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Railcar of the Year 2021

Congratulations to the winner of the Railcar of the Year award: Class 121 55032

The Nominations

Class 117 W59506 (Great Central): The first Class 117 centre car to be nominated on its own since 2014, W59506 had never been in the limelight. One of the many 117 trailers preserved in the 1990's originally to form fake Great Western Railway hauled trains, it led a mundane life at the West Somerset Railway before being replaced by Mark 1 coaches and embarking on a ten year nomadic period under private ownership, restored under contract but unable to find a stable home. After almost 30 years of vanilla preservation, the vehicle was nominated this year for the award for finally coming of age. W59506 now ran for the first time in preservation as part of a conventional DMU set and had found a more secure place on the Great Central Railway, who had completed the remainder of the vehicle's overhaul which was finished off with a repaint into BR blue, making the vehicle unique as it was the only Class 117 centre car to carry the scheme at the time of the award.

Class 121 55032 (Wensleydale): This single unit "bubble car" had been nominated in recognition of overcoming the hardships that railway preservation (and life in general) can throw up. Sadly 55032 was the victim of a tree strike following stormy weather whilst operating ordinary services at its home line the Wensleydale Railway. The collision left the vehicle heavily damaged at one end, with the cab and roof dome in particular being very damaged. Through cooperation with other DMU groups, a replacement roof dome from a scrap Class 108 vehicle was sourced which allowed the contract repairs to be undertaken in good time by Nemesis Rail. Despite a pandemic being in full swing, 55032 was subsequently returned to the Wensleydale Railway, and casual passers by would not know the vehicle had been damaged. A great achievement in troubling times.

Class 144 144011 (Worth Valley): The Worth Valley Railway's newly preserved Class 144 set was nominated as an example of a strong collections policy with historical integrity. Not preserved as cheap traction, Class 144's were part of the history of the local area, frequently calling at Keighley station so correct for the line to preserve one. In addition to this, the set was also nominated for the quick action of the line in getting stuck in. 144011 was the first of the ex-Northern Pacers to lose the purple livery that had been such a recognisable link to the bad press that these units have suffered. Many previously sceptical observers had responded favourably to seeing the unit back in its 1990's guise, showing how important backdating works were in reversing some of the criticism. It was only the second time a second generation unit had been nominated for the award.

W&M Railbus E79963 (East Anglian Rly Museum): The longest running of the nominations that year and also the smallest in size! The attractive W&M railbusses had been in preservation longer than any other class and for many years offered sterling service at some of the country's oldest preservation lines. E79963 was one of the vehicles to eventually be set aside and sold on, taken by a group at the East Anglian Railway Museum, located on a branch line where E79963 used to work along, so completely appropriate for the vehicle to be located there. E79963 was nominated for the quality of its ten year long major restoration back to near original condition and for saving a careworn vehicle for a further career of use. The fact that the final throws of the restoration were completed during the pandemic was even more admirable, giving enthusiasts a welcome treat in a period that had otherwise been a struggle for those involved in major restorations.

Voting Pattern
Once again the voting pattern changed from previous years, with 2021 being a three horse race which made it more exciting seeing the votes coming in. Sadly, Class 117 59506 fell behind early on which left the remaining three candidates constantly swapping positions in first, second and third place. The majority of traditional DMU preservationists put in votes for W&M Railbus, which gave it a lead early on, but strong support from the Second Generation community saw the Class 144 hold the lead for much of the month. However advertising from the Wensleydale Railway attracted further votes which brought Class 121 55032 into the lead several times during the month. Around Christmas time it was anyone's guess as to which would win with less than 10 votes between the top two positions. Between Christmas and New Year, 55032 gained a small lead ahead of the Class 144 which was enough to claim the prize!

Sadly we also saw the highest levels of cheating this year than ever before. Rigging of votes and use of false names has been recorded electronically and a great number of votes were removed this year. Those who were found cheating not only had their "additional votes" removed but also their original ones, so something to think about for those people next year?

A record 999 votes were cast in total, the highest ever, so people really got behind the vote this year! Interestingly the top three nominations all gained more votes than any other candidate in previous years with the exception of Class 121 55024 in 2019 (Bubblecars must be popular!). This is also the second time in two years that a single unit has won. Many thanks to all those who took the time to nominate and vote and congratulations to the Wensleydale Railway for bouncing back from their stormy misfortune during the pandemic and having 55032 returned to service. Hopefully it will enjoyed on the line for many years to come.

Place	Vehicle	Number of Votes
1st	Class 121 55032	344
2nd	Class 144 144011	330
3rd	W&M Railbus E79963	290
4th	Class 117 W59506	35