The London United Tramways Company operated trams and later trolleybuses in West and South London between 1894 and 1933 when it was absorbed by the London Passenger Transport Board. The company operated horse drawn trams at first but began operating electric trams in 1901 at first in West London in the Hampton Court, Hammersmith and Wimbledon areas.
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| 159 at Crich Tramway Museum |
| Information for W Class tram |
| Number built: |
150 |
| Built: |
1901-02 |
| Builder: |
G.F. Milnes |
| Motor: |
2 GE52 electric motors (500v DC OHLE) |
| Power: |
50 hp (37 kW) |
To attract more affluent passengers the company's trams has two four wheel bogies for ride quality. The trams were to a plush Edwardian design with Tudor arch windows and cushioned longitudinal seats (though these cushioned seats were later replaced by rattan seats due to a problem with vermin). Despite being aimed at the more luxurious end of the market they had an open top deck, it was reached by a staircase that had two short straight sections separated by a "landing" instead of a spiral staircase as was more typical on street trams of the time.
Some trams did later receive a top cover. However passenger levels were not as high as the company hoped despite early success [1] and some trams were withdrawn early due to being surplus to requirements. One of these was the later preserved Number 159 which was withdrawn in 1923 and became a house! The tram was preserved in 1978 though little of the original tram apart from the lower body remained. Preservation was a long process but in 2012 Number 159 returned to active service as part of the fleet at Crich Tramway Museum.
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| Front view of 159 |
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| View of the top deck and the unusual staircase |
[1] Arthur H Beavan, Tube, train, tram and car (Routledge, 1903) p. 158
