LEV2 Wickham / Leyland Railbus Repatriation Project - Press Release

[WickhamofWare]

This unique British-built railbus which is languishing in an American Museum may be brought back to the UK if sufficient funds can be raised.

LEV2, which was built by D Wickham of Ware in Hertfordshire using a bus body supplied by Leyland Motors, is currently stored at the Connecticut Trolley Museum in East Windsor, Connecticut, where it is not seen as appropriate to their collection and has therefore been put up for sale.

The Railbus was ordered by the USA’s Federal Railroad Administration as part of an energy efficiency programme instigated by President Jimmy Carter following the oil crisis of the 1970’s. At 15.6 metres long it was over 3 metres longer than the LEV1 ,the original prototype which worked both in the States and in the UK, and is now preserved at the North Norfolk Railway.

Built to British Rail drawings on Wickham Order No. 15700 and given Wickham Works No. 11382 it was fitted with a Leyland 690 turbocharged engine (No. 7964290/E0690/3007) and has suspension based on the High Speed Freight Vehicle but with flexicoil springing.

The body was built at Workington Works of Leyland Vehicles, Bus Division and the Railbus left Wickham’s Ware Works on 1 October 1980 and underwent some testing on the Old Dalby Test Track. The Railbus has had six different owners in the last thirty years in America and for the first time an opportunity has arisen for it to return to the UK.

The Group behind the project has agreed a purchase price and has estimates for the shipping of the vehicle as well as interest from UK-based preservationists and railways which may provide a potential home. However it is now seeking expressions of interest from anyone who might like to be involved in the scheme, either practically or financially.

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

[email protected]

[steam for ever]

As much as I usually don't like pacer technology in normal circumstances I quite like this.
http://www.departmentals.com/uploads/photo/LEV2.jpg

As can be seen from the above picture it shares a lot with the 142. Quite a good idea and could help heritage railways run community services cheaply.

[Deathbyteacup]

I just like how it is, quite literally, a Leyland National on a wagon.

I'd love to be involved.

[railwaybuddy]

Originally Posted by steam for ever

As much as I usually don't like pacer technology in normal circumstances I quite like this.
http://www.departmentals.com/uploads/photo/LEV2.jpg

As can be seen from the above picture it shares a lot with the 142. Quite a good idea and could help heritage railways run community services cheaply.

wow cool pic i never knew that there was a lev2 ive only heard of lev1

[steam for ever]

Well I've always thought that this sort of tech could have saved many branches.
I admit that some had to go, the Bala to Ffestiniog line pretty much had a passenger count of 0 by the time closure came in 1960.
Sadly though it was overlooked. The parry people movers running on the stourbridge town branch are a more modern version of these railbuses.

[HM181]

In the spring of 1981 this vehcile was on test by BR at Leeds.
At this time i was just finishing my guards Course at Leeds, so I had a ride upto Ilkley and back.
Some years latter, a unit like this was on Leeds Holbeck Shed, 55A for a long time.
I was never trained on these Bendy Buses, it was all Leeds men who worked them.

[WickhamofWare]

The LEV2 Project has evolved and enlarged and is one of the projects of The Railbus Trust. This Group is working to protect the future of Single Car Railbuses and Second Generation DMU prototypes and its specific interests are the Leyland National based LEVs and RB demostrators.

For more information or to get involved, please see the Trust’s new Yahoo! Group at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/railbustrust