The Leyland Experimental Vehicles & others

The Leyland Experimental Vehicle (LEV)

The forerunner of all those nasty railbuses was the Leyland Experimental Vehicle, a joint venture between Leyland and BR to combine the worst features of rail and bus. Here are some pictures of the various early railbuses with links.

The railbuses were powered by 200bhp 6-cylinder Leyland TL11 diesel engines, with fully automatic SCG gearboxes and a Gmeinder final drive unit driving one axle. They were 12.3m long and consisted of a standard Leyland modular bus body on a chassis having suspension based on the HSFV series of experimental designs for freight vehicles but with flexicoil springing. This allowed for a double-ended body mounted at four resilient points on the underframe.

There were five single car railbuses built for trials on BR, including one built by Wickhams for export to USA. Amazingly, they have all survived - look here for more information and pictures.

	LEV1 – Owned by National Railway Museum to where it has recently returned from its restoration at North Norfolk Railway, UK
	LEV2 – Connecticut Trolley Museum, USA
	LEV3 or RB3 - Downpatrick & County Down Railway – 5’3” Gauge - NI
	RB004 – Privately Owned at Telford Steam Railway, UK but recently moved to the MRC at Butterley
	RB002 (”The Denmark”) – Reported to be at Riverstown Old Corn Railway (closed) near Dundalk, Eire about eighteen months ago in a poor state of repair.
	Any further information or photos of the elusive RB002 would be gratefully received.

Click on the picture for a bigger image- all photos are BR official unless otherwise indicated

LEV1

	The first LEV was un-powered and unbraked and is shown here in the sidings at the RTC in the summer of 1978
	Outside EDU in June 1978
	As part of the preliminary trials it was ride tested on the WCML in 1979, now fitted with power equipment and brakes, and is pictured here between two test cars at an unknown location. Author's collection
	At Carlisle probably on the same day Author's collection
	Another view at Carlisle - with a Leyland bus alongside - a coincidence I wonder? Author's collection
	The re-built LEV1 outside the Test Hall at the RTC c1979 J A Lower
	Outside Stanton Tunnel on the Old Dalby test track in 1979
	LEV1 pictured at an unknown depot whilst on trial. Now known as the BR Leyland Motors experimental railbus and numbered RDB975874 - note that it is now fitted with the bulbous projection above the cabs
	Pictured here near Woodbridge on the line to Saxmundham in early 1980 on test. G R Mortimer
	After extensive tests it eventually entered passenger service in East Anglia and is pictured passing through Ipswich station in the early 80's. M J Collins
	At Lowestoft on 24th October 1980
	Pictured in the C&W Works prior to departing for USA c1980
	After trials in passenger service it was sent to the USA in early 1980 - note the grilles over the windscreen which were fitted for use in the States. It travelled widely before returning to Derby works in 1986. Look here for pictures of the unit in USA
	In 2009 it was undergoing restoration at the North Norfolk Railway - on loan from the NRM. Here it is outside Weybourne shed on 11th July. Author
	Now up and running LEV1 is pictured at Weybourne 18th April 2010 at the NNR's Vintage Bus weekend Tony Smith

	LEV1 together with a Leyland bus pictured at Weybourne on 9th April 2011 at the NNR's latest Vintage Bus weekend Neil Sharpe
	LEV1 on the back of a low loader in a garage on the A46 near Lincoln en-route to NRM's Shildon site on 10th August 2012 Bryan Smith

LEV2 or R3 for USA

Confusingly referred to as LEV2 by British Rail, here is a view of the Wickham version of the railbus (which was a stretched version at 15.3m built specifically for the USA) at the Old Dalby test track - pictured on the straight between the Covered Way and Grimston. Note the destination on the blind - 'Bus stn'. Also note the projecting steps.

This was sold to Amtrak and exported to the USA and is still there today at the Connecticut Trolley Museum - look here and here and here for more information and pictures.

There are plans to repatriate the vehicle - If you are interested in seeing this Railbus back in the UK and put into regular use on preserved railways, then please make contact using the following email address:

lev2project@btinternet.com

Unknown

R3 BR version

Built in 1981 by BREL at Derby, this experimental railbus was tested on BR where it was not a success. It was bought by NIR and re-gauged for use on the Coleraine – Portrush line. Too small to cope with the number of daytime passengers it was relegated to evening trains and then passed to the Civil Engineer’s Dept for inspection etc duties.

It is now preserved at Downpatrick Station.

	It is shown here when new in the C&W works at Derby. It was given a Departmental number RDB977020 and its data panel referred to R3.
	RDB977020 pictured at the Control Centre at the Old Dalby test track in the early 1980's Alan Rimmer
	At Sea Mills on the Severn Beach line on 26th November 1980 Unknown
	Approaching Bristol TM on 3rd April 1982 with a service from Severn Beach. For other photos on the branch at Sea Mills and at Clifton Down look here and here John Turner
	RDB977020 at Plymouth Laira depot on 25th April 1982 Note the strange secondary windscreens that were fitted. It was felt by various ASLEF and NUR that the original windscreens were not strong enough for rail use, hence the internal framing and inner windscreens. Frank Cox - see his excellent site here
	In service at an unknown location - this was eventually sold to NIR in late 1982 and converted to 5' 3" gauge. Unknown
	In Northern Ireland it conducted a few railtours. Pictured here passing Cultra on Sunday, 8 August, 1982 Albert Bridge
	The railbus running empty from Belfast to Belfast Central to start a railtour on Sunday 8th August 1982. Albert Bridge
	Stabled at Belfast old York Road station Albert Bridge

RB002 Demonstrator - 'the Denmark'

Another BREL-Leyland product from c1984, it was exported as a demonstrator to the USA and Canada and spent a considerable time there.

On 30th May 1986 RB002 was being test run by NRC and VIA between Thompson and Pikwitonei and is pictured here at Thompson.

With a three panel stronger windscreen this looks much more like a class 141 than the earlier railbuses.

Pat & David Othen

It also went to Denmark and Sweden as a demonstrator and is shown here near Essen (on the Dutch-Belgian border) on 17th June 1985 on its way to Zeebrugge having gone out to Denmark by another route.

It returned to UK and was used as a classroom/office by BREL for a while and somehow it too ended up in Northern Ireland

There are a couple more pictures here . Its present location is believed to be at the now closed 4' 8½" gauge Riverstown Old Corn Railway near Dundalk in Eire but it is understood to be in a poor state of repair.

Gerrit Bethuyne

RB004

	Another version, RB004 was built at Derby in 1984. The body was built at the Leyland plant at Workington and BREL Derby C&W were responsible for the underframe and final assembly. It is shown here at the Mickleover test track. Basil Hancock
	RB004 is preserved and is currently being restored at the Telford Steam railway. Look here for a picture of the unit at Shildon NRM Basil Hancock
	RB004 at Swanwick Junction at the Midland Railway Centre on 29th August 2011 Author

Later 2-car demonstrator

	Extract from an article in the Railway Magazine March 1984:- First of the three BRE-Leyland demonstration railbuses, a metre gauge two car unit painted red, white and blue, left Britain by sea for Thailand on February 6. Built as an “economy version” of the class 141 railbuses being built for British Railways, it has longitudinal seats facing inwards for 120 passengers, with standing room for a further 140. Length over body ends of the complete two car unit is 30,5m maximum body width 2,5m Estimated weight is 40 tonnes unladen and 56 tonnes laden. It had one car powered using the Leyland TL11 200BHP engine After evaluation on the State Railway of Thailand the unit went to Malaysia for further trials, and also ran in Indonesia. Its whereabouts today is unknown Image from the State Railway of Thailand site @ Rotfaithai.com courtesy Tristan Houser
	Pictured at Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia on 21st August 1985 Malcolm Wilton Jones
	Another view of the railbus at Butterworth................. Malcolm Wilton Jones
	.............and again Malcolm Wilton Jones