Class 122 Gloucester RC&W Single / 2-car DMUs
Operations
The Class was built for the Western Region, and initial workings were in the Birmingham and London areas.
Branch closures saw them spread to the West Country and to Scotland.
1950s
The first car emerged from GRCW's works on 22/4/58, and all were delivered to the Western Region between 5/58 and 7/58. Reading received 55000/1, Tyseley 55002-9, and Southall 55010-19. Southall also received trailers 56291-4 and 56297/8 while Tyseley had 56295/6/9.
They entered traffic in May 1958 on the Leamington - Stratford, Birmingham - Dudley and Stourbridge Town - Stourbridge Junction routes of the WR. The image shows brand new W55006 and W55007 in the platform in Leamington Spa station ready to work the 9pm to Stratford-upon-Avon on Whit Monday, May 26th, 1958. Michael Mensing.
On 25 August 1958 the class were introduced on the Ealing - Greenford branch. Several trains which had been withdrawn in the economy cuts of 30 June were reinstated from that date.
The image shows W56298 with a DMBS at Drayton Green Halt on the Greenford branch heading for Ealing Broadway, date unknown. It was new in July 1958. Walter Burt.
In September 1958 they replaced the AEC/GWR railcars on the Slough to Windsor branch. They also replaced these railcars on the Twyford to Henley-on-Thames branch, and steam push-pull on the West Drayton to Staines branch on the 6th October 1958. The 07:48 and 08:43 from Henley to Paddington and 17:15 and 18:15 returns remained steam hauled to retain a first class section.
Staff booklet
The region produced a 6" x 4" booklet to give guidance to operating staff on their new diesel trains. As well as these single cars it also covered the Inter-City, Cross Country and suburban triple sets. Download PDF (8mb). They produced a similar booklet for their Diesel Pullman trains.
Brake problems
The Reading/Southall vehicles were temporarily withdrawn in the second week of February 1959 over concerns about their braking power. Three-car sets from other areas were drafted in as replacements.[1]
1960s
As well as the Thames Valley, other lines they would work included branches in the West Country to Kingsbridge, Looe and St. Ives, also Plymouth - Saltash. The delivery of the Pressed Steel bubbles displaced some of these to Worcester and the Severn Valley line, Dudley - Old Hill and Stourbridge branches.
October 1st 1966 was the last day of Services to Bude, and W55016 sits in the station to form the 15.20 from Halwill Junction. The KDH Archive.
The vehicles at Laira received set numbers circa 1961:
LA 100 55000
LA 102 55001
LA 103 55013
LA 104 55015
LA 105 55016
LA 106 55017
LA 107 55019
When 55014 arrived at Laira in April 1962 it was given LA108.
Their original nickname was "coffin nails", as most of the routes on which they were used became victims of the "Beeching Axe" with closure usually soon after introduction. Lines such as Barry to Bridgend, Penarth to Barry, Snow Hill to Wolverhampton (LL), Wellington to Much Wenlock (closed July 23 1962), Worcester to Bromyard, Bewdley to Hartlebury and Didcot to Newbury.
This YouTube clip shows a green vehicle at Cheltenham in 1965.
As these lines closed the cars were concentrated in the Bristol, Cornwall and Plymouth areas. Workings included local services over the ex-SR lines to Gunnislake, Axminster and Barnstaple. On the latter it was not unknown for a Mark I coach to be hauled.
Scotland
The Class spread to the Scottish Region in the late 1960s, 55000 being the first to move north from Laira to Ayr in January 1967. It would take over the Ayr - Kilmarnock service, once regularly worked by railbuses. It was joined in April 1968 by 55011/3 while 55014/5 moved to Leith Central that month, and Hamilton received 55002/5/7 two months later in June. The image shows three vehicles in three liveries in the bay platforms at Kilmarnock, circa 1969. 55011 is closest, the green unit on the left is 55013, behind is 55000 carrying blue livery with a small yellow panel. Stuart Rankin.
55002/5 moved further north in October 1968 when they moved to Inverness for three months before returning to Hamilton. Both would return to Inverness in the mid-'70s, along with 55007, 55011 would spend ten years there from October 1969.
Three DTS vehicles would move to Cricklewood in 1968 from store (they were fron Laira and Bristol). Their use at Cricklewood, if any, is unknown and are know to also be stored there until withdrawal of the three in 1972.
The declining passenger duties for the class on the Western Region also saw 55001 converted to a route-learner in June 1969, the first of many of the Class to enter departmental use. The second was 55019 in November 1969.
1970s
At the start of the decade the allocations of the passenger vehicles were just one DMBS on the Western Region, eight DMBS and three DTS on the Scottish Region, and nine DMBS and six DTS on the London Midland Region:
Leith Central: 4 DMBS (55000/13-15)
Hamilton: 3 DMBS (55002/05/07) and 3 DTS (56291/97/99)
Tyseley: 9 DMBS (55003-04/06/08-10/12/17-18) and 3 DTS (56293/95-96)
Inverness: 1 DMBS (55011)
Laira: 1 DMBS (55016)
Cricklewood: 3 DTS (56292/94/98)
The six Hamilton vehicles would begin working on the Springburn - Cumbernauld services, and in March 1972 were transferred to Eastfield depot along with three three-car Met-Camm sets, to avoid ECS moves from Hamilton to Cowlairs. They were the first DMUs allocated to Eastfield.[2]
The image shows SC55007 at Eastfield on 15 April 1972. The vehicle number uses three inch high numerals rather than the more standard four inch, and there is a set number that seems to have an E prefix, possibly 'E13'. John Grey Turner.
55009 would move from Tyseley to Bletchley in 1972. While there it was known to work the St Albans branch and at one point it was involved in an incident on the footpath crossing just outside St Albans Abbey station.[3] It was transferred back to Tyseley in 1978. Other members of the Class to be based at Bletchley this decade were 56295 (late 1974 to spring 1978) and 55006 (for a few weeks at the end of 1978).
The image shows M55003 waiting to leave Stourbridge Town for the 3 minute trip to Stourbridge Junction in 1977. Stephen Burdett.
1980s
In 1984 55000 moved from Scotland to Tyseley, spending a month at Longsight on the way where it would work with 55005/6 to replace life expired Class 108s on the Stockport - Stalybridge service.
The only vehicle withdrawn with accident damage was 55002 following a collision with an EMU at Coventry on October 30th, 1986.
Corby
In April 1987 55004/11 were transferred to Bletchley for working the restored services from Kettering to Corby, with some trains running to Bedford.
The image shows 55004/11 at Corby station on the first day, 13 April 1987. Lewis Bevan.
Laira
In 1987 wheel-slip problems with Class 142 units on the West Country branches resulted in a reprieve for six cars, 55000/3/5/6/9/12. The diagrams in the West Midlands were rearranged and the cars sent to Vic Berry's in Leicester for asbestos removal. 55003 was the first in July, followed by 55000/9 and then 55005/6/12. Plaques were fitted to the solebars proclaiming this work was done.
The cars worked the Cornish branch lines to Looe, Newquay and St Ives. The image shows 55006 and 55003 at Plymouth on 29-12-1989. Gordon Thomson.
Bletchley to Laira - but really to Tyseley
Rising passenger figures on the Corby line reached the point that two-car sets were required (despite this the experiment was deemed a failure after the council withdrew the subsidies, and Corby station closed again on 2 June 1990), and with Bletchley receiving a batch of Class 108s 55004/11 were released from the depot in December 1988. On paper they were transferred to Laira, the Plymouth depot now having all the remaining passenger fleet. However the two vehicles first moved to Tyseley.
The vehicles already at Laira had been asbestos stripped, 4/11 hadn't, and the move to Tyseley was noted as being en-route to Vic Berry's at Leicester for this process. Additional planned work was the brake vans being removed, the space to be used for additional seating, and the guard would use the rear cab.[4]
The two vehicles were still there on 8 April 1989 when photographed by Andy Cole, 55011 closest still with Network South East decals and the Corby coat of arms, 55004 is to the left.
It was obviously still the intention for them to move to Plymouth after the work as they appeared on a Western Region stock list dated 15 May 1989 as sets P104 and P111[5]. However they remained at Tyseley for the rest of the year.
1990s
55004 and 55011, intended for asbestos stripping at Vic Berry's and overhaul at BRML Doncaster, were still languishing at Tyseley on 4 March 1990[6]. Soon after the Provincial Sector's plans for the May 1990 timetable were announced, which only required seven single car vehicles (Laira had six 122s 55000/3/5/6/9/12 and one 121 55026) and thus 55004/11 were no longer required[7]. They remained stored at Tyseley, were officially withdrawn ini October and disposed of at Snailwell the following month.
Class 153 deliveries to Laira would allow the remaining passenger vehicles to be delivered. 55005 was withdrawn in November 1992, 55003/6/9 in mid-1993.
The last two passenger vehicles - 55000/12, now in Regional Railways livery, were withdrawn in December 1993 due to mechanical defects. They had spent their last days as motive power for Laira sandite vehicle 977466 (ex-Class 121 DTC 54286).
The image shows 55012 at Par on 14/10/92. Sparegang.
References
- ⋏ "Motive Power Miscellany" p225 April 1959 Trains Illustrated (Ian Allan)
- ⋏ p112 March 1972 Railway Observer (Railway Correspondence and Travel Society)
- ⋏ email from Eddie Knorn May 12, 2020
- ⋏ "Multiple Matters" p69 9 March 1989 (Issue 91) Rail
- ⋏ "Multiple Matters" p90 13 July 1989 (Issue 100) Rail
- ⋏ "Multiple Matters" p53 22 March 1990 (issue 118) Rail
- ⋏ "Provincial DMU Changes - May 1990" p6 5 April 1990 (issue 119) Rail