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Railbus E79963
Brief Outline
Railbuses are a very lightweight type of Diesel multiple
unit Railcar designed for use specifically on little-used
railway lines, and as the name suggests share many aspects
of their construction with a bus, usually having a bus, or
modified bus body, and having four wheels on a fixed base,
instead of on bogies.
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 by
during the 'Beeching Cuts' and, being non-standard, they
were all withdrawn in the mid-1960s, before being
allocated TOPS classifications.
Twenty-two diesel railbuses were built for BR in a range
of differing designs by one German and four British
companies.
E79963 was one of five built by the German company, Waggon
und Masshienenbau. It was allocated to the Easter Region
of BR at Cambridge. It was re-engined with an A.E.C engine
in 1962.
These proved to be very economical, but also somewhat
unreliable. The lines they worked on were mainly closed by
during the 'Beeching Cuts' and, being non-standard, they
were all withdrawn in the mid-1960s, before being
allocated TOPS classifications.
Key Facts
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Number |
E79963 |
|
Name |
|
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Class |
|
|
Type |
DRB 4W |
|
Company |
BR |
|
Builder |
Waggon und Masshienenbau |
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Works No |
|
|
Built |
1958 |
|
Owner |
NNR plc |
|
Date of acquisition by current owner |
|
|
Current Condition |
Available for service |
|
Location |
NNR |
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