DMU Operations: London Midland Region

Manchester - Macclesfield Hibel Road

DMUs were introduced to these services from 6 October 1956, the same day as Manchester - Buxton services — the two sharing the same route from London Road to Stockport Edgeley.

A publicity brochure was issued for the introduction:

Derby Lightweight DMUs were used allocated to Longsight depot. The route taken was via Cheadle Hulme and Adlington. Services were mainly an hourly interval service, with some of the existing steam services to Stoke and Stafford retimed to fit into the interval service, and some of the steam services would now only make a Stockport stop between Macclesfield and Manchester, the DMUs providing a connection at Macclesfield for other intermediate stations.

Despite the October 1956 timetables covering the period to June 1957, a revised timetable was issued for the Hibel Road service effective 1st January 1957. It was now promoted as "Diesel and Steam Services" — perhaps a result of the national fuel oil crisis at the time requiring some services to revert to steam.

Blue Square DMUs would replace the Lighweights from the 17 June 1957 timetable.

Sample Timetables

8th October 1956 to 16th June 1957

4 7/8" x 6 1/2"

1st January to 16th June 1957

4 7/8" x 6 1/2"

17th June to 15th September 1957

Only cover shown