Forum Topic

Last 'silver' train on the Tube tonight

For any train anoraks out there ...The last unpainted aluminium train on London Underground runs tonight on the District Line before being shipped to Wakefield for refurbishment.  Changing fashions and the scourge of graffiti have put an end to the 'silver' unpainted trains, which spread to all lines from 1952 onwards.  Here's the last one at Chiswick Park this evening:If anyone is desperate to see it one last time (and I'm not), it'll be passing through Turnham Green at about20:53 (westbound to Richmond)21:23 (eastbound to Upminster)00:11 (westbound to Ealing Broadway, where it arrives at 00:22)

Richard Jennings ● 6803d5 Comments

These District Line carriages are beautiful - so sad they're going.  :-(

Gerry Tan ● 6803d

Wrong size wheels, single leaf doors.Nice to look at but bad riding and slow to load/unload.Aluminium rots and that's one of the reasons to paint them.I never understood LT's logic for having unpainted trains because of the weight of paint! Really. They suggested several tons of paint were on each train. But most of that is solvent and would have evaporated.

Alan Brainsby ● 6803d

"These District Line carriages are beautiful"Actually I prefer them in their new clothes:

Richard Jennings ● 6803d

Yes, very nice new District Line colours Richard.But I still prefer the simplicity of the old silver clothes.

Gerry Tan ● 6803d

I liked the "Train Red" of the 1950s/60s. The maroon electric locos and teak coaches of the MET were quite attractive.I wonder what the early Central Line trains looked like in their chocolate and cream colours? Brown and yellow, I suppose.

Alan Brainsby ● 6803d