London Underground C69 and C77 Stock

Infobox Underground stock


name=C69/C77 Stock
InService=1970-present (C69)
1978-present (C77)
Manufacturer=Metro-Cammell
LinesServed=Circle
District
Hammersmith & City
CarLength=DM 16.03 m
T 14.94 m
CarWidth=2.92 m
CarHeight=3.68 m
Weight=DM 31.70 tonnes
T 20.2 tonnes
SubsurfaceStock=true

C Stock is the name given to the trains currently running on London Underground's Circle and Hammersmith & City lines as well as on the District Line between Edgware Road and Wimbledon. They are maintained at Hammersmith Depot.

They were built in Birmingham by Metro-Cammell and delivered in two batches, known as C69 (1969-70) (35 trains) and C77 (1978) (eleven trains). The C77 Stock was purchased for the District Line's Edgware Road to Wimbledon service, which is unable to use the District Line's D Stock because of short platforms between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road. The first C Stock train entered service on the Hammersmith and City Line in September 1970 and on the Circle Line in February 1971.

There are four sets of double doors per car side. When originally delivered, the cars were divided by partitions adjacent to each set of doors, with 2 facing pairs of transverse seats on each side of the aisle, giving them a claustrophobic feel and limited standing room. The partition wall contained a large backlit advertising space above the aisle opening. When the stock was refurbished in the early 1990s, all these features were removed. Each car now features 4 seats against the sidewalls between each door, creating a much wider aisle.

Each six car train consists of 3 semi-permanently coupled two-car units, each of which features a cab at one end. This means all trains have three cabs. They are all painted in the London Underground corporate livery.

These trains will be replaced in the period of 2013-2016 by the new S stock which is entering service on the Metropolitan Line.

Announcer system

The C Stock trains are fitted with an automated announcer system which uses the same style of Emma Clarke's voice as the D78 stock. An example of the regular voice patterns on each of the 3 lines are as follows:

"This is Bayswater. This is a Circle Line train, via High Street Kensington and Victoria."

"This is Goldhawk Road. This is a Hammersmith and City Line train to Barking."

"This is Wimbledon Park.This is a District Line train to Edgware Road"

In December 2007, the Digital Voice Announcer (DVA) changed slightly to include St Pancras International and London Overground; however Emma Clarke's voice still is used. On doing this, the system has also taken the opportunity to change "Alight" for "Exit" (like on the Jubilee Line).

Numbering

C69 Stock DMs were numbered 5501-5606, and trailers 6601-6606. 5606 and 6606 were scrapped in the 1990s. The C77s are 5701-5733 and 6701-6733.

External links

* [http://www.districtlinephotos.co.uk/html/c_stock.htm C Stock - District Line Photo Site]
* [http://www.trainweb.org/tubeprune/C%20Stock.htm C Stock - Tubeprune]