| 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 |
|
| Capacity | 46–56 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.
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.
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 Most of the lines they worked on were closed following the Beeching Cuts and, being non-standard, they were all withdrawn in the mid-1960s, so they were never classified under the TOPS system.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.
| 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 |
Engines: [4]
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, Shildon. [9] It stayed there until 2024, when it was moved back to Shildon. [10] |
| 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. [11] After a period in storage, it was sold to Boston and Maine Railroad in May 1983 for use as a track inspection vehicle. [12] [13] It was then sold to Steamtown National Historic Site for use as a shuttle, but was damaged by a derailment and sold for scrap. [14] It was bought and repaired by Durbin and 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. [15] [16] | |
 | 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. [17] It was then used for demonstrations in the Bristol area. [18] 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. [19] |
| 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. [20] [21] [22] It returned to the UK, having gained its nickname, and was used as a classroom and office by BREL for some time. [22] 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. [23] | |
 | 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, [lower-alpha 1] New Orleans, SEPTA Regional Rail and Cleveland. [24] [25] 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. [24] [26] |
Lines regularly served by railbuses include:
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. [39] 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. [40] |
| 79978 | AC Cars | 1958 | Swindon & Cricklade Railway | Sold to North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1968 [41] It was at the Kent & East Sussex Railway from 1979 to 1984, then moved to the Colne Valley Railway. [42] 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. [43] |
| 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. [39] It was scrapped by MC Metals, Glasgow, in 1990. [44] [45]
A railcar is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach, with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railway companies, such as the Great Western, termed such vehicles "railmotors".
Pacer was the operational name of the British Rail Classes 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 diesel multiple unit railbuses built between 1980 and 1987. They were inexpensively developed using a passenger body based on the Leyland National bus on top of a chassis based on the HSFV1 research vehicle. The railbuses were intended as a short-term solution to a shortage of rolling stock, with a lifespan of no more than twenty years. As modernised replacements were lacking, the Pacer fleet remained in service on some lines until 2021, 37 years after their 1984 introduction.
A railbus is a lightweight passenger railcar with an automotive engine. It shares many aspects of its construction with a bus, typically having a bus body and four wheels on a fixed base instead of on bogies. Originally designed and developed during the 1930s, railbuses have evolved into larger dimensions with characteristics similar in appearance to a light railcar, with the terms railcar and railbus often used interchangeably. Railbuses designed for use specifically on little-used railway lines were commonly employed in countries such as Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.
The British Rail Class 121 is a single-car double-ended diesel multiple unit. 16 driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten single-ended trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289. They have a top speed of 70 mph (113 km/h), with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes. The driving motor vehicles were nicknamed "Bubble Cars" by some enthusiasts.
The British Rail Class 114 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from September 1956 to July 1957. Forty-nine 2-car units were built, numbered E50001-49 for driving motors and E56001-49 for driving trailers. The units were used in the early days out of 40A Lincoln TMD (LN) on services all over the county, although a small number were transferred to 41A Sheffield (Darnall) during 1959/60.
The British Rail Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units, were the first such trains to be built en-masse for British Railways. The units were built at BR's Derby Works from 1954 to 1955. The units were built in various formations, including 12 power-twin 2-car units, 84 power-trailer 2-car units, four 4-car units, and two single car units.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) introduced a number of railcars to service between 1933 and 1939. Most were single units but one was a three-car articulated set.
The British Rail Class 144Pacer is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger train built at Derby between 1986 and 1987. British Rail, seeking to procure improved derivatives of the earlier Class 141, placed an order with the manufacturers British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) and Walter Alexander to construct their own variant, the Class 144. A total of 23 units were constructed. All units have now retired from mainline service, though the majority of the units have been acquired for preservation on heritage railways and in other uses. As of December 2022, 19 out of the 23 units have been purchased following withdrawal for this purpose, of which 14 units are in operational condition.
The British Rail Class 142 Pacer are diesel multiple-unit passenger trains built for British Rail (BR) from 1985 to 1987. They were built with a high level of commonality with the widely used Leyland National bus. They are part of the Pacer family of railbuses. The last set was withdrawn from service in 2020.
The British Rail Research Division was a division of the state-owned railway company British Rail (BR). It was charged with conducting research into improving various aspects of Britain's railways, particularly in the areas of reliability and efficiency, including achieving cost reductions and increasing service levels.
The British Rail Class 143 is a diesel multiple-unit railbus, part of the Pacer family of passenger trains introduced between 1985 and 1986.
The British Rail Class 155 is a diesel multiple unit passenger train. These DMUs were built by Leyland Bus at Workington between 1987 and 1988 as part of BR's replacement of its ageing first-generation diesel fleet. 42 units were originally built, of which only 7 remain; the other 35 units were converted to Class 153 railcars.
The British Rail Classes 105 and 106 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment. The last passenger car was withdrawn from service in 1988.
The NZR RM class Midland railcar was the first successful railcar, and first diesel-powered vehicle, to enter revenue service in New Zealand. Two were built, RM 20 and RM 21, and they ran for five years from 1936 to 1941 before being replaced by larger Vulcan railcars. They operated primarily on the Midland Line and the Greymouth-Hokitika portion of the Ross Branch
The British Rail Class 140 was the prototype of the Pacer diesel multiple unit.
The British RailClass 141 is the first production model of the Pacer diesel multiple unit (DMU) railbus.
The Sprinter is a family of diesel multiple unit trains in use on the British railway system. They were built in the 1980s and early-1990s by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL), Metro-Cammell and Leyland. Sprinters operate in almost every part of Great Britain, from rural branch lines to commuter expresses into major cities.
A motor coach or motorcar is a self-propelled passenger rail vehicle also capable of hauling a train. With multiple unit train control, one operator can control several "motor coaches", possibly even combined with locomotives, efficiently in the same train, making longer trains possible.
The Uerdingen railbus is the common term for the multiple units which were developed by the German firm of Waggonfabrik Uerdingen for the Deutsche Bundesbahn and private railways after the Second World War. These vehicles were diesel-powered, twin-axle railbuses of light construction. The diesel motors were built into the chassis underneath the vehicle. The VT 95 and VT 98 of the former Deutsche Bundesbahn in particular, are associated with this concept. These vehicles were employed in passenger train duties on branch lines where steam or diesel train operations were less profitable. Including the units built under licence, a total of 1,492 power cars were built from 1950 to 1971; and the total number of units, including trailer and driving cars, was 3,306.
The five British Railways Waggon und Maschinenbau railbuses were delivered in April 1958. They were based at Cambridge until 1964. They were withdrawn in 1966 and 1967. Four are preserved.
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.
SEPTA tested a BREL Railbus throughout their Regional Rail System in August and September 1985. The unit was designated RB004.
