Class 116 diesel multiple units

[chrisf]

The benefits of research are the spin off topics !

 

I'm not so sure about that at the moment.  In the process of trying to sort out/make sense of the workings out of Paddington in early 1960, ready for the Migration episode, I've just spent not far short of an hour trying to find a driving trailer that started off the day attached to a Cross-Country set but disappeared part way through the diagram.  I always was too easily distracted ...

 

Chris 

[The Johnster]

I'm not so sure about that at the moment.  In the process of trying to sort out/make sense of the workings out of Paddington in early 1960, ready for the Migration episode, I've just spent not far short of an hour trying to find a driving trailer that started off the day attached to a Cross-Country set but disappeared part way through the diagram.  I always was too easily distracted ...

 

Chris 

 

So, apparently, was the driving trailer...

[The Stationmaster]

I'm not so sure about that at the moment.  In the process of trying to sort out/make sense of the workings out of Paddington in early 1960, ready for the Migration episode, I've just spent not far short of an hour trying to find a driving trailer that started off the day attached to a Cross-Country set but disappeared part way through the diagram.  I always was too easily distracted ...

 

Chris 

 

Look for the potential for a visit to Southall somewhere in that working. (Reading is also a possibility of course but trailers often seem to have been added or removed at Southall during the day).

[chrisf]

While I continue to assemble the information for the Migration episode, I thought the following would be of interest:

 

116 set numbers, 1960

 

These are probably the first known sightings of set numbers and are not official information.  We are indebted to the vigilant members of the RCTS for giving us what we have!

 

Source: Railway Observer, January, November and December 1960

 

SHL200: 50849+59357+50902

 

TYS301: 50065+59028+50101

TYS303: 50054+59027+50110

TYS307: 50050+59025+50100

TYS310: 50075+59024+50108

TYS319: 50071+59019+50102

TYS324: 50064+59008+50109

TYS328: 50053+59015+50106

 

BL301: 51129+59439+51142

BL305: 51133+59433+51146

BL311: 51140+51153

 

CAT317: 50833+59341+50886

CAT319: 50839+59347+50892

CAT321: 50835+59334+50888

CAT326: 50846+59354+50899

CAT335: 50850+59365+50903

CAT337: 50836+59344+50889

CAT354: 50869+50922

 

CDF400: 50859+59032+50912

CDF402: 50861+59034+50914

CDF405: 50087+59037+50129

CDF406: 50088+59038+50130

CDF409: 50090+59040+50132

 

RDG300: 50827+59367+50880

RDG301: 50841+59349+50894

RDG303: 50079+59351+50121

 

The sets with RDG numbers were on loan from Cathays during the Paddington emergency.

 

Note how random the Tyseley sets were!

 

Many of the set numbers applied in the 1970s can be traced back to this list ...

 

Chris

Edited March 31, 2018 by chrisf

[chrisf]

Morning all

 

Still (!) ahead of the migration episode, here is a little snippet from the Railway Observer for May 1958:

 

"The Maerdy - Porth branch, previously worked by push and pull units operated by 55xx 2-6-2Ts stabled overnight at Ferndale, is now diesel worked and, as in other parts of the country, the 3-car units do not appear to be powerful enough, so the trailer coach has been removed, the trains running as 2-car units, both power coaches.  On 30th March two such sets, W50826+W50879 [CAT309] and W50857+50910 [CAT340], were stabled at Ferndale."  [Note by CF: the latter was freshly delivered.]

 

It so happens that when both these sets moved on from South Wales they did so as misformed sets, which is perhaps a predictable consequence of taking out trailers, however temporarily.  Whatever the true explanation for taking out the trailers, it is doubtful that the gradients on the branch were steep enough to warrant such action: the steepest stretch of the Maerdy branch was a stretch near Maerdy of 1 in 51.  There was worse than that to be found in the Valleys: try 1 in 40 between Dingle Road and Penarth for starters!  Whatever the explanation, operations on the Maerdy branch soon settled down to using two three-car sets.  After the economy cuts of June 1958, one sufficed.

 

Chris

Edited April 3, 2018 by chrisf

[The Johnster]

To say nothing of 1 in 36 from a standing start at Abercynon towards Quaker's Yard on the Taff Vale Main Line; a 3 car set could do this in 2nd gear.

 

I cannot help wondering if the Maerdy power twins were a result of low traffic only requiring 2 vehicles, but that seems pointless if there is no work elsewhere for the removed trailers.  I went up this branch with a 117 on a railtour in the 70s, and it managed perfectly well in 2nd gear, though no great speed was achieved; 25mph tops.  I cannot remember if this was the line speed; Stationmaster to the thread please, paging Stationmaster...

 

Canton guards didn't sign the Valley lines except those with passenger services, and even then we were not expected to be capable of working loose coupled freights which strictly speaking we should have been (if you sign the road you should be able to work any train over it).  I signed the Vale of Glamorgan, and the Aberthaw CEGB branch, and Aber Junction via Penrhos (we worked road salt trains up there every year) but never worked brake van over this route (had a few rides, though!).  The railtour (Gloucester Railway Club?) took me several places I was not wont to wot of with a Radyr pilot; Aberdare, Penderyn, and Maerdy, a very pleasant Saturday and fun for all.  I never understood why it wasn't manned by Radyr men throughout; I relieved a Gloucester guard at Cardiff Central and picked up the pilot at Radyr, as did my driver, and reversed the procedure on the return journey.

[chrisf]

Thank you, Johnster.  I knew that the bank out of Abercynon was steep but unless I was looking in the wrong place the WTT does not tell me how steep.

 

It may be of interest that in the winter 1958-59 service the unit stabled at Ferndale overnight made 11 return trips between Porth and Maerdy on Mondays to Fridays and 16 on Saturdays.  It also made one return trip mid-morning between Porth and Treherbert for servicing and, presumably, for swapping the set if needed.  On summer Sundays, if required, another set would run empty from Treherbert to Ferndale, there coupling to the set stabled there overnight to form an excursion from Maerdy to Barry Island.  The Maerdy branch lost its passenger service in 1964.

 

Chris  

[TheSignalEngineer]

I remember the 116s struggling a bit in the West Midlands. I've commented about Lickey in the past, and starting from Old Hill could challenge the driving technique. In later days the Gravelly Hill stretch on Cross City could make them wheeze a bit if not in top condition. A spectacular run I had was on an afternoon train from Leamington to Stratford which at one time was sometimes used by a holiday company for foreigners travelling from London for a meal at Stratford followed by the theatre, B&B then off to somewhere else, Grand Tour style. When there was a big party booked the usual 122 was bolstered by trailer, but on this occasion it had a 116 power car. One of the fastest runs I have ever had up Hatton Bank.

[Phil Bullock]

Yes, an engine out on a 116 set starting from Kidderminster meant taking a pilot loco at Stourbridge Jct - a 47 the day I was on - to be sure of getting up Old Hill bank....

 

Phil

[br2975]

Morning all

 

Still (!) ahead of the migration episode, here is a little snippet from the Railway Observer for May 1958:

 

"............so the trailer coach has been removed, the trains running as 2-car units, both power coaches.  On 30th March two such sets, W50826+W50879 [CAT309] and W50857+50910 [CAT340], were stabled at Ferndale."

 

From my scrawled notes, by 1969 W50826 + W59345 + W50879 were working the Glasgow area, allocated to Hamilton as Set 149.

.

Brian R

[chrisf]

Morning Brian and, as always, thank you.

 

They did not go straight to Hamilton but spent a couple of years at Bristol before being sent north in around October 1966.  As we shall see when the Migration episode really gets going, there was a substantial depletion of dmus from South Wales over the years.  Hey, have I just invented a new collective noun?

 

Chris 

[doodaa]

 

 There was worse than that to be found in the Valleys: try 1 in 40 between Dingle Road and Penarth for starters!  

 

 

I remember from my school day, when I traveled by train to Cardiff every day, a few times the Guard coming through saying were not stopping at Dingle Road on the way to Penarth. due to an engine being out and wanting a run at the bank. If they stopped they would never get going again. It was almost as quick to walk back than to wait for the return working. This was in the middle 1980's

 

Steve

[The Stationmaster]

Thank you, Johnster.  I knew that the bank out of Abercynon was steep but unless I was looking in the wrong place the WTT does not tell me how steep.

 

It may be of interest that in the winter 1958-59 service the unit stabled at Ferndale overnight made 11 return trips between Porth and Maerdy on Mondays to Fridays and 16 on Saturdays.  It also made one return trip mid-morning between Porth and Treherbert for servicing and, presumably, for swapping the set if needed.  On summer Sundays, if required, another set would run empty from Treherbert to Ferndale, there coupling to the set stabled there overnight to form an excursion from Maerdy to Barry Island.  The Maerdy branch lost its passenger service in 1964.

 

Chris  

 

According to the 1950 Sectional Appendix the bank out of Abercynon was as follows -

 

5 chains at 1 in 38, then

11 chains at 1 in 80, then

69 chains at 1 in 42

 

There was a catch point near the bottom of the bank with the longest sand drag I have ever seen (rather obviously, I hope, it became a worked catch point  once the line was singled).

 

The steepest gradient on the Maerdy branch was 8 chains at 1 in 36 between Ferndale and Maerdy with 20 chains at 1 in 41 on the Ferndale side of it and 20 chains at 1 in 40 on the other side of it, there was also a stretch of 12 chains at 1 in 37 nearer to Ferndale.  Maximum perrmited speed on the Maerdy branch (1969 information) was 35 mph with quite a lot of lower restrictions.

 

The really steep gradients were on certain mineral branches on the Eastern & Western Valleys so never saw passenger trains at least in diesel years - the Cwmtillery branch had gradients as steep as 1 in 28 while the Cwmnantddu branch managed to beat the lot with a stretch at 1 in 19.

[The Stationmaster]

I remember from my school day, when I traveled by train to Cardiff every day, a few times the Guard coming through saying were not stopping at Dingle Road on the way to Penarth. due to an engine being out and wanting a run at the bank. If they stopped they would never get going again. It was almost as quick to walk back than to wait for the return working. This was in the middle 1980's

 

Steve

45 chains at 1 in 40

[Rivercider]

Firstly I must thank Chris for starting this informative topic, and others who have added additional information and anecdotes.

 

I am jumping ahead of Chris chronologically to the 1980s, but this is on topic as it shows a distant class 116 set, as well as Abercynon, the bottom of the 1 in 38 gradient, and behind the island platform is the long sand drag referred to by Mike.

 

An unidentified class 116 set calls at Abercynon working the 11.49 Merthyr to Penarth service 24/5/83. 

 

cheers

 

 

[philip-griffiths]

According to the 1950 Sectional Appendix the bank out of Abercynon was as follows -

 

5 chains at 1 in 38, then

11 chains at 1 in 80, then

69 chains at 1 in 42

 

 

.....

While it closed to traffic before the advent of diesels, the Abergavenny to Brynmawr bank up the Clydach had the following stretches:

 

60 chains 1 in 34 approaching Govilon

100 chains 1 in 37 Govilon to Gilwern

160 chains 1 in 38 Gilwern to Gelli-felen tunnels

40 chains 1 in 38 Gelli-felen tunnel towards Brynmawr

40 chains 1 in 35 approaching Rhymney Bridge from Nantybwch.

 

Those six miles from just east of Llanfoist to near Brynmawr would have taxed a DMU i suspect.

[chrisf]

Thanks to Doodaa, Stationmaster, Rivercider and Philip for today's contributions.  The expression "uphill struggle" comes to mind.  No, there isn't a groan button.

 

Seriously though, it never occurred to me to look in the sectional appendix for gradient data, which is pretty silly of me as I have the 1950 and 1960 editions!  Can't see the wood for the trees sometimes ...

 

Philip, do you happen to know how steep the gradient was between Nantyglo and Brynmawr?  It was of course used by dmus for just over four years.  The units from Newport used to terminate in the wooden bay at Brynmawr.

 

Chris

[chrisf]

It is now time to introduce the Migration episode.  It will cover movements or sightings of 116s out of their territory whether permanent or temporary.

 

For the sake of completeness (!) I should mention the sightings of sets allocated to South Wales on workings out of Tyseley in early 1958 but there is no definitive record as far as I know of which sets were involved.  Neither, for that matter, do we know which sets from Tyseley were involved in the following rescue operation, reported in both Trains Illustrated and the Railway Observer in April and March 1959 respectively.  TI first:

 

"In the second week of February [1959] there was a sudden importation of three-car diesel multiple-units to replace the Gloucester RC&W single-units in the London area.  We understand that the temporary withdrawal of the single cars was due to sudden doubts as to the adequacy of their braking power."

 

The RO was more fulsome and allowed itself a brief harrumph:

 

"Staines West branch – The introduction of the new diesel units has not led to greater economy on this branch.  As from Monday 9^th February the single and twin units have been replaced by 3-car sets due, it is understood, to lack of sufficient brake power (experienced elsewhere).  Additional stock was hastily sent to Southall from the Birmingham Division and for the first few days these were in a very dirty condition internally.  For most of the day two cars are kept locked, but for the rush-hour trips all three cars are used by passengers and this has led to some confusion at the halts after dark when several passengers have had narrow escapes after falling out on to the line.  The guard has also abandoned issuing tickets on the train when all the cars ae occupied.  Although the centre car is a compo passengers are not prevented from travelling in the first class compartment.  It would seem that a return to the GWR railcars would be more economical during the off-peak times: or is it intended to prove that yet another branch must be closed on the grounds of economy?"

 

The Greenford and Windsor branches also had their single power cars and drive end trailers [the term used in the Paddington station working book] replaced with Tyseley three-car sets.  By mid April this emergency was over.   There would be others, and we may not have quite seen the end of the GW railcars just yet.

 

One does wonder how Tyseley could spare so many sets at short notice ...

 

Chris

 

Edit - I've just belatedly corrected three typos.  More haste, less speed!

Edited April 5, 2018 by chrisf

[wombatofludham]

I have a suspicion there may have been some steam substitutions back in the Midlands, I'm sure I've seen something in a book somewhere.

 

"Additional stock was hastily sent to Southall from the Birmingham Division and for the first few days these were in a very dirty condition internally". Strange to relate similar complaints used to be made several decades later about the condition of Tyseley's Class 150s!

[TheSignalEngineer]

Tyseley and Cannock Road both had a lot of stock used for dated trains to the coast in the 1950s. Some was used for local trains in the week right up to the closure of the Snow Hill through services.

[chrisf]

Charles and Mark, those are plausible explanations - thank you.  I know that in South Wales there were frequent reversions to steam.

 

Chris

[MJI]

Edited April 5, 2018 by MJI

[dibber25]

Interesting that the migration of 116s to the London area should have been related to doubts about braking capacity of the 122s because I always understood that one of the lines which presented braking issues was the Staines branch. That, in itself, was remarkable because it runs across flat country. However, there's a steep, check-railed curve out of West Drayton and under the main line, and there was a man-made incline over the SR lines with an equal drop down on the other side, though this levelled out before the station platform was reached. I understood that the first miscreant was a GWR streamlined railcar (one of the 5-16 number series) which ran through the stop block. I have never found a date or any written evidence to support this. However, there was, behind the stop block a massive concrete block that we called the pyramid, and beyond that one non-matching canopy column, which lends credence to the idea that something went through the stop blocks and repairs were done to ensure it couldn't happen again. (CJL)

 

The pictures show a 117 on a rail tour with the pyramid in the left foreground, and the demolition picture shows the pyramid more clearly and the replacement non-matching column behind and to its right.

 

To bring this subject back on topic, in all the many dozens of Staines branch pictures I've collected over the years, there is no single picture of a 116 on the branch, and photographic evidence suggests that 122 and 122+DTS combinations had the monopoly of branch services during the period from 1958 until their replacement by Pressed Steel 121s. 

 

Interesting stuff, indeed.

[chrisf]

The Staines branch will feature in a forthcoming instalment but there are other tales to tell first.  Here's one:

 

The Slough derailment, 1st May 1959

 

It was left to the Railway Observer for June 1959, and possibly a slightly earlier issue of the Slough Observer, to report a serious derailment of the up Pembroke Coast Express in which getting on for half a mile of the up main was demolished.  The engineers took over the main lines and all traffic proceeded over the relief lines.  Local steam services to Reading were cancelled and diesel units were employed instead on a substitute local service.  It took several days to clear up the mess.  The following units were noted on “all-stations” to Reading: 55016+56295; 55017+56294+55014; 51135+51148+55018; and in addition 50851+50904 were in Southall.   The well-informed Trevor Owen was by the side of the line with his camera on 2nd May and recorded 51135+51148+55018.  His photograph was published in Backtrack relatively recently but I need to check exactly when.  [Edit - May 2011, so longer ago than I thought!]  It may be viewed on the Colour-Rail website.  Not to be outdone, the HMRS has in its collection a picture of the sheeted-over restaurant car of the Pembroke Coast Express but does not identify it.  W1914 was the unlucky vehicle.

 

Interesting though that is, we have 116s to discuss.  51135+51148 were more normally found as part of set BL307 with two trailers marshalled between them, which begs the question of how quickly they were scrambled and despatched to London.  As we shall see, the sets which were ordered for Bristol soon appeared in other places.  50851+50904 had been delivered to Cathays in February 1958 and given the set number CAT331 with the trailer 59359 but we do not know how long it was on loan to Southall.

 

Chris

Edited April 5, 2018 by chrisf

[philip-griffiths]

 

Philip, do you happen to know how steep the gradient was between Nantyglo and Brynmawr?  It was of course used by dmus for just over four years.  The units from Newport used to terminate in the wooden bay at Brynmawr.

 

Chris

 

 

Chris,  Vic Mitchell's book on the Abertillery and Ebbw Vale branches has a gradient diagram indicating 1 in 47.  WW Tasker's book on the MTA quotes the same gradient but goes on to state that it was for practically the full length of the connecting line from Nantyglo to Brynmawr.

 

BTW Eastern valley DMUs for Blenavon would have had 1 in 47 from Pontnewynydd to the terminus.  

 

Also another line that was not given DMUs - I've always wondered why, Pontypool-Neath, had a 1 in 47 from Pontypool Road to Hafodyrynys.  

 

regards