Park Royal Railbus
Operations - Scottish Region
Two vehicles were delivered to Scotland (79970/4), initially these would work on the Dalmellington - Ayr / Kilmarnock and Aviemore - Elgin lines. They would be joined by the LMR vehicles in 1960 and operations spread to many other routes in Scotland until withdrawal in 1968.
79970 had been noted at Southall on the 3rd December 1958.
Ayr - Dalmellington and Kilmarnock
79974 was introduced on the Ayr - Dalmellington branch on the 6th April 1959. The services consisted of four return railbus trips from Dalmellington and an addition Ayr - Dalmellington one way service on Mondays to Fridays, previously there had been just two returns, and on Saturdays the railbus made fived return trips, steam provided an additional two returns and an additional one way Ayr - Dalmellington trip. Some of these journeys ran through to Kilmarnock.
On 1/8/59 the scheduled railbus turn on the Dalmellington branch at 12.40pm from Ayr and 3.00pm return was undertaken by a steam loco with four coaches.
In the image SC79974 seems to be fairly new but has already received a bash to the cab corner. Taken at Kilmarnock station, date unknown. Hamish Stevenson.
In Autumn 1960, 79974 was still the Dalmellington railbus, although it was apparently under considered for transfer to the Peterhead branch.
Aviemore - Elgin
79970 replaced Bristol railbus 79959 on the Speyside route between Elgin, Granton-on-Spey and Aviemore in early April 1959. On June 15th 1959 four new halts opened: Imperial Cottages; Gilbey's Cottages (between Carron and Knockando); Dalry Farm (between Advie and Cromdale), and Ballifurth Farm (between Gonspey East and Nethybridge), and drivers were warned of their approach by white boards stating 'Request Stop 100 Yards Ahead'. The frequency of services was also further improved and overall journey times reduced by up to 15 mins.
In the image SC79970 heads away from Aviemore with an Elgin service in 1959. Hamish Stevenson.
By August 3rd 1959 79970 was out of use with a fractured frame, the services were being operated by steam loco 40648 with one LMS saloon. Wickham railbus 79966 was soon sent north to take over. After working well from Aviemore for over a year, 79966 also succumbed to a fracture frame (was it something to do with the condition of the track?), and ex-LMR Park Royal 79972 was sent as a replacement. However trouble was experienced with this vehicle, and by the end of September 1960 79970 was back on the line. It remained allocated to Aviemore for the service until March 1963 when it moved to Ayr.
All five Park Royals spent time allocated to Aviemore depot. Vehicles for these services were also based at Inverness, where 79972/4 were allocated from June 1963 to March 1964.
Despite the timetable improvements and the fact that a fine view of the beautiful scenery was to had, patronage did not greatly increase. Passenger traffic was particularly sparse between the tourist centres of Granton-on-Spey and Aviemore, but receipts from the whole service was poor and it was withdrawn from October 18th 1965. Two former LMR Park Royals were allocated to Aviemore at this time, and they would return to the LMR moving to Buxton in December 1965.
Craigendoran - Arrochar
Another line which the type worked was the shuttle between Craigendoran and Arrochar on the south end of the West Highland Line, with vehicles being allocated to Helensburgh depot (65H). The vehicle which had started these services was Wickham 79969, but this was out of use by March 1960 when 79970 was noted on trial on the line. The service was at the time in the hands of steam, and Rhu station (Rhu was a village between Helensburgh Upper and Garelochhead) had just re-opened as Rhu Halt. 79971 was noted working the line on the 11/6/60, on summer Saturdays steam was diagrammed to take over but on this date the loco, J37 64580, had failed.
79971 was noted working still on these services on the 28/1/61, but had moved to Beith by 15/3/61. It was thought the regular Beith vehicle was still in works. During the Easter 1961 weekend the Craigendoran - Arrochar service was steam hauled.
79973 would be allocated to Helensburgh from July 1961 to December 1961, 79974 spent a few weeks there in July 1962, 79971 returned in November 1961 and stayed until March 1963. It seems to be the last railbus that operated the line.
The Craigendoran - Arrochar shuttle was also over time worked by 2-car sets (normally Met-Camms), and the service was withdrawn from the 15th June 1964.
Hamilton and Ayr
By mid-1960 Hamilton shed had four roads given to DMU maintenance and stabling. It's railbus allocation at the time was BCVs 79958/9 and Park Royal 79972.
Ayr had the greatest concentration of railbuses in Scotland, and their use gradually increased. From February 5th 1962 further reorganisation brought about the use of railbuses on most trains on the Kilmarnock - Ardrossan - Ayr services, as well as certain workings over the Darvel branch. Services over the Dalmellington and Darvel branches as well as the Kilmarnock - Ardrossan services were withdrawn from the 6th April 1964, but they continued to be used on the Kilmarnock trains, despite an ever-growing number out of use.
Beith - Lugton
The Beith regular was AC Cars 79979, which went into works at the start of 1961, and the line was first covered by 79974 from Ayr, until 79971 replaced it, from the West Highland Line.
Devon Valley
Frame trouble experienced by the Wickham vehicles saw Park Royal cars replace them on the Devon Valley line. The service ran through places such as Dollar, Rumbling Bridge, Crook of Devon and Balado, and had one through journey in each direction between Perth and Stirling, enabling the vehicles to be stabled overnight at these points.
The image shows a Park Royal railbus at Dollar, date unknown. Walter Burt Collection.
Services were poorly patronised and withdrawn from the 15th June 1964.
Comrie - Crieff
Three vehicles - 79970-2 - spent brief spells allocated to Perth depot, the base of the Comrie - Crieff service, with one other - 79973 - making repeat visits to the depot. The branch closed in July 1964, after which 79973 moved to Inverness.
In the image 79973 is seen working the 3.17pm Gleneagles - Crieff one mile north of Gleneagles on 4 July 1964, the last day of services. Michael Mensing.
Final Months
By November 1966 a mere handful of railbuses remained in service and the Ayr - Kilmarnock services were covered by two of the Park Royal vehicles (79970/1), most of the other railbuses being out of use.
Not long after four AC Cars came north from the WR, two of which went to operate the Larbert - Alloa and Falkirk - Grangemouth branches, but the other two had to go to the Ayr area where there was only now one Park Royal in active use. This vehicle also made an appearance on the Alloa - Larbert service in due course.
The image shows M79971 sitting in Falkirk Grahamston station alongside Met-Camm set 69 on 6/1/68. W.S. Sellar.
Withdrawal Dates:
79970 - 3/67
79971 - 2/68
79972 - 8/67
79973 - 8/67
79974 - 11/66
M79971, along with four AC Cars vehicles were the last of the railbuses to go when the ScR withdrew the last of their services. It's body survived into the 1980s as a hut in Millerhill yard where it is pictured on 10th March 1979. Basil Hancock.
It was not cut up as most vehicles were, disposal was in the era when blue asbestos was a health concern and it was buried in a landfill site instead.