A.A.D. Lang’s wooden Tube wheels trialled in 1930 but never adopted
Barnet-based inventor’s laminated spruce wheels passed military tests yet vanished from Underground records
Trust 50Craft 77Hype 55How this was reported ▾
Only one named source (Murray Griffiths) and no documents, giving modest corroboration.
How well corroborated and evidenced the reporting is. Higher is better.
Provides quotes and specific figures, but mixes flamboyant commentary with facts, limiting clarity.
Context, balance and separation of fact from comment. Higher is better.
Headline and language are sensational, overstating significance of a thin historical piece.
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1 source assessed · methodology
In 1930, the London Underground tested wheels made of laminated spruce on its tracks. The wheels were designed by A.A.D. Lang, an inventor based in Barnet. Each wheel consisted of multiple layers, with six spruce sectors per layer arranged so the grain ran in different directions to strengthen the structure.
Before the Underground trials, the wheels had already passed military tests at Woolwich. They were run on tracks for 192 miles, then subjected to machine-gun fire and shelling. After these tests, the wheels remained intact, according to reports in the Herald of Wales.
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Underground director praised noise reduction
Murray Griffiths, Director of the London District and Underground Railways, described the wooden wheels as a potential solution to the noise caused by steel wheels on tracks. He told the press he was satisfied the wheels would be adopted. The Central London Railway recorded noise levels before and after fitting one of Lang’s wheels to a carriage.
Despite Griffiths’s public support, no records confirm the wheels were ever used across the Underground network. Londonist reported that official documents fall silent on the outcome of the trials. It is unclear whether the wheels failed further tests, were abandoned for other reasons, or simply never progressed beyond the trial stage.
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Lang’s firm moved into fairground rides
After the Underground trials, Lang Wheels Ltd did not continue developing railway wheels. In 1933, the company began manufacturing fairground rides, including roundabouts and dodgems. The workforce tripled as production shifted to this new market.
The original trial reports from 1930 are held in the London Metropolitan Archives. Barnet Council has no current plans to revisit the technology or commission further research. No public consultation or additional testing is scheduled.
Questions this report answers
+What were the wooden Tube wheels made of?
The wheels were made of laminated spruce, with each layer composed of six sectors arranged so the grain ran in different directions. This design was intended to improve strength and reduce noise on Underground tracks.
+Did the wooden wheels ever run on the London Underground?
The wheels were trialled on Underground tracks in 1930, but no records confirm they were ever fully adopted. Murray Griffiths, the Underground director, praised them, but official documents do not show further implementation.
+Why were the wooden wheels not adopted?
It is unclear why the wheels were not adopted. Underground records do not explain the outcome of the trials. Possible reasons include durability concerns, cost, or technical limitations, but no evidence confirms any of these.
+Where can I find records of the wooden wheel trials?
The original trial reports from 1930 are held in the London Metropolitan Archives. The archives are open to the public, and no appointment is required to view the documents.
WE FILE
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The London Travel Desk assembled this report from the outlets listed below. Language-model drafting is reviewed under human editorial supervision, with scoring notes and corrections kept visible.
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