Current number:
977997
Any other previous number(s):
BR coach 72613 / 6126
Livery:
YELLOW - NETWORK RAIL RESEARCH LIVERY

Categories:
National network vehicles
977xxx series
Test Trains - Network Rail

Photos

Comments

The following comments have been left on photos of this vehicle. To reply, just visit one of the photos.

• 72613

  8 April 2009 - Napster

  Now undergoing conversion at Derby RTC to Radio Survey Coach 3 and will be renumbered 977997.

• 72613

  9 April 2009 - SD0853

  Also marking the end of the "RAILTRACK" liveried coaches on the mainline.

• 977997

  21 August 2009 - Ben Williams

  Converted from former Gatwick Coach 72613

• 977997

  24 August 2009 - brian fox

  ooh yay a new departmental! wonder what happens after 977999

• 977997

  24 August 2009 - Dave Birchall

  978001 maybe??

• 977997

  24 August 2009 - Matt

  "The principal numbering series for carriages with the "DB" prefix have been 975xxx, then 977xxx. The next series to be used is expected to be 971xxx, but no numbers in this series have yet been applied."

  According to Wikipedia anyway!

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Carriage_and_Wagon_Numbering_and_Classification

• 977997

  24 August 2009 - Ben Williams

  92114 was allocated to get DB 971000 years ago but as this van has not been used since it may be jinxed!

• 977997

  24 August 2009 - Matt

  Thanks Ben.

  Any idea why some coaches get assigned departmental series numbers, but others (like the rest in this set) still carry standard series numbers after their repaints? Is it just arbitrary?

• 977997

  24 August 2009 - Ben Williams

  977997 is the only vehicle that has been converted for technical use I believe, hence the renumbering. I think they wanted to keep the original numbers on the other three so that they can be returned back to other uses at a later stage (I think they are still unconverted inside) but no doubt some of my Derby contacts can elaborate!

• 977997

  24 August 2009 - Jon Horswell

  Judging by the work done to several windows on the above mentioned vehicle it would appear that Ben's statement is pretty close to the mark. It all makes sense when you know the answers!!

  However, as always nothing is ever simple. I recall certain vehicles being specifically employed as brake force runners getting renumbered when surely they undergo very little, if any, modification. But then maybe that too is classed as 'technical use'........

• 977997

  24 August 2009 - Mick Bryan

  Some of the brake force runners have been "modified" by ripping out the interior, I think 977983 has no interior.

  Oddballs to the renumbering include - 977986 was former exhibition coach 99664, although sister vehicle 99666 still retains it's exhibition train number........

  Why haven't the DBSO/RTOV 97xx vehicles received new numbers? They've certainly had enough mods to make them different to their previous use.

  There appears to be some sort of system, but it looks like it depends on how many spare numeral stickers are in stock :-)

  Mick

• 977997

  25 August 2009 - Matt

  Thanks for the explanations, it makes at least some kind of sense now!

• 977997

  26 August 2009 - SD0853

  As far as i'm aware, the test vehicles are renumbered so that on TOPS they appear as modified vehicles, where as the runners are unmodified, there are some modified runner that have been renumbered to demonstrate there change of usage/modification 99666 for example. The DBSO's have retained there original numbers because they are currently the only vehicles of this type in operation, whilst the rest of the DBSO's are de-registered, if however a TOC was still using DBSO's the NWR ones would have been placed into a sub class so as not to confuse them (i.e.so that 9714 couldn't be allocated to a service to Norwich etc)

• 24 May 2018 - Philip Harbutt

  Hi,

  Can anyone confirm the windows that are blanked on the other side of 977997. I am currently modelling this vehicles but all photos appear to show the same side.

  Regards

  yellowperil

• 25 May 2018 - Dan Adkins

  Just the far left one

  https://www.flickr.com/photos/dan700/30409021411/