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British Rail Class 122 *Bubble Car*
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^[9] (some of which were later renumbered into the 54291–54299 block).

Construction

Table of orders and numbers
Lot No.	Type	Diagram	Qty	Fleet numbers	Notes
30419	Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS)	539	20	55000–55019
30420	Driving Trailer Second (DTS)	538	9	56291–56299

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.^[6] 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.^[4]^[8]

Parcels conversion

In 1968, three cars (55013–55015) were converted for use on the Scottish Region to carry parcels traffic^[10] and were reclassified Class 131, though the vehicles themselves were not renumbered. The converted vehicles were given the TOPS classification DXV.^[11]

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.

Number	Previous number	Use	Disposal/current use	Date scrapped
TDB 975023	55001	Route learning car	Preserved
TDB 975042	55019	Route learning car / Sandite	Stored on the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr railway in Cynheidre, Carmarthenshire, set 960 015 / 55019 has been preserved.
TDB 975227	55017	Route learning car	Vic Berry	2/89
975309	55008	Route learning car	Mayer Newman	11/84
TDB 975310	55010	Route learning car	Mayer Newman	6/84
TDB 975540	55016	Route learning car	MC Metals	7/93
TDB 975994	55014	Test & stores car	Vic Berry	10/88
975998	55013	unknown	Mayer Newman	3/82
TDB 977177	55015	Route learning car	MC Metals	7/90
TDB 977223	55007	Route learning car	MC Metals	6/91
977941	55012	Route learner	Loadhaul then EWS. Stored non-operational at Thornaby TMD from 1998. Purchased privately for preservation in 2009

Preservation

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

Vehicle no.		Unit no.	Vehicle type	Location	Livery	Comments
Original no.	Departmental no.	Unit no.	Vehicle type	Location	Livery	Comments
55000	-	122100	DMBS	South Devon Railway	BR Green	-
55001	975023	L101	DMBS	East Lancashire Railway	BR Blue	-
55003	-	P103	DMBS	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway used to be Mid Hants Railway.	BR Green	First preserved DMMU to gain main line certification.
55005	-	P105	DMBS	Battlefield Railway	BR Blue/Grey	-
55006	-	P106	DMBS	Ecclesbourne Valley Railway	BR Green	Collided with the buffers at the Stourbridge Town terminus of the Stourbridge Town branch line on 21 April 1989 after the driver was distracted by trespassers.^[12]
55009	-	P109	DMBS	Great Central Railway	BR Green	Non operational
55012	977941		DMBS	Weardale Railway	BR Green	Joined the fleet on a permanent basis in December 2013 after visiting for contract repairs Took part in Railcar 50 in 2004. Required a modification back to single car unit after this D.M.B.S collided into the Stourbridge Town station buffer on 2 April 1977^[12] due to the driver's fault while working on the Stourbridge Town branch line so the one end is not the end which was surviving from the beginning. The rear end was scrapped.
55019	975042	960015	DMBS	Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway	Network Rail Yellow	Formerly owned by Network Rail, W55019, 122 019; 8th and last Class 122 brought into preservation.

Models

Dapol has released models of the Class 122 railcar in both O gauge and OO gauge in a variety of liveries.^[13] In 2012, Dapol introduced a British N gauge model of the Class 122 in both BR blue and BR blue and grey liveries.^[14]

References

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