London Underground A60 and A62 Stock
Metropolitan line A Stock train atChorleywood in 2012
The interior of a refurbished A Stock car
In service	12 June 1961 – 26 September 2012
Manufacturer	Cravens[1]
Built at	Sheffield,England[1]
Replaced	T Stock F Stock P Stock 1938 Stock
Constructed	1960–1962
Entered service	1961–1963
Refurbished	Adtranz (atDerby Litchurch Lane Works)[1] 1994–1998
Scrapped	1987/1994/2011–2012/2018
Number built	58 trains
Number preserved	1 car
Number scrapped	57 trains + 6 cars
Successor	S8 Stock Class 378
Formation	DM-T-T-DM (per unit)
Fleet numbers	DM: 5000-5233 T: 6000-6233
Capacity	DM: 54 seats + 4tip-up seats T: 58 seats
Operators	London Underground
Depots	Neasden
Lines served	Metropolitan East London
Specifications
Car body construction	Aluminium
Train length	212 ft (64.62 m) (4 cars)
Car length	53 ft .5 in (16.2 m)
Width	9 ft 8 in (2.9 m)
Height	12 ft 1 in (3.7 m)
Entry	Level
Doors	DM: two double and one single T: three double
Wheel diameter	3 ft (914 mm)
Maximum speed	70 mph (110 km/h)
Weight	DM: 32.1 t (31.6 long tons; 35.4 short tons) T: 21.8 t (21.5 long tons; 24.0 short tons)
Traction system	Pneumatic camshaft resistance control (Associated Electrical Industries)[1]
Traction motors	Type LT114 300VDC series-wound motor (GEC @Witton)[1]
Transmission	17:74 ratio
Auxiliaries	Motor-Alternator-Rectifier MG3005 (Associated Electrical Industries)[1]
Electric system(s)	630 V DCfourth rail
Current collection	Contact shoe
UIC classification	Bo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge

TheLondon Underground A60 and A62 Stock,^[2] commonly referred to asA Stock, was a type of sub-surface rolling stock which operated on theMetropolitan line of theLondon Underground from 12 June 1961^[3][4][5] to 26 September 2012, and on theEast London line from 1977 until 22 December 2007, when it closed to be converted intoLondon Overground (except in 1986, whenone-man operation conversion of the fleet took place).

The stock was built in two batches (A60 and A62) byCravens ofSheffield in the early 1960s, and replaced all other trains on the line.

At the time of its withdrawal in September 2012, the stock was the oldest on the Underground, having been in service for over 50 years. It was the only stock to have luggage racks, umbrella hooks and separate power and braking controls, and the last stock not to feature any automated announcements.

The design was formulated by W. S. Graff-Baker of theLondon Passenger Transport Board, as part of the electrification of theMetropolitan line fromRickmansworth toAmersham andChesham under the 1935–1940New Works Programme.^[6]

Initial plans for a new Metropolitan line fleet proposed 23 eight-car trains to be reformed from the later builds ofT Stock, and a February 1939 internal document alternatively suggested equipping them with air-worked doors, but the start of theSecond World War brought the scheme to a halt.^[7]

Upon revisiting the plans in 1944, construction began on a test car shell, numbered 17000, atActon Works with a wide profile, threesliding double-doorways and painted in London Transport red livery. It was mounted on a T Stock trailer underframe andDistrict line type K2 bogies, with the air-operated doors worked by an additionalguard in the adjacent coupled coach.^[7] As a compromise between efficient practices of slam-door stock and increased room and safety of sliding-door trains, the interior layout featured a central seating aisle with side corridors and a central partition.^[8]

Trailer car 17000 was put into service in January 1946, coupled within a T Stock unit.^[7] Public reaction was negative, owing to the seats not being abutted to any windows with the side corridors present. A second prototype car of a similar profile (numbered 20000) was constructed and entered service in June 1947, this time with two double-doorways, a central corridor and pairs of side seats. 17000 had its interior rebuilt to match 20000 in November 1949 and was renumbered 17001. The two trailer cars remained permanently coupled until their withdrawal from service in 1953.^[9]

A mock-up driving motor car was also constructed at Acton Works in 1950 based on the prototype T Stock cars. It featured circular windows and a rounder body profile, matching that of the1938 Stock.^[7][10][11]

With electrification recommencing in 1959, London Transport placed an order with Cravens of Sheffield for 31 four-car trains to replace both T Stock on services toWatford and Rickmansworth, and locomotive-hauled services to destinations north of Rickmansworth. These trains were designated asA Stock to mark the electrification of the Metropolitan line toAmersham. As such, the earlier batch were referred as theA60 Stock. The first units, 5004 and 5008, entered service to Watford in June 1961.^[3][4][5] London Transport later ordered an additional 27A62 Stock trains; these were introduced between 1961 and 1963 to replaceF andP Stocks on theUxbridge branch. By December 1963, the roll-out was complete.^[12]

Four-car units were also used on theEast London line (initially a branch of the Metropolitan line) from 1977 until 2007, when the line closed to become part of theLondon Overground network,^[12] trains traversing empty between New Cross andNeasden Depot.

To avoid hauling under-utilised carriages, eight-car trains were divided into their component four-car units at the end of the peak hours, with one unit often stabled. At the start of the peak hours, single units would be coupled to create a longer train. Although this practice was discontinued across the Underground network upon the A Stock's introduction, their capabilities of carrying shorter units prolonged the operation. From June 1962, decouplings were scheduled at Uxbridge, Watford or Rickmansworth in the platforms, and at Amersham in the sidings.^[13]

The practice was discontinued after the 1980 summer season; with exception for theChalfont & Latimer–Chesham shuttle and East London line, which was always required four-car units anyway; since it had become an operational nuisance, with uncoupling usually being cancelled during the winter as it was hazardous in leaf-fall and icy conditions. This also greatly simplified subsequent rolling stock modifications to equip controls forone person operation since the inner car cabs would not need to be converted.^[14][15]

Beginning in 1987, overhauls at Neasden depot saw seven A Stock units having their roofs painted in maroon while a further three were painted in red. Some units had names painted on the cab fronts but this was short-lived due to management objections.^[16] In 1989 two A Stock units were fitted with different interiors and repainted into corporate liveries to gauge public opinion prior to refurbishment of the entire fleet.^[17]

Commencing between 1994 and 1997, the A Stock trains were refurbished byAdtranz atDerby Litchurch Lane Works, which saw new interiors fitted, car end windows installed, new moquette sewn, the corporate livery being applied and suspension improved.^[14][18] At the time of refurbishment, the Metropolitan line had a low priority for receiving new trains.^[19] When built it had a top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) (world's fastest fourth-rail train), but following refurbishment it was restricted to 50 mph (80 km/h) to improve reliability.

The stock was a compromise between the needs of longer-distance "outer suburban" passengers on the outer reaches of the line and short-distance "urban" passengers over the heavily usedCircle andHammersmith & City lines. For this reason, thetrailer cars have three sets of doors per car.

A distinctive feature was the use of transverse seating only, uncommon on the Underground. This is because it was designed for journeys which might last over an hour. Most of the seating was of the high-capacity transverse 2+3 arrangement.^[14] Four tip-up seats were provided at the rear of the driving motor.^[20] Despite each 8-car train seating 448 passengers,^[18] the stock provided fewer seats than the locomotive-hauled and T stock trains that they replaced, but more seats than theS Stock which started to replace them from 31 July 2010.

The A Stock had luggage racks and umbrella hooks, the only Underground stock to have these features, despite their presence on most contemporaryBritish Rail stock. The A stock were the last subsurface trains built with headlights positioned on the left side of the cab giving them an asymmetrical appearance. They also had three tail lights positioned underneath the cab, although one was removed during refurbishment.

A60 and A62 Stocks were nearly identical in appearance. The most significant differences were the border around the destination window on A62 motor cars and the make ofcompressor under the trailer cars: A60 stock used theWestinghouse DHC 5A, A62 cars the Reavell TBC 38Z.^[21]

At 9 ft 8 in (2.9 m), they were the Underground's widest trains.^[22]

In addition to the Metropolitan line, A Stock was permitted to traverse the following sections, subject to the following restrictions:^[23]

Cars had a four-digit number. The first digit identified the type of car (driver or trailer), the last three digits the set (000 to 231).

In further detail:

^ operational DM
† Renumbered
+ Replaced/formed with a renumbered car

A60 Stock reached 50 years of service on 12 June 2011.^[25] The age of the stock made spare parts more difficult to obtain and vehicles had to becannibalised to keep the rest of the stock in operation.^{[citation needed]}

S8 Stock replaced the stock, with the first unit introduced on 31 July 2010.^[26] This is similar to the S7 Stock for the District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines; the main differences are the layout and number of seats and the provision of twosand hoppers for each rail due to the different conditions at the country end of the line.^[27] On 9 October 2010, the first eight cars of A Stock were sent for scrap, units 5197 and 5173. Both units had been out of service for several months after suffering from technical faults. Main withdrawal began on 20 January 2011, with units 5006+5179 being sent to the CF Booths of Rotherham for scrapping.^{[citation needed]}

In February 2012, theLondon Transport Museum began offering luggage racks from withdrawn A Stock for sale.^[28]

The last train ran in passenger service on 26 September 2012, formed of 5034 + 5062.^[29] The same train was used on 29 September 2012 for the final ticket-only railtour, organised by the London Transport Museum. It ran from Moorgate along the entire Metropolitan line, including Watford, Amersham, Aldgate, Uxbridge, Chesham and the Watford North curve. The tour ended at Wembley Park: on the final stretch from Finchley Road, the train was unofficially recorded at 74 mph. One of the driving motor cars, 5034, was part of the first (as 5008) and also the last A Stock train, giving it a life of over 51 years. It was sent to Northwood sidings on 8 October 2012 and loaded onto lorries for disposal. The historical age and significance of No.5034 saw it taken to the Acton Museum Depot for preservation but vehicle 5062 was scrapped.

The stock survived in engineering use as aRail Adhesion Train until March 2018, when it too was scrapped, giving the stock a total life of 57 years. It had been last used in December 2017, when it had developed a fault and repairs were deemed unnecessary, as it was planned to be scrapped after the end of the year anyway, being replaced by a D78 stock unit.^[30]

The night of 24 May 2018 was the final time an A stock unit ran under its own power on the London Underground network. Set 5234/6234/6235/5235 worked train 710 from Neasden Depot to Ealing Common Depot. The set was subsequently removed from the adjacent London Transport Museum depot at Acton Town by road for disposal on 17 and 18 July 2018.

• Mugridge, Peter (8 August 2012). "Tube's A-listers bow out".RAIL. No. 702. Bauer Media Group. pp. 54–59.ISSN 0953-4563.
• Underground News. London Underground Railway Society.ISSN 0306-8617.{{cite magazine}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)

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