AC Railbus W79978

AC Railbus W79978

W79978 is one of four railbuses delivered in 1958 for use on the Kemble to Tetbury and Kemble to Cirencester branch lines and was regularly seen in Swindon until closure of the lines in 1964.

We are very pleased to announce the return of this historic vehicle to Swindon, however it is now in need of major restoration work to enable it to return to regular service.

W79978 makes its first public appearance at the S&CR.

The restoration project had its public launch at the Swindon & Cricklade railway diesel gala on July 2nd and 3rd 2022.  The event was well attended with lots of interest shown in the railbus and the restoration plan.

One of the visitors was Stephen Randolph, who as a boy used to travel on the railbuses from his home in Tetbury.

In the picture above Stephen can be seen standing next to the railbus on the last day of train services on the Tetbury branch.

And here he is again, alongside W79978. Over fifty years separate the two pictures!

 

Unfortunately, due to problems with the vehicle’s compressed air system, it was not possible for the railbus to be operational, however visitors were able to go inside the railbus and to see at first hand the extent of work required

W79978 at Cirencester town station in 1964 on the last day of services.

 

W79978 in 1969

There is a short video of W79978 in its early days at the NYMR available on YouTube, entitled “NYMR railbus 1969”. Well worth a watch!

Note: There is no sound to this video.

W79978 on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1972 at Goathland (with BR J27 as NER P3 2392)

After withdrawal from BR service, W79978 went into preservation at the NYMR, there it was named Premier as it was the first self-propelled vehicle on the newly preserved railway.

Picture courtesy of Martin Fisher

A NEW LEASE OF LIFE!

W79978 is now undergoing a comprehensive restoration at the S&CR.

The restoration is being carried out in stages, with the intention to complete a section, run the vehicle, and then move on to the next section.  This will break the work into manageable sections and still enable occasional outings for the vehicle in order to maintain interest.

60th Anniversary Exhibition

To mark the closure of

Tetbury and Cirencester Branch Lines

W79978 was temporarily brought out of restoration on the 6th and 7th April 2024 to comemmorate the closure of the branch lines over which it used to run.  During the two days it ran an intensive service to the delight of many railbus enthusiasts and visitors. A special exhibition and display also marked the occasion while Blunsdon and Hayes Knoll masqueraded as Kemble and Tetbury.

RESTORATION NEWS

To follow the progress of the restoration work, click the links below.

W79978 Merchandise now available

Ideal Christmas Presents!    Email martin.rouse1966@gmx.com to purchase.

Heather grey T shirts available in sizes L and XL £15.00

Mugs £7.50

To donate to the project or if you want to get involved with the restoration.

Your help is greatly appreciated.  Use the button below to make a donation via PayPal or with a credit card

Donate Now

When donating using a credit or debit card please use the reference “Railbus” in the optional note section.

If using PayPal please use the  “Contact us” box to let us know your donation is for the railbus.

To find out more about the project or to Volunteer to help, use the “Contact us” form.

Contact Us

 

Further Historical Information about W79978 can be found at:   The Railcar Association   and  Railcar.co.uk

 

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