PROPELLING CONTROL VEHICLE

A 'Propelling Control Vehicle' (PCV) is a type of British railway carriage for carrying mail. They were converted from Class 307 driving trailers and have a cab at one end. This allows mail trains to be propelled at low speed, with the locomotive at the rear of the train being driven from the PCV.
Forty-two PCVs were converted by Hunslet-Barclay in Kilmarnock from 1994 to 1996. The rebuilding work including removal of the windows and slam-doors, the fitting of roller-shutter doors, and modernisation of the cab. The vehicles were given the TOPS code 'NAA' and numbered 94300-327 and 94331-345. The first two vehicles converted were prototypes, and were extensively tested to iron out any problems. The subsequent 40 vehicles incorporated modifications as a result of this testing. At the same time these vehicles were converted, the Class 47/7 locomotives that hauled mail trains were modified to be able to work in push-pull mode with the PCVs.
When first converted the vehicles were used by the Rail Express Systems parcels sector of British Rail. They were painted in Rail Express Systems red/grey livery with light blue flashes. PCVs were marshalled at either end of mail trains that worked into London termini, which removed the need for the locomotive to run round the train at its destination. Trains were propelled only at low speed, not for long distances.
In 1996, Rail Express Systems was sold to EWS, who continued to operate mail trains on behalf of Royal Mail. PCVs were used on trains between London and Norwich, Plymouth, Bristol, Swansea, Newcastle and Glasgow. PCVs were also used on Travelling Post Office trains from London to Plymouth, Newcastle, Norwich, Carlisle and Glasgow.
The two prototype PCVs, nos. 94300/1, were non-standard. Consequently, they were used as standard mail coaches on a new high-speed mail train from Walsall to Inverness, painted in EWS maroon/gold livery and renumbered 95300/1.
In early 2004, EWS lost the contract to transport mail. As a result, all PCVs except 95300/1 have been withdrawn from service, pending new traffic, sale or scrapping.

Contents

Fleet details

See also

Fleet details

The table below shows details of the fleet, including numbering and disposition.

Key:	In service	Withdrawn	Preserved	Renumbered	Scrapped

PCV no.	Former no.	Former vehicle type	Status
94300	75114	DTCOL	Push-pull equipment removed. Renumbered to 95300
94301	75102	DTCOL	Push-pull equipment removed. Renumbered to 95301
94302	75124	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94303	75131	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94304	75107	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94305	75104	DTCOL	Scrapped by TJ Thompson, Stockton
94306	75112	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94307	75127	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94308	75125	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94309	75130	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94310	75119	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94311	75105	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94312	75126	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94313	75129	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94314	75109	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94315	75132	DTCOL	Scrapped by C F Booth, Rotherham (08/2006)
94316	75108	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94317	75117	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94318	75115	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94319	75128	DTCOL	Scrapped by TJ Thompson, Stockton
94320	75120	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94321	75122	DTCOL	Scrapped by TJ Thompson, Stockton
94322	75111	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94323	75110	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94324	75103	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94325	75113	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94326	75123	DTCOL	Withdrawn
94327	75116	DTCOL	Scrapped by TJ Thompson, Stockton
94331	75022	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94332	75011	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94333	75016	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94334	75017	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94335	75032	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94336	75031	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94337	75029	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94338	75008	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94339	75024	DTBSO	Scrapped by C F Booth, Rotherham
94340	75012	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94341	75007	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94342	75005	DTBSO	Scrapped by TJ Thompson, Stockton
94343	75027	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94344	75014	DTBSO	Withdrawn
94345	75004	DTBSO	Withdrawn
95300	94300	Prototype PCV	Withdrawn
95301	94301	Prototype PCV	Withdrawn

See also

★ Cab car - a passenger car with a train control cab used in push-pull service.