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The 1938 Tube Stock was introduced to the IoW because of the restricted headroom in the tunnel at Ryde. This tunnel had originally been constructed to normal dimensions, but it was frequently liable to flooding in wet weather. This was not a problem when the service was steam operated, but with the decision to convert to electric operation the tunnel floor had to be raised so that the third rail would never be underwater.
Ex-LT D78 Stock is of course not tube stock – it is built to very much the same dimensions as normal main line railway carriages – so I will be interested to see how the Island Line solves the problem of getting class 484 trains through Ryde Tunnel. Perhaps next year's "major upgrade" includes somehow raising the tunnel roof!
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