built Builder Location
BW4 1897 Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
DT81 London Underground Ltd.
DT82 London Underground Ltd.
BW214 1897 Metropolitan Railway London Transport Museum - Acton depot
F362 1951 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company London Underground Ltd.
F384 1965 Ashford Works London Underground Ltd.
HW402 1935 Swanage Railway
HW418 1951 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
HW421 1935 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Colne Valley Railway
HW426 1951 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company North Norfolk Railway
HW429 1951 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company North Norfolk Railway
HW433 1951 Lavender Line
HW435 1965 Shildon Works Isle of Wight Steam Railway
HW437 1965 Shildon Works Isle of Wight Steam Railway
RW479 1950 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company London Underground Ltd.
B557 1935 Hurst Nelson Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
B558 1935 Hurst Nelson London Underground Ltd.
B560 1935 Hurst Nelson Spa Valley Railway
FB578 1950 Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
B580 1965 Ashford Works London Underground Ltd.
B583 1965 Ashford Works London Underground Ltd.
B584 1965 Ashford Works London Underground Ltd.
B585 1965 Ashford Works London Underground Ltd.
B586 1965 Ashford Works Epping Ongar Railway
C619 1914 Cowans Sheldon Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
C621 1935 Thomas Smith & Sons Museum of London
DEC622 1964 Taylor & Hubbard Spa Valley Railway
JC689 1925/1952 /London Transport Spa Valley Railway
J690 Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
TV751 Rutland Railway Museum
PBT762 1966 Plasser & Theurer Southern Steam Trust
PTL764 Severn Valley Railway
PC850 1931/1966 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport London Underground Ltd.
PC851 1931/1966 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport London Underground Ltd.
PC855 1931/1966 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company/London Transport London Underground Ltd.
WPW1000 1938/1976 /London Transport London Underground Ltd.
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  • An engineering train composed of 'SB' wagons passes through Ruislip tube station westbound on tracks shared by the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines in July 2011. The cargo appeared to be old ballast.
    An engineering train composed of 'SB' wagons passes through Ruislip tube station westbound on tracks shared by the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines in July 2011. The cargo appeared to be old ballast.
  • Preserved 10-ton Air Braked four-wheel freight wagon F. 329.
    Preserved 10-ton Air Braked four-wheel freight wagon F. 329.
  • Brake Van B558 at Ruislip depot, modified for use as a brake test instrumentation van.
    Brake Van B558 at Ruislip depot, modified for use as a brake test instrumentation van.
  • A pair of 4xx-series 'RW' bolster wagons at Neasden, with some derelict A Stock behind.
    A pair of 4xx-series 'RW' bolster wagons at Neasden, with some derelict A Stock behind.
  • Rail wagon RW814, a bogie flat wagon for carrying rails.
    Rail wagon RW814, a bogie flat wagon for carrying rails.
  • HW429, 1951 London Underground engineering 20T hopper wagon preserved at North Norfolk Railway
    HW429, 1951 London Underground engineering 20T hopper wagon preserved at North Norfolk Railway

References

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  1. ^ Rowland, Don (1996) [1985]. British Railways Wagons: the first half million. London: Leopard. pp. 100, 182. ISBN 0-7529-0378-0.
  2. ^ Hardy, Brian (1978). London Underground Rolling Stock (1st ed.). Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. pp. 102–105. ISBN 1-85414-263-1.
  3. ^ Hardy, Brian (2002). London Underground Rolling Stock (15th ed.). Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. pp. 64–75. ISBN 0-904711-01-3.
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