Class 116 diesel multiple units

[EddieK]

Looking at the railcar website, I suspect that you are correct, as I cannot see and 116s with the bodyside air vent louvre as fitted to Class 117 on refurbishment.

[dj_crisp]

8 hours ago, EddieK said:

Looking at the railcar website, I suspect that you are correct, as I cannot see and 116s with the bodyside air vent louvre as fitted to Class 117 on refurbishment.

 

I was trying to avoid a full respray and had lined up a NSE/Blue Grey shells for trying to convert. Wouldn't be a problem if I was doing a full respray as I could either remove or use Bachmanns original release in BR green. Still what's a project without a challenge!

 

[Robert Shrives]

Hi,

Just wondering if any kind soul can confirm whether the 130 parcel 116 cars used on the rail air parcels were at the time fitted with corridor connections - all the pics I can find  are wrong end / angle to show details.

Just faffing with N gauge Dapol railcars into DMS and MS  having a GUV to fit in between. 

 

TIA

Robert    

[Halvarras]

18 minutes ago, Robert Shrives said:

Hi,

Just wondering if any kind soul can confirm whether the 130 parcel 116 cars used on the rail air parcels were at the time fitted with corridor connections - all the pics I can find  are wrong end / angle to show details.

Just faffing with N gauge Dapol railcars into DMS and MS  having a GUV to fit in between. 

 

TIA

Robert    

 

I assume you are referring to the RailAir Express Parcels W51137/50, as converted at Newton Abbot in 1969 - according to the 1969 Ian Allan Combined Volume they were not gangwayed, and this hadn't changed a year later (interestingly the 1969 book shows them as being the only Class 116 vehicles in Scotland in January that year, so the ScR must have relinquished them for this conversion). Most Class 116s had not been gangwayed at that time, and any that had been would have been required for passenger service. In any case newly-fitted gangway connections would have been redundant in the RailAir Express Parcels set as the two GUVs (W86174/572) were not gangwayed either.

After this set had been disbanded these two GUVs moved to the London Division and during the early to mid 1970s were used to strengthen Paddington-Reading DMU parcels sets involving Class 128 DPUs W55991/2 and Class 130 (ex-Class 116) DMBS W50819/62 and DMS W50872/915 - none of these four had been gangwayed before their seating was stripped out for parcels use - they acquired the connections and had their seating restored when returned to passenger use in the late 1970s.

I have assembled a 3-car set in OO formed from a Heljan Class 128, a rebogied Lima GUV and a Lima DMU vehicle modified to represent W50862, which had oval buffers (the other three had round ones). I just need to get the airbrush out - hopefully this summer.......🙂

 

[Robert Shrives]

Many thanks for the quick response and info there in  Likely to do its later version as  no N parcels rail air transfers but parcels service on a sheet I have. 

Robert 

[br2975]

May I suggest that this thread remains indefinitely, as a memorial to its' author, my friend, the late Chris Foren.

[Halvarras]

I have to agree - I found this thread quite late on and ploughed through it - it answered a few of my questions! Chris's knowledge of this relatively humble but wide-ranging DMU class was phenomenal. I plan to post a pic or two of my parcels conversion when(ever) I get it sprayed up, and I may one day convert the Lima 117 stored in the loft into W50865/50921 as running in Cornwall in unlined green livery in 1967 (the centre trailer W59372 looks like too much work but never say never.......😉!)

And who knows, maybe we'll get to discuss an RTR Class 116 model on here...........one day............🤔

[EddieK]

On 27/02/2023 at 18:06, br2975 said:

May I suggest that this thread remains indefinitely, as a memorial to its' author, my friend, the late Chris Foren.

Sorry to hear of Chris' passing. I concur with the above sentiment.

[The Johnster]

Seconded.  It's basically a free reference book on the subject, and TTBOMK the only one for any class of first generation dmus at that!  It should be retained not just to honour Chris Foren's memory but as a matter of canon record.

 

 

On 27/02/2023 at 18:53, Halvarras said:

I may one day convert the Lima 117 stored in the loft into W50865/50921 as running in Cornwall in unlined green livery in 1967 (the centre trailer W59372 looks like too much work but never say never.......😉!)

 

I still have a 116 I converted from Lima 117 cars more than 40 years ago, and it still runs!  It looks a bit crude and dated by modern standards, but is not the worst bit of modelling I ever did...

 

If you're interested:-

 

You will need, for my version, a 3-car Lima 117 set and two extra trailer TCLs.

 

The DMBS is the easiest, as there is no cut'n'shutting needed.  I cut the headcode panel off and replaced it with a destination blind panel made of two pieces of brass L section of appropriate size made into a box section; don't ask me where I got them, it was a long time ago.  The fill-in shape is then made up freestyle from Milliput to match the remaining profile of the domed roof end.  It needs to be smoothly finished as it will be painted white on a green liveried set (and early blue) and white is unforgiving in this regard.  As I wanted to create the version with the four marker lights and no 2-character headcode panels, I drilled out the 117 marker lights with extra holes for the one above the destination blind panel and the centre bottom lamp and fed appropriately sized brass tube through from inside.  File a half-circle relief out of the ends of the bottom left and right tubes at the top to represent the markers' red shade holding slots.  Remove the destination blind from inside the cab centre window.

 

The TS (there is also a TC variant) needs to be made up of sections from two of of the three  trailers, using a trailer underframe.  You need to follow the window pattern to determine the position of the compartment dividers that separate the central non-smoking area from the rest of the coach, and the TC if you are making that variant will need at least one more trailer.  There was a 2-bay smoking and a single bay non-smoking first class compartment, with small windows at the dividers.  I'll come back to the compartment dividers later.  None of the 117's first class door spacing is used, as the first class seating bays on 116s were the same size as the second, but with better seats.  IIRC the 117's rooftop toilet supply pipes run above the first class area of the TCL, so you don't have to carve them off.

 

The DMS is another cut'n'shut, and you need to remove the bodyshell from the underframe.  Again, follow the window pattern to position the compartment dividers, but basically the guard's van is removed and thrown away to be replaced with the second class portion of one of the TCLs.  The cab is a repeat of the DMBS.

 

My set represents a late 50s/early 60s light green unlined set with 'speed whiskers'.  These did not have gangway connectors so these are removed and the holes filled with Milliput; the set was to be repainted anyway.  The exaust pipes on the motor cars need to be replaced with plain pipe as the sets did not have silencers in those days.  From around 1964 IIRC sets in South Wales began to recieve gangway connections in tandem with unstaffing of stations on the Valleys network, and I am not certain when this happened in the Bristol, London, and Birmingham Divisions, but it was certainly well under way by 1966 when the sets began to appear in corporate blue livery.  This applied to the 117s as well and the lined green syp Lima gangwayed set is correct in that respect, shame it doesn't have a proper DMS...  Off the WR, they retained the plain ends without gangway connections much longer.   I cannot recall any sets in the lighter green livery, lined or unlined, whiskers or syp, with gangway connections.

 

Prior to the provision of corridor connections and selling tickets on the trains, the compartment dividers were solid across the carriages with seating benches all the way across on both sides (as were the ends), with three rectangular wooden framed windows allowing through visual connection.  Depending on the actual set, gangway provision led to the loss of up to nine seats (there was always a doorway into the cabs).  Second class seating, 3x2, was the grey with red squares moquette and red faux leather headrests, and the panelling was a sort of light green with darker green squiggly lines in it; first class was dark blue 2x2 armchair seating and faux teak panelling.  I used Games Workshop decaying flesh matt acrylic for my all-second class set, the closest match I could find to my memory of this panelling...  No smoking triangles and first class sausages were displayed in the central compartment divider windows, so you need to glaze these.

 

A very worthwhile improvement is proper sized buffers to replace the silly little Lima mushrooms, and I filled in the ends of the brass tube marker lights with superglue to represent the opaque glass covering the marker lights.  Cab and brake van interiors were cream on green liveried sets, and the drivers' desks were dark grey.  Drivers' seats were red faux leather, as was the tip-up secondman's seat and guard's van seat, but this is not visible on the Lima as this compartment is full of motor!  Dmus used oil tail lamps well into the 80s, don't make the rookie mistake of having two red marker lamps on your sets if you model earlier periods and certainly not in a green livery.  I also fitted the double vacuum hoses and wire representations of the control cables, and picked out the appropriate underframe detail in silver.  I'd show you a photo only the set is in a box buried at the bottom of a pile in my understairs cubbyhole (not a euphemism, you bad people)...

 

I am not modelling in this period nowadays, but would also like to see a decent RTR 116 to current standards, if only because so many of my childhood and railway career  memories are connected with them, and I identify with the unglamorous and mundane...  It is, I contend, a better choice than a 117, which only ever worked on one region and mostly in only one area of that for the first decade or so.  116s worked on all regions.  It is possible that the RTR manufacturers are reluctant to embrace a class with two different trailer designs and (I think!) four cab front variations to accommodate.

 

 

[Halvarras]

Many thanks for all this info @The Johnster, I have previously tackled a Class 118 conversion, and a Class 121 DTS, so I know deletion of the redundant guard's compartment requires two new sections of bodyside per side from a donor (the DTS on a centre trailer underframe required all of the floorboards except the driving cab replacing so that they lined up with the doors - bit of a pita! At one point years ago I did gather powered and unpowered DMBS's and two trailers to create a 116, but chickened out and flogged them all. Then later on found a cheap mint power car at a show which.....sort of......followed me home, and I eventually ended up with another blue 3-car set, as yet untouched! I also have some spare body sections to sort the second guard's compartment (again)....... however a 116 centre car would probably require another purchase....... well, it's not at the top of my To Do List so let's see how things transpire 🥴!

[The Johnster]

A problem I failed to overcome was the incorrect larger side windows immediately behind the cab at an odd spacing that was a feature of the Lima 117s. I can’t off-hand remember if this is correct for a 117, bit it is certainly not correct for a 116 (and they tell you all dmus look the same!).  This would look worst in the blue/grey or refurbished liveries, and if it’s going to bother you unduly I’d go for the dark green lined or plain blue liveries where it won’t draw quite so much attention to itself.  It can be cut’n’shut out, but I thought it was a lot of faff and considered that the amount of cut’n’shutting was best kept to a minimum, so I decided to live with it.  The other cuts could be hidden by positioning them on door joins and roof ribs, but this would hve had to have been done on a plain section of bodyside and through window reveals, so I bottled it.  I’m not sure I would do the same now!

 

It is an annoying blemish on a model that (so far as it went and as I’ve said the complete lack of a DMS was a much bigger nuisance), was not bad for it’s time and price, and at least had scale length underframes and bodyshells  so that it could be worked up a bit.  I bought Southeastern flush windows for mine to overcome the other big problem, the overthick bodysides and recessed glazing that reduced the interior width by a scale foot and meant that you couldn’t model the seats to scale without compromising the central aisle. 

[rodent279]

6 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Dmus used oil tail lamps well into the 80s

Why was this?

[MJI]

I laserglazed mine.

 

Resin DMS bits.

 

Trailer made out of i think 6 sections.

[The Johnster]

 

They were provided with pairs of red shades  stowed in each cab that could be placed over the marker lights, specifically the ones over the buffers, but the marker lights were not wired to be illuminated separately, so all had to be on together.  As all passenger trains in those pre-HST days carried a single tail lamp, not two, and a white lamp could not be shown to the rear, oil lamps were used.  
 

There were plenty of other ways of doing this, and one might argue that the matter was not well thought out, but it was considered that the tail lamp was the guard’s responsibility, and he was not allowed into the cabs to switch the markers on or off or to get the shades.  Therefore a normal oil lamp on a bracket was used.  
 

Exceptions were emus and demus on the Southern Region, and the Blue Pullman units, which had separately wired red central markers. 

Edited March 2, 2023 by The Johnster

[The Stationmaster]

3 hours ago, rodent279 said:

Why was this?

Now the correct answer!   Yes some DMUs were delivered with red shades that could be inserted into the white marker light spaces which were constructed with a sort of channel to hold the red shade securely.

 

But whie teh Sioouthern region used red blonds on its DEMUs - in line with its later electric units the big problem with using electric lights ona GDMU was battery life - in short the market r lights could not be relied on to remain illuminated if the engines weren't running.  Hence the built in lights could be come useless in an emergency and that is  really the time when a reliable rear light is most essential on a unit train.  So the requirement to use an oil tail lamp remained - just as had been the case with the GWR diesel cars pre-war where the use of electric tail lights on them was sound found to be in adequate and they were required to carry an oil tail lamp.  So far as DMUs are concerned things only began to change with the second generation units on BR but battery electric tail lights gradually came into use on other trains during the 1970s

 

I presume the situation with the DEMUs was that as they had a much larger engine  they had far more battery capacity than the diesel mechanical units so were considered safe with a red blind.  However I've an idea that the Hastings units originally used oil tail lamps -I'm open to correction/further information about that.

 

The  Blue Pullman sets used a red shade in one of their marker lights however they also had onboard an oil tail lamp for use in emergencies.  All modern trains and locos ultimately have a 'reliable battery life' of some sort for their tail light if they are not drawing or generating power but this nowadays far exceeds the duration of any emergency situation in which the light is required to be illuminated.

[Halvarras]

9 hours ago, The Johnster said:

A problem I failed to overcome was the incorrect larger side windows immediately behind the cab at an odd spacing that was a feature of the Lima 117s. I can’t off-hand remember if this is correct for a 117, bit it is certainly not correct for a 116 (and they tell you all dmus look the same!).  This would look worst in the blue/grey or refurbished liveries, and if it’s going to bother you unduly I’d go for the dark green lined or plain blue liveries where it won’t draw quite so much attention to itself.  It can be cut’n’shut out, but I thought it was a lot of faff and considered that the amount of cut’n’shutting was best kept to a minimum, so I decided to live with it.  The other cuts could be hidden by positioning them on door joins and roof ribs, but this would hve had to have been done on a plain section of bodyside and through window reveals, so I bottled it.  I’m not sure I would do the same now!

 

It is an annoying blemish on a model that (so far as it went and as I’ve said the complete lack of a DMS was a much bigger nuisance), was not bad for it’s time and price, and at least had scale length underframes and bodyshells  so that it could be worked up a bit.  I bought Southeastern flush windows for mine to overcome the other big problem, the overthick bodysides and recessed glazing that reduced the interior width by a scale foot and meant that you couldn’t model the seats to scale without compromising the central aisle. 

 

I wasn't aware of that window issue but I'd live with it too - even though I now know about it! I always make a judgment call on whether correcting things like this is worth the extra work, and weigh up the chances of getting it so perfect the correction isn't noticeable (a good example would be converting a Bachmann Class 42 to headcode discs, something I've contemplated but never attempted - I reckon I could cope with the multitude of differences except changing the vertical struts in the side grilles from double to single - attempting it would no doubt gather some kudos from some quarters for recognising the detail but I couldn't live with the inevitably messed-up grilles - all eight of them!)

On the two DMBS conversions I've done I elected to retain the whole roof and inner end and replace the guard's compartment sections with window parts from a donor, two per side. Because I planned to retain the Lima glazing, initially at least (the bodies were prepared for SEF flushglazing but 25 years later I still haven't got a round tuit!) these sections were 'butt-welded' in place as any internal bracing would have interfered with the Lima glazing, and it was all rigid enough when re-assembled. So, having sprayed the 3-car set BR blue I forgot the need to support the DMS shell by inserting the chassis when applying Replica run-down numbers, as I'd done with the DTS in 1991, and promptly caved in these sections! Luckily I was able to re-glue these without any external evidence of my oversight!

[EddieK]

8 hours ago, The Johnster said:

 

They were provided with pairs of red shades  stowed in each cab that could be placed over the marker lights, specifically the ones over the buffers, but the marker lights were not wired to be illuminated separately, so all had to be on together.  As all passenger trains in those pre-HST days carried a single tail lamp, not two, and a white lamp could not be shown to the rear, oil lamps were used.  
 

There were plenty of other ways of doing this, and one might argue that the matter was not well thought out, but it was considered that the tail lamp was the guard’s responsibility, and he was not allowed into the cabs to switch the markers on or off or to get the shades.  Therefore a normal oil lamp on a bracket was used.  
 

In my experience of cabbing DMUs, the marker lamps were individually switched. I cannot recall the lamp codes for different headcodes but presumably the early 116s with the 4 lamp cabs (for instance) were expected to show Class 1, Class 2 and Class 5 trains? When the later builds came out with only a marker lamp above each buffer and a 2 or 4 digit headcode, it looks like the practice was revised and both marker lamps were used and this practice spread to units with 4 lamp cab fronts.

 

Apologies for a slight tangent, but the 51573 batch of Class 120 units had a 4 digit headcode and only one marker lamp, when built....

 

I suspect that the retention of oil tail lamps was a union requirement, as has been said already. With the Guard being responsible for displaying the tail lamp, he/she was not allowed into the cab and so the oil lamps remained. Our local branch line to St Albans had units appear with red bulbs in the marker lamps in (from memory) 1979/80 ish. Initially, this was part of a series of local experiments and eventually the use of red bulbs in marker lamps on first gen DMUs became adopted nationally - seemingly no problems with battery life.

[Clive Mortimore]

I remember the porter at Bedford of Italian origin using some of the newly learnt English words when the tail lamp was a poor fit. They were not RM web friendly ones. 

 

Class 116 were used on the Bedford to Moorgate trains, so I have kept on topic.

[bécasse]

8 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

 

 

However I've an idea that the Hastings units originally used oil tail lamps -I'm open to correction/further information about that.

 

The use of red tail blinds on the Southern was actually first trialled on the Hastings diesel units, including the use of red blinds with white diagonal stripes on some units, before the inspectorate agreed to it being rolled out across the EPB electric fleet. This might well have been a "let's prove that the worst case works first" situation.

[Halvarras]

1 hour ago, bécasse said:

The use of red tail blinds on the Southern was actually first trialled on the Hastings diesel units, including the use of red blinds with white diagonal stripes on some units, before the inspectorate agreed to it being rolled out across the EPB electric fleet. This might well have been a "let's prove that the worst case works first" situation.

 

At the risk of wandering off-topic, I seem to recall a trial on a Class 37 - I even have a number, Cardiff Canton's blue D6992, because I'm either inexplicably nerdy about this kind of thing........or have (had) vivid dreams 🤪!  - where one position of the headcode display - second (alphabetic) I think - had a red blind inserted for use instead of a tail lamp - this would have been around the time of the black-on-white headcode blind experiment trialled on Class 47s D1930/65/75*, so around 1969/70. IIRC it was reported in a railway magazine of the time but I've never seen any other reference to it, let alone a photo. Maybe the trial was canned before it took to the rails.......or I really did dream it.......it was so long ago I can't be sure now!

 

*Note that these 47s were WR, LMR and ScR allocated respectively, presumably to spread the visibility trial around the regions - I'm not aware of an ER loco so fitted but I did see D1975 with white headcode at Kings Cross in July 1970 and it must have traversed the length of the ER to get there......

[The Johnster]

14 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Now the correct answer!   Yes some DMUs were delivered with red shades that could be inserted into the white marker light spaces which were constructed with a sort of channel to hold the red shade securely.

 

But whie teh Sioouthern region used red blonds on its DEMUs - in line with its later electric units the big problem with using electric lights ona GDMU was battery life - in short the market r lights could not be relied on to remain illuminated if the engines weren't running.  Hence the built in lights could be come useless in an emergency and that is  really the time when a reliable rear light is most essential on a unit train.  So the requirement to use an oil tail lamp remained - just as had been the case with the GWR diesel cars pre-war where the use of electric tail lights on them was sound found to be in adequate and they were required to carry an oil tail lamp.  So far as DMUs are concerned things only began to change with the second generation units on BR but battery electric tail lights gradually came into use on other trains during the 1970s

 

I presume the situation with the DEMUs was that as they had a much larger engine  they had far more battery capacity than the diesel mechanical units so were considered safe with a red blind.  However I've an idea that the Hastings units originally used oil tail lamps -I'm open to correction/further information about that.

 

The  Blue Pullman sets used a red shade in one of their marker lights however they also had onboard an oil tail lamp for use in emergencies.  All modern trains and locos ultimately have a 'reliable battery life' of some sort for their tail light if they are not drawing or generating power but this nowadays far exceeds the duration of any emergency situation in which the light is required to be illuminated.

 

Again, as always, thank you Mike for the full explanation.  But the first generation dmus (those that remained, anyway, which included 116s) did use twin electric tail lights eventually, IIRC with red bulbs rather than the removable shades.  Was there then an improvement in battery performance or charging when this occurred (I am not sure of the exact time this happened but it seemed to be around the turn of the 1980s).

 

I can confirm that the Hastings sets had oil lamp brackets, because I worked one from Swindon to Barry Island on a Mystex in 1974, and had a blazing row with the signalman at Barry who would not allow the train to proceed over the causeway with it's red blinds, and I had to mollify him by placing my Bardic on the rear bracket, which he would have realised was unneccessary if he'd ever bothered to read his General Appendix...*

 

Some colour photos of the Blue Pullman sets in their early days seem to show that the red electric tail lamp, in the centre position on the nose between the white markers, was obscured on the leading end of the train with matching blue discs; later photos show that these were not present and the lamp was clearly red, though not lit.  They probably got mislaid.  Again, presumably, the higher power output of the engines must have allowed bigger, better charged, batteries and longer burn times for the tail lamps.  TTBOMK there were no conventional lamp brackets on these trains.

 

 

*Not the only run-in I had with this particular character, who was IMHO basically incompetent, past it, and should have been quietly removed/offered early retirement.

[keefer]

20 hours ago, Halvarras said:

 

At the risk of wandering off-topic, I seem to recall a trial on a Class 37 - I even have a number, Cardiff Canton's blue D6992, because I'm either inexplicably nerdy about this kind of thing........or have (had) vivid dreams 🤪!  - where one position of the headcode display - second (alphabetic) I think - had a red blind inserted for use instead of a tail lamp - this would have been around the time of the black-on-white headcode blind experiment trialled on Class 47s D1930/65/75*, so around 1969/70. IIRC it was reported in a railway magazine of the time but I've never seen any other reference to it, let alone a photo. Maybe the trial was canned before it took to the rails.......or I really did dream it.......it was so long ago I can't be sure now!

 

*Note that these 47s were WR, LMR and ScR allocated respectively, presumably to spread the visibility trial around the regions - I'm not aware of an ER loco so fitted but I did see D1975 with white headcode at Kings Cross in July 1970 and it must have traversed the length of the ER to get there......

Have seen a couple of photos on RMWeb of locos with a red headcode blind - one was the former cl.24/1 ETH Train Heating Unit and the other was a cl.50 while still on the LMR.

IIRC the red visible was on the 3rd or 4th character, I've no idea if there was a red blank for other/all positions.

(I can find the posts but it might take me a while)

[The Johnster]

IIRC, there were red and white blank on the canvas rolls, as well as a black blank and dots and dashes.  These were all made by a firm in a smallish shed in Caernarfon, North Wales, which was one of a very few companies in this field and exported to airports railway, tram, and bus operators all over the world, all bespoke and in any language or script required.  Flippity-Flappity displays and then LCD/LED

put them out of business about thirty years ago.

Edited March 3, 2023 by The Johnster

[EddieK]

With the sad news of the passing of Chris F, along with the general appreciation of this thread as a historical record of Class 116 DMUs, I am putting myself forward to continue Chris’ work and document the last few years of Class 116 in service on BR. I offer no guarantee that my work will be up to the standard of what has gone before. 

I suspect that much of Chris’ source information originated in Railway Observer, and I admit that I have not been a subscriber to said publication. Much of my information has been obtained from online sources such as the railcar website and Flickr. In addition, I can draw on my own experiences of touring the BR network observing DMUs.

So, here goes…..

 

1987

 

By the start of the year, the BR DMU fleet had already been augmented by new build second generation fleets including 150/1, 142 and 143 and these were about to be joined by 150/2 and 144. Later in the year, the Class 155 and 156 Super Sprinters were set to appear.

As a consequence, the ranks of first generation DMU vehicles were to be severely depleted during the year, including Class 116. Many of the Class 116 fleet had been built with “heritage insulation material” in their body shells, though a number had been stripped of this, and it comes as no surprise that such vehicles were high on the priority list for withdrawal. 

Class 116 vehicles were displaced both by the introduction of new units and by the cascading of other first generation DMU classes following the arrival of new units elsewhere. On the other hand, some Class 116s were sent to unfamiliar areas to cover for failings in the new DMU fleets.

 

WESTERN REGION

 

Cardiff Canton

At the beginning of 1986, the Canton 116 fleet comprised 68 vehicles, and not much had changed at the start of 1987, with 66 vehicles (22 triple sets) still being in use. At the end of January 1987, the Canton fleet included three Class 118 triple sets, displaced from the West Country by the new(ish) Class 142s, along with three triple sets formed with Class 108 motor coaches and Class 101 centre trailers; these were notable as 108s were not a type previously associated with Western Region depots. At this time, it was very much “more of the same” for the serviceable Class 116 units.

A look at the fleet list at the end of June 1987 found a similar situation, with the Class 116 fleet still having 19 triple sets in use. (As an aside, the Class 108 triple sets at Canton now comprised 5 units, with a mix of Class 101, 108 and 110 centre trailers).

 

C300 53080  59030  53122

C302 53086  59036  53128

C303  53087  59037  53129

C305 53089  59039  53131

C306 53091  59041  53133

C307 53083  59472  53820  Class 118 Trailer

C312 53843  59355  53896

C313  53847  59040  53900

C314 53848  59033  53901

C315 53855  59363  53908

C316 53856  59364  53909

C317  53858  59034  53911

C320  53869  59035  53922

C330  51128  59442  51141

C331  51132  59446  51145

C332  51134  59444  51147

C333  51135  59445  51148

C334  51139  59448  51152

C335  51140  59032  51153

 

53820 in set C307 was notable in gaining a white roof dome and red buffer beams in addition to the Valley Train red dragon and red chevron on the cab end.

The Class 116 fleet remained as above in August 1987, the Canton fleet list had gained a few more random displaced low density vehicles of Classes 101/108/110 but more notable were the first three new Sprinters of Class 150/2. For completeness, a Class 155 Super Sprinter was also based there, though intended for longer distance services.

It was to be the 150/2 units that would have the most profound effect on the Class 116 fleet, as these were intended to take over the Valley Line routes, home of most of the 116-worked services. It had been stated in May that units C330 -335 were to be retained for inner suburban services alongside the 150s.

In September, additional 150/2 stock migrated to Cardiff to release Class 116 power cars to form power twin sets at Chester and Newton Heath, to cover for ailing Pacers.

A look at the Canton allocation in November 1987 found 20 of the new Class 150/2s present, along with an increased fleet of Class 101/108/110 mixed low density triples.

 

The November 1987 Canton 116 fleet comprised: -

 

C315  53855  59561  53908  Class 101 trailer

C317  53858  59539  53911  Class 101 trailer

C330  51128  51141

C331  51132  51145 

C332  51134  51147

C333  51135  51148

C334  51139  51152

C335  51140  51153

 

The six power twin units were intended to be able to keep up with Sprinter timings on local services. Although the above suggests a significant withdrawal of Canton’s Class 116s, see below to read about the significant migrations to Manchester and Newcastle.

 

 

Old Oak Common

In the Autumn, this depot gained its first allocation of Class 116 vehicles, with the transfer of 53083 and 53820 from Cardiff Canton. This pair of Motor Brakes had previously run as C307 set with a Class 118 trailer car, 59472 which was withdrawn from Canton around the same time as the power cars. As noted above, 53820 was distinctive with a white cab roof dome and red buffer beams. 

The pair were used as a parcels unit for the remainder of 1987, with some of the Valley Train branding elements removed; the red dragons and chevrons were removed from the cab ends, with the NSE flash added beneath the centre windscreen, while on the bodysides the “Tren y Cwm” / “Valley Train” lettering and associated white dragons were removed and further NSE flashes were added where the dragons had previously been.

 

 

ScotRail

 

Ayr and Eastfield

At the beginning of the year, Scotland was still home to twenty Class 116 vehicles, with a three car unit at Eastfield and the remaining seventeen vehicles at Ayr. Within a few months, they were all destined to move to the Birmingham area. In a wider context, the ScotRail DMU fleet was regaining some sense of order following the temporary grounding of all bar a few Class 107 vehicles in 1986; the shiny new EMUs on the Glasgow to Ayr line reduced the need for diesel units, there were new second generation DMUs on the horizon, and the immediate need for first generation units was to be met with Classes 101 and 107 (along with small fleets of Class 120 and 104 to supplement them).

 

Eastfield: -

116 388   53823  59354  53876

 

Ayr: -

116 385  53090  59344  53132  (See also 116 392 below where 59344 and 53132 also appear)

116 387  53822  59345  53881

116 392  53839  59344  53132  (See also 116 385 above)

116 397  53845  59375  53898

116 394  53846  59330  53873

 

Odd vehicles: 53882 (Stored), 53892 (Stored), 59329, 59374.

 

 

Eastern Region

 

Heaton

The North East had enjoyed a brief dabble with Class 116s between 1966 and 1968 when a few units were based at South Gosforth. The class would reappear in the area in September 1987 when the former C313 (53847  59040  53900) and C316 (53856  59364  53909) made the move north, displaced by the new Sprinter units at Cardiff. This was around the time that the new Class 143 Pacer units were not being entirely reliable. 

The Class 116s did not have any toilet facilities, so to remedy this they were reformed with Class 119 Motor Second (Lavatory) vehicles, the two Class 119 unitss having transferred from Cardiff at the same time: -

 

“C590”  53847  59040  51087  (also seen running as a power twin, minus 59040).

             53856  59364  51102

 

A further set formed 51058 59418 (both Class 119) 53900 was seen at Carlisle  in the middle of the month.

 

 

London Midland Region

 

Chester

At the start of 1987, Chester had two Class 116 MBS vehicles that had moved there from Tyseley almost a year earlier. Both vehicles were in hybrid units:-

 

53051  51786 (Class 120 former Motor Brake First)

53072  51785 (Class 120 former Motor Brake First)

 

Both units were dedicated to the carriage of parcels and as such, all passenger seating had been removed. The two Class 120 vehicles, incidentally, had been modified in the 1960s to have enlarged luggage areas at the expense of the second class seating area. Externally, these vehicles carried Red Star Parcels branding amidships.

In July, 53075  53835 transferred here from Tyseley, but were subsequently withdrawn in December. At Tyseley, they had been running together as a power twin, and continued to do so for their brief stint at Chester.

In October/November 1987, a further six Class 116 motor coaches made the move to Chester: -

53081

53123

53824

53904

53906

53910

Of these, Motor Seconds 53904 and 53910 are notable in that they had been running at Tyseley as a three car unit with Class 101 Trailer Brake Van 59054, which transferred to Chester at the same time.

 

 

Newton Heath

At the start of the year, this depot had no Class 116 vehicles allocated, but by the end of the year there were around thirty vehicles, originating from Cardiff Canton and Tyseley, arriving in several small batches in the period June - November: -

(C303)  53087  59037  53129  (59037 withdrawn shortly after arrival)

(C306)  53091  59041  53133

(C312)  53843  59355  53896

(C314)  53848  59033  53901  (59033 withdrawn shortly after arrival)

(C320)  53869  59035  53922

             53059  53117

             53078  53109

             53819  53108

  53839  59433  53857  (Class 119 Trailer Buffet Car)(Two Brake vehicles)

  53842  53895

  53862  59528  53872  (Class 101 Trailer car)

  53867  59372  53920  (Plain Blue livery)

  53870  53923

  59374

 

This was a period of Class 142 unreliability, and the new arrivals were pressed into service more or less upon arrival. The ex Canton units ran with Canton set numbers, red dragons and red chevrons on the cab ends and “Valley Train” / “Tren y Cwm” branding on the sides. In due course the cab ends became unadorned plain yellow and the side branding were painted out, apart from the small sized BR arrows. 

The Class 116 units settled in alongside the indigenous fleet comprised mainly of Classes 104 and 108 on local services in the area.

 

Bletchley

There was a solitary Class 116 trailer allocated here, 59367. During 1987, the depot had a four car unit formed: -

53628 - 59206 - 59367 - 51570  Class 108 power cars, Class 104 and 116 trailers

 

This unit was often found on the Midland Main Line, with photographic records of it running between Bedford and Kettering.

 

Tyseley

Apologies for some personal memories relating to the Class 116s of the West Midlands; Tyseley was the first recipient of Class 116s, and they settled in to give many years of service, initially on the former GWR lines, then with a much enlarged fleet providing the core fleet on the Cross City Line from 1978. I first encountered the fleet in the early 1980s, at which time things were much as they had always been, with the set numbers in the TS500 series and the original centre trailers still in use, albeit with a few centre car interlopers of classes 115 and 127.

The fact that Birmingham University had its own railway station featuring a steady stream of Class 116s (amongst others) may have influenced my choice of further education provider in Autumn 1983… 

That Autumn, the Tyseley Class 116 fleet was seeing significant changes with Class 116 trailer cars being substituted with Class 127 trailers displaced by St Pancras line electrification. (As a resident of St Albans, these trailer cars were old friends). There was also some set renumbering in progress with TS600 sets being gangway sets with Class 101 trailers (many displaced from the Eastern Region) and TS620 sets being entirely Class 116, but with gangways fitted; (previously these gangwayed 116s had been lost in the TS500 set number series, indistinguishable from the non-gangwayed sets).

By the time I was about to take my final exams in May 1986, not much had changed, with thirty three non-gangwayed Class 116 sets in the TS500 series, with a mixture of centre cars, Class 115 TS and TCL (downgraded), and Class 127 TS and TSL, though one set had an ex Eastern Class 116 trailer. The gangwayed TS600 sets mostly had gangway-fitted Class 127 TSLs but with a few Class 101 trailers in the mix as well. In addition, there were four Class 116 triples that had migrated from the Eastern Region, including the plain blue set 53867  59372  53920.

In summary, although the period 1983 - 1986 had seen much rearrangement of centre trailers, the Tyseley class 116 fleet was still in essence a fleet of three car units with Motor Brake Second at one end and Motor Second at the other, with many of the power car pairs unchanged for many years. 1987 would see that situation well and truly in disarray.

So what caused this upheaval? Part of the reason was the displacement of Allerton’s Class 115 fleet from the Liverpool - Manchester service; originally they had run as four car units, but in September 1981 the non-toilet TS (Trailer Second) vehicles were transferred to Tyseley to allow six of the Class 116 trailers to be withdrawn. In late 1986 / early 1987, the Motor Brake Seconds and downgraded Trailer Composite (Lavatory) vehicles were displaced by second generation units. 

Another reason was the displacement of Class 115 vehicles from the Marylebone line. Up until1986/7 the Marylebone line Class 115 fleet had run in the original formation (though with frequent vehicle changes) namely Motor Brake Second - Trailer Second - Trailer Composite (Lavatory) - Motor Brake Second. Around this time, some Class 115 “short” units were created, by fitting gangways to a number of Motor Brakes and coupling these to Class 108 Driving Trailer Composite (Lavatory) vehicles surplus in the North West. As a consequence, a number of Marylebone’s Motor Brakes and trailer cars were surplus to requirements.

Tyseley Depot had a part to play in the creation of the Class 115 “short” sets by fitting gangways to the Class 115 Motor Brakes. Also, the displaced Class 108 trailers required the reinstatement of First Class accommodation; with British Rail HQ having been at Marylebone, a number of Senior Managers resided along that route, and they needed their comfortable seats! The North West area DMUs had lost First Class accommodation in Spring 1981, and it was Tyseley’s job to put it back.

What was the effect of all of this on Tyseley’s Class 116 fleet? The ultimate aim was to create a fleet of 22 four car units based at Tyseley, formed:-

 

Class 115 Motor Brake Second - Class 127 Trailer Second (Lavatory) - Suburban Trailer Second - Class 116 Motor Second

 

The “Suburban Trailer Second” could be either Class 116, 115 or 127. The mixing of Class 115 and 116 motor coaches in these units was, to some extent, not the best idea. The 115s had Leyland Albion engines boasting 230 horsepower each while the 116s had 150 horsepower Leylands. A “text book” Class 115 unit was a four car suburban unit with nominally 920 horsepower, while these hybrid sets had 760 horsepower. Although the Marylebone 115s had to negotiate the Chiltern Hills, the Tyseley four car sets did have to climb hills as well. Also, anecdotal evidence at the time mentioned the different characteristics of engine revs between the two classes; apparently it was as if they were trying to fight each other when it was time to change gear.

 

Alongside the fleet of four car units, there was still a requirement for other units at Tyseley, and it was this depot that was destined to gather together a varied fleet of first generation DMUs over the coming few years, from its own resident 116s along with other classes of unit displaced from elsewhere. As you will have worked out, assigning 22 Class 116 Motor Seconds to the four car units left 22 or so Motor Brake Seconds without their partners, which in turn led to some unusual formations by the middle of the year.

In amongst all of this, Tyseley gained some additional Class 116 units as a consequence of the clear-out of the type from ScotRail, the best of which went on to serve the depot for a while, while the worst went for scrap. Of the long term Tyseley Class 116 fleet, some surplus vehicles migrated to Chester and Newton Heath, no doubt to bolster the fleets up there as a consequence of Class 142 unreliability. Other long-term Tyseley 116s went for scrap, typically non-gangwayed vehicles which contained heritage insulation materials.

I hope that all of these many factors have not left you confused… 

From May 1987, all services on the Cross City line were intended to be operated by the "new" four car units.

On the subject of confusion, I paid an afternoon/evening visit to Birmingham New Street during the Summer of 1987, and I could hardly get my head around what I saw, what with all of the unfamiliar formations. I went for a ride towards Lichfield on a “temporary” four car set formation with a Marylebone allocated Class 115 Motor Brake at the front, two trailers and then a Class 116 motor coach at the rear. All was going well until a minor under frame fire on the Class 115; although soon extinguished, the engines on that vehicle were isolated as a precaution. Predictably, the Class 116 car on the rear was unable to push the other vehicles up the hill towards Sutton Coldfield, and the following Class 116 wouldn’t have had much more of a chance. Fortunately, I was able to hitch a lift on a DMU heading the other way and returned to New Street. As the evening progressed, New Street proceeded to fill up with more and more northbound Cross City Line DMUs unable to get any further.

I digress….

 

Predictably, the Tyseley formations were very fluid that year, so I will illustrate the situation of their Class 116 fleet with a snapshot dated 22nd June 1987. On account of the many hybrid formations, Class 116 vehicles are underlined.

 

 

4 Car Suburban Gangwayed / Toilet

T402 51851 59658 59614 51146

T406 51856 59606 59344 53132

T410 51862 59602 59713 53124

T415 51870 59589 59353 53921

T416 51876 59609 59598 53073

T422 51898 59608 59335 53897

 

4 Car Suburban Non Gangwayed / Toilet

T801 51884 59753 59714 53112

T802 51859 59748 59636 53914

T803 51860 59745 59725 53097

T804 51662 59627 59597 53100

T805 51865 59673 59716 53127

T806 51880 59744 59670 53110

T807 51897 59666 59668 53871

 

4 Car Suburban Non Gangwayed / No Toilet

T821 51867 59653 59621 53884

T822 51853 59330 59622 53923

T823 51892 59643 59625 53885

T824 51869 59634 59647 53915

 

3 Car Suburban Non Gangwayed / No Toilet

T503 53076 59631 53118

T505 53065 59638 53094

T510 53058 59674 53875

T511 53832 59649 53913

T512 53063 59717 53119

T513 53077 59650 53120

T517 53824 59640 53906

T518 53050 59642 53121

T520 53826 59329 53905

T522 53078 59735 53109

T526 53070 59626 53095

T528 53062 59715 53103

T533 53823 59354 53876

T534 53822 59345 53881

T535 53846 59719 53873

 

3 Car Suburban Gangwayed / Toilet

T602 53082  59610  53886

T603 51136  59590  51151

T607 53862  59600  53872

T608 51131  59596  51144

T611 53055  59611  53116

T612 53866  59593  53902

T613 53863  59594  53916

T615 53850  59591  53102

T616 53054  59607  53887

T620 53056  59612  53878

T621 53837  59604  53919

T623 53838  59603  53893

T624 51130  59615  51143

T625 53849  59616  53106

T627 53061  59613  53092

T629 53079  59592  53114

 

3 Car Suburban Gangwayed / No Toilet

T691 53853  59375  53894

 

3 Car Gangwayed / Toilet

T319 51129  59101  51149

T321 53854  59528  53907

T322 53071  59114  53880

T323 53818  59115  53093

T324 53865  59533  53101

T325 53060  59757  51142

T331 51133  59595  53090 2x Brake

T335 53844  59756  53827 2x Brake

T353 53081  59120  53123

 

3 Car Gangwayed / No Toilet

T354 53890  59054  53910 Class 101 Trailer Brake Van

T355 53867  59372  53920 Plain Blue livery!

T356 53839  59433  53857 2x Brake

T357 53842  59527  53895

 

2 Car Suburban

T251 53833  54281

T252 53052  54284

 

2 Car Suburban

T290 53075  53835 2x Brake

T291 53059  53828 2x Brake

T292 53067  53861 2x Brake

 

Spare Class 116

51138

53053

53074

53098

53108

53117

53819

53825

53845

53870

53883

53891

53898

53903

53904

59362

59364

59374

 

The condition of the Tyseley DMU fleet and its (lack of) reliability attracted criticism in the Summer.

Notable workings involving 116s in the West Midlands included a 12.20 Birmingham to Yarmouth service formed of 54284-53052-53833-54281 (two sets formed 116MBS + 121DTS, with no gangways and no toilets) on 6th September and sets T356 and T332 working a Charity Bicycle Special from Bridgnorth to New Street on 13th September.

October saw Class 116 trailers 59032,59441,59444,59445,59446,59448 hauled from Cardiff to Tyseley to "help keep the Tyseley fleet going" on 3rd of the month, while three weeks later hybrid quad set T402 worked a Bridgnorth to Weymouth excursion.

 

Class 116 Withdrawals

 

53057 TS 14/4/87

53062 TS 15/11/87

53064 TS 12/4/87

53067 CH 25/10/87 See Transfers

53068 TS 3/87

53069 TS 31/5/87

53074 NH 2/8/87     See Transfers

53075 CH 6/112/87 See Transfers

53076 TS 15/11/87

53088 CF 19/4/87

53094 TS 16/8/87

53097 TS 15/11/87

53098 TS 20/7/87

53099 TS 31/5/87

53103 TS 15/11/87

53104 TS 22/3/87

53105 TS 22/3/87

53110 TS 15/11/87

53111 TS 31/5/87

53118 TS 15/11/87

53127 TS 15/11/87

53130 CF 19/4/87

53821 TS 22/3/87

53823 TS 6/12/87 See Transfers.

53828 TS 16/8/87

53831 TS 12/4/87

53834 TS(U) 16/8/87 Already cut up by this date.

53835 CH 6/12/87

53840 TS 22/3/87

53846 TS 6/12/87 See Transfers

53852 TS 31/5/87

53860 TS 3/87

53861 TS 16/8/87

53864 CF 5/7/87

53868 CF 8/3/87

53875 CH 25/10/87 See Transfers

53876 TS 6/12/87   See Transfers

53882 TS 22/3/87   See Transfers

53883 TS 14/6/87

53884 TS 17/1/87

53885 TS 6/12/87

53892 TS 22/3/87

53898 TS 14/6/87   See Transfers

53903 TS 14/6/87 

53905 TS  6/12/87

53912 TS 31/5/87

53915 TS 16/8/87

53917 CF 5/7/87

53918 CF 8/3/87

59030 CF 10/87

59033 NH 25/10/87 See Transfers

59034 CF 12/87

59035 NH 25/10/87 See Transfers. Reinstated 1988.

59036 CF 10/87

59037 NH 25/10/87 See Transfers. Reinstated 1988.

59041 NH 25/10/87 See Transfers. Reinstated 1988.

59326 TS(U) 22/3/87

59329 TS 6/12/87 See Transfers

59342 TS(U) 22/3/87

59354 TS 6/12/87 See Transfers

59355 NH 25/10/87 See Transfers

59356 CF(S) 24/2/87 

59357 CF 2/8/87

59362 TS 14/6/87 See Transfers

59363 CF 10/87

59369 CF 5/7/87

59371 CF 3/87

59438 CF(S) 1/12/87

59439 CF(S) 1/12/87

59440 TS(U) 22/3/87

59441 TS(U) 22/3/87

59443 CF(S) 5/87

 

Class 116 Transfers

 

53059 TS - NH 26/7/87

53067 TS - CH 7/87      See Withdrawals

53074 TS - NH 28/6/87 See Withdrawals

53075 TS - CH 26/7/87 See Withdrawals

53078 TS - NH 20/9/87

53081 TS - CH 18/10/87

53083 CF - OO 4/10/87 Parcels usage

53087 CF - NH 6/9/87

53090 AY - TS 25/2/87

53091 CF - NH 6/9/87

53108 TS - NH 28-6-87

53109 TS - CH - NH 9/87

53117 TS - NH 28/6/87

53123 TS - CH 18/10/87

53129 CF - NH 6/9/87

53132 AY - TS 20/2/87

53133 CF - NH 6/9/87

53819 TS - NH 28/6/87

53820 CF - OO 4/10/87 Parcels usage

53822 AY - TS 20/2/87

53823 ED - TS 26/3/87 See Withdrawals

53824 TS - CH 20/11/87

53825 AY(S) - TS 24/2/87

53835 TS - CH 26/7/87

53839 AY - TS 20/2/87   }

53839 TS - NH 11/10/87}

53842 TS - NH 14/11/87

53843 CF - NH 6/9/87

53845 AY - TS 25/2/87

53846 AY - TS 20/2/87 See Withdrawals

53847 CF - HT 6/9/87

53848 CF - NH 6/9/87

53856 CF - HT 6/9/87

53857 TS - NH 11/10/87

53862 TS - NH 2/11/87

53867 TS - NH 11/10/87 Plain Blue livery

53869 CF - NH 6/9/87

53870 TS - NH 20/9/87

53872 TS - NH 2/11/87

53873 AY - TS 20/2/87

53875 TS - CH 20/9/87 See Withdrawals

53876 ED - TS 26/3/87 See Withdrawals

53881 AY - TS 20/2/87

53882 AY(S) - TS 24/2/87 See Withdrawals

53892 AY(S) - TS 24/2/87 See Withdrawals

53896 CF - NH 6/9/87

53898 AY - TS 25/2/87 See Withdrawals

53900 CF - HT 6/9/87

53901 CF - NH 6/9/87

53904 TS - CH 18/10/87

53906 TS - CH 20/11/87

53909 CF - HT 6/9/87

53910 TS - CH 18/10/87

53920 TS - NH 11/10/87 Plain Blue livery

53922 CF - NH 6/9/87

53923 TS - NH 20/9/87

59032 CF - TS 10/87

59033 CF - NH 6/9/87 See Withdrawals

59035 CF - NH 6/9/87 See Withdrawals

59037 CF - NH 6/9/87 See Withdrawals

59039 CF - LE 12/12/87

59040 CF - HT 6/9/87

59041 CF - NH 6/9/87

59329 AY - TS 24/2/87 See Withdrawals

59330 AY - TS 20/2/87

59344 AY - TS 20/2/87

59345 AY - TS 20/2/87

59354 ED - TS 26/3/87

59355 CF - NH 6/9/87 See Withdrawals

59362 CF - TS 19/4/87 See Withdrawals

59364 CF - HT 6/9/87

59372 TS - NH 11/10/87 Plain Blue livery

59374 AY - TS 19/4/87   }

59374 TS - NH 20/11/87}

59375 AY - TS 25/2/87

59442 CF(S) - TS 4/10/87

59444 CF - TS 4/10/87

59445 CF - TS 4/10/87

59446 CF - TS 4/10/87

59448 CF - TS 4/10/87

 

 

The saga of 1988 is to follow…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 31 by EddieK
Addition of Bletchley depot's Class 116 vehicle and further edit to add details from Railway Observer

[08221]

Thanks for taking the time to compose that @EddieK, very useful and bought back some happy memories of the 116s around Brum.