This came from Janey's bro-in-law in Australia! 1950s? 60s?

Wed 14 Jun 2023, 14:19

Charlie M: ..."and there were attempts to introduce a railcar based on the beautiful Leyland National bus, but I believe it got no further than the prototype/pre-production phase" - these actually became the Pacer units still in service in places - or are they? Rattly, uncomfortable and lively. Travelling on one in the 1980s from Exeter to Barnstaple over 40' rails, the vbouncy ertical motion and hard seating made for an unpleasant trip!

Wed 14 Jun 2023, 12:17

Apparently the pic is from 1957, and is on the Didcot Railway Centre facebook page.

Wed 14 Jun 2023, 11:39

From doing some picture matching, the vehicle in the station seems to be what was known as a GWR Collett Flying Banana.

Back in the 1970's I worked for the Commercial Vehicle Division of British Leyland, and there were attempts to introduce a railcar based on the beautiful Leyland National bus, but I believe it got no further than the prototype/pre-production phase.

Wed 14 Jun 2023, 11:24

I used to be on the Board of the Western Region of British Rail (sounds much grander than it actually was).  If I remember correctly, one of the problems with these and similar adaptations was that BR rules specified that they had to be able to hold their own in a collision with a Class 47 and similar.  Eastern Region actually tried putting an actual bus body onto a modified rail chassis, but that didn't work either.  

(A propos of nothing much: the Engineering Manager said that he was the fourteenth Engineering Manager since Brunel, and he was on his fourteenth Minister of Transport.  He said this while looking down from the top floor onto Reading Station, otherwise known as the best fiddle yard on the railway).  

Wed 14 Jun 2023, 10:27

This is a GWR Railcar. I travelled on this in the late 50's to Tec college in Oxford.The are still 3 operating.   John Harrison

Tue 13 Jun 2023, 19:05

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