Roundwood20

Here are a few photos which may be of interest.

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. 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. 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. The transmission was also unusual as it was (and still is) a six-speed electro-magnetic ZF gearbox. 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. 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. 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. I unrolled and photographed a complete destination blind. 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. The seat colour was a dull green vinyl. 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. 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. 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. 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.