1938 tube stock train opens London Heathrow Terminal 4

A 1938 tube stock special train arrives at Heathrow Terminal 4 station in April 1986, shortly before it opened to the public.
@ 4:05 the same train passes Ruislip depot on route to West Ruislip. All footage here by NHG Mitchell.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• 1938 tube stock
• London
• Underground
• vintage
• metro
• train
• platforms
• railway
• Heathrow
• airport
• Terminal 4
• Ruislip
• depot

[metadyneman]

the 1938 EHO stock seen at Ruislip I'm guessing were waiting to be dispatched for scrap?

[Yolticat]

@metadyneman Either that or it could have been one of the five units eventually destined for the Northern line. I think those started running sometime in 1986, so this was a period with no 1938 stock running.

[bengo940]

Were no ticket barriers in outer London tube stations a norm in 1986?

[Yolticat]

@bengo940 At that time there were not barriers but just manual checks with ticket collectors at the exits.

[bengo940]

@Yolticat seriously, even in Central London. What year was the ticket barrier introduced to London Underground, the old ticket barriers look like they came out before the 90's

[Yolticat]

@bengo940 The current UTS gates must have been in at least 10 years now. There were automatic gates in the 1970s but I don't remember when they came out of service, probably during 1980s sometime I guess. Even in Central London there was a long period of no gates there.

[metadyneman]

@Yolticat True, although Ruislip was usually the place where redundant LU tube stock was dispatched due to it's close proximity to BR metals. I remember seeing Trains made up of class 37s barrier wagons and long lines of withdrawn 1938 stock trundling down the WR main line at Hanwell. Was a sad sight.

[bengo940]

@Yolticat thanks for the info, i'm guessing the original UTS gates probably came out in the mid or early 90's as the JLE extension stations don't have the oldest looking UTS gates and definitely not the newest types.