DMU Operations: Scottish Region
Grangemouth - Falkirk and Larbert
DMUs had been introduced to these services by the June 1960 timetable. Initially twin sets were used, normally the GRC&W type allocated to Leith Central depot. Railbuses were used from February 1967 when AC Cars vehicles 79977 and 79978 were allocated to Grangemouth depot. Park Royal railbus M79971 would also regularly work the service.
Services were officially withdrawn on Monday 29 January 1968 with the last trains running on Saturday 27th. On that day a DMU last day special ran, the five-car Met-Camm formation had a vehicle in blue with small yellow panel at one end and one with yellow cab doors at the other.
Sample Timetables
In the Passenger Services Scotland books they were included in the Edinburgh - Glasgow via Falkirk timetables.
13th June to 11th September 1960
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 18 (1.5 mb pdf).
12th September 1960 to 11th June 1961
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 18 (1 mb pdf).
12th June to 10th September 1961
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 18 (1.7 mb pdf).
11th September 1961 to 17th June 1962
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 18 (1 mb pdf).
18th June to 9th September, 1962
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 19 (1.5 mb pdf).
10th September 1962 to 16th June 1963
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 19 (1.3 mb pdf).
17th June to 8th September 1963
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 20 (1.6 mb pdf).
9th September 1963 to 14th June 1964
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 20 (1.5 mb pdf).
15th June to 6th September 1964
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 20 (1.6 mb pdf).
7 September, 1964 to 13 June, 1965
In the Passenger Services Scotland timetable it was Table 20 (1.4 mb pdf).
Images
Unknown date
A Gloucester twin DMU in Grangemouth station, date unknown. John Horne Collection.
Unknown date
A damaged print showing a GRC&W twin set in Grangemouth station, circa early/mid-1960s. Stuart Mackay Collection.
1967
An AC Cars railbus in Grangemouth station in 1967. The KDH Archive.
circa 1967
Two railbuses in Grangemouth station, circa 1967. The dent on the Park Royal identifies it as 79971, the AC Cars vehicles is probably 79978, its partner on the branch ('77) had a yellow panel before leaving the Western Region. AndrewHA Collection.
30th December 1967
Falkirk Grahamston on 30/12/1967 with AC Railbus W79977 awaiting departure for Grangemouth. John Clark.
Unknown date
M79971 at Grangemouth. Undated, but it between January 1966 and withdrawal in February 1968. It carried the M prefix will the end despite being transferred to the ScR in 1960. Stuart Rankin.
circa January 1968
Park Royal railbus M79971 in Falkirk Grahamston station, circa January 1968, presumably on a service to or from Grangemouth. Stuart Rankin.
Unknown date
M79971 in Falkirk Grahamston station circa January 1968, presumably on a service to or from Grangemouth. Stuart Rankin.
Unknown date
M79971 in Falkirk Grahamston station circa January 1968, presumably on a service to or from Grangemouth. Stuart Rankin.
Unknown date
M79971 in Falkirk Grahamston station circa January 1968, presumably on a service to or from Grangemouth. Stuart Rankin.
6th January 1968
Park Royal railbus M79971 is seen in Grangemouth station on January 6th, 1968. WS Sellar.
6th January 1968
Park Royal railbus M79971 in Grangemouth station on January 6th, 1968. WS Sellar.
6th January 1968
Park Royal railbus M79971 in Grangemouth station on January 6th, 1968. WS Sellar.
20th January 1968
AC Cars railbus W79977 at Larbert on 20 January 1968. It would be withdrawn two weeks later, just after the passenger services to Grangemouth ended. It was one of only two of the five vehicles to have a yellow panel on the cab fronts, slightly narrower than the one 79979. It was also easy to tell them apart as this one had a white roof dome. Stuart Mackay Collection.
27th January 1968
The final day - 27th January 1968, and W79978 waits in Grangemouth station, and it would be the last railbus to operate in BR service. Hamish Stevenson Collection.