DMU Operations: London Midland Region
Bedford - Northampton
Services, along with Bedford - Hitchin, were dieselised from Monday the 11th August 1958 to existing steam timings. Park Royal railbuses were initially used with three (M79971-3) allocated to Bedford Depot (14E).
At the introduction of the winter timetable the following month on September 15th the services were increased and accelerated. Eight new services were introduced, bringing the daily total up to eighteen, nine in each direction. Improved timings cut the overall journey time by 2-9 mins. In October 1958 7,000 passengers were carried on the two services, more than twice the amount carried in October 1957.
The railbuses suffered mechanical failures and were replaced for long periods by steam push-and-pull trains (notably in November 1958). They were also prone to slipping on frosty rails and in January 1959 snow fall saw a complete reversion to steam.
The railbuses were out of service in early July 1959 with steam push and pull again in use[1]. On 28/8/59 two pairs of Met-Camms (51202/3 + 56360/1) arrived at Bedford from Cockshute depot, nominally to act as standby sets for the Northampton and Hitchin branches, but they saw steady use[2]. One set (51202 + 56360) only lasted a few weeks moving to Buxton depot in September, the other returned to Cockshute in October. New Derby (Class 108) sets would begin to arrive at Bedford that October, 50986 + 56269 listed as new on the 10th and 50987 + 56270 on the 24th.
In early November 1959 the railbuses departed to Wolverton, the Northampton (and Hitchin) services were then worked by steam push-pull and new Derby sets — the DMUs were also used on an Oxford-Cambridge service that started on 2 November 1959[3]. Circa December the services were noted as still being a mixture of the twin diesel sets and one-coach steam autos[4]. Two of the railbuses possibly returned temporarily from Wolverton circa February 1960, but wherever possible the diesel twins or steam was used[5], all three railbuses were transferred to the Scottish Region that month.
Class 108s continued to arrive: 50978 + 56261 from Newton Heath in November 1959; in January 1960 50961 + 56244 came from Cricklewood (but moved to Trafford Park a few weeks later) and 50979 + 56262 came from Newton Heath; 50987 + 56270 would depart in January 1960 to Cricklewood, leaving the depot with three sets. A Cravens Class 105 DMU (M50392/56147) was also allocated to Bedford for a brief spell circa July/August 1960 and may have appeared on the services. A fourth Class 108 set (50984 + 56267 from Leith Central) would arrive in October 1960. 50978 + 56261 depart for Toton in January 1961 while the remaining three sets moved there in December 1961 leaving the depot with no DMUs, the Bedford-Northampton services had reverted to steam operation.
When there was a proposal in mid-1960 to withdraw the passenger service from the line there was feelings that a lot of potential traffic had been lost due the teething troubles of the Park Royal Railbuses on the line.
Passenger figures/receipts for the Northampton - Bedford - Hitchin service can be found in the minutes of the LMR Diesel Trains Committee:
1958: September, October, November, December
1959: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1960: January, February, March
Passenger services were withdrawn from 5 March 1962 with the last running on Saturday 3rd[6].
Sample Timetables
The timetable was shared with Bedford - Hitchin.
2nd March 1959 to 14th June 1959
This measured 2 3/8" x 4 1/2" when folded.
2nd November 1959 to 12th June 1960
This measured 2 3/8" x 4 1/2" when folded.
13th June to 11th September 1960
This measured 2 7/16" x 4 1/2" when folded.
If you have any timetables that could be added here please get in touch.
Images
mid-September 1961
A two-car (blue square) Derby lightweight DMU (M50984 leading) with a Bedford - Northampton service in mid-September 1961 at Bedford. Note all the Bed-Pan sets in the sidings. Michael Mensing.
18th September 1961
A Bedford - Northampton service is seen at Oakley on 18 September 1961. Formed of a (blue square) Derby Lightweight DMU, the DMBS is Bletchley allocated M50984. Michael Mensing.
18th September 1961
A two-car blue square Derby Lightweight DMU led by M50984 is seen leaving Bedford Midland Road with the 10.03am to Northampton service on 18 September 1961. Michael Mensing.
18th September 1961
A (blue square) Derby Lightweight twin heading to Northampton is seen at Bedford on 18 September 1961. Michael Mensing.
References
- ⋏ p237 August 1959 Railway Observer
- ⋏ p368 October 1959 Railway Observer
- ⋏ p335 November 1959 Railway Observer
- ⋏ p10 January 1960 Railway Observer
- ⋏ p77 March 1960 Railway Observer
- ⋏ Decline and Closure: Bedford–Northampton line, Wikipedia, accessed 26 October 2022
The Railway Observer is the journal of the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society