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London Underground G Stock

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G Stock
G/Q23 stock at the London Transport Museum in 2009
In service1923–1971
ManufacturerGRC&W
Specifications
Car length49 ft 2 in (14.99 m)
Width9 ft 0+116 in (2.745 m)
Height12 ft 3+12 in (3.747 m)
Weight33.6 long tons (34.1 t; 37.6 short tons)
Seating44
Notes/references
London transport portal

The G Stock were 50 electric multiple unit train carriages built for the District Railway in 1923 by Gloucester RC&W.[1] They operated on the District line of the London Underground until 1971 (with most cars being withdrawn in the early 1960s).

Construction

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The G Stock was built to allow the scrapping of some of wooden-built B Stock trailer cars which were in poor condition. Some steel-framed B Stock motor cars were converted to trailers, themselves being replaced by new G Stock motorcars. The G Stock consisted entirely of motor cars, all built with a clerestory roof similar in style to the B Stock with which they would work.

Q Stock

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In 1938, forty-eight of these cars were rebuilt when the District line was standardising its post-1923 stock and were reclassified as Q23 Stock.[2] A major part of the Q Stock project was the replacement of the potentially dangerous manually operated sliding doors (which could be opened by passengers between stations) with air operated doors controlled by the guard.[3]

South Acton shuttle

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The two remaining cars were rebuilt into single cars for use on the South Acton shuttle, replacing a B Stock car. These two cars, numbered 4167 and 4176, were not rebuilt into Q Stock and were classified G23 Stock.[2]

In 1965, several cars were renumbered by adding 100 to the number to avoid conflicting numbers with the 1967 Stock being built for the Victoria line.

Withdrawal

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The majority of the cars were withdrawn in the early 1960s as CO/CP Stock trains transferred from the Metropolitan line started to become available. The last of the Q Stock was withdrawn in 1971.

Two driving motors have been preserved.

References

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  1. ^ Green, Oliver (2019). London's Underground. White Lion Publishing. p. 107. ISBN 9780711240131.
  2. ^ a b Long, David (2010). The Little Book of the London Underground. History Press. p. 83. ISBN 9780752462363.
  3. ^ "Railway vehicle; LER Q23-stock driving motor car, No. 4184, 1923". London Transport Museum. Retrieved 9 December 2021.