First Generation BR Railbuses
In the late 1950s, British Rail tested a series of small Railbuses, produced by a variety of manufacturers. These proved to be very economical, but also somewhat unreliable. The lines they worked on were mainly closed during the Beeching Cuts and, being non-standard, they were all withdrawn in the mid-1960s, before being allocated TOPS classifications.
In addition to these Railbuses, BR ordered three for departmental (non-revenue earning) service. The full list of passenger and departmental units is set out below.
| Number Range | Builder | Introduced | No. Built | Region | Withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79958-59 | Bristol / Eastern Coach Works | 1958 | 2 | Scotland | 1966 |
| 79960-64 | Waggon und Maschinenbau | 1958 | 5 | Eastern Region/London Midland | 1967 |
| 79965-69 | D Wickham & Co | 1958 | 5 | Scotland | 1966 |
| 79970-74 | Park Royal Vehicles | 1958 | 5 | London Midland / Scotland | 1968 |
| 79975-79 | AC Cars | 1958 | 5 | Scotland / Western Region | 1968 |
| 999507 Elliot | Wickham | 1958 | 1 | Departmental | 1997 |
| 998900-998901 | Drewry | 1950 | 2 | Departmental | 1990 |
- Engines
- 79958-59, Gardner 6HLW of 112 bhp (84 kW) at 1,700 rpm
- 79960-62, Büssing, 150 bhp (110 kW) at 1,900 rpm
- 79963, AEC A220X
- 79964, Büssing, 150 bhp (110 kW) at 1,900 rpm
- 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)
Read more about this topic: British Rail Railbuses
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