Railbus RB004 Leyland National (exterior)

One of a few experimental raiulbuses based on the Leyland National bus.

Seen May 2008 at Telford Steam Railway.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• RB004
• Railbus
• Leyland National
• Telford Steam Railway

[Fleetline119]

This video (and the interior film) were taken on 5th May 2008.

[jeffsbuslane]

I also had a ride on it, but thought that the ride was better than your average Pacer and the TL11 sound effects were marvellous! Just wish I'd had time for a longer ride.

[mikecawood]

This railbus RB004 is still an important step in the development of low cost rail vehicles.

But I still say that I am a fan of heritage DMUs (from the 1950s Modernisation Plan).

[RustonDave]

@mikecawood On comparison to the other units operating I didn't think this was any noisier than the others.

[quadtechuk]

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the ride on RB004.

According to several visitors, the ride is better than most of the class 141s that were in service in Yorkshire in the 1980s and 1990s on which it is based.

We haven't managed to get the air conditioning working yet, when we do, the pressure ventilation should stop the diesel smell getting in.

This was it's first time running for quite awhile, and the first time it's done a run of more than 3/4 mile since it left the USA in the mid 1990s.

[mikecawood]

I rode on this today at the Llangollen Railway and it is absolutely awful. Not only is the ride very poor, it was noisy and there was the constant smell of diesel fumes.

[HORNEBEEDUBLO]

@smiffy1071 I agree but only if driving through an SCG gearbox. The gearbox whines complimented the TL11 sounds. The TL11 engine did not seem to match the Voith gearboxes very well. The Pacers converted were terribly noisy (the TL11s sounding like they were about to fall to bits in some cases) and were sluggish. I wish that the problems with the SCG gearboxes could have been remedied and the units retained on classes 142, 143 and 144.