D78 Stock Tread Plate
This tread plate was removed from D78 Trailer car 17105, after being sent for scrapping by C.F. Booth of Rotherham, following the withdrawal of its unit (7105-17105-8105) on the 16th September 2016, and removal of 17105 and 8105 from Ealing Common Depot four days later. Another Collector then purchased the tread plate before selling it on eBay in 2020.
The most noticeable difference between this tread plate and those acquired from other stocks are the pointed (and sharp!) ends - a design necessitated by the position of the door pillars. At the widest point, the plate measures 1405 mm (4 foot 7 5/16 inches); this reduces to 1073 mm (3 foot 6 1/4 inches) at the narrower section. The door would have passed along in front of the plate with another, separate plate that sandwiched it in the gap.
The Metro-Cammell logo is revised - instead of it occupying the centre of the tread plate with the "wheel" design, it now extends the full length of the plate, and a larger font is used that employs rounded corners on the letters.
The front portion forms a u-shaped channel when viewed from the side.
Surprisingly, the corrosion to the rear was minimal.
Inscribed on the back is "17105 D", which is what I am using to assume that this was the car that used to house this plate.
The plate was cleaned with a pressure washer, but very little other restoration was required.
The back, following its own extended wash.
