New South Wales W set
| W set | |
|---|---|
Preserved carriage C3702 now part of heritage set W3 at the Flemington Maintenance Depot | |
Interior of C3708 | |
| Stock type | Electric multiple unit |
| In service | 1957–1993 |
| Manufacturer | Commonwealth Engineering |
| Built at | Granville |
| Constructed | 1956–1960 |
| Number built |
|
| Formation | 8 carriages |
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Operators | |
| Depots | |
| Line served | All Sydney suburban except Eastern Suburbs |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 19.105 m (62 ft 8.2 in) |
| Width | 3,142 mm (10 ft 3.7 in) |
| Doors | 8 |
| Wheel diameter | 36 in (910 mm) |
| Maximum speed | 70 mph (113 km/h) |
| Traction system | 4 x Metropolitan-Vickers MV222 or 4 x AEI AEI149 series-wound DC traction motors per power car, each rated at 180 hp, semi automatic electro-pneumatic resistance control |
| Transmission | 74:17 Gear ratio. Helical gears. |
| Power supply | 120 V DC |
| Electric system | 1,500 V DC catenary |
| Current collection | Single-pan diamond pantograph |
| Braking systems | Westinghouse, air |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The W sets are a type of electric multiple unit that was operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors between 1957 and 1993 and served on the Sydney suburban network. As they entered service in 1957, they gained the nickname "Sputniks" after the Russian satellite of the same name that the Soviet Union launched into space the same year.
In their later years, they, alongside the Standard and Tulloch trains, were nicknamed "Red Rattlers", the expression coming from Melbourne in reference to the wooden Tait trains.