Railbuses - Images

Courtesy of Basil Hancock

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ACV (Associated Commercial Vehicles) Railbuses

Whilst not known as PRV Railbuses these were bodied by PRV.

The first three-car unit, comprising cars 1, 2 & 3 was built as a demonstrator set in 1952 and ran trials on many lines throughout the UK. It comprised a motor car, a motor brake car and a trailer. It was painted two-tone grey with red lining but was later purchased by British Railways and given green livery. Five similar cars were built for BR in 1955 and three more in 1957, and all eleven spent most of their later lives on the Watford-St Albans line. They were all withdrawn by 1962.

The first three cars in BR livery can be distinguished by their half-drop windows and lower skirt panels. The eight later cars had sliding windows and no skirts.

The ACV's body drawings and chassis

The ACV's prototype railbuses

The ACV's production railbuses

Park Royal Railbuses

There were five of these, 79970-4, (Body Nos. B41054-8) built between June & November 1958. They spent their early lives on the London Midland Region and Scottish Region, but later congregated in Scotland. All were withdrawn by 1968.

The body of 79971 survived as a "Crew Room/Lamp Store" at the Edinburgh Millerhill yard. It was the last survivor, and although there was talk of it being preserved, due to it being contaminated with blue asbestos, it was destroyed by being disposed of (buried) in a landfill site.

The rare PRV official Railbus Photographs