B/W print; Unpainted R49 stock at South Kensington station, by Topical Press, 1953

This photographs shows a District line train of unpainted aluminium R49 stock standing on the eastbound platform at South Kensington station and two men getting out of the leading car. The waist of the train has a distinctive coloured band around. This unpainted aluminium alloy was widely introduced in the 1950s, and used by subsequent Underground and Overground trains. It did not require regular painting to protect it from the elements as painted trains did. Painted car exteriors were reintroduced later. The livery colours not only reinforce London Underground's corporate identity, but the paint also protects cars from graffiti. The photograph was taken by Topical Press Agency, which took over 65,000 photographs for London Transport and its predecessors.