Class 116 diesel multiple units

[chrisf]

As promised, here is another snippet about the travels of one of the sets based at Bristol.  The incident took place in October 1959 but was not reported until February 1960.  What follows is a distillation of what Trains Ilustrated and the Railway Observer had to say about it - not much, as it goes.

 

"The trial of a diesel multiple-unit on the Looe branch last October … comprised two cars of a WR suburban triplet, W51129/42 [bL301] and arrived at Plymouth’s new Harwell Street diesel depot from Bristol on October 5.  Next day it was tried on the Looe branch and on October 7 left the Plymouth district.  [The unit was] found to be unsatisfactory.  The unit stalled between Coombe Junction and St Keyne and the inter-carriage couplings had to be slackened on the sharp curves that are so plentiful on this branch."

 

This was not the first trial of a dmu on the Looe branch.  Two Class 119 power cars, W51052 and 51080, had ventured there a few months earlier but no report has been found of how well or otherwise they performed.

 

We have seen 51142 before.  The photo from Robert's flickr site of a six-car formation passing Old Oak Common has it as the lead vehicle.

 

Something must have been done to the Looe branch in the summer of 1961, for dmus replaced steam at the beginning of the 1961-62 winter timetable. 

 

Chris

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

Something must have been done to the Looe branch in the summer of 1961, for dmus replaced steam at the beginning of the 1961-62 winter timetable.

Chris, at the risk of going off-topic, what type(s) were these please?

[dibber25]

Chris, at the risk of going off-topic, what type(s) were these please?

 

Gloucester singles (122s) and Pressed Steel singles (121s) whenever I travelled. (CJL)

[chrisf]

Morning all.  A rider to that if I may, Chris.  There were occasions, and I suspect they were on summer Saturdays, when 3 car sets were used on the Looe branch.  The few reports of such happenings refrain from identifying the stock involved.  When we come to 1962 we will look at the arrival of 116s in the West Country.

 

Chris

[MJI]

Last time I travelled on the Looe branch it was the GWR 150 set, then marked as 117 305 rather than B430

[dibber25]

To kick off 116s in the far west, here's one at Par in June 1968. I don't think I've scanned this one before, but apologies if I've already posted it. (CJL)

[wombatofludham]

Last time I travelled on the Looe branch it was the GWR 150 set, then marked as 117 305 rather than B430

Funnily enough the last time I went down the branch to Looe it was on the former Tyseley pet 117 305 just after it had moved to the South West from Birmingham, still carrying Centro publicity in the passenger saloons. I did ask a rather nonplussed Public Relations manager if he'd had any irate complaining telephone calls from the people of Devon and Cornwall when I got back to Centro House the following week, explaining that 117 305 was having a lovely time in semi-retirement by the sea with our lovely Centro bright green notices plastered all over the interior asking people with comments to give him a ring...

[chrisf]

Morning all

 

Thanks to MJI and Wombat for conclusive evidence that at least one three car set went down to Looe!  Thanks also to CJL for the shot of the power twin at Par.  On the Bachmann 117 thread is a fine shot of one of the 117/116 hybrids that ran in the Valleys between 1976 and 1983.

 

After the weekend we will begin the tale of the Paddington Emergency - the November 1959 one if there was more than one.

 

Chris 

[St Enodoc]

To kick off 116s in the far west, here's one at Par in June 1968. I don't think I've scanned this one before, but apologies if I've already posted it. (CJL)

That's a great photo Chris, not just for the DMU but also because it is the first I have seen that shows the back of the running-in board at the Down end of the island platform - I thought it might have been double-sided for arriving branch trains but clearly not. Thanks.

[dibber25]

That's a great photo Chris, not just for the DMU but also because it is the first I have seen that shows the back of the running-in board at the Down end of the island platform - I thought it might have been double-sided for arriving branch trains but clearly not. Thanks.

 

Never noticed that. Pretty unusual I would have thought, not to have a 'Change for....." message on the back. (CJL)

[TheSignalEngineer]

Morning all.  A rider to that if I may, Chris.  There were occasions, and I suspect they were on summer Saturdays, when 3 car sets were used on the Looe branch.  The few reports of such happenings refrain from identifying the stock involved.  When we come to 1962 we will look at the arrival of 116s in the West Country.

 

Chris

Likewise I can't identify the set as many of my notes didn't survive parental house moves but this was something I posted a while ago, taken at Looe in August 1971.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/121161-and-the-next-photo-will-havereal-railway-version/page-139&do=findComment&comment=2889971.

 

I did wonder if this could be a weekend as in the first shot of the day at St Ives the passengers all seemed to have luggage.

[robertcwp]

M55012-50116-56296_50055_Leamington_24-8-79 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

Discuss!

[dibber25]

M5Presumably a scratch 3-car 'set', given that the Drive-end DTS is in the middle and coupled the wrong way to 55-12? (CJL)5012-501166296_50055_Leamington_24-8-79 by Rort Carroll, on Flickr

 

Discuss!

[robertcwp]

Presumably a scratch 3-car 'set', given that the Drive-end DTS is in the middle and coupled the wrong way to 55-12? (CJL)

 

 

M55012-50116-56296_50055_Leamington_24-8-79 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

Discuss!

 

I think the above is what Chris's post is meant to say but it didn't come out properly.

Edited April 15, 2018 by robertcwp

[dibber25]

Yes, for some unknown reason - probably just that it recognised who was pressing the keys and thought it would play up - it came out all wrong. I thought I had then deleted it, but obviously not! Strange how one's views change. I was never fond of rail blue but there's something appealing and nostalgic about these old DMU pics. I guess its because today's equivalents are so poor by comparison. (CJL)

Edited April 15, 2018 by dibber25

[chrisf]

Perhaps the explanation "Tyseley" is a bit simplistic ...

 

Chris

[chrisf]

Morning all

 

This isn't really a stalling tactic but ahead of the first bit of the Paddington Emergency I thought you might like to see this. It is supposed to be horizontal but once again technology has outwitted me.

 

 

It is the cover of the timetable booklet for the Eastern and Western Valleys for summer 1959, which I was given at Wakefield.  The timetable pages are straight reprints from the WR public timetable and there is a a lot of other trivia, such as details of cheap fares, names and telephone numbers of station masters and an ad for the Cardiff and Newport Holiday Express.  Don't you just love bygone days!

 

Chris

 

 

[chrisf]

The Paddington Emergency, November 1959

 

This is my sensationalist headline for the difficulties faced by the Western Region at the [delayed] start of the winter 1959-60 timetable.  The April 1960 issue of Trains Illustrated carried one of Geoffrey Freeman Allen's typically insightful editorials.  Before picking over the reports as they emerged, the following extract will help to set the scene:

 

"As everyone now knows, the WR has taken on this winter the LMR’s London – Birmingham traffic, because the LMR wanted to reduce its track occupation to speed electrification work … The outcome has been to tax the terminal and approach track capacity of Paddington to the limit at the peak periods.  The situation should have been eased by the simultaneous introduction of diesel multiple-units on the Paddington suburban services.  Timetables must be planned well in advance and must assume that contractors for the supply of equipment needed to fulfil them are going to keep the promised delivery dates.  In this case, they did not.  True, multiple-units could be hastily switched to London from other parts of the system – and were.  But any ATC fitted motive power using the electrified platforms in Paddington suburban station that are shared with LT trains must have the automatic clip-up arrangements, with which all WR 2-6-2 tanks employed are equipped, to lift the ATC shoe clear of the live rail.  This the transferred multiple-units did not have, and as a result could not use the suburban platforms.  A carefully schemed station working, therefore, presumably went for very little – a frustrating business at any time, but no doubt a body-blow with so many Birmingham trains added to the timetable.”

 

Early reports in the enthusiast press were quite optimistic, or were if you like dmus.  From Trains Ilustrated, November 1959:

 

"The WR winter timetable will restore the 18 min past the hour interval suburban service from Paddington during the day, but with some workings operated by diesel multiple-units and extended as far afield as Kingham and Leamington Spa; these arrangements result from new rosters for multiple-units based in the Midlands that take in London."

 

And January 1960:

 

"As forecast, several fairly long-distance workings into and out of Paddington with diesel multiple-units are featured in the winter timetable.  One set works the 6.25 am Paddington – Didcot and 8.33 am back, then the 4.30 pm Paddington - Reading and 6 pm Reading – Didcot.  Another forms the 6.50 am Leamington – Paddington via Didcot, the 11.18 am Paddington – Oxford and 2.38 pm back.  A third is employed on the 10.18 am Paddington – Oxford and 1.38 pm back.  Other Oxford trips similarly treated are the 12.8 pm SO, 4.18 pm, 8.18 pm and 9.18 pm from Paddington.  The longest working reported is by a set forming the 7.5 am (7.10 SO) Paddington – Wolverhampton and the 4.8 pm back from Birmingham.  Several new Gloucester RC&W Cross-Country units are now based on Southall depot."

 

There was, of course, more to it than that, but even the Railway Observer had not yet twigged quite what was going on.  From its December issue:

 

"Certain of the suburban trains running from Paddington (Main Line) were turned over to suburban 3-car diesel sets on 2^nd November.  The longest combination so far noted being two three-car sets with a control trailer between them on 4^th November."

 

I can testify personally to part of that.  Monday 2nd November was the last day of school half term.  My form master, Mr Burrow, had organised a country walk which involved taking the train from Ealing Broadway to Maidenhead and back.  The outward run was steam hauled.  The walk itself was unexpectedly muddy, taking in as it did part of the M4 construction works, and yours truly sustained a graze in a typically clumsy fall to which a plaster was applied, conjured from Sir's first aid tin kept in a pocket of his, on reflection, rather dirty mackintosh.  The train from Maidenhead to Ealing Broadway was a pair of 116s.  I had been expecting a dark green diesel but the familiar livery of almost-but-not-quite-malachite was a welcome one.  I had my head out of a droplight all the way - well, I was only 11.  This may be why the next morning I woke with a stiff neck and my mother kept me off school.

 

More later ...

 

Chris 

[EddieK]

This might explain the message I saw neatly sign-written in the cab of a Class 118 car (from memory) - Not to work into Paddington Suburban Station.

[The Stationmaster]

 

I have various others of this sort of thing although only one - a Bristol Division example - has the same style of illustrated cover

Edited April 16, 2018 by The Stationmaster

[The Stationmaster]

This might explain the message I saw neatly sign-written in the cab of a Class 118 car (from memory) - Not to work into Paddington Suburban Station.

 

And why, when new, the outer end buffer planks of the Pressed Steel Sets (later Class 117) carried the legend -

 

FITTED WITH ATC CLIP-UP GEAR AND TRIP COCK like this (sorry to pollute the tread)

 

[chrisf]

Paddington emergency continued

 

The late delivery of the 117s caused the trouble.   Far from being available in plentiful numbers at the start of the winter timetable, itself delayed following a strike in the printing industry which had widespread effects, there were no 117s at all.  The first was delivered in the 4 weeks ending 28th Noveber 1959.  It took almost a year for all 84 power cars and 39 trailers to be delivered.

 

DMUs were sent to Paddington from several sources and comprised a mixture of suburban sets [Class 116] and Cross-Country sets [Classes 119, just entering service, and 120, already an established feature of the fleet].  Some ingenious formations were deployed - suburban set plus single power car plus drive end trailer, Cross-Country set plus single power car, Cross-Country set plus drive end trailer, as well as Cross-Country sets singly and in pairs and suburban sets singly and in pairs.  The only information available as to diagrams is taken from the Paddington station workings book as reissued in February 1960 and the task of deducing a complete set of workings has so far proved too difficult.  Is there a diagram clerk in the house?

 

As a little taster, here is what the set formed 3-car suburban plus single power car plus drive end trailer was booked to do:

 

Mondays to Fridays: 5.50 am empty West London Sidings to Paddington

                                 6.38 am Paddington to West Drayton

                                 7.37 am West Drayton to Staines

                                 8.5 am Staines to Paddington

                                 10.18 am Paddington to Oxford

                                1.38 pm Oxford to Paddington

                                 4.18 pm Paddington to Banbury

                                 7.5 pm Banbury to Paddington

                                 9.25 pm empty Paddington to West London Sidings

 

Saturdays:                7.10 am empty West London Sidings to Paddington #

                                 8.0 am Paddington to Reading #

                                 9.6 am Reading to Banbury

                                 11.13 am Banbury to Oxford

                                 12.28 pm Oxford to Paddington

                                 3.18 pm Paddington to Reading #

                                 4.30 pm Reading to Oxford

                                 5.37 pm Oxford to Kingham

                                 6.38 pm Kingham to Oxford

                                 8.38 pm Oxford to Didcot

                                 9.35 pm Didcot to Reading

                                 10.55 pm Reading to Paddington

                                 12.30 night empty Paddington to West London

 

# shows that the set was coupled to a Cross-Country set

 

The use of single power cars and drive end trailers begs the question of how they were resourced.  The margin of spares at Reading and Southall would not have been high and it may have been necessary to rely on assistance from GW railcars, of which several could be found at Southall.  A photograph is known to exist of the GW twin railcar set on the Uxbridge branch in 1960.  The search for it continues.  Not tonight though ...

 

Coming soon: information on which sets were borrowed from Bristol, Cardiff and Tyseley

 

Chris                        . 

Edited April 17, 2018 by chrisf

[TheSignalEngineer]

The two Snow Hill to Dudley diagrams were supposed to have gone over to Class 122s at the same time as the introduction of 116s at Tyseley. There are quite a few pictures of them on these workings but then there seem to be instances of GWR railcars returning for a while early in 1960.

[dibber25]

And why, when new, the outer end buffer planks of the Pressed Steel Sets (later Class 117) carried the legend -

 

FITTED WITH ATC CLIP-UP GEAR AND TRIP COCK like this (sorry to pollute the tread)

 

PRESSED STEEL UNIT AT TWYFORD 1959cr.jpg

 

Isn't that domed head code box indicative of a 118? separately - I have a quite vivid memory of a unit which had the 'ATC clip-up gear' stencil on the cab end, not the buffer beam, and I thought it odd at the time. (CJL)

[Pteremy]

And the headcode box is clearly riveted on - maybe I have just failed to observe that before - or does it signify a particular build lot?