You can now buy old London Underground strap hangers

Persons of a certain age will be very familiar with the old strap hangers from old tube trains with their grey bulbous end and metal spring-like hanger — and now you can own your very own strap hanger

(c) LT Museum

Considering that they are a symbol of despair, something that said: “sorry, you’re going to have to stand on this train”, they are a curiously nostalgic sight. Somehow more characterful than the modern straps that people hang on to in the shrinking number of trains that come with them.

The London Transport Museum has a load of strap hangers taken from the London Underground 1972 Stock train that used to be stationed at the disused Aldwych station. This was an ex-Northern line train that was used for filming in the disused platform but removed in late 2021.

Now they’re up for sale, and who knows what use someone might find for one at home — a large light switch to pull on perhaps?

The strap hangers are being sold for £45 by the museum from here.

Note that the ceiling plate is at an angle as it fitted into the curved ceiling of the tube train, so if you’re fitting it to a unit, you’ll probably need a small piece of triangular wood to attach it to.

Unsurprisingly, there were occasional attempts to use the strap hangers for advertising. It never really caught on.