Opened in late 1890, the City & South London Railway was the world’s first deep level tube railway. The commercial success of CSLR influenced the LSWR over its Waterloo & City tube line leading in turn to the adoption of low voltage dc surface electrification. Originally the CSLR was worked by small four wheel electric locomotives of which 52 locomotives were built. One of the original batch of fourteen locomotives built c.1889 by Mather & Platt is preserved and today is part of the London Transport collection. This machine is numbered “1” but is known not to be the original No.1.

In 1922/23 the Metropolitan Railway placed in traffic twenty 1200 hp BoBo electric locomotives. Of these two, No.5 “John Hampden” and No.12 “Sarah Siddons” survive. Two different types of BoBo locomotive had been in operation from 1906. 1-10 were of British Westinghouse built centre cab design and 11-20 of a box-car type by BTH. In 1918 the Metropolitan Railway authorised rebuilding of these. After one of each type, no.6 and no.17, it became clear construction of new locomotives would be more cost effective due to substantial underframe strengthening required. The replacements were built by Metropolitan Vickers again to a box design but of less severe lines.

At the end of regular locomotive hauled operations in 1962, four of the remaining fifteen machines were transferred to departmental use. 1 and 3 were subsequently broken up but 5 became a static museum exhibit in todays London Transport collection. 12 continues in LU operation having been motive power for test trains and more recently special traffic. 12 has in the past been traction for railtours operated by the Southern Electric Group. 12 remains in full working order.

In 1967 BR transferred former London underground tube cars to the Isle of Wight. These were of the type generally known as “standard” tube stock and survived in BR use until 1990. 6 cars–2, 7, 26, 27, 44 and 49–were returned to the mainland earmarked for preservation and now owned by London Underground Limited 2 and 7 are driving motor cars built 1931/32 by Metropolitan Cammell, 26 and 27 driving trailers of 1925 from the same builder, and cars 44 and 49 trailer seconds built by Cammell Laird in 1924. In addition car driving motor car 19 remains on the Isle of Wight preserved by the IOW Steam Railway. All were supplied new to the London Electric Railway.

Other “standard” or pre-1938 tube stock of similar types survive in preservation although the actual cars did not run on the Isle of Wight. LT 3327 is in the Science Museum Kensington, London. Motor ends of LT cars 3080 and 3109 were spliced together in 1964 by LT to form BoBo depot shunting locomotive L11 which was taken out of use only recently. The pre-1938 trains on the Isle of Wight were themselves replaced on the island by 1938 type trains in 1990. Although the Island Lines 1938 trains remain in service, LT car 11182 of this type forms part of the London Transport collection alongside LT District Line Q23 surface car 4248.

Details of preserved 1938 stock will appear here.

Details of preserved 1959/62 stock will appear here.

Details of preserved 1960 stock will appear here.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of these details the SEG and its contributors cannot be held responsible for errors and omissions.  You are invited to inform the webmaster if you notice any errors and omissions so that we can make this information as accurate as possible.

PRESERVATION INDEX