Metropolitan Railway electric underground train (Bing 61-795-02)

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Exhibit

Metropolitan Railway electric underground train (Bing 61-795-02)

Bing Metropolitan Train (BTC).jpg (i)
BTMM map 014.gif
location:
Arch Two , Area 14
US and European Locomotive Outlines (display)
Shelf 5


A brown gauge 0 three-car Metropolitan Railway underground train made by Bing in 1923.

Bing Metropolitan Railway underground train, from an undated Bing catalogue
1928: Bing Metropolitan Railway set. Note the anomalous LNER panel marking on the right-hand car


Identification

The English Bing 1928 catalogue (reprint) lists two electrically-different versions of the train, a low-current version that ran from a nominal 12V supply and a higher-current 18V version. Ours is the higher-voltage ~20V-ish version.

Predecessor - The Bing Berlin Underground Train

This is essentially an updated lithographed version of the earlier red-and-yellow "Berlin" set, and if you ignore the paintwork/lithographing, it's physically almost identical on the outside. The internal detail is much more sophisticated on the Metropolitan, though, with legged chairs and tables.

Versions

Apart from versions that differed internally by having different motors, and the German "Berlin Underground" original, we know of three main English variations on Bing's underground train in ours and affiliated collections:

  • Metropolitan, brown and cream
  • LNER, brown, lithographed teak wood-effect
  • Metropolitan, purplish brown and cream

The third version is the one that we have on display, mostly lithographed, but with some painted-in panels. Looking at one of the catalogue images that erroneously has Metropolitan markings and smaller LNER panel markings, it's possible that the overpainting on this Metropolitan version was to get rid of these conflicting LNER marks.

See also: