Class 116 diesel multiple units

[dibber25]

And another view of the up Derby unit at Handborough. A magnifier on this picture shows that the leading car is actually lettered M50078, The date is Feb 1965. (CJL)

[br2975]

Not much to go on here - but forming an excursion, a Derby Suburban set stands at Aberdare during 1959.

.

I have no other information, even the photographer is unknown.

.

However, Six Bells Junction suggests it is most likely the SLS South Wales Railtour of 11th. July, 1959.

.

http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/50s/590711sl.html

 

Brian R

Edited April 8, 2018 by br2975

[Clive Mortimore]

And another view of the up Derby unit at Handborough. A magnifier on this picture shows that the leading car is actually lettered M50078, The date is Feb 1965. (CJL)

Hi Chris

 

Had Tyseley become a LMR depot by 1965 with the regional boundary changes and its allocation been relettered M but still carried on their pre boundary change diagrams? 

[Phil Bullock]

Not much to go on here - but forming an excursion, a Derby Suburban set stands at the distinctive Aberdare High Level during 1959.

.

I have no other information, even the photographer is unknown.

.

Brian R

 

Smashing photo Brian

 

looking at the passengers are we looking at an enthusiasts special perhaps?

 

I wonder if we are looking at http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/50s/590711sl.html?

 

Phil

[br2975]

Smashing photo Brian

 

looking at the passengers are we looking at an enthusiasts special perhaps?

 

I wonder if we are looking at http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/50s/590711sl.html?

 

Phil

You were typing this as I was editing my post Phil.

.

"On the ball, or what ?"

.

Brian

[dibber25]

Hi Chris

 

Had Tyseley become a LMR depot by 1965 with the regional boundary changes and its allocation been relettered M but still carried on their pre boundary change diagrams? 

 

I guess it must have. I initially typed a W but when I looked again its undoubtedly an M. (CJL)

[br2975]

Another gem care and copyright of Robert 'Bob' Masterman.
.
Circa 1966/1967 a six car Penarth - Rhymney working stands at Ystrad Mynach.
.
At the time Bob worked for BR in Cardiff, and lived 'up the line' from here,in Hengoed.His collection contains manyoutstanding images taken in this general area, including many of the Derby Suburban sets.
.
Brian R

Edited April 8, 2018 by br2975

[chrisf]

Talk about great minds think alike!  I was thinking only an hour ago on my way home from St Albans that the SLS tour of 11th July 1959 was probably the first railtour worked by a 116 and as such merited a feature.  It took place on the day that my Aunt Gladys married my Uncle Francis.  I attended neither event.

[The Johnster]

Another gem care and copyright of Robert 'Bob' Masterman.

.

Circa 1966/1967 a six car Penarth - Rhymney working stands at Ystrad Mynach.

.

At the time Bob worked for BR in Cardiff, and lived 'up the line' from here,in Hengoed.His collection contains manyoutstanding images taken in this general area, including many of the Derby Suburban sets.

.

Brian R

 

 

 

 

Another gem care and copyright of Robert 'Bob' Masterman.

.

Circa 1966/1967 a six car Penarth - Rhymney working stands at Ystrad Mynach.

.

At the time Bob worked for BR in Cardiff, and lived 'up the line' from here,in Hengoed.His collection contains manyoutstanding images taken in this general area, including many of the Derby Suburban sets.

.

Brian R

 

 

The weather is highly unusual for South Wales; it almost never rains here.  Oh, hang on a minute, it does, doesn't it.  This is very much the look and dripping atmosphere I am trying to conjure up for Cwmdimbath; we Welsh enjoy our suffering.

[89A]

This is the photo I recall of a DMU at Dowlais Central

[MJI]

I had mislaid one of my power car bodies. Oh and my entire 119. But just found them.

 

Took a mould of the 116 for the 119 roof dome.

 

My under construction Tyseley set with 127 or 115 trailer.

[dibber25]

Here's a nice Rail blue 3-car 116 at St.Ives in August 1968. If we're talking about gradients, I believe it was 1-in-36 from the platform end at St.Ives. When I had my cab ride, the driver told me he had struggled to get a single 122 up the hill in the winter when gales were driving spray off the Atlantic. (CJL)

[chrisf]

Morning all

 

Matters arising

 

First, many thanks to Mark 89A for finding the pic of a 116 at Dowlais Central.  The station building will be recognisable to anyone who has seen and admired Rob Kkinsey's Merthyr Riverside in EM.  A wee bit of detective work suggests that the photo was taken on a Saturday between 2.30 pm and 3 pm, at which time the unit would have run back empty to Bargoed, but if anyone has a better idea plese say so!  Notice that the blind shows DOWLAIS TOP.  It is interesting that the blind fitted to 50+ sets made provision for a terminating move that happened once a day and twice on Saturdays.  If anyone wants to open the can of worms that is that of destination blinds, be my guest.

 

Next, set L360.  The RO has failed so far to come up with a date when set L460 was disbanded but it has revealed a short lived set L440 which contained 50083 until it too was disbanded.  This brings me to Rich Papper's point about riding in a NSE liveried 116.  It will be ages befoe we get there chronologically but I remember observing 53083, as it became, at Didcot in toothpaste livery around 1990.   The other candidate is 53820.

 

Toi those who have posted pictures I proffer many and grateful thanks.  It is good to see Dibber's image of Savernake again.  We did indeed subject it to some detective work a while back and IIRC we concluded that the set was 50870+50923, which had spent much of its prior life working the Vale of Glamorgan service.

 

I'm not getting on very well with the 1980s 117/116 hybrids.  Some time was spent leafing through contemporary ROs last evening which would not have been better spent watching the Generation Game, or anything else for that matter.   The matter is not urgent since there is a long way to go before the chronology catches up.  This is not true of the railtour on 11th July 1959 because the chronology is spot on to cover it now.  I need to refresh my memory of what Six Bells says about it and whether it confirms what is in the back of my mind about which set worked the tour.   Photographers on the train included Trevor Owen and John Edgington.  I know this because at Penrhiwfelin signal box they were standing next to one another and my copies of each gentleman's slide are not the same!

 

Finally for now, Tyseley and its fleet became part of the London Midland Region wef 9th September 1963, I'm told.  There was some tidying of routes operated by various depots and the fleets which operated them.  Tyseley depot may well have taken the view that there was little point in reprefixing sets which would in due course be sent back to the WR.  Such a swap took place in 1965 and I ought to write some captions about it before one of my editors [My editors?! Get you!] questions my continuing existence!

 

Chris 

[The Stationmaster]

Success at the end of an hour's searching! I have this photo in black and white (taken by my brother) but I was convinced I also had a colour version taken by me. Finally tracked it down. Apart from their obvious usefulness in helping to resolve painting issues, the little Kodak Enprints of that period have another usefulness. They have a date stamp on the back. I had a rough idea when this was, because I knew we spotted Savernake LL station from the May 9 1964 special with Pendennis Castle, and decided that we must visit this pretty station ASAP. So to the details:

The print is dated August 1964 - so the trip was during school hols (my brother was still at school). So the pic may be late July at the earliest.

The 116 is a two-car missing its centre coach, in plain unlined dark green with 'whiskers' but its one of the later type with head code panel rather than marker lights. By this time, I had stopped taking numbers, which I now regret.

It is also, evidently, a unit transferred from S Wales, as it still has Swansea/Neath mis-wound in the rear box.

From memory, it was a mid-morning Newbury-Westbury local. We had come from Egham-Reading, so would have changed at Reading and again at Newbury. I have a vague feeling Chris may have analysed this on my behalf through RMweb some years ago - my model of this train is numbered W51128, W51141 but I don't recall whether that's based on his suggestion or guesswork based on numbers underlined in my Abc. Don't know whether this photo adds anything to Chris's story but I thought I'd share it anyway - a nice DMU in a lovely setting, all now long gone. (CJL)

 

Looking at the summer 1964 timetable the train would have been the 12.30 Newbury - Trowbridge (where it connected into the 13.40 Chippenham - Westbury).  What then happened to the set off the 12.30 Newbury is not traceable from the public TT - possibly empty to Westbury to form the 15.20 back to Newbury?  

 

Judging by the public timetable - which obviously has its dangers - the set would appear to have started and ended its working day at Westbury giving the following possible diagram -

 

Note at some point, which might be midway at Trowbridge or at the end of the diagram the unit might changeover with a different diagram so there is obviously a degree of conjecture in what I have sketched out below (the public timetable also includes an opportunity for the sets to be changed over at Reading!).  Thus the working below could quite possibly be spread over two, or even three, diagrams during the course of a working day.

 

Westbury.................06.50........via Lavington

Newbury......0804....0836..........via Devizes

Westbury.....10.09...10.36........via Lavington

Newbury......11.50...12.36.........via Devizes

Trowbridge..14.00....................at which point it might either have gone ECS to Westbury or formed the 14.40 Trowbridge - Chippenham?

Westbury..................15.20........via Devizes

Newbury......17.12....17.36........via Deizes

Westbury.....19.22....20.30.......via Lavington

Patney..........20.51...21.00.......via Lavington

Westbury......21.20

 

And separately (and these two trains might not be worked by the same set as both could potentially have run east of Newbury)

 

Westbury...................18.00.......via Lavington

Newbury.......19.13....19.35.........via Devizes

Westbury.......21.29

Edited April 9, 2018 by The Stationmaster

[brushman47544]

Next, set L360. The RO has failed so far to come up with a date when set L460 was disbanded but it has revealed a short lived set L440 which contained 50083 until it too was disbanded. This brings me to Rich Papper's point about riding in a NSE liveried 116. It will be ages befoe we get there chronologically but I remember observing 53083, as it became, at Didcot in toothpaste livery around 1990. The other candidate is 53820.

Reading this reminds me of seeing 3-car set L440 regularly at Reading during my bashing/spotting days in the 80s. I have a vague recollection of taking a photo of it (not something I normally did at Reading but this one was different having no headcode box) in the reverse blue/grey livery. Unfortunately I can't recall exactly when, and all my photos and notebooks are currently inaccessible in the UK, but I don't think it was that short lived. Something else to look up when I'm in the right part of the UK...

 

EDIT: I've now found this of L440 in BR Blue with Met-Cam centre coach https://www.flickr.com/photos/91977133@N04/24815852835 although the set I’m thinking of didn’t as far as I recall have a Met-Cam centre car and other than 50083 was a 117. Memory may be playing tricks....

Edited April 9, 2018 by brushman47544

[chrisf]

11^th July 1959 – SLS South Wales Railtour

 

It is probable that this tour, organised as with many in the past by W A “Cam“ Camwell on behalf of the Midland Area of the Stephenson Locomotive Society, was the first to be formed of a Class 116 dmu.  It is thought that the set used was 50081+59031+50123.  As was usually the case, the route included several sections of line which had either lost their passenger services or had never had them to lose.

 

The tour departed from Platform 5 at Cardiff General, a bay which saw little use in later years and was subsequently filled in.  It visited in succession the Penarth Harbour branch, what is now known as the City Line to Radyr and diverged at Taffs Well up the “Big Hill” to Penrhos Junction.  From there it continued past Aber Junction and Llanbradach to Ystrad Mynach North, there taking the Cylla branch and making its second reversal at Penrhiwfelin.  It then retraced its path to Aber Junction, heading then for Machen via Fountain Bridge Halt.  After its third reversal it headed back towards Caerphilly but via Waterloo Halt and continued along the PC&N line to Pontypridd, diverging from the Merthyr line at Pont Shon Norton to make its fourth reversal at Cilfynydd.  The fifth reversal was back at Pont Shon Norton whence the tour continued via Abercynon to Aberdare Low Level and on towards Bwllfa Dare colliery.  Here the tour ran into trouble.  The unit stalled three times near Gadlys Road Platform and the section from there to Bwllfa Dare had to be abandoned.  After what we must take as the sixth reversal, the tour retraced its route to Abercynon, continuing to Stormstown Junction before turning right for Ynysybwl, the seventh reversal point.  The tour then returned to Abercynon and continued to Quakers Yard and its eighth and final reversal.  From the Low Level station at Quakers Yard the tour took the connecting spur to the Vale of Neath line, which it followed to Penalltau Junction.  The tour then took the spur to Ystrad Mynach and continued down the Rhymney main line to Aber Junction, the Beddau Loop, back into Caerphilly and on to Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff General.  The whole thing took just over eight hours.

 

Grateful thanks to Six Bells Junction for the tour gen.

 

Chris

[Phil Bullock]

I don't think we have had a lined green speed whiskered unit on here yet?

 

http://www.railcar.co.uk/images/3753

 

Phil

[dibber25]

I don't think we have had a lined green speed whiskered unit on here yet?

 

http://www.railcar.co.uk/images/3753

 

Phil

 

Hurrah for Mike Mensing! We had dozens of his DMU pictures in the Ian Allan Library and they were absolutely essential every year when I had to illustrate the Abc Combined Volume. He had plenty of colour slides of DMUs, too. (CJL)

[chrisf]

His collection is now in the care of the RCTS.  I had a sneaky peak earlier this evening and there is a good selection of 116s.  The Colour-Rail collection is also a useful source, though if you want to view the one I mentioned when we were discussing the Slough derailment you need to search under Class 122.

 

Chris

[br2975]

11^th July 1959 – SLS South Wales Railtour

Today's so called "bashers" would gape open mouthed at such an itinerary.

.

Brian R

It is probable that this tour, organised as with many in the past by W A “Cam“ Camwell on behalf of the Midland Area of the Stephenson Locomotive Society, was the first to be formed of a Class 116 dmu. It is thought that the set used was 50081+59031+50123. As was usually the case, the route included several sections of line which had either lost their passenger services or had never had them to lose.

 

The tour departed from Platform 5 at Cardiff General, a bay which saw little use in later years and was subsequently filled in. It visited in succession the Penarth Harbour branch, what is now known as the City Line to Radyr and diverged at Taffs Well up the “Big Hill” to Penrhos Junction. From there it continued past Aber Junction and Llanbradach to Ystrad Mynach North, there taking the Cylla branch and making its second reversal at Penrhiwfelin. It then retraced its path to Aber Junction, heading then for Machen via Fountain Bridge Halt. After its third reversal it headed back towards Caerphilly but via Waterloo Halt and continued along the PC&N line to Pontypridd, diverging from the Merthyr line at Pont Shon Norton to make its fourth reversal at Cilfynydd. The fifth reversal was back at Pont Shon Norton whence the tour continued via Abercynon to Aberdare Low Level and on towards Bwllfa Dare colliery. Here the tour ran into trouble. The unit stalled three times near Gadlys Road Platform and the section from there to Bwllfa Dare had to be abandoned. After what we must take as the sixth reversal, the tour retraced its route to Abercynon, continuing to Stormstown Junction before turning right for Ynysybwl, the seventh reversal point. The tour then returned to Abercynon and continued to Quakers Yard and its eighth and final reversal. From the Low Level station at Quakers Yard the tour took the connecting spur to the Vale of Neath line, which it followed to Penalltau Junction. The tour then took the spur to Ystrad Mynach and continued down the Rhymney main line to Aber Junction, the Beddau Loop, back into Caerphilly and on to Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff General. The whole thing took just over eight hours.

 

Grateful thanks to Six Bells Junction for the tour gen.

 

Chris

Edited April 10, 2018 by br2975

[The Johnster]

Platform 5 at Cardiff General (it is fair to exclude it from talk of Cardiff Central) was at the Swansea end of the down island platform 3 and 4; it's profile may be yet traced in the concrete and the canopy as a sort of ghost.  It was mostly used for the Porthcawl services and parcels traffic; it was particularly useful for the latter as stock could be worked on from both sides simultaneously.  The number is still missing from Cardiff's platforms, which go directly form 4 to 6, and the occasional passenger still asks about it!  Out of use about 1964 I think and filled in late 60s.

[br2975]

A typical Sunday lunchtime at Cardiff, Canton DMU side, 4th. July, 1971

.

Cl.116:-

(50082+59340+50124), (50086+59036+50128), (50091+59041+50133), (50851+59359+50904), (50856+59364+50909), (50867+59375+50920),
(51132+59034+51145),  (51134+59444+51147),  (51139+59030+51152),

 

And, for the sake of completeness, other sets present were;
Cl.120:-

(50648+59296+50706), (50653+59268+50707), (50661+59269)+(50710), (50672+50702), (50679+59291+50727), (50691+59277+50728), (50693+59299+50738)+(55025),

.
Cl.119:- 

(51055+59417+51083),

.

Cl.117:-
(51337+59489+51379), (51347+59499+51389), (51352+59504+51394),

Nine car set that had worked a Paddington - Barry Island 'Pied Piper' Excursion on shed for fuel and cleaning

.
Cl.121:-

(55023), (55026),

.

(56293),

.

.

Brian R

.

[br2975]

For reasons lost in the mists of time, on Saturday, 23rd. October 1971 I made a note of all the Cl.116 sets passing through Cardiff General from mid-morning until late afternoon.

.

The 25 sets recorded were as follows;

.

(50081+59031+50123), (50082+59340+50124), (50084+59373+50126), (50086+59036+50128), (50088+59362+50130), (50089+59039+50131), (50091+59041+50133), (50834+59038+50887), (50836+59344+50889), (50839+59347+50892), (50843+59355+50896), (50844+59335+50897), (50845+59353+50898), (50851+59359+50904), (50857+59368+50910), (50858+59366+50911),  (50863+59371+50916), (50864+59369+50917), (50866+59374+50919), (50867+59375+50920), (50869+59035+50922), (51132+59034+51145), (51134+59444+51147), (51135+59445+51148), (51136+59446+51149),

.

Brian R

[chrisf]

Thank you, Brian.  "Because it's there", perhaps?  The world has good cause for gratitude that you still have your notebooks.  Most of mine succumbed to my mother's distinctive and oxymoronic interpretation of 'editorial judgement'.

 

While I'm posting, I found that the 117/116 hybrids were formed as long ago as 1976, much earlier than I had thought.  A lot was going on at that time, with many sets being despatched to Tyseley and wholesale renumbering of those that were left.  I need to make sense of it before reporting further and that won't get done today!

 

Next up from me will be a report of a day excursion in Cornwall by a Bristol based set.

 

Chris

[br2975]

Some sightings of non-Western Region sets, from the 1970s.

.

All  were recorded in the West Midlands, except where shown

.

Note, some 'sets' include the odd 'non-116' vehicle; I'll leave it to other members to pick them out, and identify them.  

 

50051 59012 50113 - 30/10/1971
50052 59341 50094 - 26/08/1972
50053 59342 50866 - 11/12/1973

50055 59023 50116 - 19/08/1973

50056 59018 50098 - 30/06/1973
50057 59001 50097 - 19/08/1973
50058 59006 50112 - 19/08/1973

50059 59004 50104 - 11/12/1973

50061 59000 55004 - 26/08/1972

50064 59019 50115 - 26/08/1972

50065 59005 50094 - 18/09/1971

50066 59022 50103 - 30/06/1973
50067 59010 50093 - 26/08/1972

50068 59005 50103 - 19/08/1973
50069 59007 50099 - 26/08/1972

50070 59026 50095 - 11/12/1973

50074 59016 50110 - 02/01/1971

50076 59003 50118 - 02/08/1976

50078 59024 50109 - 11/12/1973

50079 59351 50121 - 28/12/1971

50085 59338 50127 - 26/08/1972

 

50827 59336 50877 - 06/08/1976 King's X

50830 59332 50883 - 06/08/1976 King's X

50831 59339 50884 - 18/09/1971 
50832 59029 50885 - 03/01/1978 
50833 59442 50107 - 30/06/1973 

50835 59334 50343 - 02/08/1976

50854 56296 50907 - 04/01/1978

50859 59027 50119 - 02/08/1976
50860 59438 50913 - 30/06/1973

50863 59496 50916  -xx/xx/1978

50865 59372 50921 - 03/01/1978

51133 59443 51146 - 03/01/1978

51136 59500 51149 - 20/07/1976 Cogan

.

Brian R