Llangollen Railcar Group Homepage

A Registered Charity - No 1119967

The railways were revolutionised by the introduction of the railcar, or diesel multiple unit, in the 1950s. Costs were slashed, passengers won back and many lines which would have closed were saved. Our mission is to preserve and operate some of these trains for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.

The pride of our fleet is this 1957 Wickham railcar, the only one of its type in existence. it was rebuilt from a gutted wreck over 10 years. Picture Mike Martin

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	December 8 - 2012 Running Dates added

We have a fleet of seven two-car diesel railcars which see public passenger service on over 90 days per year at Llangollen and over 50 elsewhere. We are all volunteers and membership is open to anyone with an interest in this particular aspect of our railways.

Our mission is to restore vintage railcar sets and to operate them in the way originally intended so that the public can see and understand what a large contibution these trains have made to the British Railway system. We have been supported in this work by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Our operation is not solely directed at the railway enthusiast. Many ordinary members of the public appreciate these trains with their unique views of the line ahead and the surrounding scenery.

We are mainly based at the Llangollen Railway, just South of Chester, where we currently have four of our Railcar sets in service. A fifth is currently on loan to the Weardale Railway in County Durham where, during 2010 and 2011, it was used on services for the benefit of the local community. Two of our sets are under long-term restoration, one at Llangollen and another at the Midland Railway, Butterley.

Llangollen Railcars Ltd is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. Membership and participation in our activities is open to all.

The stunning scenery of our host line at Llangollen can best be admired through the panoramic front windows of one of our railcars. The 127 is seen near Garth-y-dwr. Picture Chris Moxon

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That a "handle and spoon" are the nicknames for the driver's detachable driving controls?
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That railcars powered by petrol engines were in service in Britain's railways in 1903 and that diesels were in use extensively from the 1930s.
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That the first railcars like ours entered service in Yorkshire in 1954 - and went to the scrapman in 1964.
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That the last similar units were withdrawn in 2004, exactly 50 years since the first was introduced.
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That the distinctive rattle from underneath is usually caused by the drive-shaft to the radiator fan.

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That one of our railcars has already been in preservation for 38 years - longer than it was on the main line!
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That our Wickham railcar set took ten years to restore and that the work cost Ł198,000 - the bulk of the money coming from the National Lottery
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That now Railcars are so popular that over 300 have been preserved in Britain
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That it is now 58 years since the first railcars were introduced into service and 48 since the first were withdrawn. The last survived on the mainline until 8 years ago while the first preserved was 40 years ago
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Railcars are also known as Diesel Multiple Units (or DMUs) while the four-wheel versions are called Railbuses
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We have 14 Railcar vehicles, most of which are over 50 years old - the combined total age of our fleet is 595 years!

ŠLlangollen Railcars Ltd 2012