Jump to content
 

Scottish DMU Formations


luckymucklebackit

Recommended Posts

Following the discussion on Andrew's Wverley West Thread, though it might be a good idea to have a thread discussing Scottish First Generation DMU formations and history.

 

I'll kick off with some links to the Scotrail Wiki, which has some great info already, not sure if you need to log into that site, but if you do it is free!!

 

Class 101 http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+101

Class 104 http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+104

Class 105 http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+105

Class 107 http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+107

Class 116 http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+116

Class 117 http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+117

Class 122 http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+122

Class 126 http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+126

 

There are a few gaps in the information, and a few classes missing.  I will have a trawl through my archive and see what I can find.

 

Jim

Link to post
Share on other sites

Continuing the conversation regarding the use of Driving Trailers

There were numerous two car sets allocated to Scotland, but by 1984 they were reduced as routes closed

By 1986, 54072 was the last Class 101 at Ayr, whilst the four based at Haymarket were stored (retained for spares)
I can remember 54072 appearing a few times, and was restricted to use in a 6 car set on routes out of Glasgow Central

However, even this proved to be a problem the following year and was often pressed into service (until additional replacement Class 120 units arrived)
When this occured there was a notice placed in both cabs that in the event the unit was operating as a 3 car unit, then only had one powered car and was restricted to Glasgow Central - East Kilbride / Barrhead services only, any other use required approval to be confirmed

 

I distinctly remember this occuring as it ended up being allocated to a Kilmarnock service, and I stood outside the cab and pointed this out to the driver (initially appeared angry that I had pointed this out)
After some phonecalls he came back, confirmed a unit swap would be required, and turned out he was glad I had pointed this out
Ironically, the following week it was put into store, seeing the end of the use of Driving Trailers

Link to post
Share on other sites

post-188-0-48259800-1421788100.jpg

 

Not the best scan, but this is Preston on 12th July 1993 and these are the first batch of class 117s heading north after refurbishment at Tyseley to Haymarket to work the Fife services pending introduction of the 2nd generation units, they are as follows 

117 301 51353 59505 51395

117 306 51369 59521 51411

117 308 51371 59509 51413

 

Jim

Link to post
Share on other sites

Purely from memory as I have no records as such, but my home depot was Dundee and ran a number of DMU services. Very often there were no sets, just a collection of bits put together. Different classes in different liveries all running together. Sometimes with a single car unit added. I suppose the great advantage of the multiple unit is that one car can be separated out and replaced in order to keep the rest of the set (as such) running. The depot crew locally certainly made the most of it.

 

It would make for a most interesting model. 

 

John

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Purely from memory as I have no records as such, but my home depot was Dundee and ran a number of DMU services. Very often there were no sets, just a collection of bits put together. Different classes in different liveries all running together. Sometimes with a single car unit added. I suppose the great advantage of the multiple unit is that one car can be separated out and replaced in order to keep the rest of the set (as such) running. The depot crew locally certainly made the most of it.

 

It would make for a most interesting model. 

 

John

And touching on what Mj kerr said as well by the later parts of the 80's and  particularly immediately prior to Ayrshire electrictrification there were alot of 'cobbled together' sets and substitutions you could get 3 classes or liveries within one 3 car set think there was such thread on rmweb in previous version of forum - will try find some pics. 

 

other oddities were 104 cars painted into blue/grey to fit in other sets when most of their class were still in overall blue an effort surely wasted once strathclyde pte 101/107 and 105 cars in allover blue got mixed amongst them?

For Starters

ex Buxton 104  101 centre car - we can have a guessing game with the rear car https://www.flickr.com/photos/killie65/2785391848/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/killie65/2785390976/

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Inverness had class 120's for Aberdeen services.

 

Best I can do for a photo is this one with the 120 creeping in on a photo of 47464..

 

post-12740-0-07876800-1421792036.jpg

47464 + Class 120 Inverness Shed 22/02/1979

 

 

 

Hope its of some use.

 

Steve

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

An excellent article I found some time ago on DMUs around Edinburgh.

 

http://www.railcar.co.uk/topics/edinburgh.html

Thanks for that :)  : particularly http://www.railcar.co.uk/jpg/108/sm01.jpg

- I was unaware that class 108 had made regular runs in Scotland other than cross-border services from Carlisle/Newcastle

Link to post
Share on other sites

Aforementioned repainted 104 - what looks like a substitute for a class 120 powercar. note 104xxx set number - how was this arrived at cos its the brake car??

The units were reasonably accurate prior to the Ayr depot fire

ScotRail had a number of semi-permanent Class 104 units (and 101, 107, and 116)

The main issue was that the urban and inter-urban allocated DMUs were due to be replaced by (Class 150/2) Sprinters by 1986

Due to this delay the order for Class 150/2 Sprinters was changed to Class 156, and didn't enter full service until 1989

This 3 year delay resulted in a cascade of redundant stock to ScotRail, as long-term maintenance ended and reliability had become an issue

The issue was compounded by the suspension of the Class 107 fleet

 

However, after the Ayr depot fire the Class unit pretty much became redundant as reliability became an issue and sets changed at very short notice

As an example one set could be changed up to 6 times in one week!

As a result many units only carried the last three digits, and sometimes they even carried different unit number at each end

 

In general the lowest numbered driving coach was the set number, so in most cases this was the Class 101

This could then result in a Class 104 unit carrying the set number for a Class 101 set

 

The only unit I can remember not following this classification was a Class 120, which was always the centre car

The driving cars kept changing at very short notice, and again as the driving cars often carried redundant set numbers this was quite noticeable

I can remember several occasions where the drivers didn't even bother looking at the set numbers to confirm it was the set they were supposed to be driving, as they knew it was likely to be incorrect

If the engines were running, then it was good to go...

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

iirc the class 100s (DMBS/DTCL) were allocated to scotland new and particularly worked around edinburgh eg. corstorphine branch, transferred away c.1968-ish

 

mix'n'match not a new thing, a pic from brian daniels of a lash-up at dundee in 1979:

 

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2330/5808808267_1bbd0ea7f7_b.jpg (101 DMBS, 101/111 TRBSL, 122 DMBS): i'd read before that the 3 remaining buffet cars allocated to dundee were actually cl.111, but longworth book has them as 101? presumably in the late 70s-early 80s they were just used as TS?

 

ref: the previous discussion on driving trailers etc. had a quick look at a 1975/76 WTT and there are quite a few DMU services marked as 'twin' or 'triple'. the 'twin' services included edin-kirkcaldy or cardenden/cowdenbeath or dundee-arbroath. the thing is, no mention is made of these being 'power twin' or 'power/trailer'.

I think it's because i was aware of/grew up with units from the late70s/early 80s, i'd always assumed that units were at least 3-car (discounting the bubblecars).

Had a quick look at longworth and it has a fair few cl.101 and 105 DTCL and 3 cl.122 DTS allocated in scotland until about '78 (a very few hang on until 1982)

Also noticed (from pics admittedly) that from late-70s, any TCL or DMCL loses their 1st class stripes and are just reclassed all 2nd class - i'm not sure if even dundee services would've still retained 1st class, probably not.

i wonder then if the last DMU services to carry any 1st class would be the 120s (abdn-inv) and 126s (ayr-glasgow)?

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

couple of belters for ye, first is bog standard 3-car blue 101 in edinburgh, 1978:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping/5660050165/in/set-72157624987872649 (incidentally look how many 'no-smoking' signs there are!)

 

9-car ECS at dysart in 1979:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/punkrocksuperstar63/3600996456/in/set-72157628006379556

 

notice the middle set in the last link is like the set in the first link - 2 cars have blue window frames, 1 car unpainted frames. was this a works trait?

 

3-car 101 passing sinclairtown in '79 - when did 'GG' or 'GG Trans-Clyde' first appear? presumably 1979 to tie in with the SPT area which now included the new 'argyle line' etc.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/punkrocksuperstar63/3599426206/in/set-72157617014610729

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

couple of belters for ye, first is bog standard 3-car blue 101 in edinburgh, 1978:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping/5660050165/in/set-72157624987872649 (incidentally look how many 'no-smoking' signs there are!)

 

9-car ECS at dysart in 1979:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/punkrocksuperstar63/3600996456/in/set-72157628006379556

 

notice the middle set in the last link is like the set in the first link - 2 cars have blue window frames, 1 car unpainted frames. was this a works trait?

One the three car sets (in that flickr set not one of the ones you linked) has barred droplights in the doors- on just one car too though that might be a different picture - looks to be within confines of Waverley (station) though? 

 

In the earlier days the Gloucester units later known as class 100 did a lot of good work around the Peebles loop, got lots of pics of these in books re Waverley (route)

Link to post
Share on other sites

One the three car sets (in that flickr set not one of the ones you linked) has barred droplights in the doors- on just one car too though that might be a different picture - looks to be within confines of Waverley (station) though? 

 

 

Hi Russ - found that photograph and checked my copy of the DMU bible (Longworth) and found that the loading coach SC50147 was transferred from South Gosforth in 1978, a bit of detective work on Flickr looking at other Tyneside DMUs showed most 101s to have barred droplights, so there must have been a route in that area with limited clearances.  I remember the 108s working out of Carlisle on the Maryport and Carlisle services had barred droplights due to restricted clearances on that route.

 

Jim

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's maddening now when I look back on it, but I didn't take much notice of DMUs back in the 70s and 80s (still don't now mind!) and I certainly only very rarely photographed them.

 

Here are a few mixed formations taken at Kinghorn. It would have been late 70s I guess. Apologies for the poor quality of the photos.

 

A blue/grey 105 running with white/blue stripe 101 centre car and a blue/grey 101 driving trailer, attached to what looks like another 101 unit behind.

 

post-7247-0-10682300-1422031231_thumb.jpg

 

A 3-car 101 with a blue centre car...

 

post-7247-0-22010300-1422031324_thumb.jpg

 

And another mixed livery 101...

 

post-7247-0-93337200-1422031349_thumb.jpg

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

was that a regular bubblecar service, dundee - arbroath?

 

If I remember correctly, they did the "all stops", including Balmossie Halt and Golf Street Halt. They were also quite regular additions on three car units or to make up sets. Some of those services may have terminated at Carnoustie, as there were certainly some that used the cross-over to the north of the station.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Was a regular user of The Dundee -Arbroath DMU services.(From Balmossie and Broughty)Loved the 101's and the Bubblecars (used to ride in the Guards compartment when they were on the busier services) and remember being on Cravens units too.Took very few photos of them though cause they played 2nd fiddle to The Deltics and the "40's". I still have the Tayway poster taken at Dundee diesel depot with the Buses standing beside a 101.A brilliant concept the Tayway ticket-sadly scrapped.

Of course my favourite train at that time was the last all stopping train between Arbroath and Dundee which was loco hauled with classes 25,26,27,40&47 involved.-Happy Days!

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Of course my favourite train at that time was the last all stopping train between Arbroath and Dundee which was loco hauled with classes 25,26,27,40&47 involved.-Happy Days!

 

 

The east bound service left Dundee around 5 and originated at GQS. It was the running in turn for locos coming out of Springburn and would often produce unexpected motive power. When it did they often still smelt of paint.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...