AC Cars Railbus

Body

The car body was a light steel shell fabricated by welding from top hat channel and "Z" sections.

The floor consisted of corrugated steel section attached by welding to the body longitudinals and cross members. This was covered by a wood composition floor, and finished with a good quality linoleum.

Exterior panelling was of 16 swg aluminium for the sides and ends and 18 swg aluminium for the roof panels. Generally, the panels were riveted to the framework and panel joints covered with a moulding of suitable section.

Ceiling panels, again of aluminium, were 20 swg except for the end domes, which were formed from 18 swg. Electrolytic action between the aluminium panels and steel frame was prevented by a jointing medium. Where necessary the panels were treated with sound absorbing material to prevent drumming.

As drawgear and buffers could not be mounted directly to the underframe, they were carried by the body subframe. They were not designed to withstand normal usage and shunting stresses, but were fitted as a means of towing the railbus in the event of a failure while on the track, for which they were adequate.

A single sliding door supplied by GD Peters & Co Ltd was situated centrally on each side of the car, controlled electro-pneumatically by push buttons in the cabs ("open" and "close"). Separate switches control right and left hand doors. Momentary pressure only of the buttons is required to energise the electro-pneumatic valves for door opening; a set of relay contacts maintaining the circuit until release by the "close" button. Release cocks were fitted adjacent to each door inside and out for emergency and depot use.

After delivery, the ScR requested that power-operated steps be fitted to 79979. It was returned to the manufacturer's for this before the car moved to Scotland.

The Beclawat Zephyr type side windows consisted of a lower portion of 3/16 in. toughened plate glass and a light alloy framed sliding glass ventilator above. The whole unit was glazed directly into the body framing by means of Claytonrite self-sealing weatherstrip. At the ends a small central window was flanked by two larger ones; and those at the corners were curved to follow to the body contours. All these end windows were of ¼ inch laminated safety glass and glazed directly into the body framing in a similar manner to the side windows. Four extraction type ventilators were mounted longitudinally on the roof.

Marker lights and headlamps were fitted in according to BR requirements, supplied by BMAC Ltd. Trico-Folbeth Ltd windscreen wipers were fitted.

Livery

The vehicles were finished in DMU green with an aluminium waist band, and grey roof. The first vehicle 79979 was delivered without speed whiskers but had them added before reaching Scotland 6 months later.