Bubble Car on the move
AFTER BEING out of service for some months following an accident, a Class 121 single car has been transferred from the Wensleydale Railway to Nemesis Rail at Burton upon Trent for repairs. Pressed Steel-built Class 121 55032 received severe damage to one of its cab ends when it struck a fallen tree in February 2020 while working a passenger service. It has since been stored until a suitable repair contractor had been identified and terms agreed with the line’s insurers.
55032 was one of the last ‘Bubble Cars’ retained in main line service and finished its career working Arriva Trains Wales’ Cardiff Bay shuttles in 2013. After a period in storage, it arrived at Leeming Bar in 2015. Interestingly, this is its second period in preservation, as it was also in private hands between 1994 and 2005 before being recalled for main line duties. Repairs are expected to take a number of months to complete, after which the vehicle will return to the Wensleydale for further service.