999507 Wickham Railbus

Home Railway	North Dorset Railway	Location History	East Lancashire Railway Nov 97-Jun 03
Current Location	North Dorset Railway		Middleton Railway Jun 03-Dec 08
Current Status	Stored		Lavender Line Dec 08-Jun 26
Current Livery	Derby Research Red & Blue		North Dorset Railway Jun 26-Present
TRA Designation	E
Owner		Visited Railways	Llangollen Railway 05-06
Website			Llangollen Railway Jun 07
Record Last Updated	1 July 2026
Preservation Modifications As the vehicle was always a departmental vehicle on BR, suitable seating was required in preservation. These were Class 101 seats salvaged from scrapped DTCL 56220.
Preservation Information 999507, as the number suggests, was always a departmental vehicle on BR, built at the same time as five passenger railbus vehicles by Wickham. None of the passenger vehicles survived, but 999507 (in use by Derby Research as Laboratory 20) lasted long enough to be preserved. Much restoration (particularly mechancial) was undertaken on the vehicle at its first home the East Lancashire Railway where it did make some runs for private participants. However the interior remained sparse as it had never contained passenger seating, having track recording equipment instead. The vehicle was repainted into BR Green. In 2003 it was sold to Graham Parkin and relocated to the Middleton Railway where the interior was reconstucted and the vehicle launched into passenger service for the first time. 999507 visited the Llangollen Railway in 2005 for their Railcar Gala, staying into the following year. In August 2006, back at the Middleton Railway 999507 was repainted back into its Derby Research red/blue livery. In 2007, 999507 made a second visit to the Llangollen Railway. The following year, after no longer wanting the responsibility of such a vehicle, 999507 was sold to Richard Hingley and moved to the Lavender Line. The vehicle was ideally suited to the line which is only a mile long and has no run round facilities, and 999507 operated regular passenger services for over ten years. By the 2020's however, the exterior of the vehicle had become careworn and no overhaul was forthcoming. The vehicle was instead placed into store. In 2026, 999507 was sold and relocated to the North Dorset Railway to assist with the revival of the former Somerset & Dorset Railway there. Due to other commitments, the vehicle has continued in storage awaiting its turn for overhaul.
Future Plans The railway hopes to start restoration work in around 12 months time. Once restored, it will initially run as a hauled coach but could eventually return to use self-propelled. A replacement Gardner engine has been sourced to reportedly repalce the life expired original Meadows engine.

	An increasingly shabby 999507 at Isfield, 9/5/21. Darren JB

	999507 at Isfield, 26/10/19. Alan Pitt

	999507 out and about on the running line, 11/7/18. Luke McMahon

	999507 at the short platform at the extent of the running line, 13/10/17. Richard Cowen

	999507 stabled at Isfield, 3/6/12. Amy Adams

	999507 stabled at Isfield, 8/10/11. Keith Duke

	999507 arriving into Berywn during the Llangollen Railcar Gala, 9/6/07. Chris Moxon

	999507 rests at Carrog during the Llangollen Railcar Gala, 9/6/07. Chris Moxon

	999507 passing the Class 109 at Glyndyfrdwy during the Llangollen Railcar Gala, 9/6/07. Chris Moxon

	999507 leaving the Middleton Railway on its way to Llangollen for the DMU Gala, 5/6/07. Graham Parkin

	999507 on its passenger debut in Red/Blue livery, 30/9/06. Graham Parkin

	999507 on its passenger debut in Red/Blue livery, 30/9/06. Graham Parkin

	999507 on its passenger debut in Red/Blue livery, 30/9/06. Graham Parkin

	999507 on its passenger debut in Red/Blue livery, 30/9/06. Graham Parkin

	999507 on its passenger debut in Red/Blue livery, 30/9/06. Graham Parkin

	Back at the Middleton Railway, 999507 being repainted into it's former Research red / blue colours, August 2006. Graham Parkin

	Back at the Middleton Railway, 999507 being repainted into it's former Research red / blue colours, August 2006. Graham Parkin

	Now with a full yellow end, it is seen during it's stay on the Llangollen Railway, September 2005. Graham Parkin

	999507 shares a home with another former non-passenger railbus, the Drewry overhead line inspection vehicle, 30/8/03.Ian Dobson

	The vehicle moved to the Middleton Railway (Leeds), seen here on it's first run there, 14/6/03. Graham Parkin

	Early in its preservation life at Bury, 19/7/99. Stuart Mackay

	999507 shortly after arrival at Bury, 25/5/98. Andy Cole