Permaquip-Multicar Road Rail Personnel Carrier. no. N83004.oo at Ashford Engineers Plant Depot. 1994.
The Southern Region of BR having been an early convert to the virtues of road-rail plant in the 1980's ordered a fleet of eight Permaquip-Multicar vehicles in 1993. Permaquip (Permanent Way Equipment Co. Ltd) used the former East Germany Hako GmbH "Multicar" chassis for the basic vehicle and fitted them with the American "Fairmount Hy-Rail" rail guidance system.
The fleet comprised five Personnel/Tool Carrier vehicles and three Track Inspection vehicles. A new numbering system belonging to NSE Plant South East was adopted in the N830xx.oo range but all vehicles being road legal also carried DVLA registration plates.
Here one of the Personnel/Tool Carrier vehicles no. N830004.oo (Reg. L772 NAU) is seen being used to operate power tools from extension lead jack sockets. This vehicle was often to be found at Ashford Plant Depot as a spare with the other four taken by the South Eastern Division Signal & Telegraph Engineers Department. 1 at Orpington, 1 at Tonbridge and 2 at Ashford.
I stand to be corrected but think these vehicles proved problematic when in rail mode as the cab doors were deemed to be wide of gauge if opened. This restricted use to within possessions which rather defeated the object of a rapid response vehicle. They all survived the carve up called 'Rail Privatisation' and passed to a division of Balfour Beattly Ltd called Raynesway Plant but further use was limited.
Permaquip-Multicar Road Rail Personnel Carrier. no. N83004.oo at Ashford Engineers Plant Depot. 1994.
The Southern Region of BR having been an early convert to the virtues of road-rail plant in the 1980's ordered a fleet of eight Permaquip-Multicar vehicles in 1993. Permaquip (Permanent Way Equipment Co. Ltd) used the former East Germany Hako GmbH "Multicar" chassis for the basic vehicle and fitted them with the American "Fairmount Hy-Rail" rail guidance system.
The fleet comprised five Personnel/Tool Carrier vehicles and three Track Inspection vehicles. A new numbering system belonging to NSE Plant South East was adopted in the N830xx.oo range but all vehicles being road legal also carried DVLA registration plates.
Here one of the Personnel/Tool Carrier vehicles no. N830004.oo (Reg. L772 NAU) is seen being used to operate power tools from extension lead jack sockets. This vehicle was often to be found at Ashford Plant Depot as a spare with the other four taken by the South Eastern Division Signal & Telegraph Engineers Department. 1 at Orpington, 1 at Tonbridge and 2 at Ashford.
I stand to be corrected but think these vehicles proved problematic when in rail mode as the cab doors were deemed to be wide of gauge if opened. This restricted use to within possessions which rather defeated the object of a rapid response vehicle. They all survived the carve up called 'Rail Privatisation' and passed to a division of Balfour Beattly Ltd called Raynesway Plant but further use was limited.