1903 Petrol Electric Autocar

1903 experimental petrol-electric railcar in the United Kingdom

1903 Petrol Electric Autocar
Autocar at Filey Station
Manufacturer	North Eastern Railway
Constructed	1903
Number built	2
Number preserved	1
Fleet numbers	3170 and 3171
Capacity	52 seats
Specifications
Train length	53.5 ft (16.3 m)
Weight	35 long tons (36 t)
Prime mover(s)	85 hp Napier engine

The 1903 Petrol Electric Autocars were built by the North Eastern Railway in 1903 at their carriage works in York. These were powered by petrol engines which generated electricity for two traction motors which were mounted on the bogie underneath. This means of powering a railway vehicle was pioneering and would eventually be developed into the diesel-electric technology that powered and powers many locomotives worldwide. The railcars were numbered 3170 and 3171 and were 53.5 feet (16.3 m) long and weighed around 35 long tons (36 t) . The engine was mounted in an engine compartment 13.25 feet (4.04 m) long. The rest of the vehicles' length was taken up by a vestibule, driving compartment and a 52-seat passenger compartment. Two were built and ran until 1930; one has been restored and preserved in working order.

Powertrain

The concept of using electric propulsion was pioneered by Vincent Raven, the Assistant Chief Mechanical Engineer for the North Eastern Railway.^[1] When first built, each of the two autocars was fitted with a 85 hp Napier petrol engine, which were connected to a 550-volt dynamo. This provided power to two 55 hp motors, connected to the axles of the power bogie by gears. During trials, the engines were found to be problematic, and were replaced in 1904 prior to them entering public service by Wolseley horizontally-opposed petrol engines.^[2] These flat-four engines produced 92 bhp at their normal rated speed of 400 rpm, and well over 100 bhp when run at 480 rpm. The cylinders were 8.5 inch diameter with 10 inch stroke. The engine had a 3-foot diameter flywheel, and was coupled directly to a Westinghouse multi-polar dynamo. A small dynamo driven by belt from the flywheel provided charge for the accumulators which enabled electric starting of the engine, lighting for the carriage, and the 'exciting current' for the field coils in the main dynamo, controlled by rheostats at either end of the railcar. The engine speed could likewise be controlled via a throttle from either end of the railcar. The output from the main dynamo was sent to two electric motors, both mounted on the bogie underneath the engine room.^[3]

In 1923, No. 3170 was re-engined with a more powerful 6-cylinder 225 hp engine,^[2] allowing it to haul an unpowered coach, an early version of the multiple units used today. Maximum speed was only 36 mph but acceleration and braking to and from this was reported to be brisk, taking around 30 seconds. In 1908, a pair of seats were removed to enlarge the vestibules, reducing the seating accommodation to 48. In appearance, the railcars were similar to single-deck trams. The NER called them autocars, as they could be driven from either end, as with modern passenger trains.

In the late 1920s, some thought was given to replacing the petrol engine in one of the autocars with a diesel engine, but they were withdrawn before this was implemented.^[1]

Service

The railcars worked briefly on Teesside, then in Yorkshire for the rest of their working lives, on lines round Scarborough, Harrogate and Selby.^[4] They were used very little during the 1920s. No. 3171 was withdrawn on 31 May 1930 and scrapped, while no. 3170 was withdrawn on 4 April 1931, but the body was sold to be used as a holiday home in North Yorkshire.^[2]

Preservation

The body of no. 3170 was fitted with a tin roof and verandah on a site near Kirkbymoorside, which protected it from the effects of the weather,^[5] although it had ceased to be used as a holiday home some time before 2003, when it was bought for preservation by Stephen Middleton,^[2] a restorer of vintage carriages. The body was put into storage while Middleton searched for suitable bogies and an underframe. Once these had been found, a charitable trust was formed to manage the restoration. The trust is a collaboration between Middleton, the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway and Beamish Museum. Most of the restoration work took place at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway, and the trust were also given NER autocoach no. 3453 by the NER coach group, based at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The coach was fitted with suitable control equipment, allowing the trust to run an Edwardian two-car multiple unit.^[6]

The trust were unable to find a suitable heritage engine to power the vehicle, and decided to use a new 225 hp Cummins diesel engine.^[6] The original power bogie was manufactured by Fox, but none of these survive, and so a bogie from a Southern Region class 416 unit was acquired. The motors fitted to this are compatible with modern generators and control equipment. Fox lightweight bogies were sourced for the non-powered end and the two on the trailer coach.^[7] An underframe for the vehicle was obtained from the North Norfolk Railway. It had been built as a milk brake wagon, no. 2391, for the Great Northern Railway in 1921, although it was later converted to a crane runner wagon.^[8]

To achieve its aim of restoring the autocar back to working order and restore the trailer coach to go with it, the NER 1903 Electric Autocar Trust has been awarded several grants. The largest grant was awarded in March 2011 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a total of £465,800. PRISM (the fund for the PReservation of Industrial and Scientific Material) also awarded the project £20,000 for the restoration of the bodywork of the two vehicles, and the Ken Hoole Trust awarded the project £5,000, which has gone towards the restoration of the woodwork. In December 2014, the Transport Trust granted the Trust a loan facility of up to £46,000 to cover any shortfall in the Trust finances, caused by the extra expense on the chassis.

Restoration work started in early 2011. In addition to the autocar, the Trust has restored an NER 'autocoach', which was kindly donated to the Trust by the NER coach group at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This was stabled at Levisham for many years, but is now (September 2018) substantially restored.

Brake tests on the autocar were carried out on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway during September and October 2018. The autocar officially re-entered service on Friday 19 October 2018. Both vehicles are expected to operate regular public service in early 2019.

Modelling the autocar

Following the renewed interest in the petrol-electric autocars after the founding of the Trust, two manufacturers make model kits of the autocars. In 2 mm and 4 mm (OO Gauge) scales, Worsley Works makes an etched brass kit of the body. 3 mm scale etches have also been produced to order. In 7 mm (O Gauge), NER Days makes a kit in nickel-silver. A series of articles was written about the construction of one of these by a Trust member in the quarterly newsletter (issues 7 - 16) back copies of which can be downloaded from the membership page.

Rails of Sheffield in partnership with Heljan are producing an rtr Model of the NER Autocars in 00 Gauge. Covering Their NER and LNER conditions. Three are to be produced covering: 3170 in NER Red/Cream (1904-1923), 3171 in NER Red/Cream (1904-1930), 3170 in LNER Brown (1923-1931)

References

^ ^a ^b "Rails NER Petrol-Electric Autocar". Key Model World. 18 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "The NER Petrol-Electric Autocars". LNER Encyclopedia.
^ "Motor Traction". Motor Traction. 15 September 1906. p. 238.
^ Hartley 1973, pp. 15 & 24-26.
^ "The N.E.R.'s Autocars". NER 1903 Electric Autocar Trust.
^ ^a ^b "North Eastern Railway Petrol-Electric Autocar No.3170". Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.
^ "Motor Bogie for Autocar". NER 1903 Electric Autocar Trust. 30 September 2010.
^ "GNR 2391 Milk Brake underframe (later, crane runner) built 1921". Railway Heritage Register. 27 September 2016.