London Underground 1900/1903 Stock

The 1900 Tube Stock were originally built as trailers for use with electric locomotives. This type of London Underground train was the original rolling stock built for the Central London Railway (CLR, now the Central line).

1900 Tube Stock
168 cars were built, 143 were built by the Ashbury Railway Carriage & Iron Company in Saltley, England and the remaining 25 by Brush Electric Engineering Company in Loughborough, England.

Due to serious problems with vibration (as well as rapid technical advances), the electric locomotives were replaced with driving motor cars in 1903. Some of the trailer cars were rebuilt into control trailers. The controls were placed on the open platform and no shelter was provided for the driver.

1903 Tube Stock
By 1903, the CLR was forced to abandon its locomotive haulage because of the heavy wear on the tracks and the excessive vibration and noise transmitted into the buildings on the surface. The same carriage stock was used, with motor cars added at either end of the train.

A total of 64 motor cars were built, 40 from Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon in Smethwick, England and the remaining 24 by Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage & Wagon in Saltley, England.

Air doors
In 1912, experiments were made with additional centre doors, also operated by the gatemen, to expedite loading and unloading. This stock continued to run as Gate Stock until the mid 1920s, when the gates began to be replaced by air-operated doors. Considerable reconstruction and refurbishment of each car was required; the work was undertaken by the Union Construction Company at Feltham.

When the CLR passed with the rest of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London to the newly formed London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) in 1933, plans were put in hand to convert its 3 rail electrical system to the systems standard 4 rail system. At the same time the stations were to be enlarged to take 8 car trains of "Standard Stock" and extensions to the line pushed far out into the London suburbs.

Withdrawal
Starting in September 1938, the 1903 Stock was retired from service, with the last run in regular service being on 10 June 1939. A farewell special was run on 12 July 1939. Afterwards, 36 of the cars were rebuilt into 18 sleet locomotives, numbered ESL100-ESL117. The driving ends of each car were joined to make one double-ended vehicle. one of these trains can be found at the London Transport Museum Acton Depot.