- Wagon
- A railway goods vehicle which has no roof.
- Wagon Load
- A consignment of goods which was regarded as a full wagon load and justified though transit from origin to destination without trans-shipment
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- Walschaerts valve-gear
- A steam-engine valve-gear used extensively on outside-cylindered locomotives. One component of motion is taken from an eccentric or return crank secured to one of the driving axles at approximately 90 degrees to the main crank. From this a rod (eccentric rod) transfers movement to one end of a centre-pivoted link (radius link) which is thus oscillated. Movement is then taken from a die block which is free to slide within the radius link via a rod (radius rod) to one end of a lever (combination lever). The combination lever combines the movement of the radius rod with that of the cross head via a union link connected to the other end of the combination lever. The combined movement is transferred to the valve spindle via a third connection on the combination lever near the end connected to the radius rod. Reversal is carried out by moving the radius rod so the die block takes up a new position at the other end of the slide.
- Walschaerts, Egide (1820—1901)
- Belgian engineer who designed the eponymous valve gear 1844.
- Warrington & Newton Railway
- A line completed in 1831, connecting the Liverpool and Manchester main line with Warrington, taken over by the Grand Junction Railway in 1835, even before that line reached Warrington (in 1837). It was part of the first main lines both to the north and to Liverpool until the Winwick cut-off (1861) and the Runcorn bridge (1869) provided more direct routes.
- Warrington Junction
- The second name for Earlestown station (previously it was Newton); it became Earlestown Junction in 1861 and Earlestown in 1960.
- Water Column
- A large cast-iron column fitted with a delivery hose (often called ‘The Bag’) and control valve wheel, to enable locomotives to take on water. Water columns were provided at engine sheds and at most important stations along the line, as steam engines consumed a great deal of water and required frequent replenishment. Variants included a “parachute water column” which had a cylindrical storage tank positioned on top, and a “water crane” which was a water column with an extension arm which could be swung to one side. Another pattern was a brick built structure with a cast-iron water storage tank over. These were provided where the water supply was uncertain. Locomotive water was invariably pumped from springs, ponds, canals or rivers, and not from purified drinking water mains.
- Water Gauge
- Fitted to the boiler in a locomotive cab the water gauge shows the level of water in the boiler. The gauge is a strong glass tube, which leads to sayings such as ‘half a glass’ when referring to boiler water level. There are valves above and below the glass to stop the steam and scalding water should the glass break (which did sometimes happen). So the gauge is surrounded by a protective cage to offer a little protection to the crew as they turn off the valves.
- Water Pump
- A force pump to supply the boiler with feed-water, normally driven by an eccentric on one of the locomotive’s axles. A pump had the disadvantage that, unlike an injector, it would work only when in motion and so it was sometimes necessary to run a locomotive up and down sidings simply to fill the boiler.
- Water Scoop
- First used on LNWR locomotives in 1860, this device allowed a moving locomotive to collect water from a water trough laid between the running rails. The scoop (mounted on the tender in tender engines) was lowered by hand when required to collect water. It was essential that the crew raised the scoop before the end of the trough or before the tender was filled to capacity and water spilled through the vent at the tender top. If it did, the leading vehicle would be showered with the excess water and, if there were any open windows, so would the unsuspecting passengers inside.
- Water Tower
- An elevated water-storage tank.
- Water Trough
- Invented by John Ramsbottom and patented 12thJuly 1860 to allow the Irish Mail to run non-stop between Chester and Holyhead. The first troughs were laid and demonstrated to the LNWR Directors at Mochdre on the Chester and Holyhead on 23th October 1860. They are a channel laid between the running rails and filled with water, which can be collected by passing locomotives fitted with a water scoop.
- Waterloo 2-4-0 Locomotive Class
- See Small Jumbo. No.748 Waterloo was the first in the class, in the sense of having the lowest Crewe motion number.
- Watford Tank 0-6-2T Locomotive Class
- An 0-6-2 tank version of Webb’s 18in Goods, or ‘Cauliflower’, which incorporated 5ft 3in driving wheels and Joy valve gear. Intended as ‘mixed traffic’ engines, they became popular on the suburban trains between London (Euston) and Watford, from which they derived their nickname.
- WCJS – West Coast Joint Stock
- Passenger carriages and non-passenger coaching stock jointly owned between 1862 and 1923 by the LNWR and Caledonian Railway companies and mostly used on through services between England and Scotland.
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