BagOfBits - BEV W417

BEV W417

British Electrical Vehicles (BEV)/Wingrove & Rogers produced battery locomotives of various sizes, these photos show the W417 type. These two locos are based at Amberley Museum in Sussex.

No 4998 of 1953 (Green) worked for Redland Brick at Holmwood Works near Dorking in Surrey. It was fitted for driverless operation, with the signal to stop being a raised ramp between the tracks.

No 5034 of 1953(Grey) worked in the same location but has a conventional tramway-style manual controller. Click on an image for a larger version.

BEV Type W417 4998/1953 Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Amberley Museum 14/07/2001
Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Amberley Museum 14/07/2001
Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Amberley Museum 14/07/2001
BEV W417 5034/1953 Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Drivers platform Amberley Museum 14/07/2001
Driving Controls Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	BEV W417 4998/1953 - Controls for driverless running Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Wheel and brake detail Amberley Museum 14/07/2001
Detail of brake gear Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Battery Box side Amberley Museum 14/07/2001	Connection of traction batteries to controller Amberley Museum 14/07/2001

Information from THe Amberley Museum Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Collection published by the museum. A photo of 4998 and the trip ramps for driverless operation in industrial service appear in Industrial Railways of the South-East published by Middleton Press.