SR Class SL
Encyclopedia
The Southern Railway gave the designation SL to the fleet of AC
overhead
electric multiple unit
s used on the South London Line
. These had been built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
in 1909, but with the abandonment of the Elevated Electric service in 1928 they were converted to DC
third rail
units.
AC overhead electrified lines in South London. This stock comprised eight three-car units, originally formed Driving Motor Brake Third + Trailer First + Driving Motor Brake Third. They were built by the Metropolitan Amalgamated Carriage & Wagon Company
at Birmingham
and each motor coach had four 115 hp Winter Eichberg motors
.
The Trailer First cars were later removed and used as locomotive-hauled stock, from when the driving cars were paired with former loco-hauled coaches converted to Driving Trailer Composite cars.
After the replacement of the AC overhead equipment by the standard SR 660 V DC third-rail system on 17 June 1928, these units were rebuilt. The Driving Motor cars were paired together again to form eight units designated 2SL
. The Trailer First cars (which had been out of EMU stock for nearly twenty years) were included in this programme, and were rebuilt into Driving Motor and Driving Trailer pairs to form four units designated 2Wim
, for use on the Wimbledon-West Croydon line.
Goslin lists, on page 40, 14 driving composites for the South London line in stock at the end of 1914 but if these were formed into 16 2 car units then there must be another 2 coaches unlisted. The Southern Electric Group web site states '14 DTCs were converted in 1910-12 from former locomotive hauled stock' this implies only 14 2 car units with 2 DMBT spare.
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
overhead
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
electric multiple unit
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 of the carriages...
s used on the South London Line
South London Line
South London Line may refer to one of two semicircular railway lines which both run between London Victoria and London Bridge stations through the southern suburbs of London, UK:*Inner South London Line - running via Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye...
. These had been built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
in 1909, but with the abandonment of the Elevated Electric service in 1928 they were converted to DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
units.
Construction
The SL (South London stock) units were built in 1909 for use on the LBSCRLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
AC overhead electrified lines in South London. This stock comprised eight three-car units, originally formed Driving Motor Brake Third + Trailer First + Driving Motor Brake Third. They were built by the Metropolitan Amalgamated Carriage & Wagon Company
Metro Cammell
The Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company was a Birmingham, England based manufacturer of railway carriages and wagons, based in Saltley and subsequently Washwood Heath....
at Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and each motor coach had four 115 hp Winter Eichberg motors
Repulsion motor
A repulsion motor is a type of electric motor for use on alternating current. It was formerly used as a traction motor for electric trains but has been superseded by other types of motors and is now only of historical interest. Repulsion motors are classified under Single Phase motors...
.
The Trailer First cars were later removed and used as locomotive-hauled stock, from when the driving cars were paired with former loco-hauled coaches converted to Driving Trailer Composite cars.
After the replacement of the AC overhead equipment by the standard SR 660 V DC third-rail system on 17 June 1928, these units were rebuilt. The Driving Motor cars were paired together again to form eight units designated 2SL
SR Class 2SL
The Southern Railway gave the designation 2-SL to the small fleet of electric multiple units dedicated for use on the South London lines. None of these units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated a TOPS class.-Construction:...
. The Trailer First cars (which had been out of EMU stock for nearly twenty years) were included in this programme, and were rebuilt into Driving Motor and Driving Trailer pairs to form four units designated 2Wim
SR Class 2Wim
2-WIM was the designation given, by Southern Railway , to a small fleet of electric multiple units, dedicated for use on the West Croydon to Wimbledon Line...
, for use on the Wimbledon-West Croydon line.
Formations
The LB&SCR purchased sufficient cars for 8 permanent sets, numbered 1E to 8E. However, later Brighton practise was to dispense with fixed sets.| Type | LB&SCR No. | SR No. |
|---|---|---|
| DMBT | 3201/03/04/06/07/09/10/12/13/15/16/18/19/21/22/24 | 8601–8616 |
| TF | 3202/05/08/11/14/17/20/23 | 7644–7651 |
| DTC | 3225–3230, 4057–4060, 4065–4068 | 9811–9824 |
Goslin lists, on page 40, 14 driving composites for the South London line in stock at the end of 1914 but if these were formed into 16 2 car units then there must be another 2 coaches unlisted. The Southern Electric Group web site states '14 DTCs were converted in 1910-12 from former locomotive hauled stock' this implies only 14 2 car units with 2 DMBT spare.