T Stock

The T Stock was originally built in various batches by Metropolitan-Vickers and the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company for the Metropolitan Railway in 1927-31 for use on electric services from Baker Street and the City to Watford and Rickmansworth, though rarely some worked on the Uxbridge branch.

The earlier batches were built from wood and sandwiched trailers of 1898-1923 vintage, however later batches were steel in construction and worked with new built trailers. As built the group has some variations in equipment, mostly to allow use with existing stock such as the Saloon and Ashbury trailers and leading to incompatibilities within the class, however upon transfer the London Transport this was rectified and the entire fleet largely standardized about 1938.

T stock never ran to Aylesbury, though latterly worked to Chesham and Amersham after electrification. Prior to this, trains destined to beyond Rickmansworth were hauled by Metropolitan Vickers Bo-Bo electric locomotives as far as Rickmansworth, where a changeover to steam traction occurred.

These electric multiple unit trains had slam doors with rounded tops, thought to be less prone to damage if accidentally opened in the tunnels north of Baker Street.

In late 1945 coach 2752 was rebuilt as experimental air-door trailer 17000, employing an unusual seating layout with gangways on both sides of the car. In June 1947 a second experimental unit (20000, converted from 2707) entered service. The air doors were controlled from driving trailer 6727, to which the two were permanently coupled. In 1949 17000 was modified with a conventional centre gangway and renumbered 17001. The two cars were withdrawn in 1953, their work as prototypes for the A60 Stock being completed.undefined

The 'T' stock was replaced from 1961 by the A60 and A62 Stock, with the final train running on 5 October 1962.

In 1961, two withdrawn driving motors were converted to sleet locomotives. These were numbered ESL118Aundefined and ESL118Bundefined, having previously been 2758 and 2749 respectively. After withdrawal, both units were preserved, eventually locating at the Spa Valley Railway but now moved to Quainton.