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1956 TUBE STOCK Before mass production of the 1959 Stock, several 1956 Tube Stock units were built as prototypes by Birmingham RC&W , Gloucester RC&W and Metro-Cammell . These units were tested on the Piccadilly Line, and remained in service after production trains were introduced. In latter life they were transferred to the Northern Line, but were replaced as non-standard by 1962 Stock cascaded from the Central Line in 1995. Planning for the stock began in the late 1940s, as the Standard (pre-1938) stock running on the Central and Piccadily Lines was approaching thirty years old and becoming due for replacement. Originally the replacement was to be called 1952 Tube Stock, but financial constraints meant that the prototypes were only available in 1957, with the production run in 1959. When the 1952 Stock was conceived, it had been planned that the trains would be painted red. But in the early 1950s, London Underground had started constructing trains out of lighter aluminium alloy rather than steel: the later District Line R Stock trains being unpainted. This unpainted exterior was adopted for the prototype 1956 stock and production 1959/62 stock and the interors were given a blue and grey colour scheme to match. 1959 TUBE STOCK The 1959 Stock entered service on the Piccadily Line, but most 1959 units were drafted to the Central Line as that line's pre-1938 stock was becoming very unreliable. The Central Line's version of the 1959 stock, the 1962 stock, later took over. The Piccadily Line extension to Heathrow , which opened in the early 1970s, coincided with the introduction of new 1973 Stock . Therefore, the majority of the 1959 Stock was transferred to the Northern Line in 1975-1979. When new, the 1959/1962 stock was seen as distinctive because of the clean 'silver' exterior. Over the years however the trains' unpainted exterior became jaded and dirty. The blue and grey interior dated quickly. Stylistically the 1959/62 stock looked worn, but without the aesthetic red and green charm or old-fashioned thirties ambience of the more celebrated 1938 stock. In the 1980s the 1959 stock temporarily provided the Bakerloo Line service. By the mid 1990s these units were ageing, and were in need of works attention. By now, all remaining 1959 Stock was concentrated on the Northern Line. Minor refurbishment of the stock took place, painting the blue/grey interiors white and raplacing some of the seat moquettes. It was done in a haphazard manner; the white interiors becoming very dirty inside by 1998. With a failiure rate of 1 in 3,000 km the 1959 Stock was in urgent need of replacement. New trains in the form of 1995 Stock were built as replacements for both the 1959 stock and the 30 trains of 1972 stock also operating on the Northern. Originally it had been planned to keep the 1972 stock running with the new trains, with the same extensive refurishment as done to the 1972 stock on the Bakerloo Line, but after one trial refurbishment of a Northern Line 1972 stock carriage it was decided that it would be more cost-effective in the long run to have the line operated by one type of train only. Withdrawal of the 1959 Stock was a drawn-out affair, and when the last example was withdrawn on 27 January 2000 , it was the only remaining tube train to be crewed with a motorman and a guard. One unit was repainted in "heritage" red and cream livery in 1990 to commemorate the line's 100th anniversary. The 1959/62 Tube stock to some extent is an uncelebrated train. It was reliable and did its job, but ultimately was overshadowed by both the classic design of its predecessor (1938 stock) and the innovations of the later 1967 Tube stock. It is to be seen whether in future years railway writers and enthusiasts will come to view it as a 'classic' train, as opposed to merely an old train. Several vehicles have been preserved, including one complete 4-car unit (1304), which is presently stored at several different locations. The complete list is shown below.
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