Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus

[EHertsGER]

Ooh, ooh, really?? Is there any way of sharing this video footage...or is it on the BRLHS Video of the Branch. I am modeling Widford, so this could be a welcome diversion from the butchered LIMA trying very hard to look like a Cl 125....

 

I recall the Wickham works near Ware Station - used to go past it on the bus (350/351) to Hertford.

 

Many thanks for that Chris , it sounds very promising indeed.

 

My other local branch is (was) St. Margarets - Buntingford (Herts) where Wickham (of Ware) often used to trial new locos as I'm sure you well know, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Heljan Wickham Railbus model does come to fruition. I have video footage of one (SC numbered) leaving Buntingford on a test run!

[00ERmissus]

Yes, it is on the Buntingford Branch DVD and the film quality is very good, the SC running number is plainly visible on it too........

[EddieB]

Skimming through a book entitled "Cross-Country Steam" isn't where you'd expect to uncover early pictures of the W&M railbuses.

 

On page xx (oh, they're not numbered), there's a photo of B17/6 61651 "DERBY COUNTY" towing a railbus at Marks Tey.  The caption gives the date as March 1958, the loco is in early crest livery and the railbus has speed whiskers applied.  (Although the caption suggests the destination as Cambridge for trials on the Mildenhall and Saffron Walden branches, I suggest trials on the Colne Valley line are also likely).  This photo is followed on page xx+3 by a photo of another B17/6 - 61645 "THE SUFFOLK REGIMENT" - passing another railbus, the latter on trial on the Mildenhall branch.  The second photo is dated May 1958, the loco is again in early crest livery, but the railbus is clean-shaven!

 

So, if the dates of the captions are correct, we have a railbus running without speed whiskers a couple of months later than one where they had been applied..

 

Unfortunately no numbers and the black & white images won't differentiate shades of green.

[Sam Moss]

Anyone had any gear mesh problems with their railbus? Mines ran ok for nearly a year but during a wheel cleaning session the other week I noticed one axle was only intermittently driving. The other isn't brilliant so its currently sat in bits in its box. After investigation it seams that the two halves of chassis that sandwiches the motor wasn't fully down. Having nipped up the screws, all this has done is strip the thread therefor the self tappers do nothing resulting in the motor having enough movement to stop drive to the axles. Once I've found enough bigger self tappers I'll have ago a reassembling to see if its repairable. I'm not looking forward to refitting all the electrics......

[Kenton]

 

Anyone had any gear mesh problems with their railbus?

No

But I guess it depends on how much use it is getting. I have never had an occasion to open it up (total lack of curiosity and am happy for it to be confined to DC operating for now) Running back and forth over 4ft of track on a reversing straight gives it a reasonable work out but nothing too demanding. I don't think I have cleaned the wheels yet (my track isn't that dirty) and we are no talking of expo environments (lots of heavy breathing, perspiring old men). It sounds like (as so often with RTR) the construction screw are driven in as a once only move probably by machine, and are not really intended for disassembly.

[Metr0Land]

A pic from the 'prototype for eveything' dept

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56249446@N06/8175362257/

[Roundwood20]

I realise that this is a late entry to the discussion but I have only recently found your web page.

 

As a former KWVLR railbus driver from 1976-1987 and one time caretaker of 79962 (resident in Australia since 1987) I can add a few comments.

1. 79964 had an M prefix to its number on arrival at the KWVLR in 1967 and retained it until repainted in pseudo-DB red livery around 1973.  I don’t know for sure about 79961, but I believe that both Buxton-based railbuses did eventually get an M prefix.
2. I am not sure that the Bussing engines were unreliable, although a couple of them did put pistons out through the side of the block (we had them stored at Oakworth for spares – presumably two of the three removed from 79961/3/4).  It was probably unfamiliarity and lack of spare parts more than anything else which led to the fitting of AEC engines.  The Bussing was an indirect-injection engine and was very smooth running although probably not quite as fuel-efficient as the direct-injection AEC.  One good thing about the AEC though was that it had an engine-mounted air compressor in addition to the frame mounted compressor, so 79964 was always much better at building up and retaining air than 79962.
3. The transmission was also unusual as it was (and still is) a six-speed electro-magnetic ZF gearbox.
4. I repainted 79962 into its original livery in 1976 and when stripping it down there were signs of a lighter green under the later DMU green.   Although I took care to try to match the colour, the green used in 1976 turned out to be too light, but it did represent the original livery.  Incidentally we claimed at the time that it was the very first BR diesel of any kind to be restored to an original BR livery – a claim which I still think stands up.  Until then heritage lines had deliberately painted diesel locos and DMUs in non-BR liveries.
5. While talking of liveries, in their later BR lives 79960 and 79963 had small rectangular yellow warning panels at each end whereas 79961/3/4 had a larger panel.
6. The KWVLR sometimes used the two railbuses in tandem.  They were not multiple equipped, so needed a driver in each, but obviously the front driver controlled the brakes on both railbuses.  They were very occasionally used for very light shunting, which the buffers and screw couplings permitted, and they could be shunted around the yard by other locos when necessary.  None of the other four railbus types could be coupled together in service or couple to anything else without an adaptor coupling.
7. I unrolled and photographed a complete destination blind.
8. The railbuses had a red lens which could be slotted over one of the three lower white lights.  Usual practice was to leave a lens in place at each end and select the relevant light for use at the rear.  Oil tail lamps were not usually used, whereas in BR days they were.
9. The seat colour was a dull green vinyl.
10. The railbuses were restricted to 20 mph on the KWVLR.  In 1980 they ran in tandem to and from Doncaster MPD for tyre turning, driven by KWVLR drivers under supervision as no one on BR knew how to drive them (try doing that today).  I was lucky enough to be the lead driver on the return run as far as Leeds, and we cruised at 55 mph most of the way.  The ride was good but then it was the Doncaster-Leeds main line.
11. Incidentally although the seating capacity was 56, as far as I know the record was about 120 passengers on board on the occasion when we had to get one out in a hurry after a steam loco failed.
12. After around 25 years out of use, E79962 has been bought by the Vintage Carriages Trust and is to be fully restored at Ingrow.   A Bussing engine has already been overhauled for use under it.
13. And finally M79964 has run continuously in passenger service on the KWVLR for 46 years now.  I would suggest that no other heritage loco or DMU comes anywhere close.  Not bad for something supposedly obsolete when six years old.

i have photos of many of the things I have mentioned.   If anyone is interested I could post them.

 

 

[trainset1]

Hi Roundwood20,

 

A very interesting post, as for photo's I would be interested in seeing any you have of the interior of these vehicles in their original condition.

 

Steve.

[Roundwood20]

Here are a few photos which may be of interest.

[roythebus]

Nice pix!

 

I've just been given one of these models as a birthday present and I'm very impressed by it. the only complaint I have is the wheels have very thick flanges. I use DOOGAF standard and the wheels won't push out to 14.8b-t-b as this then puts them at well over 17mm gauge! Seems like I'll have to find replacement wheels from somewhere.

[PGC]

Nice pix!

 

I've just been given one of these models as a birthday present and I'm very impressed by it. the only complaint I have is the wheels have very thick flanges. I use DOOGAF standard and the wheels won't push out to 14.8b-t-b as this then puts them at well over 17mm gauge! Seems like I'll have to find replacement wheels from somewhere.

 

This was the problem I had as well - I model in EM, though!

 

The answer? Alan Gibson WD tender wheels. They're 12.6mm diameter and at 2mm, the axles are a straight replacement for the Heljan ones. You can either use the original axles and just replace the wheels with the Gibson ones or you can carefully take the gear off the original axle (it's just a push fit, there are no splines) and use the Gibson axles.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Phil.

 

PS - The EMGS have just released a draft conversion sheet on this, so credit to EMGS and Colin Wilson for this conversion, not me!)

[roythebus]

Thanks, that's helpful.

[HeavyDuty]

Late to the party...

 

I just received one of these from Hattons - item 87051, E79961 in gloss green. This will used on my freelanced 1960 East Anglia branchline layout. Can anyone help with a few questions?

 

* Color - this appears to be ex-works, correct? How long did this shade last before repainting in darker green?

* Speed whiskers - I assume speed whiskers would have been applied by 1960. Can they plausibly be applied over this color paint? Also, what color where the whiskers on these? In some photos they appear white, and in others pale yellow.

* Has anyone successfully installed DCC sound into one of these?

* Any guidance on destination blind removal and changing would be greatly appreciated!

Edited July 18, 2014 by HeavyDuty

[Kenton]

 

* Has anyone successfully installed DCC sound into one of these?

 

IIRC DCC chipping was covered way back early in this topic - don't think it was sound though.

 

The biggest problem with this model is getting the parts apart without breakage (also covered earlier)

 

Mine remains stubbornly DC and lives most of its life in a box, barring the occasional exercise trundle.

[HeavyDuty]

Yes, I read through the entire thread yesterday before posting - I did see the comments and warnings. I'm hoping someone has taken the leap and can describe their experience.

[Kenton]

Decoder fitting:

 

 

DCC sound:

 

 

his trackwork needs more work on it - but then so does the noise emanating from that chip!

Edited July 19, 2014 by Kenton

[Sam Moss]

An update on my dodgy chassis. I've managed to get drive back on to one axle, however whilst is quite leading it chatters and grinds when the unpowered axle is taking lead. I'm stumped on what to do with it now other than to either sit it in a siding or dump the thing on ebay and get what I can. Ended up leaving the lights and circuit boards out. I'm quite patient when reassembling models however this one would have seem me throw it at the wall!

[thunderer08]

Can anyone tell me if any of the railbus's are in preserved condition?

[BR(S)]

Can anyone tell me if any of the railbus's are in preserved condition?

 

http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/DRB.html

[thunderer08]

Thanks for your reply but I think you misunderstood my original question, I seem to recall one of the models was modelled on a railbus as preserved, I was wondering which one?

[mikesndbs]

Hi

 

Item 11 steps, how do they fit on please?

[mikesndbs]

? thread gone dead lol

 

Can anyone confirm how the pick ups are arranged?

 

Mine was squeaking so I undid the little covers over each axle and cleaned the fluff that had built up and re greased the gears and bearings.

As I was disassembling the wheel sets both sprung up and as far as I can see the pickup wires press on the tread of the wheels and not the backs as the instructions say.

Is this right?

Thanks

[PGC]

If someone has answered this elsewhere in the tread, apologies for not reading every post so far!

 

The model has four lights, all of which light white when running forwards. How prototypical is this? I suspect not, as this is surely the head code for a royal train. If anyone can enlighten me on which lights should be lit when in normal passenger service, I would really appreciate knowing.

 

Thanks

 

Phil

[stewartingram]

I would have said top one only (Class B) as most appropriate for a railbus working. However they were VERY dim, so I have removed all ot the lights on mine.

 

Stewart

 

edit: that smiley should not be there - it should be a "B".

Edited January 20, 2015 by stewartingram

[PGC]

I would have said top one only (Class B) as most appropriate for a railbus working. However they were VERY dim, so I have removed all ot the lights on mine.

 

Stewart

 

edit: that smiley should not be there - it should be a "B".

 

Thanks Stuart - I've bought some passengers to populate my carriages, when they arrive and I take the rail bus apart to fit them, I'll disconnect the lights at the same time, it makes a lot of sense.

 

Phil