Get on the bus!

A one-off Wickham railbus arrived at Shillingstone this morning.  It is set to become an important addition to NDR’s rolling stock when it goes into service as a 48-seater coach, but it didn’t start life carrying passengers, and that is what makes it unique. 

Wickham & Co only ever built five four-wheeled railbuses for passenger use, none of which survives.  However, a sixth was built and modified solely for the vital work of track inspection, going into service in 1959.  The revolutionary on-board equipment could record track measurements, at speeds of up to 30mph.

Unlike its passenger-carrying cousins, which didn’t survive the 60s purge, the Track Recording Coach continued to be useful – later renamed Laboratory 20 – and was not withdrawn until 1991.  Just a few years later it had gone to a heritage railway, but it was not until 2003 that it was fitted out with seats for the first time.

It saw more than 20 years of passenger use, including more than a decade at the Lavender Line in Sussex, but in recent years has been in storage.  Now at Shillingstone, restoration will begin in spring next year – there is much to do.  When it’s ready, it will at first be used as a coach, but if the mechanics prove suitable it will then be self-propelled.  As always, as much work as possible will be carried out by the ‘orange army’ of volunteers.

If you'd like to support the restoration work, you can donate here.