What is this coach.....

[Crompton Karl]

While at the EKR on saturday i took this photo

I have never seen this type of coach before on BR. It looked like some conversion of a Mk1 coach. Does anyone know what it is, and why it was built?

Karl

 

[theblackwatch]

It was a Mk. 1 underframe rebuilt with a Layland National bus body in the 1980s, numbered RDB977091. I even once saw it in service on Cross Country. The idea of mass conversions/rebuilds didn't take off. Shame to see a unique one off prototype conversion in such a state, I've seen reports of it being for sale.

 

[NSEFAN]

Yes - It is an experimental TSO with a mk1 underframe. Built at the same time as the Pacers I think.

It wasn't popular with passengers, so the project was shelved pretty quickly.

Here's a pic of it in service: http://www.semg.org.uk/coach/leyland.html

 

[ChrisCooper]

Leyland's 3rd and least sucessful attempt to stick National parts on a rail underframe (the others being oviously the Pacer and also the 155). I suppose the problem with this is that it didn't really have a market. The BR standard coaches were all built with long distance express working in mind, so for the times had very high standards. By the time this was converted, the Mk1s had been displaced off that sort of work by Mk2s and Mk3s, yet the sort of secondary workings it could have been suited to were starting to come into the hands of units. Rarther than an updated Mk1, it comes across as a loco hauled Sprinter. A far better solution to Mk1 re-bodying would have been something much higher quality that would have been able to work alongside existing Mk1s and early Mk2s on secondary express work as a stop-gap before the 158s took over on that sort of service.

 

[TheSlash]

Nice to see somebody parked on the platform at Shepherds Well, i've got a good idea who's car that will be.

 

[morgantyreman]

It looks like a MK1 yet it wearily looks like a 142 with no cabs

 

[TheSlash]

It looks like a MK1 yet it wearily looks like a 142 with no cabs

Funny you should say that, because that's exactly what it is :tard:

 

[The 158 Man]

Looks more like a Class 140, especially with it being in that colour!

 

[Bastiaan]

This type of body, which was just a bus construction, should have been a low-cost alternative to the conventional coach body. The Rhätian Railways (RhB) in Switserland used it when they needed cheap coaches in their financially-less-succesfull days in the late eigties. The first series of 11 coaches (nrs. B 2261 - 2271) look very much like this Leyland-Mk1. The second and the third series (respectively nrs. B 2272 - 2273 and B 2417 - 2420) have a more Swiss-style body, but have still the same kind of construction.

(www.polier.ch)

 

[Muttley]

I`m no expert on this but... aren`t the bogies off a late Mk2 coach?


And if so...there seems to be so little of the original Mk1 coach left that surely it must of been cheaper just to knock up some fresh underframes from scratch.



Anyway,as above with the comments- BL coudn`t build cars or lorries,why did they think they`d be good at trains.

 

[ChrisCooper]

It's on B4 bogies which along with the Commonwealth were used to replace the original bogies on the Mk1s, giving better ride aswell as 100mph top speed. A lot of Mk1s were also withdrawn around that time and quite a few ended up being preserved, so many preserved Mk1s have the original bogies. The B4 was developed for the Mk2 coach, and fitted to all types of Mk2 (including EMUs), and varients were also fitted to later SR Slam Door EMUs. Whilst designed for 100mph, they are capable of 110mph with additional maintenance (particularly wheel profile), and are one of the best riding bogies on any UK train, and up to certain speeds will actually outperform the BT10 (as fitted to Mk3s).

 

[LucaZone]

looks like a centre coach for a Pacer that never got implemented

 

[Crompton Karl]

What surprises me is that it was built with normal slam doors and not plug or sliding doors, especially as by the time this coach was released most of the stock being released has at least sliding doors.

Karl

 

[Coxster]

Quote from the East kent Railway website:

Leyland Prototype No. RDB977091
Built: Workington, 1982.
History: Underframe formerly of Mk.I BCK No.21234 (body now scrapped). Worked in a formation with Mk.Is between Brighton and Manchester.
Owned by: Nene Valley Railway (on loan to EKR).
Status: Currently not in service and used as overflow buffet. Awaiting full restoration and return to service.

 

[Hydro]

http://www.departmentals.com/photo.php?photo=977091

In happier times.


http://www.departmentals.com/photo/977091a

At the EKR, looking slightly better than the state CK found it in.


Courtesy of departmentals.com

 

[Jonfun]

It's a mekkano kit! Which in other words, is a nodding donkey. But welded together with it's ends chopped off.