Photo:
Tim Cook - CP Car arriving at Cranleigh Halt (aka Quainton Road!)

The P stock car No. 14233 was built in 1939 by the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company. It entered service in 24 July 1940 on the former Metropolitan Railway, Uxbridge to Barking line. Less than 2 months after entering service it was partially destroyed in an air raid at Neasden Depot on 18 September. Shortly before, on 7 September, the Q38 stock trailer 013167 had been damaged in an air raid at Plaistow.

Since it was wartime, vehicles could not be replaced easily, so it was decided to try to produce one carriage from the remains of two. The work was a success and the rebuilt car entered service on 15 September 1941, at the height of the ´Battle of Britain´ as 14233.

For a few years after completion the car carried advertisement cards describing the work done. This work can be seen today by looking for the strengthening plate on the sole bar.

Having survived the war, and numbered 14233, the rebuild saw service to Uxbridge and Watford. In the early 1960s the metadyne control equipment was replaced in favour of PCM resistance control equipment, when it became CP Stock. It was transferred to the District line in 1963 when the Metropolitan was re-equipped with the new A60 stock, and received number 54233. Withdrawn from service in February 1981, the car was purchased by the QRS in the following month. Transfer to Quainton was on 10 October 1981, hauled by London Transport battery locomotives L.18 and L.38 from Neasden. This was probably the first London Transport train to run north of Aylesbury for 30 years, and almost certainly the furthest the battery electrics had gone away from the live rail under their own power. The delivery via a temporary connection to the Up Yard also included London Transport brake van B.557.

References:
Appeal to Save LT Coach 54233 - Quainton News No. 43 - Spring 1981
A Historic Underground Car - Quainton News No. 43 - Spring 1981

Photo:
Robert Frise - CP Car No. 54233 hauled into Quainton by two LT battery locos