London Underground G Stock
| G Stock | |
|---|---|
 G/Q23 stock at the London Transport Museum in 2009 | |
| In service | 1923–1971 |
| Manufacturer | GRC&W |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 49 ft 2 in (14.99 m) |
| Width | 9 ft 0+1⁄16 in (2.745 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 3+1⁄2 in (3.747 m) |
| Weight | 33.6 long tons (34.1 t; 37.6 short tons) |
| Seating | 44 |
| 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by Gloucester RC&W.[1] They operated on the District line of the London Underground until 1971 (with most cars being withdrawn in the early 1960s).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
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
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
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
The majority of the cars were withdrawn in the early 1960s as CO/CP Stock trains transferred from the Metropolitan line started to become available. The last of the Q Stock was withdrawn in 1971.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.
- DM no. 4184 - London Transport Museum, Acton
- DM no. 4248 - London Transport Museum, Covent Garden
References
- ^ Green, Oliver (2019). London's Underground. White Lion Publishing. p. 107. ISBN 9780711240131.
- ^ a b Long, David (2010). The Little Book of the London Underground. History Press. p. 83. ISBN 9780752462363.
- ^ "Railway vehicle; LER Q23-stock driving motor car, No. 4184, 1923". London Transport Museum. Retrieved 9 December 2021.