| Information | |
|---|---|
| Number built: | 31 |
| Built: | 1897-1921 |
| Builder: | Jackson & Sharp / Eastleigh Works (later) English Electric |
| Engine: | 2 Siemens traction motors per power car (530-600v DC third rail) (later DMs) 2 English Electric 15L traction motors |
| Power: | 120 hp (89 kW) |
| Formation: | Driving Motor (DM)+Trailer (T)+T+DM (peak hours) |
The rolling stock was built in kit form by the Jackson & Sharp Company in the US and then shipped over to be assembled at the LSWR Eastleigh Works. Once assembled the cars were then lowered down to the new railway via a lift as there was no (and never has been) connection between the Waterloo & City line and the rest of the railway network. Testing along the line took place in June 1898 with public service beginning just two months later! The cars were built as open saloons with wooden seating, there were separate compartments on later stock for smokers and non-smokers.
The initial batch of vehicles was for twenty-two, half Driving Motors and half Trailers. In peak hours four car formations were used though smaller formations could be used when it was quieter. One problem the Waterloo & City suffered from more than most railways (and still does to this day) was the huge difference between peak and off-peak demand. To cater for the latter five extra Driving Motors with cabs at both end were built at the Dick Kerr factory (later English Electric) for use in quieter periods [3][4]. A final batch of five extra trailers were built at Eastleigh in 1921 to enable the peak time trains to be increased in length.
The Waterloo & City Railway became part of Southern Railway in 1923. In the 1930s the railway held a review of the line and decided to build new stock to replace the original stock which was now approaching forty years old and rather obsolete. They had been built as gate stock with end doors which had to be manually opened and closed and not sliding doors. They required a lot more staff to be present and took longer to load and unload as a consequence. The original stock was withdrawn from service in 1940 [5] being replaced by what became the Class 487.
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| Double ended car built by Dick, Kerr. Public domain image [1] |
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| Interior, public domain image [1] |
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| On the surface after delivery, public domain image [2] |
[1] "Some new English rolling stock", Street Railway Review Vol. X No. 6 (June 1900) p. 350
[2] "Dick, Kerr Co. " (Advertisement), Street Railway Journal (October 1901) p. 39
[3] Street Railway Review p. 350
[4] John C. Gillham, The Waterloo & City Railway (Oakwood Press, 2001) p. 177
[5] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 178