LEV3 (R3)

Home Railway	Gwendraeth Valley Railway	Location History	Overseas: Cultra Sep 93-Mar 01
Current Location	Gwendraeth Valley Railway		Overseas: Downpatrick & County Down Railway Mar 01-Jun 25
Current Status	Under Overhaul		Gwendraeth Valley Railway ?-Present
Current Livery	Blue & White
TRA Designation	E	Location History	Private Site (Haulage Yard) Jun 25-?
Owner	Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Gwendraeth Railway Society
Website
Record Last Updated	15 March 2026
Preservation Modifications None
Preservation Information Experimental railbus with a body based on the Leyland National bus. Used for trials but not a sucess, being sold to Norhern Ireland Railways and exported there, being regauged to 5' 3" and used until December 2012, being withdrawn officially in September 1993. In March 2001, R3 was moved to the Downpatrick & County Down Railway and put mainly on static display, although the vehicle did operate from time to time. In March 2011 during a diesel gala the vehicle failed and had to be hauled back to depot. Later in the same year it carried passengers on several occations being hauled by a tamper rather than under its own power. It is believed that the last time the vehicle carried passengers was in November 2012, after which R3 was placed on undercover static display. After around five years, R3 was stored outside and its condition deteriorated fairly quickly. By the mid 2020's, the vehicle was advertised for disposal and scrapping was feared. Luckily in summer 2025, R3 escaped death by moving the Gwendraeth Valley Railway, the first time it had been on "the mainland" in preservation. Following assessment, the vehicle was not found to be in as poor a condition as first feared and limited overhaul work started in September 2025, planning for its conversion back to standard gauge (4'8.5") from Irish 5'3" gauge.
Future Plans It is planned to regauge R3 to British standard gauge. The thin nature of the vehicle will prove ideal for the limited loading gauge at the Gwendraeth Valley.

	R3 stopping off at a haulage yard, 5/9/25. Ken Jones

	R3 loaded up ready to depart the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, 8/6/25. Mike Beckett

	R3 looking a little worse for wear, 7/1/23. Sean Russell

	R3, stored at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway but holding up fairly well, 6/19.Jeremy-de-Souza

	R3, stored at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway but holiding up fairly well, 6/19.Jeremy-de-Souza

	LEV3, on static display undercover at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, 25/9/14. Henry David Allum

	LEV3, on static display undercover at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, 25/9/14. Henry David Allum

	LEV3 at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, 29/4/07. David Beardmore