Silver Jubilee Railcar
From Ratty
| Silver Jubilee | |
|---|---|
| Wheel Arrangement | B-B |
| Year of Origin | 1975 (power car), 1977 (driving saloon) |
| Year of Withdrawal | 2003 |
| Designer | Ian Smith |
| Builder | Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway |
| Length | 24' 5" |
| Liveries | Silver, InterCity, First North Western |
The railcar was begun in 1976, when the workshops experimentally converted one coach into a power unit, capable of replacing Royal Anchor. The unit was named at the launch of the radio system, by which time both a driving trailer and centre saloon had been added. However, both driving saloons had to be modified with automatic gearboxes in 1983 and the following year the centre coach was converted to carry passengers in wheelchairs for the Liverpool Garden Festival. A fourth coach, a semi-open, was also added to the set for this.
During its time, the set was used on the "overnight" trains and during the winter. It was finally withdrawn after a visit to Cleethorpes in 2003, and has now been converted back into coaching stock. The centre saloon is number 123, the centre semi-open number 126, the driving trailer 136 and the driving saloon 137.
The original two-car livery was silver for the launch, and then at Liverpool was changed to a mock-InterCity Swallow livery for all four cars. In 1999 it was repainted in a mock-First North Western Livery, such as that seen on units on the Cumbrian Coast Line.
