Railcar of the Year 2024
Congratulations to the winner of the Railcar of the Year award:Class 122 55006
The Nominations
Class 101 M54358 (East Anglian Railway Museum): The first nomination was Class 101 trailer car 54358. Firmly regarded as one of the most original Class 101's in preservation, the vehicle made headlines in 2024 by becoming the first 101 driving trailer to carry Blue & Grey livery in preservation, forming the only operating 101 set in those colours and indeed one of only two operational DMU sets in total carrying the once widespread but subsequently incredibly rare scheme. It therefore represented an important flag bearer, representing railcars during the 1980's. Accurate representation was something that had always been at the heart of 54358's owning group, with extensive efforts to "un-refurbish" the vehicle undertaken which were still ongoing on the interior. The repaint itself was of a high standard and 54358 rejoined powercar 51213 (similarly painted some years ago) in a 2-car set which accurately represented the Norwich based 101's which served East Anglia in their final years before replacement by newly built Sprinter stock.
Class 107 SC52005/SC52031 (Nemesis Rail): The Class 107's had, for many years, had a challenging time in preservation with restorations stalled, long periods of storage and struggles to find homes and owners with the drive and resources to keep them in service or restore them. They had unsurprisingly been predominantly absent from these awards, with just one vehicle being nominated back in 2015 for being rescued rather than restored. Recently the class's future had been volatile with ten out of the eleven preserved vehicles being sold and moving to new locations. It was therefore a treat to see shoots emerging from the ashes, in the form of a rapid overhaul of 2-car set 52005/52031. Representing 40% of a five-vehicle fleet sale to commercial outfit Nemesis Rail, the 2-car set had seen some heavy bodywork restoration and of course a full repaint into BR Green with Speed Whiskers (interestingly only the second time a 107 had been painted into this normally popular livery), before being put out on hire to the Great Central Railway Nottingham (note the picture used here shows a previous livery). Here, the rather fitting theme of revival continued as the set was assisting the railway in operating its first regular passenger services in some years following a shut-down of operations and long period of regulator-requested improvements. With a returning set on a returning railway, the story represented optimism and regeneration of both the line and the 107 collective fleet in general.
Class 108 M52054 (Weardale): Class 108 52054 was nominated this year, following its return to service after extensive collision damage repairs. The vehicle was involved in an unfortunate incident in 2022 which damaged a significant portion of the underframe area, rendering the vehicle immediately out of use, an unusual position for a preserved vehicle to be found in. After two and a half years, summer 2024 saw the vehicle returned to service with its regular partner 50980. The pair were nominated for these awards back in 2019 as the unit had been run down by a previous owner and much work had been required to return them to traffic. So, for a second time, the resolve of the owning group was tested following the accident that struck just three years after 52054's entry into service had been celebrated. As well as contacted body repairs, a huge amount of minor works had also been undertaken by volunteers whilst the vehicle had been out of traffic bringing up the standard of the vehicle generally. The return to service of the set would strengthen the Weardale Railway's position, particularly on busier days when older traction was booked to run but numbers exceeded the capacity of resident "bubble car" 55012.
Class 122 55006 (Ecclesbourne Valley): This vehicle was nominated as it represented the recovery of a railway that had seen significant decline in its railcar fleet. The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway had for many years been in the top three railways in the country for its large and varied railcar fleet, which was most notable during their annual railcar galas that attracted enthusiasts from around the UK to visit. Regrettably, the Covid pandemic saw the entire fleet withdrawn from traffic and a build-up of deferred restoration and maintenance work took a hold, with much of the fleet never to run on the railway again. A change in the railway's strategic vision confirmed that the disbanding of the fleet was aligned with their future direction as a railway, and the following sales and vehicle relocations were still ongoing in 2024. However Class 122 55006, a long running favourite at the line, had bucked the trend and had seen works, both mechanical and cosmetic, to return the vehicle to service and take a role once again in the railway's operations. Following a clarification of the railway's position, 55006 was seen as part of a smaller "quality over quantity" future for the railcar fleet, operating selected service alongside steam and diesel locomotives. The vehicle was nominated for the completion of these renewal works, kick-starting their revised fleet vision, and operating DMU services once again in 2024 and beyond.
Class 142 142013 (Midland Railway Butterley): Representing second generation traction that year was 142013, which was only the second Class 142 to be nominated in the history of these awards but interestingly was owned by the same group who provided that other Class 142! The Midland Railway Butterley at that time had the strongest fleet of heritage liveried Pacer units in the country with no less than three sets all returned to classic in contrasting 1980's colour schemes. It was impressive that all three units were now restored and operating in good condition, with the completion being made possible by 2024's entry into service of 142013, in GMPTE Orange colours, the first in preservation to be so treated. This set had seen one of the more comprehensive restorations that we had seen on a 142 with more than just paint being applied. Over two years, much work to improve reliability had been done, along with making the vehicles truly watertight to protect an equally restored interior which had seen the seating reupholstered into a 1980's style, thought to be the first time a preserved 142 has received new seat fabric. Spick and span inside and out, 142013 debuted at the railway's DMU gala (and railcar convention) that year and was seen in not only by the established movement, but a fresh batch of younger enthusiasts as well, who were relishing the sight of a 142 in good condition returning to its as-built appearance.
Voting Pattern
This year's competition and public voting saw another healthy attraction of votes, with 1,970 legitimate votes cast in total, making this year the second highest. After the voting opened, there was a strong start supporting the Class 101 which quickly took the lead. However, by the end of the first week, further voting on a more sustained level came in for the Class 108 and Class 122, both of which would switch between first and second place several times over the month. The final week of voting saw a final push of votes for both of these, with the Class 122 coming in at the end to claim victory! Whilst it is the fourth time a single unit has won, it is the first time for a Gloucester 122, so well done to the Ecclesbourne Valley and their fine example. Regrettably, Class 108 52054 at the Weardale Railway has been disqualified from the award, for reasons given below.
Unfortunately, we must finish with a difficult decision which has not been made lightly. For the past three or four years we have been struggling to control sharp rises in vote rigging and cheating which has been spoiling the competition. We had been monitoring it for some time and trying to discount clearly dud votes to try and ensure that the winners were just. Despite warning the enthusiast population, the practice has not only continued but has increased year on year. This year, over 1,000 illegitimate votes were detected with uncertainty over how many of the remaining votes that remained were genuine. The cheating has also been discriminate, for example there was not a single dud vote for the Class 142 this year but the Class 108 had hundreds, so we made the decision to disqualify the entry from the competition and place the vehicle in last place. Those who cheated have done the Weardale Railway, their hard-working volunteers, and this award a great disservice.
Additionally, moving forwards we have also made the decision in future years to cease determining the winner via public vote, instead the winner will be decided by a panel of judges with railcar experience. Again, this has not been taken lightly, in fact it has been suggested for several years now, but we had persevered with the public voting as railway's drumming up support for their projects and encouraging public voting was providing good exposure to their vehicles and shining a publicity light on the humble DMU, which we will not get via panel-based judging. So with a heavy heart, 2024 was the final public vote, spoilt by a minority that was fast becoming a majority. To end on a more positive note, however, thank you everyone who voted legitimately and for participating in the awards over the 10+ years they have been running. We intend to continue the awards in the future and will endeavour to honour those projects that represent the very best of DMU preservation.
| Place | Vehicle | Number of Votes |
| 1st | Class 122 55006 | 841 |
| 2nd | Class 101 54358 | 236 |
| Joint 3rd | Class 107 52005 & 52031 | 103 |
| Joint 3rd | Class 142 142013 | 103 |
| Disqualified | Class 108 52054 | (687) |