First Gen DMU's

[br2975]

"Moving off they sounded like a hippo farting. They were too hot in summer, too cold in winter; so the only thing that chattered louder than your teeth were the droplights. The doors didn't shut properly because the underframes had sagged through overloading. The exhaust fumes left a bigger smokescreen than the Scharnhorst and leaked into the saloons where they were were more potent than Chernobyl. The condensation meant you couldn't see out of the windows once winter set in, and the water ran down the window, gathered on the sill and stained the elbows of your jacket and shirt. "

.

Apart from that, I loved them.

.

Brian R

[D854_Tiger]

"Moving off they sounded like a hippo farting. They were too hot in summer, too cold in winter; so the only thing that chattered louder than your teeth were the droplights. The doors didn't shut properly because the underframes had sagged through overloading. The exhaust fumes left a bigger smokescreen than the Scharnhorst and leaked into the saloons where they were were more potent than Chernobyl. The condensation meant you couldn't see out of the windows once winter set in, and the water ran down the window, gathered on the sill and stained the elbows of your jacket and shirt. "

.

Apart from that, I loved them.

.

Brian R

 

 

Indeed, all true, but sitting in a warm Swindon class 120 at 75 mph on the Marches route, non-stop Hereford to Shrewsbury, a black sky, torrential rain, thunder and lightning was a wonderful introduction to the Cross Country variety.

[D854_Tiger]

Indeed, all true, but sitting in a warm Swindon class 120 at 75 mph on the Marches route, non-stop Hereford to Shrewsbury, a black sky, torrential rain, thunder and lightning was a wonderful introduction to the Cross Country variety.

 

The other side of the coin was a Tyseley class 116 on an all stations Worcester - Birmingham and that endless slog up Old Hill bank, you could lose the will to live on a DMU all stations stopper, at the best of times, but especially when never even getting out of second gear..

[br2975]

Indeed, all true, but sitting in a warm Swindon class 120 at 75 mph on the Marches route, non-stop Hereford to Shrewsbury, a black sky, torrential rain, thunder and lightning was a wonderful introduction to the Cross Country variety.

 

Unfortunately, during my 'spotting days' any journey over the North & West meant the  the announcer at Cardiff General  reading out "....calling at Newport, Pontypool Road, Abergavenny, Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Craven Arms, Church Stretton.... "

.

Therefore 75mph ( with a Cl.120 and an extra Cl.116 or Cl.121 'booster' ) was something beyond our comprehension

.

Brian R

[D854_Tiger]

Unfortunately, during my 'spotting days' any journey over the North & West meant the  the announcer at Cardiff General  reading out "....calling at Newport, Pontypool Road, Abergavenny, Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Craven Arms, Church Stretton.... "

.

Therefore 75mph ( with a Cl.120 and an extra Cl.116 or Cl.121 'booster' ) was something beyond our comprehension

.

Brian R

 

 

Yes, there was a bubble car up front, locked out of use and full of mailbags.

[SHMD]

Mid-70s  and a "3 Day Railrover" lands me at Manchester Piccadilly, waiting for a train to Reddish North .................................(for some reason that now escapes me, perhaps someone can jog my memory !!).

.

Brian R

 

Perhaps a visit round Reddish Depot to see all those grounded class 76s and other bits of flotsam and jetsam off the lessor known unfashionable bits of the network?

(Always an interesting visit.)

 

 

Kev.

[Market65]

5779567653_0ed25d5043_o.jpg

A 3-car class 110 DMU featuring 3 different liveries forms part of a 7-car consist on a Scarborough to Leeds services near York in May 1981.

 

5779567467_85e020ee84_o.jpg

A class 110/101 DMU hybrid forming a Leeds-Morecombe service about to depart a boarded up Hellifield station during March 1989.

I wonder if that hybrid class 110&101 unit in the last pic is the same one as in post 143 on page 6. The TSL is marshalled the same way round, and it is the same year, so it could well be...

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

[Market65]

105000 300484.jpg

 

Cravens 105 (53369 + 54416) sit at Upminster with the Barking shuttle on 30 April 1984.

That is one of the 105's transferred from Hull Botanic Gardens in the late '60's. You can tell by the type of guards van with just one large side window, and the former four lamp cab front.

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

[br2975]

Perhaps a visit round Reddish Depot to see all those grounded class 76s and other bits of flotsam and jetsam off the lessor known unfashionable bits of the network?

(Always an interesting visit.)

 

 

Kev.

Correct.

.

But nothing will surpass my first visit, 28th December 1972. Walked in, walked around, only one person in the whole depot- and he had driven his Vauxhall Viva into the shed and was too busy under the bonnet to worry about a solitary gricer; or he couldn't understand my accent ?

.

Brian R.

[Market65]

 

 

Bry

 

Is it not the lone 107 centre car that was allocated south of the Border for a while?

 

Bry

 

Hi, Bry. It, after a further look at full size, is a class 104. The big clue is the half window next to the vestibule at the toilet end of the car. It has sliding toplights which the class 107 cars did not have. Also the windows have no frames around them, unlike the 107's which had some framing in the manner of the class 108's.

All this, I hope, is of help in identifying the differences between these two classes of units. I find it very interesting, and love this thread.

 

Best regards,

 

Rob.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

End of the line at Barton-on-Humber in 1980.

 

It always seemed to be almost at the end of the world when your train arrived here. One of the 2-car Derby units that virtially monopolised the former GN/GC lines in Lincolnshire and Humberside awaits its return trip to Cleethorpes.

 

 

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Another one from 1980, this time at New Mills (Central). A 3-car BRCW Calder Valley unit on a Manchester-bound service that has crossed the Pennines via the Hope Valley line.

 

[cornish trains jez]

Good evening,

 

Here is one from my collection. Hybrid DMU set number P871 consisting of a class 101 and class 108 sits at Par waiting to depart for Newquay late 80's.

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Not sure what type of 2-car unit this is, but I do know it was waiting at Spalding on the shuttle to Peterborough.

 

By 1980, the large station at Spalding was living on past glories, as it slumbers here in the June sunshine.

 

[drjcontroller]

End of the line at Barton-on-Humber in 1980.

 

It always seemed to be almost at the end of the world when your train arrived here. One of the 2-car Derby units that virtially monopolised the former GN/GC lines in Lincolnshire and Humberside awaits its return trip to Cleethorpes.

 

File2179.jpg

I drove past this station this morning and was rewarded with the sight of 153328 in the platform. Not quite the same .

[Peter Kazmierczak]

The station is no more.

The units are no more.

 

Lincoln St Mark's in the mid 1970s. In the foreground, a 2-car Derby unit stands ready to leave for Nottingham, whilst behind a 2-car Cravens unit waits to head in the opposite direction to Cleethorpes.

 

[4630]

. 

Edited November 12, 2016 by 4630

[Rivercider]

Two  more of my instamatic photos from the 1970s

 

First a 6 car formation at Castle Cary

A 3 car class 119 set trails a 6 car formation past the wartime built signal box at Castle Cary on the 08.08 Bristol Temple Meads - Weymouth service 27/9/79

 

A view of the DMU stabling sidings at Bedford

Class 127 DMUs are stabled at Bedford on a Sunday, 51642, 51621, 5???? and 51650, 7/10/79

 

cheers

 

 

 

 

 

[auld_boot]

Both ends of set B962

 

Heading west towards Taunton.

 

And later the same day heading back towards Bristol

[SGJ]

Class 101 at Sheffield

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Mustn't forget these attractive Trans-Pennine units.

 

In reduced 4-car formation (after removal of the buffet car), one stands on the centre road at Sheffield Midland in 1980 awaiting its next turn.

 

[The Stationmaster]

"Moving off they sounded like a hippo farting. They were too hot in summer, too cold in winter; so the only thing that chattered louder than your teeth were the droplights. The doors didn't shut properly because the underframes had sagged through overloading. The exhaust fumes left a bigger smokescreen than the Scharnhorst and leaked into the saloons where they were were more potent than Chernobyl. The condensation meant you couldn't see out of the windows once winter set in, and the water ran down the window, gathered on the sill and stained the elbows of your jacket and shirt. "

.

Apart from that, I loved them.

.

Brian R

 

Not to mention the 'agonies' coming back down the Valley on the last train after a night out on the beer in Merthyr - oh for 'facilities' and gangways (good job they had proper droplights ).

[Market65]

Not sure what type of 2-car unit this is, but I do know it was waiting at Spalding on the shuttle to Peterborough.By 1980, the large station at Spalding was living on past glories, as it slumbers here in the June sunshine.File2181.jpg

Hi. It is a hybrid unit. The front car is a Gloucester class 100 DMBS, follows by a Cravens class 105, DTCL or DMCL. If the latter car, it could well be it is the 2-car unit that was to have been preserved but wasn't.

 

Best regards,

 

Rob.

[Market65]

Hi. Here's a 3 - car hybrid unit approaching Beverley from Hull in about May, 1987. A class 101 DMBS leads, followed by a class 108 TSL, and then a class 101 DMSL. Notice the ''LW'' in white above the buffers on the cab front of the class 101 DMBS, which seems quite unusual.

 

 

With regards,

 

Rob.

[bingley hall]

. 

Edited August 14, 2016 by bingley hall