Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth railbus

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 They were withdrawn in 1966 and 1967.[1] Four are preserved.

Waggon und Maschinenbau, G.m.b.H., of Donauworth railbus
Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus at Holt station, North Norfolk Railway
In service1958 - 1967[1]
Manufacturer(Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth)
Family nameRailbus
ReplacedSteam locomotives and carriages
Scrapped1968
Number built5[2]
Number preserved4
Number scrapped1
Formationrailbus
Capacity56
Operator(s)British Railways
Line(s) servedWitham–Maldon branch line,
Braintree Branch Line,
Saffron Walden Railway[2]
Specifications
Car length41 ft 10 in (12.75 m) (over body), 45 ft 9 3⁄4 in (13.964 m) (over buffers)[2]
Width41 ft 8 1⁄2 in (12.713 m) (over panels)[2]
Height11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)[2]
Maximum speed55 mph (89 km/h)[2]
Weight15 tonnes (14.8 long tons; 16.5 short tons)
Traction system6-speed electro mechanical gearbox[2]
Prime mover(s)Buessing [2]
Engine type6-cylinder horizontal [2]
Power output150 hp (110 kW) at 1,900 r.p.m.[2]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Background

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

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

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
E79963 at Kelling Heath crossing, North Norfolk Railway, in 2001

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 under extensive overhaul.[7]
79964 Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Operational.[8]
gollark: Yes, hard.
gollark: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/test17.pdf
gollark: It's a hard maths test.
gollark: No.
gollark: St Catherine's, for purposes.

References
  1. Railway Magazine January 1968 pp. 4-9 J M Tolson: Too little, too light and too late - A survey of British Railways diesel railbuses
  2. Railway Magazine July 1958 pp. 499-501 German Railbuses for British Railways
  3. Bank of England inflation calculator
  4. Basil Hancock, Murray Brown (August 1979). "Railbuses extant". Railway Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  5. http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2068
  6. http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2069
  7. http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2070
  8. http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2071
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