23-319 London Underground 1938 Stock driving car No. 10229.
Taken on 18/03/23 and some notes based on Wikipedia, other Flickrites (acknowledged in brackets) and also based on a chat I had with a volunteer at Cranmore.
This vehicle was a London Underground 1938 Stock driving
car No. 10229. It was one of 1.121 such cars built by Metro-Cammell and Birmingham RC&W, with No. 10229 being completed in 1940. "According to Wikipedia an "...additional 173 cars were added to the fleet by the end of 1953, comprising 91 new builds (the 1949 Tube Stock), 76 conversions from Pre-1938 Tube Stock or 1935 Tube Stock, and six unconverted cars of 1935 Tube Stock, and the stock was used on the London Underground until 1988. During their long lives they worked on the Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly, East London and Central lines."
Meanwhile the former ex-Underground 1923 'Standard Tube Stock' Class 485 trains used on the isle of Wight were approaching the end of their economic working life and it was decided to purchase and refurbish 1938 stock. In 1989 16 carriages were initially refurbished at Eastleigh and formed into eight two cars units, entering service in 1990. In 1992 No. 10229 formed the A-end of an additional unit sent to the Island, numbered 483-009 (Mikey Lawlor) and a further two cars were "... also shipped to Ryde depot, although this was for spares only and was never used in passenger operation on the Island." (Wikipedia).
The final days of the 483 units on the island were beset with issues as Wikipedia records. "On 13 September 2019, South Western Railway announced that because of a "safety issue" only one of the units was able to run, which meant cancelling just under half of scheduled services and running only an hourly service on the Island Line. This reduction in service was by mid-September expected to last for approximately one month, until 14 October, but the company warned that the trains' age and increasing difficulty of getting spare parts meant it might take longer. Normal service was not restored for approximately 5 weeks, but further fleet faults brought repeated disruption through much of November. Just 3 days after the news that only one Class 483 was serviceable, on 16 September 2019 the government announced that the fleet would be replaced by five two-car Class 484s." In the case of No. 483-009 this had been relegated to the role of the Ryde shunter since 2016.
The withdrawn 483 units have attracted the interest of preservationists (despite the problems of third/fourth rail electric units running on heritage railways) and also the hospitality industry. The latter was the case with No. 10229, which I understand was purchased for use as a bar and transferred to Cranmore for a cosmetic overhaul. The result was a vehicle turned out it LT red livery but erroneously numbered 10289 after repainting (Mr. Ratty and Ian Docwra). Additionally Ian, who has an eye for detail, noted that it retains "... the electric door buttons, but with brass manual door handles fitted. The LT lettering is also too small, and is probably a bus example." Subsequently " ... unfortunately the vehicle was vandalised with mindless graffiti some time after this picture was taken. Why do we revere a certain so-called ‘artist’ who encourages such criminal behaviour?" (Glen Batten). However, a) as far as I know this was the only vehicle at Cranmore affected in this way b) the graffiti looks a little too neat to my eye and c) it seems a spooky coincidence that the graffiti artist added the words 'Dom Perignon' to a vehicle destined for a third career in hospitality. So, my thinking is that the graffiti is deliberate.
Based on the chat I had with a volunteer whilst I was at Cranmore the new owner of the carriage was declared bankrupt after the work was completed and a new buyer is/was being sought
23-319 London Underground 1938 Stock driving car No. 10229.
Taken on 18/03/23 and some notes based on Wikipedia, other Flickrites (acknowledged in brackets) and also based on a chat I had with a volunteer at Cranmore.
This vehicle was a London Underground 1938 Stock driving
car No. 10229. It was one of 1.121 such cars built by Metro-Cammell and Birmingham RC&W, with No. 10229 being completed in 1940. "According to Wikipedia an "...additional 173 cars were added to the fleet by the end of 1953, comprising 91 new builds (the 1949 Tube Stock), 76 conversions from Pre-1938 Tube Stock or 1935 Tube Stock, and six unconverted cars of 1935 Tube Stock, and the stock was used on the London Underground until 1988. During their long lives they worked on the Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly, East London and Central lines."
Meanwhile the former ex-Underground 1923 'Standard Tube Stock' Class 485 trains used on the isle of Wight were approaching the end of their economic working life and it was decided to purchase and refurbish 1938 stock. In 1989 16 carriages were initially refurbished at Eastleigh and formed into eight two cars units, entering service in 1990. In 1992 No. 10229 formed the A-end of an additional unit sent to the Island, numbered 483-009 (Mikey Lawlor) and a further two cars were "... also shipped to Ryde depot, although this was for spares only and was never used in passenger operation on the Island." (Wikipedia).
The final days of the 483 units on the island were beset with issues as Wikipedia records. "On 13 September 2019, South Western Railway announced that because of a "safety issue" only one of the units was able to run, which meant cancelling just under half of scheduled services and running only an hourly service on the Island Line. This reduction in service was by mid-September expected to last for approximately one month, until 14 October, but the company warned that the trains' age and increasing difficulty of getting spare parts meant it might take longer. Normal service was not restored for approximately 5 weeks, but further fleet faults brought repeated disruption through much of November. Just 3 days after the news that only one Class 483 was serviceable, on 16 September 2019 the government announced that the fleet would be replaced by five two-car Class 484s." In the case of No. 483-009 this had been relegated to the role of the Ryde shunter since 2016.
The withdrawn 483 units have attracted the interest of preservationists (despite the problems of third/fourth rail electric units running on heritage railways) and also the hospitality industry. The latter was the case with No. 10229, which I understand was purchased for use as a bar and transferred to Cranmore for a cosmetic overhaul. The result was a vehicle turned out it LT red livery but erroneously numbered 10289 after repainting (Mr. Ratty and Ian Docwra). Additionally Ian, who has an eye for detail, noted that it retains "... the electric door buttons, but with brass manual door handles fitted. The LT lettering is also too small, and is probably a bus example." Subsequently " ... unfortunately the vehicle was vandalised with mindless graffiti some time after this picture was taken. Why do we revere a certain so-called ‘artist’ who encourages such criminal behaviour?" (Glen Batten). However, a) as far as I know this was the only vehicle at Cranmore affected in this way b) the graffiti looks a little too neat to my eye and c) it seems a spooky coincidence that the graffiti artist added the words 'Dom Perignon' to a vehicle destined for a third career in hospitality. So, my thinking is that the graffiti is deliberate.
Based on the chat I had with a volunteer whilst I was at Cranmore the new owner of the carriage was declared bankrupt after the work was completed and a new buyer is/was being sought