Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
A novel form of railway traction to visit Neville Grove recently, these experimental “autocars” were well ahead of their time when built way back in 1903 by the North Eastern Railway.
They had petrol engines that generated power for electric traction motors and therefore helped pave the way for the modern diesel electrics and DMU’s that are still being built today.
So to put that in perspective, these vehicles hit the rails over 30 years before the first A4 - “Silver Link” was pressed into service for the LNER, and put another way, they were the contemporaries of some extremely venerable steam locos such as “City of Truro”.
In contrast however, the Autocars were designed for lightly loaded rural branch lines and never enjoyed the glitz and glamour of the aforementioned celebrity kettles.
They truly were ahead of their time - although the principal of petrol / electric traction was sound, the internal combustion engine was still very much in its infancy. The engines were therefore overweight and underpowered, and weren’t all that reliable either so the autocars weren’t a huge success. Steam therefore remained supreme for decades after their introduction.
So in this video, C1 Atlantic no. 4421 stars to represent the more typical form of traction of the era.
Before Gresley’s pacifics, these elegant large wheeled steam locomotives hauled the heaviest and fastest trains between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh on the East Coast Mainline.
Designed by Ivatt and built from 1898 for the Great Northern Railway, and rebuilt with the larger boiler as seen here from 1902, the C1 put in years of service for the LNER - the last class member was withdrawn by BR in 1950.
Meanwhile, the Autocars were re-engined several times with more powerful and reliable units, but by the mid 1920’s they didn’t see much use and both were withdrawn by 1931.
Miraculously 3170 survived as a holiday home, and many years later the acclaimed carriage restorer Stephen Middleton acquired it in 2003. With a modern, safe and reliable Cummins diesel engine instead of the original power plant, the historic vehicle returned to service in 2018 at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway.
These are the eagerly awaited and stunning models brought to us by Heljan & @railsofsheffield in their Rails Exclusive range. The models are fantastically detailed inside and out and include a good representation of the early petrol engine.
These two units, along with @BachmannEuropeOfficial 4421, were sent for weathering by @kleinloewietje The bright orange and cream North Eastern Railway autocar received an in use / polished finish whilst the LNER brown version received heavier weathering as per the brief. As with all modern RTR models, some careful weathering really brings out the abundance of detail.
Passengers to be added later!
A novel form of railway traction to visit Neville Grove recently, these experimental “autocars” were well ahead of their time when built way back in 1903 by the North Eastern Railway.
They had petrol engines that generated power for electric traction motors and therefore helped pave the way for the modern diesel electrics and DMU’s that are still being built today.
So to put that in perspective, these vehicles hit the rails over 30 years before the first A4 - “Silver Link” was pressed into service for the LNER, and put another way, they were the contemporaries of some extremely venerable steam locos such as “City of Truro”.
In contrast however, the Autocars were designed for lightly loaded rural branch lines and never enjoyed the glitz and glamour of the aforementioned celebrity kettles.
They truly were ahead of their time - although the principal of petrol / electric traction was sound, the internal combustion engine was still very much in its infancy. The engines were therefore overweight and underpowered, and weren’t all that reliable either so the autocars weren’t a huge success. Steam therefore remained supreme for decades after their introduction.
So in this video, C1 Atlantic no. 4421 stars to represent the more typical form of traction of the era.
Before Gresley’s pacifics, these elegant large wheeled steam locomotives hauled the heaviest and fastest trains between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh on the East Coast Mainline.
Designed by Ivatt and built from 1898 for the Great Northern Railway, and rebuilt with the larger boiler as seen here from 1902, the C1 put in years of service for the LNER - the last class member was withdrawn by BR in 1950.
Meanwhile, the Autocars were re-engined several times with more powerful and reliable units, but by the mid 1920’s they didn’t see much use and both were withdrawn by 1931.
Miraculously 3170 survived as a holiday home, and many years later the acclaimed carriage restorer Stephen Middleton acquired it in 2003. With a modern, safe and reliable Cummins diesel engine instead of the original power plant, the historic vehicle returned to service in 2018 at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway.
These are the eagerly awaited and stunning models brought to us by Heljan & @railsofsheffield in their Rails Exclusive range. The models are fantastically detailed inside and out and include a good representation of the early petrol engine.
These two units, along with @BachmannEuropeOfficial 4421, were sent for weathering by @kleinloewietje The bright orange and cream North Eastern Railway autocar received an in use / polished finish whilst the LNER brown version received heavier weathering as per the brief. As with all modern RTR models, some careful weathering really brings out the abundance of detail.
Passengers to be added later!
