Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth railbus
| Waggon und Maschinenbau, G.m.b.H., of Donauworth railbus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus at Holt station, North Norfolk Railway | |
| In service | 1958 - 1967[1] |
| Manufacturer | (Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth) |
| Family name | Railbus |
| Replaced | Steam locomotives and carriages |
| Scrapped | 1968 |
| Number built | 5[2] |
| Number preserved | 4 |
| Number scrapped | 1 |
| Formation | railbus |
| Capacity | 56 |
| Operators | British Railways |
| Lines served | Witham–Maldon branch line, Braintree Branch Line, Saffron Walden Railway[2] |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 41 ft 10 in (12.75 m) (over body), 45 ft 9+3⁄4 in (13.964 m) (over buffers)[2] |
| Width | 8 ft 4+3⁄8 in (2.550 m) (over panels)[2] |
| Height | 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)[2] |
| Maximum speed | 55 mph (89 km/h)[2] |
| Weight | 15 tonnes (14.8 long tons; 16.5 short tons) |
| Traction system | 6-speed electro mechanical gearbox[2] |
| Prime mover(s) | Buessing[2] |
| Engine type | 6-cylinder horizontal [2] |
| Power output | 150 hp (110 kW) at 1,900 rpm[2] |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
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 They were withdrawn in 1966 and 1967.[1] Four are preserved.
Background
[edit]The WMD railbuses were 5 of the total of 22 delivered in 1958 from five manufacturers (the rest British). They were planned to have "extensive trials". The underframe, power equipment, transmission and brake gear were similar to the Uerdingen railbus, common on the German Federal Railway. They were shipped via the Harwich-Zeebrugge train ferry.[2] It was hoped they might be the answer to increasing losses on rural branch-lines. In the first year of the railbuses they saved £66,000 in operating costs, but the branches were still losing £4,000 a year (£85,000 at 2014 prices[3]). However, at the time, such losses were unacceptable, and the lines they worked were closed.[1]
Construction
[edit]The underframes were built of channel shaped cross-beams welded to flanged plate longitudinal girders. The corrugated steel floor was welded on top.[2]
The body was formed of alloy panels rivetted on a light steel frame. Roof plates were crimped to increase rigidity. The body was suspended from four points on the frame, connected by hydraulic shock absorbers.[2]
Unlike most BR diesel units, the accelerator was foot controlled. Also unusual at that time, were the power operated central doors and air powered disc brakes.[2]
Operation
[edit]Initially the buses worked the Maldon, Braintree, and Saffron Walden lines. They had too few seats for the Braintree branch and were used on the Mildenhall line from July 1958. Mildenhall closed in 1962. E79961/3/4 had their Buessing engines replaced by AEC A220X engines, also of 150 hp, in 1962–3, due to the cost of importing replacements from Germany. Their other branches closed in 1964, after which they spent most of their time in store at Cambridge. In 1965 79963 and 79964 were trialled on the Alston Line, but couldn't haul parcels vans and had heating problems in winter. 79961 and 79964 were transferred to serve Millers Dale in 1966, but that branch closed in 1967. M79961 was the last to be withdrawn in August 1967[2] and was scrapped at Rotherham in 1968.[4]
Preservation
[edit]
The other 4 buses have been preserved. They have been transferred a number of times between preserved railways. In 1966 79960 and 63 were sold to the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society (later North Norfolk). In 1976 79963's AEC engine failed and was replaced. 79962 and 64 were bought by Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in 1967. To solve a problem with them slipping, they were turned round, so that the driving axle was at the rear on the uphill runs.[4]
| Vehicle no. | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 79960 | Ribble Steam Railway | Operational.[5] |
| 79962 | Keighley and Worth Valley Railway | under extensive overhaul.[6] |
| 79963 | East Anglia Railway Museum | Operational.[7] |
| 79964 | Keighley and Worth Valley Railway | Operational.[8] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Railway Magazine January 1968 pp. 4-9 J M Tolson: Too little, too light and too late - A survey of British Railways diesel railbuses
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Railway Magazine July 1958 pp. 499-501 German Railbuses for British Railways
- ^ Bank of England inflation calculator
- ^ a b Basil Hancock, Murray Brown (August 1979). "Railbuses extant". Railway Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Further reading
[edit]- Green-Hughes, Evan (April 2012). "The Waggon und Railbuses". Hornby Magazine. No. 58. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 76–79. ISSN 1753-2469. OCLC 226087101.
External links
[edit]- Llangollen Railway video - gives a good idea how much they bounced!
- E79960 now at Ribble Steam Railway
- E79962 being restored at the Museum of Rail Travel
- history and photos of E79963, now at East Anglian Railway Museum
- history and photo of M79964, now at Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
- Railcar website with photo