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LEV 1
(Photo: David Ballard)
History
BR returned to experiment with railbuses from the
mid-1970s. A number of prototype single and two-car
Railbuses were built in co-operation with Leyland. LEV is
sometimes taken as an acronym for "Leyland Experimental
Vehicle" and sometimes for "Lightweight Experimental
Vehicle".
LEV1 (Leyland Experimental Vehicle) was built as part of
these experiments. It was the first powered experimental
vehicle. It was built in 1978 by BR Research and British Leyland as a
double-cabbed bus body mounted on a BR two-axle underframe.
It started as an unpowered trailer car before an
underfloor engine and mechanical transmission were fitted.
It was tested in passenger service at first in East
Anglia, including the East Suffolk line and elsewhere,
before it was exported to the USA
LEV1 and other railbuses were sent abroad in the
unfulfilled hope of generating export orders.
In June 2004, LEV1 (RDB975874) arrived at Sheringham, on “long
loan” from the National Railway Museum. The hope is that it
will be returned to operation.
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