London Underground 1960 Stock - Background

Background

London Transport has a history of building small batches of prototype trains in order to try out ideas, prior to building a large production run of new trains. Thus in 1935, four six-car trains were supplied by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company, which were used as a test-bed for ideas which would be incorporated into the later 1938 stock, while in 1986, three trains, each of four cars and built by different manufacturers, were ordered with subsequent larger orders in mind. The 1960 stock was part of a similar solution, and consisted of twelve motor cars, built by Cravens of Sheffield, incorporating a number of features which it was anticipated would form the basis for a major batch of vehicles to replace the pre-1938 stock then in use on the Central Line. If the plan had proceeded, a further 338 motor cars would have been built. However, assessment of the new features took longer than the time available, and the Central Line refurbishment was achieved using 1962 stock, which was based on the previous batch of 1959 stock. Many of the design features of the 1960 stock were eventually incorporated into the 1967 stock built for the opening of the Victoria Line.