Class 116 diesel multiple units

[The Stationmaster]

On 27/12/2020 at 17:34, chrisf said:

1985

Other news:

 

Although the Aberdare branch had lost its passenger service back in 1964 there was clearly a school of thought that considered the withdrawal misguided.  A local management initiative, actively supported by Mid Glamorgan County Council, decided to test the market.  In doing so it rather stretched the consent of the Department of Transport to run a certain number of passenger trains on a freight-only line.  Shopping specials from Aberdare to Cardiff soon proved lucrative.  In 1985 they were run on 19th January, 16th February, 20th April, 16th June and each Saturday from 5th October to 21st December.  Trains were also run on 28th April in connection with a Fun Day at Barry Island Pleasure Park and during the miners’ holiday between 20th July and 1st August.  On top of that, a pair of Class 117 sets was borrowed from Reading on 16th March when Wales played Ireland at rugby. 

 

 

Chris

I can't honestly recall that in 1985 we had any particular restriction from the Railway Inspectorate regarding the running of special passenger trains on the Aberdare branch.   In fact technically we didn't need to seek their permission to do so as we were only running passenger trains over Goods Lines but it would have been different if BR had intended to run a regular, continuing, timetabled service.  

 

The only restriction on the WR that I can remember at that time from HMRI - because we had to submit a regular return to them - was on the running of additional train (of any sort) on the Central Wales Line and that was effectively a consequence of the unprotected level crossings on the line.

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 27/12/2020 at 20:19, TheSignalEngineer said:

Going back a few years through my slides I have found a shot of TS500 on 25/8/79 IIRC when it worked through on shuttles from New Street to Bewdley.

[chrisf]

57 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

I can't honestly recall that in 1985 we had any particular restriction from the Railway Inspectorate regarding the running of special passenger trains on the Aberdare branch.   In fact technically we didn't need to seek their permission to do so as we were only running passenger trains over Goods Lines but it would have been different if BR had intended to run a regular, continuing, timetabled service.

 

Here's the rub.  I have relied for my information mostly on the Railway Observer but have also drawn on what is said in "Valley Lines - The People's Railway" by John Davies and Rhodri Clark for this part of the story.  In autumn 1982 John Davies became Passenger Manager in the Cardiff Division, which in essence meant that he ran the Valley Lines day to day.  His predecessors appear to have left him something of a mess to clear up and his maverick approach did much to arrest the decline in the fortunes of the Valley Lines.  His approach of increasing revenue to offset increased operating costs was not in line with contemporary wisdom but had results.  He and his managerial colleagues decided to test the market by running occasional specials for shoppers on the Aberdare branch.  It depends what you mean by "occasional"!  By 1986 a two-hourly service was being run every Saturday for extended periods.  Towards the end of 1986 this activity was cut back to occasional rugby specials.  However, the market had been well and truly tested.  John Davies and his managerial co-conspirators were well aware that they had been given an inch and had taken a mile, as the book puts it, but the line soon got its regular passenger service with the aid of money from the local authority and the European Regional Development Fund.   In the process some high level noses had clearly been put out of joint.  Whether those noses belonged to the Inspectorate or the Department I cannot say but if I were writing a history of a railway rather than of the stock that ran on it I would describe the events leading to the reintroduction of regular passenger trains to Aberdare as a triumph of "can do" over a "can't do" culture. 

 

Chris    

[Rivercider]

Here is a class 116 set at Abercynon during the time when there was no passenger service to Aberdare.

The 08.42 Cardiff Central to Merthyr service formed by set C313 waits at Abercynon as mail is unloaded.  24/5/83

 

cheers

[br2975]

Two of my images showing Aberdare Christmas Shopping Specials, sadly not formed of Canton Cl.116 sets which were busy elsewhere. The first image shows L406 shortly after arriving at Aberdare from Cardiff, and the second shows L468 standing at Mountain Ash (Oxford Street), where, if I remember correctly, intending passengers were corralled outside the station platform until the train had come to a stop, and then they were allowed onto the platform.

.

I only met John Davies once, at the Taff Vale 150, Cathays C&W Open Day where he presented me with a prize for winning a competition run in conjunction with TVR150, Valley Lines, and a local radio station CBC.

.

My prize was, two adult, and two child, first class return tickets between any points on the network.

.

The conversation went something like this.......

Mr.Davies:- "Any idea where you'll go ?"

Myself:-       "I've just found out I have a long lost aunt who lives in Kyle of Lochalsh, I think we'll visit her"

Mr.Davies:- "Oh !"

.

My tickets duly arrived from Swindon, made out from Waungron Park to Kyle of Lochalsh, but we only travelled to Inverness, then hired a motor home for a week.

.

I've no doubt the cost of my prize knocked back Valley Lines funding for a few months !

Edited December 29, 2020 by br2975

[EddieK]

As of last night, the Railcar Association website has been loaded with refurbishment dates for all Class 116 trailer cars so-treated. Give me a day or two, and the power cars will be loaded as well.

From memory, the very first Cardiff based 116 to be refurbished came out of Swindon Works at the very end of 1975, and a large number of sets for Cardiff and Tyseley followed until the early 1980s. Up until mid 1979 the sets emerged in "blue stripe" livery, and must have looked wonderful when freshly done.

The odd ScR and ER sets that were refurbished were later in the programme, and to the best of my knowledge all emerged in Blue/Grey livery.

 

Gratuitous 116 blue stripe image  

https://www.railcar.co.uk/images/17957

[chrisf]

1986

 

This year saw the final departure of Class 116 from Stratford, with all but one of its five sets migrating to Tyseley in May.  Photographs of Stratford’s 116 fleet are few and far between but on 26th February one was taken of a Stratford set led by E53898 forming a Liverpool Street – Colchester service.

 

Little activity was reported in Scotland this year.  In February sets 116387/8/9/94 were transferred from Ayr to Eastfield.  It was reported that non-gangwayed 116 sets were operating the Edinburgh –Dunblane service in April.  In May sets 116387/9 were transferred back from Eastfield to Ayr! 116393/6 were disbanded.  53845+53898+59375 was transferred from Stratford to Ayr.  The set worked in passenger service as part of the 07.10 York – Newcastle on 24th May and ECS from Newcastle to Carlisle.

 

It was announced in February that Tyseley would become the home for usable dmu sets from other areas where displaced by new units and would not itself receive new sets for some years.  Tyseley’s sets remained the mainstay of the Cross-City line and the Moor Street suburban services but seemingly could be seen almost anywhere on isolated occasions. Those reported in 1986 would have been but a fraction of those that occurred:

·         16th February: TS627 was deployed on a Coventry – Nuneaton shuttle. The set was invaded by football hooligans, which used to happen frequently but was seldom reported.

·         22nd April: 51131+59596+51144 formed a 19.41 Bristol – Plymouth relief

·         TS603+617 overran the buffers at Wolverhampton in May!

·         26th May: 09.44 Birmingham – Llandudno TS612+627

·         1st June: In connection with the Coalville Open Day some Tyseley 116 sets worked a Derby – Coalville - Leicester service

·         5th July: TS602+606 formed a special from Princes Risborough to Margate

·         18th July: TS505 deputised for a defective Sprinter on the 07.20 Birmingham – Cambridge from Leicester

·         23rd August: An 09.45 Birmingham – Barry Island was formed with TS600 plus a set borrowed from Cardiff and a set borrowed from Reading.

·         27th August: Failed dmu TS614 hauled by 31238 formed the 06.14 Cambridge – Birmingham

·         11th October: TS600+629 worked a Birmingham – Fratton football excursion

·         13th December: TS509 and TS521, both non-gangwayed sets, were observed at Ledbury and are presumed to have traversed Ledbury tunnel from which they were banned.

·         20th December: 53862+59600+53872 worked an 11.25 am Birmingham - Exeter special in the path of the late running 09.20 Liverpool – Penzance

 

There was still plenty of 116 activity in the Cardiff Valleys.  The freight-only Aberdare branch once again saw a remarkably frequent passenger service, initially for Cardiff shoppers on Saturdays but also catering when appropriate for rugby fans and day trippers to Barry Island.  It ran on 1st January, 1st February and 1st March and on Saturdays from 29th March to 10th May.  The times were 09.40, 12.40 and 16.05 from Aberdare and 10.48, 13.48 and 17.19 from Cardiff.  From 17th May until 27th September the weekly service continued as follows: 08.10 ecs Canton – Aberdare, 10.20 Aberdare – Barry Island [10.48 Pontypridd starting back], 11.23 Cardiff – Aberdare, 12.40 Aberdare – Cardiff, 14.23 Cardiff – Aberdare, 15.40 Aberdare – Cardiff, 16.52 Penarth – Pontypridd extended to Aberdare, 19.10 Aberdare – Cardiff ecs.  This was subsequently amended with the 19.10 ecs terminating at Pontypridd, forming an additional 19.45 Pontypridd – Aberdare and a 20.35 Aberdare – Canton ecs.  It was announced that the service would run almost every Saturday until May 1987.  A later statement amended this to selected Saturdays to coincide with rugby internationals at Cardiff.  The energetic local management had made the most of the opportunity, for the specials made money!  However, there is more than a suspicion of rapped knuckles from high places and this could explain the abrupt change of mind in the autumn.  With the local authorities involved, it would not be long before the passenger service was reinstated on a more permanent basis.  

 

The Valleys timetable in force from May 1986 required 19 sets stabled as follows: two at Barry, four at Rhymney, four at Treherbert, nine at Canton. To rely on 19 sets to run the Valley Lines service was clearly a leap of faith that was bound to fall short sooner or later.  More often than not the Aberdare services would have been provided by sets borrowed from Reading or Tyseley and in the two weeks before Christmas 1986 at least two sets were borrowed from Tyseley for strengthening other Valley services.  Even so, availability was very tight and there must have been times when sets other than 116s were used.  More notably, on 8th October the 17.06 Cardiff - Treherbert and 18.17 return comprised five loco-hauled coaches powered by 47238.  47587 did the honours on 27th October and it would be no surprise if other workings took place without being reported.  There was little scope for Canton’s 116s to stray.  One reported instance was on 1st February for the rugby international, when the 16.15 Swansea – Chester comprised C330 and four other vehicles.

 

Transfers:

February: 59438, 59439, 59442, 59443, 59448 Tyseley to Cardiff.  For use as a source of spares and subsequently moved to Margam with 59356. 

53844, 53853, 53865, 53867, 53894, 53897, 53920, 53921, 59335, 59353, 59367, 59372 all Stratford to Tyseley.  .

 

Withdrawals:

January: 53834 [Tyseley]

March: 53839, 59349, 53899 [Ayr]

June: 53107, 53113, 53830, 53888, 59326, 59332, 59440, 59441

December: 50084, 59373, 50126 [Cardiff C301], 53851 [Tyseley]

 

Disposals:

To Mayer Newman, Snailwell. January: 59031. February: 59340. March: 59333

To Vic Berry, Leicester. September: 53829, 53841, 53879, 59331, 59337 

 

Set formations:

Tyseley – TS609 and TS622 exchanged 53880 and 53101, January.

Chester: 53072 noted with 51785, February

 

Disappointingly, the RO referred readers to the August 1986 issue of Motive Power Monthly for a complete list of set formations.  This was not a magazine that I ever read!  Subsequent alterations included:

TS512  53074+59592+53110

Un-numbered set 53827+59533+53885 [at Tyseley]

 

Chris

[Kingstoke Junction]

 

12 hours ago, chrisf said:

  Photographs of Stratford’s 116 fleet are few and far between but on 26th February one was taken of a Stratford set led by E53898 forming a Liverpool Street – Colchester service.

 

The attached shows 53844+53897 at Southminster on 27/5/85 having arrived from Wickford on the 10:10 Wickford-Southminster and returning on the 10:55 to Wickford (sorry centre car not recorded).

Edited February 10, 2021 by Kingstoke Junction

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 10/02/2021 at 10:29, chrisf said:

It was announced in February that Tyseley would become the home for usable dmu sets from other areas where displaced by new units and would not itself receive new sets for some years.

Tyseley became a real multi-coloured swap shop through the 1980s with the BedPan electrification and deliveries of Sprinters to other areas. Not only did it have mixed class 3-car sets in three different liveries but sets with odd doors on the outside and odd seat colours on the inside. The Birmingham commuters must have become well-versed in railway geography as you never knew which map would be on the wall, Cardiff Valleys, Liverpool, Manchester, TransClyde, St Pancras, ...........ad inf. The situation didn't improve much until the Cross City electrification. 

[EddieK]

Thanks as ever for the latest instalment. Up until the middle of 1986 I was a resident of the West Midlands and that year was a bit of "calm before the storm" prior to the major upheavals to come in 1987; I look forward to your forthcoming post....

Returning to 1986, I have a list of Class 116 formations at Tyseley as at November: -

 

TYS500 sets - non-gangwayed

 

500  53860-59757-53103

501  53057-59725-53097

502  53861-59634-53912

503  53076-59631-53118    59631 plain blue

504  53059-59636-53104

505  53065-59638-53094

506  55006-59612-53100    55006 Class 122

507  53069-59714-53099

508  53852-59741-53871

509  53833-59641-53098

510  53821-59674-53875

511  55011-59608-53105    55011 Class 122

512  53063-59717-53119

513  53077-54284-53120    54284 Class 121 DTS

514  53857-59629-53923    53857 gangwayed

515  53067-59627-53913

516  53074-59595-53110

517  53824-59640-53906

518  53050-59642-53121

519  53064-59621-53111

520  53826-59617-53905

521  53835-59625-53885

522  53078-59735-53109

523  53075-59643-53903

524  53068-59622-53112

525  53870-59353-53883    59353 gangwayed

526  53070-59626-53095

527  53058-59632-53108

528  53062-59715-53117

529  53828-59716-53127

530  53831-59713-53884

531  53052-59648-53914

532  53819-59647-53915

 

 

TYS600 sets - gangwayed

 

600  53866-59130-51142    59130 Class 101

601  53081-59543-53123    59543 Class 101

602  51133-59570-53886    59570 Class 101

603  51136-59590-51151

604  51129-59101-51149    59101 Class 101

605  53851-59527-53904    59527 Class 101

606  53082-59602-53124

607  53862-59600-53872

608  51131-59596-51144

609  53853-59603-53894

610  53890-59054-53910    59054 Class 101 Trailer Brake, 2x Class 116 Motor Seconds

611  53055-59611-53116

612  53060-59593-53902

613  53863-59594-53916

614  53842-59609-53895

615  53850-59591-53102

616  53054-59607-53887

 

618  53073-59598-53891

619  53854-59592-53907

620  53849-59606-53878

621  53837-59604-53919

622  53071-59114-53880    59114 Class 101

623  53838-59597-53893

624  51130-59615-51143

625  53056-59616-53106

626  53818-59115-53093    59115 Class 101

627  53061-59613-53092

628  53053-59614-51146

629  53079-59610-53114

630  Not Class 116

631  53865-59533-53921    59533 Class 101

632  Not Class 116

 

For info: TYS630 was former WR set P467 (Class 118). TYS632 was former WR set C466 (Class 118).

 

And finally: -

 

701  53844-59335-53897

702  53867-59372-53920    Set in Plain Blue livery.

 

Other Class 116 cars at Tyseley: -

53827

53840

53832

51138 gangwayed

53101 gangwayed

 

59589 gangwayed (Class 127)

 

Stored Class 116: 59441, 59326, 59342, 59440, 59623 (Class 127).

 

In all of the above, I have regarded any Class 115 and 127 vehicles as "honorary 116s".

 

Hope this has been informative.

 

 

[chrisf]

Many thanks, Eddie!  I'm looking forward to researching 1987 with a mixture of interest and trepidation.  It may have to wait, because I have been prevailed upon to unleash a presentation on a hitherto unsuspecting EM Gauge Society.  Knowing my luck it will take even longer to prepare than I had foreseen.

 

Chris 

[EddieK]

Good luck with your EMGS presentation. 

 

I am looking forward to the next instalment of Class 116, and I suspect that there may be others with a similar view...

[The Johnster]

These sets were a part of my childhood, teenage years, and my railway career for 20 years or so, and I have fond memories of them, so I have to state that I am definitely in the 'one of EddieK's others' camp.  In Cardiff in the 60s we called them 'Barry Island trains'.

[dj_crisp]

Hi All

 

I've just had an interesting read of this thread...  many thanks to those that have contributed.

 

I'm thinking of attacking a Bachmann 117 DMBS with a view to converting it to a 116 DMBS for use in hybrid sets at the end of their lives (late 80s) So far I think the following needs doing;

 

- Convert to small headcode box

- removal of front handrails around front windows

- removal of air vents added on refurbishment.... ? Unless they were added to the 116 in the same way as the 117? That'll be ideal as then no respray is needed or I'll be lazy and leave that inaccuracy.

- Anything else different for a 117 Vs 116?

 

 

Thanks

Will

[EddieK]

On 16/06/2022 at 10:26, dj_crisp said:

Hi All

 

I've just had an interesting read of this thread...  many thanks to those that have contributed.

 

I'm thinking of attacking a Bachmann 117 DMBS with a view to converting it to a 116 DMBS for use in hybrid sets at the end of their lives (late 80s) So far I think the following needs doing;

 

- Convert to small headcode box

- removal of front handrails around front windows

- removal of air vents added on refurbishment.... ? Unless they were added to the 116 in the same way as the 117? That'll be ideal as then no respray is needed or I'll be lazy and leave that inaccuracy.

- Anything else different for a 117 Vs 116?

 

 

Thanks

Will

Have a look at the www.railcar.co.uk site (the history site, not the preserved vehicles site of the same name) and under "types" look at classes 116 and 117. For each class there is a section on refurbishment.

[KeithMacdonald]

On 20/02/2021 at 15:49, The Johnster said:

These sets were a part of my childhood, teenage years ...

 

Same here! 😀

Went to school on them from Dawlish to Teignmouth and back (c.1966).

 

55 years later, it took me a few years to de-confuse myself that the Class 116 gave way to Class 118 on the same route, and I'd travelled on both.

 

As a teenager (distracted by girls) they seemed the same.

[The Johnster]

Understandable confusion, especially as you were distracted by girls!  I was once a member of a club that modelled Cardiff's dockland terminus Bute Road, and exhibited it at shows.  While operating it at one, this would have been the mid 80s, a gent mentioned that we had made a mistake in modelling steam trains (the period was mid to late 50s), and that he'd, prior to his retirement, regularly commuted to Bute Road from Birchgrove, on the Coryton branch, starting during the war years and always, he insisted, on diesel trains. 

 

A bit of questioning revealed the reason for his confusion.  He'd commuted from the 40's to the early 70s on trains which had universally had 3 windows in the front, including the 116s, but mentioned that very occasionally there was a type with one window, all diesels as far as he was concerned.  What he was actually doing was observing the front of a propelled auto in the morning arriving from Coryton at Birchgrove, and this of course was usually a 3-windowed auto trailer cab, but occasionally an A43 flat-ended compartment trailer with one window; these were what we called 'cyclops' trailers.  The auto came to a stop, and he got on and took his seat, never having noticed that there was a 4575 or a 64xx at the back of the train, and why should he?   Going home in the evening, he walked on to the platform at Bute Road to be presented with the same format, 3 windows, never noticing the steam loco at the front, and when the 116s were introduced the only difference as far as he was concerned was that the livery, already having gone through chocolate and cream to crimson and cream, crimson, maroon, and lined maroon now went to green with speed whiskers!

 

We managed to convince him with photographs, and he was somewhat surprised that anyone could have been so unobservant, but he wasn't an enthusiast, so to him the train was just what took him to work and brought him home again every day.  And he wasn't even being distracted by girls, so I would rate your confusion between 116 and 118 as being entirely excusable...

[BR Blue]

I live in hope that Bachmann will eventually do the 116. Having got a few 117s (great model), I fear I will be bankrupted if they release the 116.

[MJI]

116 and 117 motor coaches are pretty similar.

 

Rely on photos.

 

Headcode box is the biggest change, less handrails.

 

Then check your example for light details.

 

I used photos for both C305 and the Tyseley set.

 

Underframe wise 116 117 118 very similar

[dj_crisp]

10 hours ago, BR Blue said:

I live in hope that Bachmann will eventually do the 116. Having got a few 117s (great model), I fear I will be bankrupted if they release the 116.

They'll announce when I finish my attempt ;)

[dj_crisp]

9 hours ago, MJI said:

116 and 117 motor coaches are pretty similar.

 

Rely on photos.

 

Headcode box is the biggest change, less handrails.

 

Then check your example for light details.

 

I used photos for both C305 and the Tyseley set.

 

Underframe wise 116 117 118 very similar

 

Thanks. I've been trawling through flickr and they do seem very similar. Hard to find good underframe shots but I'm going with they're the same. 

 

I've  seen that the guards handrails are different... and not yet found the air vent on a 116 which looks the trickiest thing to sort.

 

Cheers

[KeithMacdonald]

10 hours ago, BR Blue said:

I live in hope that Bachmann will eventually do the 116

 

Ditto from me, for the 118

 

10 minutes ago, dj_crisp said:

They'll announce when I finish my attempt ;)

 

Ah, that sounds like an excellent reason I should put off attempting to make my own 118 ;-)

 

[dj_crisp]

13 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Ditto from me, for the 118

 

 

Ah, that sounds like an excellent reason I should put off attempting to make my own 118 ;-)

 

 

🤣  the 118 is bound to be announced..... my weekends work awaiting weathering

 

 

[EddieK]

On 26/06/2022 at 23:02, dj_crisp said:

 

🤣  the 118 is bound to be announced..... my weekends work awaiting weathering

 

 

Looks like one of the few 118 sets that were formally refurbished (sets 464, 471 and 473, from memory). The giveaway is the removal of the roof vents, apart from those at the vehicle ends.

[dj_crisp]

22 hours ago, EddieK said:

Looks like one of the few 118 sets that were formally refurbished (sets 464, 471 and 473, from memory). The giveaway is the removal of the roof vents, apart from those at the vehicle ends.

 

There weren't many and I'm sure you're right! This one is aiming to be 471 as it had the side vents on the DMBS so I can use Bachmanns 117 model... and it operated in the area I'm modelling.

 

I don't think I'll be that lucky doing a 116... I'm sure they werent fitted and those vents look a pain to remove.