First Gen DMU's

[SRman]

You could also mention the Hastings 6L DEMU 1013 in the Tonbridge picture; it is also a first gen DMU in the literal sense.

[astropsidings]

You could also mention the Hastings 6L DEMU 1013 in the Tonbridge picture; it is also a first gen DMU in the literal sense.

 

Indeed! The idea was to photograph a DMMU, deep in Sunshine Railway territory, and a Hastings DEMU together. I presume the 6L was going to Charing Cross (from Hastings?). I must admit I didn't make any notes about it, and I have few photographs of them.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Indeed! The idea was to photograph a DMMU, deep in Sunshine Railway territory, and a Hastings DEMU together. I presume the 6L was going to Charing Cross (from Hastings?). I must admit I didn't make any notes about it, and I have few photographs of them.

The 6L would probably be going to Charing Cross but I can't quite make out the headcode from the photo. Some rush hour services to/from Cannon St.

[eastwestdivide]

The 6L would probably be going to Charing Cross but I can't quite make out the headcode from the photo. Some rush hour services to/from Cannon St.

 

Click to enlarge and it's clearly '22' = Charing Cross. '33' was Cannon St for the Hastings trains.

Edited October 17, 2016 by eastwestdivide

[Scottish-Exile]

107 444 in Strathclyde Orange with 116 396 in Trans Clyde Blue/grey. Ayr Townhead stabling point 06th April 85.

 

[br2975]

Mid-80s at Cardiff as yet another Derby Suburban set farts its way out of Platform 6.

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The lad on the right would be in his late 30s now - I wonder if he's an RMwebber ?

.

Brian R

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NB

Astute readers will note that the trailing power car, is a Met-Camm vehicle.

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More of which anon !!

 

C305, which featured in a previous post, leaving Cardiff Central is seen again with Met-Camm W51799 of Canton set C806 bringing up the rear.

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Brian R

[br2975]

Llandaff (for Whitchurch) during the mid-80s, with Canton set C301 arriving on a Barry Island service.

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Brian R

[Rivercider]

Some more DMU action at Taffs Well 

 

 

Class 116 sets meet at Taffs Well, C302 ( 50086, 59036, 50128) heads up the valley passing C334 (51139, 59033, 51152) on a service for Cardiff, 11/8/82

 

In case anyone is getting bored by class 116 sets here is a cross-country set taking a trip up the valley

Class 120 set C560 (51581, 59587, 51585) on the 09.16 departure from Cardiff Central calls at Taffs Well, 28/11/80

 

cheers

[br2975]

Poor quality scan of Taffs Well in the late 70s.

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Brian R

[chrisf]

While I find it difficult to imagine anyone getting bored by Class 116 sets, the sight of a 120 on Valleys work is unusual.  Well, it is to me.

 

Chris

[br2975]

Canton's ever changing hybrid set, C307.

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Seen here at Heath (Low Level) first stop on the Coryton siding branch.

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Brian R

[Rivercider]

While I find it difficult to imagine anyone getting bored by Class 116 sets, the sight of a 120 on Valleys work is unusual.  Well, it is to me.

 

Chris

Thanks Chris.

 

In my trips up the valleys, late 1970s/early 1980s I mostly remember class 116 sets, the class 120 sets were unusual,

and I did also see a couple of Cantons class 101 Met-Cam sets in the valleys,

 

cheers 

[br2975]

Manchester Piccadilly, and my carriage awaits........................Reddish North my destination.

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Brian R

[leopardml2341]

Reading 1974 or 1975.

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(i) DPU followed by (ii) 'wired' GUV (ex-Railair Express Parcels unit), (iii) Class 116 DMS modified for parcels use and (iv) a SR PMV or CCT ?

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Brian R

I think that qualifies for the protoype for everything thread Brian.

[br2975]

I think that qualifies for the protoype for everything thread Brian.

Quite common until about the mid-70s.

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The GUV was one of two, wired for use between two Derby Class 116 power cars which had their seats removed and the ensemble branded "Railair Express Parcels". It was allocated to  work a night time return working from Bristol to Hayes and back, with parcels traffic to and from Heathrow airport.

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I believe the unit was converted at Newton Abbott.

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When the unit was disbanded, the GUV's (at least one) moved to the London Division where they were used with the WR DPUs and  other Derby Cl.116 parcels conversions.

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They would shuttle about twixt Padd, Didcot and places in between several times a day.

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Brian R

[leopardml2341]

I knew about the 'wired' GUV's, but have never seen them other than in 'correct' formation and certainly not with a tail load as well. If one modelled it as per picture, I'm sure it would create disbelief.

[br2975]

A-ha !

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I spy a stranger in the camp.

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18th March, 1989 - it's the Five Nations and the 'saes' are in town.

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So, in order to cope with the influx of egg chasers; the depths of the Tyseley stabling sidings have been plumbed.

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Brian R

[br2975]

In those days, only the liveries changed - most other things were timeless.

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Radyr in the eighties.

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Brian R

[br2975]

A WR London Division Pressed Steel takes a weekend break.

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After a week of transporting the 'cracach' (Welsh term) up the Thames Valley to the big smoke, there was no Saturday respite for this pair of units.

 

A blast down the South Wales mian line followed by a day shifting Christmas shoppers from Aberdare and Mount to sample the delights on offer in Cardiff.

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Here one of the two daily (Saturday) return trains run over several weekends calls at Mountain Ash (Oxford Street) en-route to Cardiff.

N.B.

The platform here was deemed too narrow, and the passengers were 'locked out' behind a gate until the train came to a stand, and they were then allowed on to the platform to board.

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The success of these workings inspired the reinstatement of the Cynon Valley passenger service a couple of years later.

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Brian R

Edited October 18, 2016 by br2975

[Swindon 123]

A-ha !

.

I spy a stranger in the camp.

.

18th March, 1989 - it's the Five Nations and the 'saes' are in town.

.

So, in order to cope with the influx of egg chasers; the depths of the Tyseley stabling sidings have been plumbed.

.

Brian R

I remember having to work a 6 car rake (2x3car) from Hereford down to Cardiff from the midland region. Can't remember if it came down from Birmingham or from further up north. Most probably for just such an occasion.

 

Paul J.

[Market65]

Here's a class 101 DMU under the overall roof of Beverley station in late June, 1976. It is on a 'Turn around' from Hull. That means the next working for the unit is back to Hull.

 

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

[Rivercider]

A few more photos from the 1980s of DMUs working the Bristol - Weymouth route.

The service level back then was similar to what it is now with about eight trains a weekday to/from Weymouth,

some started from Bristol, others from Westbury, there was also the odd service that ran only as far as Yeovil Pen Mill.

 

Bristol to Weymouth is 87 miles and most trains through took over two and a half hours

Two return trips each weekday were worked by a class 31 (later 33) with four Mk1 coaches and a GUV 

the other workings were covered by a selection of DMUs, normally Bristol allocated sets.

 

Cardiff allocated class 119 set C593 (51072, 59431, 51085) at Bristol Temple Meads waits to work the 14.14 service to Weymouth, 23/4/80

 

Departing Temple Meads for Weymouth at 14.14 is Bristol class 101 Met-Cam set B823 ((51505, 59082, 51511), 11/12/81

 

Approaching Westbury is class 118 set B473 (51316, 59483, 51331) this is working the 09.05 Cardiff to Weymouth service,

a 125 mile journey that would be quite an endurance test in a 21 year old suburban set. 3/1/81

 

Bristol class 119 cross country set B586 (51077, 59420, 51105) waits at Westbury to form the 14.57 Westbury - Weymouth service, 20/8/83

 

To finish our journey at Weymouth is an instamatic photo.

Class 101 set B822 (51495, 59096 51510) was a recent allocation to Bristol when seen at Weymouth in company with another unidentified set, 24/8/79,

 

cheers 

A

 

 

[Rivercider]

Another couple of views of DMUs in the Cardiff Valleys in the 1980s, one may have appeared earlier in another thread.

 

Class 116 set C318 (50917, 59369, 50864) at Pontypridd ready to depart towards Cardiff, 22/5/80.

 

Unloading mail at Abercynon

Another class 116 set C313 (50847, 59040, 50900) pauses at Abercynon while post office staff unload mail, 24/5/83.

 

 

One of Cardiffs class 101 sets C811 passes Merthyr Vale colliery while working the 10.00 Merthyr to Cardiff Central, 14/4/83

 

cheers 

 

  

 

[Coryton]

scan0088.jpg

Approaching Westbury is class 118 set B473 (51316, 59483, 51331) this is working the 09.05 Cardiff to Weymouth service,

a 125 mile journey that would be quite an endurance test in a 21 year old suburban set. 3/1/81

 

 

On the other hand the view through the cab would be quite nice.

[Rivercider]

Bristol based DMUs worked over a wide area, from Weymouth in the south, Taunton in the west and to Cardiff in South Wales.

They also worked services between Swindon and Gloucester/Cheltenham/Worcester, and some services between Hereford/Worcester and Birmingham New St.

 

Bristol class 101 Met-Cam set B804 (51452, 59551, 51523) waits at Worcester Shrub Hill to work the 09.15 service to Cheltenham Spa,  12/2/82

 

London Division sets also worked into Worcester via Oxford.

Reading based class 117 set L419 (51356, 59508, 51398) arrives at Worcester Shrub Hill from the Hereford direction, 12/2/82

 

 

Set B804 again is now seen at Hereford, 12/2/82

 

cheers