The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designation CW to the fleet of AC

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...

s used on the lines to

Coulsdon Coulsdon (, traditionally pronounced ) is a town in south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. Coulsdon was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey that included the settlements of Purley and Kenley. It was merged with Sand ...

and Wallington. They were planned by the

London, Brighton and South Coast Railway The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR (known also as the Brighton line, the Brighton Railway or the Brighton)) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at ...

, but were delayed by

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the

grouping Grouping generally refers to the creation of one or more groups, or to the groups themselves. More specifically, grouping may refer to: * Shot grouping in shooting sports and other uses of firearms * the use of symbols of grouping in mathemati ...

and were introduced by the Southern Railway.

Construction

The CW (Coulsdon and Wallington stock) units were built in 1923–1924, as the last electric train stock for use on the LBSCR AC overhead electrified lines in South London. This stock comprised some hundred carriages, which were used in five-car formations: Driving Trailer

Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

(DTT) + Driving Trailer

Composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic material ...

(DTC) + Motor Luggage Van (MLV) + Trailer Composite (TC) + Driving Trailer Third (DTT). The stock, built by the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company at

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, was as follows: * 21 Motor Luggage Vans * 60 Driving Trailers * 20 Trailers The Motor Luggage Vans (nicknamed "Milk Vans") each had four GEC traction motors. After the replacement of the AC overhead equipment by the 660 V DC third rail system adopted as standard by the SR, the carriages that formed these units were rebuilt accordingly, the Motor Luggage Vans becoming bogie goods train

brake van Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Ireland, Australia and India for a Rolling stock, railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the Conductor (transportation), guard. The equivalent North Americ ...

References

* * * SR CW CW London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Train-related introductions in 1925 {{electric-loco-stub Metropolitan Cammell multiple units