Vehicle 79960

Waggon und Maschinenbau (WMD) Railbus

Builder: Waggon und Maschinenbau
Layout: Railbus
Length: 41ft
Coupling Code: None
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Lot Number: 30482
Diagram: 611

Allocations

Disposal

Preserved - more details.

Images:

17th April 1958

Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus E79960 poses for, or is passing, the camera on 17 April 1958, just south of Cambridge station. It would not enter service until July 1958. The poster in the window shouts "BBC", for Brown, Boveri Cie who supplied the electrical equipment. It was common practice with diesel locos to refer to them by the manufacturer of electrical equipment, such as "British Thomson-Houston Type 1", but almost unknown with railcars. The BBC poster is said by some to have been to disguise the fact these railbuses were German, because of lingering anti German feelings after WWII, yet it also shouts "Mannheim", a German city so this can be discounted. Also, by 1958 German goods were already appearing in Britain, most notably the VW Beetle. Hills Road bridge is in the background would be rebuilt in 1960 in preparation for the King's Cross suburban electrification scheme of that year which was destined to be cancelled for financial reasons. Darren Kitson Collection.

1962

This negative was noted as being taken at Doncaster in 1962. It shows German railbus E79960 coupled between a steam loco and brake van, possibly on a works visit. Stuart Mackay Collection.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 1967

E79963 and presumably E79960 at Wymondham. The vehicles are probably on their way to preservation on the North Norfolk Railway in 1967. The formation also includes a quad-art set. Steve Davies Collection.