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British Rail Class 122 Bubble Car
Class 122, no. 55006, at Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway on 15 October 2004, whilst taking part in the Railcar 50 event. This unit is painted in the second version of BR Green livery, and is preserved on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.
Interior of W55000 on the South Devon Railway
In service	1958–1995
Manufacturer	Gloucester RC&W
Family name	First generation
Replaced	Steam locomotives and carriages
Number built	20 motor, 9 trailer
Number preserved	DMBS: 8
Formation	Single car
Diagram	DMBS: 539 DTS: 538
Fleet numbers	DMBS: 55000–55019 DTS: 56291–56299
Capacity	DMBS: 65 DTS: 95
Operators	British Rail
Depots	BY Bletchley DE Dundee ED Eastfield HA Haymarket HN Hamilton IS Inverness LA Laira RG Reading TS Tyseley
Lines served	Aylesbury–Princes Risborough Liskeard - Looe Lostwithiel - Fowey Okehampton–Bude Par - Newquay St Erth - St Ives
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel
Car length	64 ft 0+1⁄2 in (19.52 m)
Width	9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Height	12 ft 8+1⁄8 in (3.86 m)
Doors	Slam
Articulated sections	Single car (2)
Maximum speed	70 mph (113 km/h)
Weight	DMBS: 36 long tons (81,000 lb; 37 t) DTS: 29 long tons (65,000 lb; 29 t)
Prime mover(s)	Two BUT (AEC) then BUT (Leyland) of 150 hp (110 kW) (both types)
Power output	300 hp (220 kW)
Transmission	Standard mechanical
Safety system(s)	AWS
Multiple working	■ Blue Square
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car, double-ended driving motor vehicles, nicknamed "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019. These were supplemented by nine single-ended trailer vehicles, numbered 56291–56299 (some of which were later renumbered into the 54291–54299 block).

Construction

Operation

The Class 122s were built mainly for use on the London Midland Region of British Railways, although some were also used in Scotland. They were used on a variety of lightly used lines, many of which were closed during the Beeching Axe in the 1960s including the ex-LSWR lines in West Devon and North Cornwall. Routes served included the Stourbridge Town and St Albans Abbey branch lines, as well as local services between Dundee and Arbroath. (The similar Pressed Steel Company built Class 121 single units were also used on the Western Region).

During the 1990s, refurbished Class 122 units were used on the Cornish branches between Liskeard and Looe and St Erth and St Ives.

Parcels conversion

In 1968, three cars (55013–55015) were converted for use on the Scottish Region to carry parcels traffic and were reclassified Class 131, though the vehicles themselves were not renumbered. The converted vehicles were given the TOPS classification DXV.

Usage after passenger service

Upon privatisation of Britain's railways, the Class 122 fleet has been withdrawn from normal service. However several units were operated by EWS and Network Rail (previously Railtrack) in departmental service, reclassified as Class 960.

Preservation

"Bubble Cars" have proved popular for preservation on heritage railways.

Models

Dapol has released models of the Class 122 railcar in both O gauge and OO gauge in a variety of liveries. In 2012, Dapol introduced a British N gauge model of the Class 122 in both BR blue and BR blue and grey liveries.

References

1. British Rail Locoshed book. Ian Allan. 1981. p. 50. ISBN 0-7110-1112-5.
2. ^ Hemming 1978, p. 12.
3. British Rail Locoshed book. Ian Allan. 1979. p. 48. ISBN 0-7110-0931-7.
4. ^ Mitchell 1994, p. 25.
5. Heginbotham, Stephen (2010). Cornwall's Railways Remembered. Halsgrove. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-0-85704-005-3.
6. ^ Mitchell 1994, p. 33.
7. Mitchell 1994, p. 89.
8. ^ Mitchell 1994, p. 136.
9. Butcher, Roger (November 1993). Departmental Coaching Stock (5th ed.). Southampton: South Coast Transport Publishing. pp. 60, 75. ISBN 1-872768-10-5.
10. "Motive power miscellany". Railway World. Vol. 32, no. 376. Shepperton: Ian Allan. September 1971. p. 418.
11. Bowles, LJ; Mallaband, P (1978). Coaching stock of British Railways. RCTS. p. 50. ISBN 0-901115-44-4.
12. ^ Butcher, Clive (1998). The Railways of Stourbridge. Usk: Oakwood Press. pp. 175–181. ISBN 0-85361-533-0.
13. "Dapol Class 122 | Hornby Magazine". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016.
14. Burkin, Nigel (December 2012). "Gloucester Class 122 for 'N' gauge". Hornby Magazine. No. 66. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 80–81. ISSN 1753-2469. OCLC 226087101.

Sources

• Hemming, R (August 1978). British Rail DMU/EMU Allocation book. National Railway Enthusiasts Association.
• Mitchell, David (1994). Cornwall. British Railways Past and Present. Vol. 17. Past & Present Publishing. ISBN 1-85895-060-0.

Further reading

• "Bubble Car 55009 makes preservation debut after 20 years out of action". Rail. No. 710. Peterborough: Bauer. 28 November – 11 December 2012. p. 35. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
• Green-Hughes, Evan (December 2012). "The Gloucester Class 122". Hornby Magazine. No. 66. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 82–83. ISSN 1753-2469. OCLC 226087101.

External links

• Entry at the Railcar Association for class 122

• British Rail diesel multiple units
• Gloucester multiple units
• Train-related introductions in 1958