Tail Loads
A gallery featuring DMUs with a tail load. Also see the tail load article.
circa late summer 1955
A Lincoln - Cleethorpes service formed of Derby Lightweight vehicles E79022 + E79614 with a parcels van in tow at Barnetby station. Undated, the image appeared in the November 1955 British Railways staff magazine so was probably taken in late summer 1955. RE Vincent.
10th September 1959
With a horse box on the rear a Derby suburban triple DMU is seen in Hockley station with the 5.40pm Wolverhampton Low Level - Honeybourne service on 10 September 1959. Leading is DMBS W50057 which spent its whole 30 year career allocated to Tyseley depot. Michael Mensing.
Unknown date
A Gloucester parcels van seen at Cricklewood with a tail load, date unknown. Walter Burt.
30th July 1961
W55993 departs from Princes End & Coseley station with a BG on tow with a southbound pigeon special on Sunday 30 July 1961. Michael Mensing.
7th August 1961
A Blue Square Derby Lightweight DMU with a tail load leaving Sandy with the 4.47pm Cambridge - Bletchley service on 7 August 1961. Michael Mensing.
27th August 1961
Gloucester parcel car W55995 is seen hauling north to the north of Worcester at 3.51pm on Sunday 27 August 1961. Michael Mensing.
2nd September 1961
W51580 at the front of the 6.25pm Oxford - Moreton-in-Marsh, seen in Kingham station on the 2nd September 1961. The set, which is towing two 4-wheel vans, would soon be transferred to Plymouth. Michael Mensing.
20th September 1961
Three Cross-Country sets form a nine-car DMU formation with a tail load (possibly a horsebox) working the 4.08pm Birmingham Snow Hill - Oxford - Paddington over Lapworth troughs on 20 September 1961. Two sets (front and rear) are of Swindon build, the centre one a GRC&W, the two types can be told apart by the quantity of roof vents. DMBCL W50701 leads, W59290 is behind. With three buffet cars on the train, and no through access between the three sets, would all three buffets be manned? Michael Mensing.
circa 1962
A Swindon Cross-Country DMU with a van attached on the rear crosses the bridge over the Wye at Chepstow circa 1962. Brunel's tubular suspension bridge, built for the broad gauge, was in the process of being replaced by a rigid girder structure. British Railways.
20th April 1962
On Good Friday (April 20) 1962, the 1.53pm Barry to Treherbert service is seen having a tail load being attached during the stop at Cardiff General. Michael Mensing.
5th October 1963
A 3-car Gloucester Cross Country set with W51099 leading is assisted up the Lickey Incline hauled by 8400, the latter allocated to this task. The 119 continued unaided from Blackwell. Assistance up the incline was likely required owing to the tail load (visible at the rear) being carried, 5/10/63. Dave Hill.
23rd November 1963
With four vehicles in tow W55991 is seen at Southall on 23 November 1963. 3A49 is thought to have been the 9.59am Reading to London due to arrive at Paddington at 11.44. The KDH Archive.
Unknown date
From a fading low-quality 126 film print, but included as images of Trans-Pennine units with tail loads are pretty unusual. Departing from York, date unknown. Tony Wilkins.
28th February 1964
W9083W Hawksworth 12 wheel 1st class sleeper leaving Swansea on the back of a Swindon Cross-Country unit on the 2.50 to Pembroke Dock on 28th February 1964. Robert Thomas.
20th June 1965
DMPV M55990 with a tail load on a down working near Harlington (Midland Main Line), 20th June 1965. Michael Mensing.
13th June 1966
The 6.35pm Gloucester (C) - Leamington seen at Hatton on 13 June 1966, formed of GRC&W single car M55010 with a GUV in tow. Michael Mensing.
11th July 1966
With a van in two M55006 is seen operating the 6.35pm Gloucester-Leamington Spa at Hatton on 11 July 1966. Michael Mensing.
7th August 1967
A mixed formation of a Cravens and a Swindon Cross-Country unit (plus a van on the rear), pass through the ex-GNoSR Kennethmont station on 7 August 1967, working the 18.00 Aberdeen to Inverness. The front DMU vehicle is still in green, the others are in blue, the Swindon DMS with just a yellow panel on the cab. The grain wagons are probably for the nearby Ardmoor Distillery. Kevin Lane Collection.
28th June 1968
On June 28, 1968 a four-car Met-Camm set is seen about to pass the closed Wetheral station with the 10.35am Newcastle - Carlisle line. The second vehicle is a buffet car, there is a BG attached to the rear. The closest power car appears to be E51437. Michael Mensing.
March 1969
Thought to be a Class 118 "twin" in the early variant of BR blue (with half yellow panel), hauling no less than three milk tankers at Stuart Road, Plymouth. Reportedly limited to two tankers if loaded, the presence of three suggests these are "empties" possibly returning to Saltash. The tankers were often tripped between Saltash and Plymouth by steam auto trains for onward attachment to London expresses. In latter years, the same routine continued with DMU's. March 1969. Bernard Mills.
circa November 1969
A GRC&W single car DMU seen at Smethwick heading for Birmingham Snow Hill with four vans in tow. The slide process date was November 1969. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Unknown date
A Class 115 is seen with a van in tow at Monks Risborough, date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
circa 1970
A Class Swindon Cross-Country set arrives into Peterborough station circa 1970. Note that two vehicles are in plain blue - unusual for non-ScR vehicles of this type - and it may have a tail load. John Law.
24th January 1970
Paired with a Class 116 DMBS as set 344 and with several vans in tow Class 128 parcels car W55991 is seen at Paddington on 24 January 1970. The KDH Archive.
22nd April 1970
A Class 114 (possibly 50009 at the front) with a van in tow at Louth on April 22, 1970, with the 13:32 to Peterborough. Photo by P.H.Wells. Nigel Walls.
2nd May 1970
A Class 114 DMU with a van in tow departing north from Burgh le Marsh on 2 May 1970. From the James Freebury Railway slide Archive. David Page Collection.
A Derby Heavyweight DMU arrives at Alford Town station with a van attached on 2 May 1970. From the James Freebury Railway slide Archive. David Page Collection.
26th July 1970
Tail load at Machynlleth on July 16, 1970. Hauled by a 119 and 101, the 119 DMS seems to be receiving some trackside attention, to the left of the Park Royal stabled outside the depot. Steve Davies Collection.
Unknown date
A Class 115 is seen with a van in tow at Little Kimble, date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
circa 1971
Gloucester RC&W DMPV 55988 in Preston station with a BG in tow, circa 1971. John Grey Turner.
1972
A Class 129 has a tail load attached when seen at Bangor in the summer of 1972. All three vehicles were based at Chester from October 1971 until withdrawal. Tony Wilkins.
23rd June 1972
The 18.50 from Matlock to Crewe on 23 June 1972 - comprising a 3-car Swindon Cross-Country dmu with the centre car in plain blue hauling a CCT van - pauses at Matlock Bath. Adrian Nicholls notes that in the 1972 section L WTT the CCT van spent all day at Matlock and only two trains on the branch were authorised to convey a trailing load. Outbound from Derby it was conveyed behind the DMU on 6P59 05.40 Derby to Matlock with one intermediate call at Ambergate for the single line token at 05.56 and arrival into Matlock at 06.08. A footnote says parcel traffic but probably newspapers as well. The DMU must have run beyond the station into the old goods yard to drop the van before returning back to the platform to form 2P59 06.37 to Derby calling all stations. The return working (photographed) was also 2P59, the 18.52 ex Matlock, terminating at Derby. Tom Burnham.
Unknown date
A Class 114 heads north away from Spalding with a tail load. Date unknown, possibly early 1970s. Walter Burt Collection.
This was from a dark half-frame slide with no details. It shows two Class 128s with vehicles in tow at Shrewsbury, probably in the early/mid-1970s. M55995 is closest, the second one is likely 93 or 94, these three vehicles being allocated to Chester from October 1973. Stuart Mackay Collection.
15th May 1975
Class 114 DTCL E56040 is the rear car in a set at Grantham, with a tail load consisting of a CCT, 15/May/1975. Robert Chilton.
March 1976
NER Haltwhistle Station on the Newcastle - Carlisle line, and junction with the branch to Alston (soon to close), 03/76. Passing through is 2 X 2-car Metro Camm Class 101 dmus and a van on a Carlisle (Citadel) - Newcastle (Central) service. The dmu cars included E50259 and E56070. Hugh Llewelyn.
1st March 1976
Met-Camms at Rotherham Masborough on 1 March 1976. The three-car on the left has Hull on the destination blind. The leading car of the two two-car formation is from the 50198-209 batch, the fourth vehicle has painted window frames, and there is a tail load on the rear. Stuart Mackay Collection.
6th April 1976
Norwich set 70 - Class 100 E51127 and Class 105 56142 - with a parcel van in tow at Lowestoft on 6 April 1976. Phil Bevan.
26th June 1976
A pair of 128s, W55994 leading, stand at Shrewsbury station on 26 June 1976. Kevin Lane.
Unknown date
One of the Western Region hybrid 128/130 sets (number 345) formed of W55992 and either 50819 or 50862, with two 'Fruit D' vans in tow. This appears to be Slough, date unknown. Graham Clark.
Two GRC&W parcel DMUs with a BG in tow, seen in Shrewsbury station, circa early 1970s. Graham Clark.
A Class 128 propelling a GUV through the remains of Manchester Exchange, date unknown. This is noted in image 2867 as a Red Bank to Piccadilly working, the MPMV's would have had to reverse to get to the south side of Manchester at Ordsall - before the Windsor link had been completed. Stuart Mackay Collection.
August 1978
M55990 with a tail load at Manchester Victoria in August 1978. Graeme Phillips Collection.
8th May 1979
A Class 127 DMU at the south end of St Albans City station during a shunting move to detach its BG tail load. 8 May 1979. Nicholas T Smith.
9th May 1979
08 890 sits in the up bay platform at St Albans City station as a Class 127 departs south with a BG in tow past the Heath and Heather warehouse on 9 May 1979. Nicholas T Smith.
September 1979
One of the two vans in Barnsley's parcels siding will be attached to the early evening Sheffield service formed of this Class 111 DMU, which is approaching carefully to collect its load in this image from September 1979. After retrieving the van from the siding, the DMU will need to run round before departure. The parcels sidings were at the north end of Barnsley station, adjacent to the Leeds platform. In this view I am looking from the front of the station towards Exchange Junction, so Eldon Street North would be to my left. The DMU is obscuring the signalbox. Andrew Walker.
18th October 1979
W55991 seen at Slough on 18 October 1979 with a couple of vehicles in tow. John Law.
17th November 1979
Norwich set 55 is a Class 104 / 105 hybrid and has a van on the rear when seen on a Yarmouth service leaving Norwich on November 17th, 1979. Steve Davies Collection.
15th November 1980
M55993 and M55994 hauling E80618 arrive at Shrewsbury 15th November 1980. Keith Long.
1982
A Class 127 with a van attached arrives into Luton in 1982. John Law.
March 1984
An unidentified, shortened class 124 'Trans-Pennine' dmu (with 4-wheel van in tow) skirts the Selby Street area of Hull - 03/1984. 53A Models of Hull Collection.
June 1985
Class 128 55994 and a Class 127 Parcel DMU (pre-roller shutter doors) with two GUVs in tow are seen crossing Arnside Viaduct in June 1985. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 128 55994 leads a Class 127 Parcel DMU (pre-roller shutter doors) and two GUVs coming of Arnside Viaduct in June 1985. Stuart Mackay Collection.
30th June 1985
Ely station on June 30th 1985 contains Met-Camm set E53181 + E59085 + E53321 with a GUV working the 16.05 Peterborough to Cambridge service. Cravens E51262 is seen in the down platform. Nicholas Youngman.
circa October 1985
A Class 127 parcel DMU formation at Carnforth sometime in 1985, circa October. M55979 leads, its partner will be M55969. The third vehicle is easily identified by the roller shutter door as M55974, its partner will be M55984. There are some blue/grey vehicles on the rear, likely Mk1 BGs. Stuart Mackay Collection.
9th February 1986
Sunday 9th February 1986, at 16:12, and Class 120 DMU vehicles 51576 59582 51590 are seen at Manchester Victoria. Van no. 84096 is attached to the rear. Graeme Phillips Collection.
29th March 1986
Former Bedford-St Pancras Diesel Hydraulic Red Triangle DMU Driving Cars 55972 (51611) & 55982 (51596) running as Parcel Unit 912, were passing Daisyfield level crossing at Blackburn with a diverted Workington to Manchester mail service on March 29th 1986. The unit had a CCT van as a tail load. Martyn Hilbert.
circa August 1987
A Class 114 parcel DMU formed of E53017 and presumably 55933 departs from Manchester Piccadilly platform 11 with a GUV on tow. The slide process date was August 1987. Stuart Mackay Collection.
1988
An Express Parcels Class 105 set hauls a BG past Silt Road Crossing (which is about a mile south-east of March station in Cambridgeshire) in 1988. E53364 leads. Chris Lockwood.
6th May 1989
Class 127 parcels set 920 formed 55967 and 55966, with another set in standard Red Star livery and a tail load forming the 3V20 Manchester Piccadilly - Bristol Temple Meads at Crewe on 6/May/1989 despite what the headcode says. The blue pair appear to be a scratch set containing two former Newspapers 'A' cars (no bodyside branding), fairly common towards the end of 127 parcels operations to keep things going - there is barely a week left before all were withdrawn. They also have mismatching Red Star logos. Both the green vehicles were preserved, the leading car 55967 (formerly 51610) went to Rogart Station and the second vehicle 55966 (formerly the pioneer class 127 51591) went to the Midland Railway - Butterley where another parcels 127 no. 55976 (formerly 51625) had been acquired and painted green to match. Many years later 51610 was sold from Rogart and joined the other two at the Midland Railway - Butterley. Image copyright © John Griffiths, published with Robert Chilton Collection.
23rd February 1990
55991 leaves York for Leeds with a BG on tow, 23/2/90. Stuart Mackay Collection.