British Rail railbuses

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British Rail Railbuses
Waggon- und Maschinenbau railbus no. 79964 at York Railfest exhibition on 3 June 2004. This vehicle is preserved on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
In service
  • Passenger: 1958–1968
  • Departmental: 1950–1997
Capacity46–56 seats
Operators

British Rail produced a variety of railbuses, both as a means of acquiring new rolling stock cheaply, and to provide economical services on lightly-used lines.

Terminology[edit]

Railbuses are a very lightweight type of railcar designed specifically for passenger transport on little-used railway lines. As the name suggests, they share many aspects of their construction with a bus, usually having a bus body, or a modified bus body, and having four wheels on a fixed wheelbase, rather than bogies. Some units were equipped for operation as diesel multiple units.

First generation[edit]

Park Royal railbus at Bedford Midland station
999507 Elliot on the Middleton Railway

In the late 1950s, British Rail tested a series of small railbuses, produced by a variety of manufacturers, for about £12,500 each[1] (£261,000 at 2014 prices).[2] These proved to be very economical (on test the Wickham bus was about 9 mpg‑imp (31 L/100 km)),[3] but were somewhat unreliable. Most of the lines they worked on were closed following the Beeching Cuts and, being non-standard, they were all withdrawn in the mid-1960s, so they were never classified under the TOPS system.

In addition to those railbuses, BR ordered three for departmental (non-revenue earning) service. The full list of passenger and departmental units is set out below.

Table of orders and numbers
Lot No. Manufacturer Diagram Qty Fleet numbers Service life Length over body Seats Notes
30483 Bristol / Eastern Coach Works 610 2 Sc79958–79959 1958–1966 42 ft 4 in (12.90 m) 56
30482 Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth railbus 611 5 E79960–79964 1958–1967 45 ft 10 in (13.97 m) 56
30481 D Wickham & Co 612 5 Sc79965–79969 1958–1966 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) 48
30480 Park Royal Vehicles 613 5 Sc79970, 79974
M79971–79973		 1958–1968 42 ft 0 in (12.80 m) 50
30479 AC Cars 614 5 W79975–79978
Sc79979		 1958–1968 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m) 46
D Wickham & Co 1 RDB999507 Elliot 1958–1997
Drewry Car Co. 2 RDB998900-998901 1950–1990
AC Cars railbus W79978 at the Colne Valley Railway

Engines:[4]

  • 79958/59, Gardner 6HLW of 112 bhp (84 kW) at 1,700 rpm
  • 79960–62/64, Büssing, 150 bhp (110 kW) at 1,900 rpm
  • 79963, AEC A220X
  • 79965–69, Meadows 6HDT500 of 105 bhp (78 kW) at 1,800 rpm
  • 79970–74, AEC, 150 bhp (110 kW)
  • 79975–79, AEC, 150 bhp (110 kW)

Leyland Experimental Vehicles[edit]

British Rail returned to the idea of railbuses from the mid-1970s, and prototype four‐wheel vehicles were developed jointly by British Leyland and the British Rail Research Division. These were named Leyland Experimental Vehicles (LEVs) and consisted of double-ended Leyland National bodyshells (chosen for their strength and cost-effective manufacturing) mounted on top of simple 2-axled railway chassis, which were a derivative of those used on the HSFV.[5]

The LEVs spent a substantial amount of time abroad in the hope of attracting export orders, however none were ever made. Domestically, the LEVs were the predecessors of the Pacer DMUs, of which the Class 140 is its closest relative.

In total, five LEVs were built, which are listed below:

Photo Identity Built Design History
LEV1

No. RDB 975874

1978: Leyland/BREL Derby 12.3 m long.

2 Doors (front right and back left).

It was built at Railway Technical Centre in Derby as an unpowered trailer and used for testing on the West Coast Mainline at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). In 1979, it was converted to a self-propelled vehicle using a Leyland 510 diesel engine and was then tested at Old Dalby Test Track.[6][5] In January 1980, it was shipped to the US and was tested on the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Attleboro and the Boston and Maine Railroad between Lowell and Concord.[6][7] After returning to the UK, it was then tested in passenger service, primarily in East Anglia. It carried its last passengers in July 1983 and was withdrawn in 1987, when it was given to the National Railway Museum.[8] In 2004, it moved to North Norfolk Railway and was restored, returning to passenger service in 2010. In 2012, it was moved to Wensleydale Railway via Locomotion Museum, Shilden.
LEV2/R3 (for USA) 1980: Leyland/Wickham 15.3 m long.

2 doors (front left and back right).

It was exported to the US for use by MBTA on a new passenger route to Concord, New Hampshire, which it started running on 1 December 1980. On 15 December of the same year, it struck a car at a level crossing, killing two occupants of the car.[9] After a period in storage, it was sold to Boston and Maine Railroad in May 1983 for use as a track inspection vehicle.[10][11] It was then sold to Steamtown National Historic Site for use as a shuttle, but was damaged by a derailment and sold for scrap.[12] It was bought and repaired by Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad and was used for passenger excursions. In 2001, it was sold to Connecticut Trolley Museum, however by 2021 it had been scrapped.[13][14]
RB003/R3 (for BR)

No. RDB 977020

1981: Leyland/BREL Derby 15.3 m long.

2 doors (front right and back left).

In 1981, it was shown to the press as a 'pre-production' unit of the then-envisioned future export railbuses.[15] It was then used for demonstrations in the Bristol area.[16] It was sold to Northern Ireland Railways in August 1982 and re-gauged for use on the Portrush branch. It proved to have insufficient passenger capacity, so was taken out of passenger service and used for track inspection duties. In July 1990, it operated the 'Cavan Coup' railtour from Belfast to Kingscourt via Drogheda. After being withdrawn in December 1992, it was first preserved at Ulster Transport Museum before going to Downpatrick and County Down Railway in 2001. In 2024 it was given to Gwendraeth Valley Railway, where it will be re-gauged again and repaired.[17]
RB002

'The Denmark'

1984: Leyland/BREL Derby 2 doors (front left and back left). Between 1984 and 1986, it toured several countries as a demonstration vehicle, visiting Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and the US.[18][19][20] It returned to the UK, having gained its nickname, and was used as a classroom and office by BREL for some time.[20] It was then preserved at Riverstown Old Corn Railway, near Dundalk, which is thought to have happened in 1999. The site is now home to Carlingford Brewing Company, but, as of 2019, it remains there, albeit in poor condition.[21]
RB004 1984: Leyland/BREL Derby 6 doors (front, middle and back on both sides). It was first shipped to the US as a demonstration vehicle and was used for trials in the following locations: a preserved railway in Newport, Long Island Rail Road, the International Exhibition on Transportation Systems in Washington,[a] New Orleans, SEPTA Regional Rail and Cleveland.[22][23] It was then sent back to the UK and put into storage before later being used as a classroom by BREL in York. It was first preserved at Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway and then moved to Telford Steam Railway in 2004 and Aln Valley Railway in 2010. In 2011 it was purchased by Railbus Trust and visited Midland Railway – Butterley and Llangollen Railway before moving permanently to Waverley Route Heritage Association in 2012.[22][24]
  1. ^ It is unclear whether this was Washington D.C. or Washington State

Routes[edit]

AC Cars railbus at Tetbury in the 1960s

Lines regularly served by railbuses include:

Scotland[edit]

East Anglia[edit]

Midlands[edit]

Western[edit]

Preservation[edit]

A number of the BR railbuses, both first and second generation examples have survived into preservation, as follows:

Vehicle no. Builder Year built Location Comments
First generation
79960 Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth 1958 Ribble Steam Railway Formerly North Norfolk Railway
79962 Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth 1958 Keighley and Worth Valley Railway —
79963 Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth 1958 East Anglian Railway Museum Formerly North Norfolk Railway, now on loan
79964 Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth 1958 Keighley and Worth Valley Railway —
79976 AC Cars 1958 Great Central Railway Purchased in 1968 without its engine and moved to Bristol and then Bleadon and Uphill museum.[37] Since then it has moved to Bodmin & Wenford Railway, County School railway station, Colne Valley Railway and then Great Central Railway, before moving to Nemesis Rail where it is stored as a sheeted-over carcass.[38]
79978 AC Cars 1958 Swindon & Cricklade Railway Sold to North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1968[39] It was at the Kent & East Sussex Railway from 1979 to 1984, then moved to the Colne Valley Railway.[40] In November 2019, it moved to the Swindon & Cricklade Railway.
RDB999507 Wickham 1958 Previously Middleton Railway – moved to Lavender Line 2009 Elliot High-speed track-recording unit
RDB998901 Drewry Car Company 1950 Middleton Railway Overhead-line inspection car
Second generation
RDB975874 Leyland/BREL Derby 1978 Wensleydale Railway LEV 1
LEV2 Leyland/BREL Derby 1980 Connecticut Trolley Museum Was subject to a project to repatriate to the UK but has been reported as scrapped in August 2021.[41]
RDB977020 Leyland/BREL Derby 1980 Downpatrick and County Down Railway in Northern Ireland LEV3 aka RB3. Has been regauged to 5'3”
RB002 Leyland/BREL Derby 198? Riverstown Old Corn Railway? near Dundalk, Ireland RB002 aka The Denmark
RB004 Leyland/BREL Derby 1984 Currently at the Whitrope Siding (arrived 31 May 2012) Owned by Northumbria Rail Ltd. and The Railbus Trust. Moved from Telford Steam Railway to Llangollen Railway 20 May 2011 and then to Midland Railway Centre 19 August 2011

Additionally, AC Cars railbus 79979 was preserved. It was the first of the railbuses to be delivered and spent all its working life in Scotland. In 1968, it was moved to Craigentinny where the chassis was scrapped, and it was used as a battery store. It was moved to make way for the TMD in 1977 and the grounded body sold to the Strathspey Railway in 1977.[37] It was scrapped by MC Metals, Glasgow, in 1990.[42][43]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "RAILWAYS (DISUSED BRANCH LINES) (Hansard, 23 June 1958)". api.parliament.uk.
  2. ^ "Bank of England inflation calculator". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  3. ^ Railway Magazine November 1958 p. 800
  4. ^ ABC of British Railways Locomotives. Ian Allan. Winter 1962–63. pp. 316–317.
  5. ^ a b Gilchrist, A. O. (2009) [2006]. "A history of engineering research on British Railways". Working Papers in Railway Studies (10). Institute of Railway Studies and Transport History: 50. ISSN 1368-0706. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b Griffin, Trevor (August 1980). "BR's Railbus in the USA". Modern Railways. 37 (383): 349–351.
  7. ^ Hawthorne, B. T.; Watson, R. B. (May 1980). Rail Bus Test Observations on the Boston and Maine Railroad January to February 1980 (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Railbus retires". Railway Magazine. April 1987. p. 252.
  9. ^ "Railroad News Photos". Trains. 41 (5): 17. March 1981.
  10. ^ Ingles, J. David (October 1983). "Arrivals & Departures". Trains. 43 (12): 22.
  11. ^ "LEV-2 railbus sold". Extra 2200 South (79): 10. April 1983.
  12. ^ Alves, John (15–28 February 1995). Kelly, Peter (ed.). "Heritage in damage across the Atlantic?". Letters. RAIL. No. 246. pp. 26–27. ISSN 0953-4563. I 'rediscovered' LEV2 at Scranton, Pennsylvania at the back of Steamtown National Historic Site, hidden from all visitors, in 1990 ... it derailed on the platform line and chewed up the wooden edge of the platform all the way along.
  13. ^ Alan, Byer (May 2007). "Mountain Railroad Empire: The Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad". Trains. 67 (5): 42–46.
  14. ^ "Rail Car Association LEV2". preserved.railcar.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  15. ^ Roger, Ford (August 1981). "The DMU Dilemma". Modern Railways. 38 (395): 345–349.
  16. ^ Stacpoole, Hassard (July 2023). "Railbus Seeks New Home". The Railway Magazine. Retrieved 23 April 2024 – via Pressreader.
  17. ^ "Irish-based BREL railbus destined for Gwendraeth Valley Railway". Railways Illustrated. May 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via Press Reader.
  18. ^ "The Leyland Experimental Vehicle (LEV)". traintesting.com. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Nieuwsberichten". Op de Rails. Nederlandse Vereniging van Belangstellenden in het Spoor- en tramwegwezen. March 1985.
  20. ^ a b Miedema, W. (November 1985). "BOREG, Spoorwegmaatschappij voor één dag?". Op de Rails. Nederlandse Vereniging van Belangstellenden in het Spoor- en tramwegwezen.
  21. ^ "RB002 (The Denmark)". railcar.co.uk. 26 June 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Railcar Event 2011". llangollenrailcars.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Newtown Branch - Leyland Railbus Test Photo". railroad.net. 22 December 2013. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024. SEPTA tested a BREL Railbus throughout their Regional Rail System in August and September 1985. The unit was designated RB004.
  24. ^ "RB004". railcar.co.uk. 16 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Tolson, T. M. (January 1968). "Too little, too light, too late". Railway Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  26. ^ "page 625". Railway Magazine. September 1961. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  27. ^ Mackay, Stuart. "AC Cars Railbus Scottish Arrival". www.railcar.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  28. ^ "Locomotive notes – Scottish Region". Railway Magazine. October 1964. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  29. ^ BR Atlas and Gazetteer p. 11 D4
  30. ^ "Change for Bodmin North". Railway Magazine. January 1965. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  31. ^ "Cornish Conclusion". Railway Magazine. April 1967. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  32. ^ Mackay, Stuart. "WR Services Begin". www.railcar.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  33. ^ Tolson, John M. (October 1964). "End of an experiment". Railway Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  34. ^ "Yeovil under snow". Railway Magazine. March 1965. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  35. ^ Mackay, Stuart. "AC Cars Railbus ScR & WR Moves". www.railcar.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  36. ^ "Yeovil services altered". Railway Magazine. November 1966. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  37. ^ a b Basil Hancock, Murray Brown (August 1979). "Railbuses Extant". Railway Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  38. ^ "79976". preserved.railcar.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  39. ^ "Railbus to Grosmont". Railway Magazine. October 1968. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  40. ^ "79978". preserved.railcar.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  41. ^ "LEV2".
  42. ^ "Traction News". Rail (138): 50. December 1990.
  43. ^ "AC railbus 79979". Railcar Association website. Archived from the original on 30 August 2008.

External links[edit]

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