Key Features
Number:
W55003
Built:
1958
Builder:
Gloucester Railway Carriage
Withdrawn:
First Restored:
W55003 is a Class 122 'Bubblecar' owned by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited and is currently undergoing refurbishment plus the creation of wheelchair-friendly accommodation at Toddington.
Specification
- Wheel arrangement: Driven on each bogie inside axle. Strictly speaking a 1A-A1
- Origin: Built locally by Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Co in 1958, these units served lightly used lines, initially in the Midlands and Scotland. Towards the end of its life W55003 actually worked over our line. The nickname 'bubblecar' has its origins in the very small, one or 2 person 3-wheelers being imported from Germany around the time of their introduction.
- Engine/power: 2 x Leyland 680 150hp driving through 4-speed epicyclic gearboxes
- Length over buffers: 64 feet
- Working weight: 36 tons
- Maximum speed: 70 mph which, given the 'lively ride' you experience at 25 mph, must have been quite exciting.
Gallery
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