W Class variants and numbering systems
Cawood, David
Wednesday, April 17, 2002 9:06 PM
Hi Gentlemen
Here is the most comprehensive web list of W class cars I know about.
www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/9507/wclass.html
It has photographs of the various types which demonstrate the smaller cabs
of the W2 variants (W, W1, W2 and SW2). One fact that I've never seen
mentioned on this site is that the early W & W1 cars were built without cab
doors, instead they had weather shields on the apron side of the door
openings, which were later removed and replaced with doors. I'd have to
refer to my photocopy of 321's Preston workshop records to work out when.
The Melbourne cars were built in batches, like most Tramway systems of the
"Empire". Usually the first car in the fleet was No.1 and they just kept the
numbers sequential. For instance Auckland had 43 trams in three shipments
(Designed by American and English designers), pressed into service in
November 1902. The numbering of those trams built by Brush at the Falcon
Works in Loughborough, England was:
1 -10 Brush 21E fitted four wheelers "Dingys"
11-16 Brush D bogied saloon cars "Combos"
17-20 Brush D bogied Open top Double Deckers
21-28 Brush 21E fitted four wheelers "Dingys"
29-37 Brush D bogied saloon cars "Combos"
38-39 Brush D bogied Open top Double Deckers
40-43 Brush D bogied saloon cars "Combos"
Any logic of the numbering system is completely out the window here. The
trams were shipped in kitset form on three shipments from the UK. They were
pre-painted and numbered. Ironically No.11 was the first car reassembled and
to operate on test runs almost 100 years ago. From what we can make from
what documents and anecdotal evidence remain there was a selection of each
of the three car types in each of the Shipments.
The sequential numbering was due to the fact the Tramway Company had
agreements with the Boroughs in Auckland on the basis of the numbers of
Tramcars were based proportionally on the population level of the City and
Boroughs. So logic of that time dictated the newest tramcars number was in
fact the number of tramcars in the fleet.
Hope this goes some way to blow any logic in Tram numbering around the world
clean out of the water.
David Cawood
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Here is the most comprehensive web list of W class cars I know about.
www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/9507/wclass.html
It has photographs of the various types which demonstrate the smaller cabs
of the W2 variants (W, W1, W2 and SW2). One fact that I've never seen
mentioned on this site is that the early W & W1 cars were built without cab
doors, instead they had weather shields on the apron side of the door
openings, which were later removed and replaced with doors. I'd have to
refer to my photocopy of 321's Preston workshop records to work out when.
The Melbourne cars were built in batches, like most Tramway systems of the
"Empire". Usually the first car in the fleet was No.1 and they just kept the
numbers sequential. For instance Auckland had 43 trams in three shipments
(Designed by American and English designers), pressed into service in
November 1902. The numbering of those trams built by Brush at the Falcon
Works in Loughborough, England was:
1 -10 Brush 21E fitted four wheelers "Dingys"
11-16 Brush D bogied saloon cars "Combos"
17-20 Brush D bogied Open top Double Deckers
21-28 Brush 21E fitted four wheelers "Dingys"
29-37 Brush D bogied saloon cars "Combos"
38-39 Brush D bogied Open top Double Deckers
40-43 Brush D bogied saloon cars "Combos"
Any logic of the numbering system is completely out the window here. The
trams were shipped in kitset form on three shipments from the UK. They were
pre-painted and numbered. Ironically No.11 was the first car reassembled and
to operate on test runs almost 100 years ago. From what we can make from
what documents and anecdotal evidence remain there was a selection of each
of the three car types in each of the Shipments.
The sequential numbering was due to the fact the Tramway Company had
agreements with the Boroughs in Auckland on the basis of the numbers of
Tramcars were based proportionally on the population level of the City and
Boroughs. So logic of that time dictated the newest tramcars number was in
fact the number of tramcars in the fleet.
Hope this goes some way to blow any logic in Tram numbering around the world
clean out of the water.
David Cawood
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Stock for $4
and no minimums.
FREE Money 2002.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/orkH0C/n97DAA/ySSFAA/DiTxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/