Railbus 4-wheel AC Cars Profile and Models
W79978 at the Colne Valley Railway in August 2010. ©Foulger Railway Photography
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In the late 1950s, British Rail tested a series of small railbuses, produced by a variety of manufacturers, for about £12,500 each (£261,000 at 2014 prices). These proved to be very economical but were somewhat unreliable. Most of the lines they worked on were closed following the Beeching Cuts and, being non-standard, they were all withdrawn in the mid-1960s. AC Cars built five examples at their factory in Thames Ditton, Surrey. They were the first of five railbus designs to be delivered and operated in the Scottish and Western regions for 10 years. |
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Type of Unit |
Diesel-Mechanical Railbus |
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Builder |
AC Cars, Surrey |
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Build Dates |
1958 |
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Total Built |
5 |
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Coaches Per Unit |
Single Car |
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Power Output |
150 hp |
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Top Speed |
50 mph |
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Passenger Capacity |
46 seats |
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Operated By |
British Rail |
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Main Duties |
Local Passenger |
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In Service Until |
1968 |
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Surviving Examples |
1 |
BR green with late crest
Products awaiting categorisation
| Scale | Brand | Image | Construction Type | DCC Capability | Product Code | Product Title | Livery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OO Gauge (1:76 Scale) | Anbrico |
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Requires assembly | Not set |
AC View |
AC Cars 4 wheel Railbus British Railways Kit (Motor and gears not included) | Awaiting Categorisation |