LONDON UNDERGROUND HISTORY

Our heritage: Trains
London Underground is the oldest metro system in the world, and has a history of innovation in train design and engineering.

When the Underground first opened in 1863, It relied on steam trains to pull its carriages - a system used by some parts of the network until the 1960s! Electricity was first used to power trains in 1890, and soon became the standard on our network.

Other innovations of the Underground included the design of our 1938 stock, which moved equipment from behind the cab to spaces throughout the train to create more room for passengers. In 1968, the Victoria line was the first in the world to use automatic train operation.
Today, our trains are equipped with elements like regenerative braking, which recycles energy back into the operation of the train.

Find out more at www.ltmuseum.co.uk

[Images]:
Below left: An early electric-powered train was photographed outside Moorgate station in 1922
Below right: This photo from 1958 at Piccadilly Circus station shows the pioneering 1938 deep tube train
Right: Despite its sign, the 1971 steam train run from Barbican to Neasden was not the last on the Underground, steam trains still continue to run on special heritage trips

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Logo of the Underground
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© TFL courtesy of the London Transport Museum

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A venture of the City of London, Transport For London, and the London’s Transport Museum. In this project, which is usually located in the subway stations, a sign is displayed on each platform with the history of the current train station, or a page in the history of the London Underground. The signs are next to the other signs with train line maps or advertisements.

The current sign is at Mornington Crescent Station with a historical description of the types of trains used.

The station where the sign was located was photographed that day Click for a larger image

The number that appears on the sign frame is probably the serial number of the sign.

The pictures that appear on the sign appear here in enlargement (taken in 2023 at Goodge Station) Click for a larger image Click for a larger image