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1973 tube stock

This page was last updated on 19 February 2002, and
selected alteration & addition was made on 22 February 2005

An unrefurbished train arrives at King's Cross St. Pancras with a service for Heathrow (28 June 1999)

History & description

The 1973 tube stock was built specifically for the Piccadilly Line, where it replaced the 1959 stock and has been running for the past 25 years; its delivery neatly co-incided with the opening in 1977 of the extension from Hounslow West to Heathrow Airport (the station was Heathrow Central, and is now called "Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3"). It features longer cars than seen on previous types, and the trains are made of two 3-car units giving greater simplicity. It was the first stock on the Underground to do away with the Westinghouse Automatic Brake: it has no brake pipe, instead it has a "round-train safety circuit" which is connected to things such as the tripcock, deadman device, control governer, et cetera.

All of the fleet has now been thoroughly refurbished at Bombadier Prorail in Horbury, Wakefield; among the improvements are the painting of the exterior in LU corporate livery (previously this stock was finished in bare aluminium), re-working the car interiors completely, and fitting a new passenger detrainment system in the cab ends. The final unrefurbished train in passenger service was Train 357, formed by units 860+251 in the morning of Monday 21 August 2000; it is presumed to have been exchanged during the day as it was officially "stopped" the same day. The last re-entry into service following refurbishment was unit 894 on 10 July 2001.

At one minute to nine on a fine Sunday summer morning, a westbound unrefurbished train approaches Ravenscourt Park; it will shortly rush through the platforms to its next stop at Hammersmith. Date: 2 August 1998.

The same location (exactly!), minutes earlier, a refurbished train is seen; the metal bars either side of the cab front door ("M" door) form the handrails for a fold-out set of steps which fits beneath the door: the dot which appears on the bodywork above the driver's window is a lamp for illuminating the emergency passenger detrainment steps.

On a summer Saturday afternoon, an eastbound train formed of refurbished stock is calling at South Harrow, having originated at Uxbridge, Ruislip or Rayner's Lane. Extra platform length can be seen in the foreground, originally provided in 1903 by the Ealing & South Harrow Railway, and since proven surplus to requirements. (Saturday 1 May 1999)

Roger Viggers adds:

When built the platforms did not extend all the way to Northolt Road, the building at the front end of the present platform was the booking office etc.

The platform extensions, stairs and new booking hall were built in the 1930s and the stopping point for trains moved closer rendering the original platform length surplus. The original station building then became the Station Manager's office and traincrew accommodation.

Interior transformation

Above: The general design appears to owe much to the 1967 stock, with long dual-glazed windows in the saloons and wrap-around windows in the cabs. However, these cars are longer and have enlarged "stand-back" areas around the doorways; yellow labels visible above indicate that baggage should be placed there. Whether foreign travellers just flown into Heathrow agree with the security aspects of this is questionable. The photo shows a DM car prior to refurbishment, featuring blue/green seating moquette, transverse seats in the centre section, slatted maple-wood flooring, grey bobble strap-hangers, sinister-looking roof-fan grilles, and a mix of "dove grey" paint and slightly drab yellow laminate decor.

On refurbishment, the entire insides of the trains were gutted and a fresh start made. Unfortunately sunlight has made this view less clear than would be ideal, but the catalogue of changes can still be seen:

• Longitudinal seating throughout, with a new moquette design;
• Perch seats in part of the centre area, creating further luggage room;
• Piccadilly-Line colour-coordinated hand and grab bars in the seating areas (in place of straphangers), but with yellow grab rails in the doorways to assist partially-sighted users;
• New floor material (no doubt more fire-retardant and designated as non-slip);
• Brighter and more diffuse lighting, and pleasant enclosures for the ceiling fans;
• Car-end windows either side of the communicating door, and narrower draught screens.

Both photos were taken at/near Cockfosters, on Friday 21 May 1999.

In the driving cab

The cab interior of brand newly refurbised unit 168 (+145), which had in fact come direct from Ruislip (and Wakefield) to Steam On The Met 1999's rolling stock display at Rickmansworth, without entering service first. Despite the provision of apparently more comfortable and spacious surroundings for the driver, the opinion generally seems to be that the unrefurbished cabs were preferred. Note the distinctive tapered wrap-around driving window, seen from this unusual perspective.

At extreme right, with the yellow key in the top, is the selector switch; this is used to select forward, reverse, (automatic is not connected!), a test mode and to shut the train down. The deadman's handle is in the centre of the picture, where the driver's left hand would be; its proper name is the Traction Brake Controller. The driver rotates it towards him to select Shunt, Series or Parallel motoring, and moves it away from him to select Coast, Hold, three rates of braking and Emergency, plus a Shutdown position. On the desk are door and whistle controls, and an automatic announcer system controlled by the box on the wall. Out of shot to the right is the front door of the train, with a Public Address / Radio handset mounted nearby. The recess nearest the camera is a drinks-holder.

Emergency detrainment system

The refurbishment of the 1973 stock incorporated the first example of an entirely re-thought means of providing an emergency exit via the front and/or rear of Underground trains. Earlier arrangements consisted of a little wooden fold-up Emergency Ladder that is stowed under a seat in the passenger saloon (cantrail marking "EL"!), and this would be hooked into position; it had to be descended facing backwards.

The refurbished 1973 stock has a ladder with handrails which is integral to the cab-front, with the steps sliding under the cab floor and the handrails folding up against the front of the train; passengers can now be led directly out of the train with a handrail to hold on to. At top right is a lamp for illuminating the emergency detrainment procedure, and at the extreme ends of the solebar are a further two low-voltage lights for the same purpose. Other features visible include the yellow calling-on light (above the other cab window), and the yellow TripCock Isolating Cock (TCIC) on the left of the solebar, in the "cut in" position.