Building a DMU
Part Eight: Adding the Interior
Images seventy-three to eighty-two from the construction booklet are shown here. Only the first two show any construction, the others, and all the remaining images in the booklet, show completed vehicles.
"Saloon"
Negative 5C111
Nothing in the description about the vehicle type, but the solid wall in the vestibule through the doorway and the small bodyside windows at the end of the saloon shows we are looking towards the cab in a motor brake (either leading or intermediate). The hole in the end partition will hold a heater control. The formica panels have been fitted to the ceiling, it has a woodgrain pattern. Asbestos is visible on the walls. The wires dangling at cantrail level will go to the small lamps on the luggage racks. This vehicle has the heater ducting along the sides, on the later Ayrshire Class 126 vehicles this ducting was underneath the floor, the air coming through metal 'mushrooms' under the seats. This, and the next image, were taken on April 9, 1956.
"Saloon"
Negative 5C112
This is the same vehicle as the previous image, taken from the toilet end looking towards the cab. The center partition would not have a door, and the partition does not seem to be shown on the vehicle diagrams. It contains the wiring that ran from the lighting controls on the underframe to the lighting circuits in the ceiling. The cover can be seen sitting on the heater ducting to the right. Under each bodyside window there seems to be two (condensation) drainpipes on either side of the window (four per window). The large black 'mushroom' on the floor to the left is a heater air intake.
"Intermediate Brake Third (Vestibule - Driving End)"
Negative 5CR26
This, and the remainder of the images on this page, were taken on May 15, 1956. The hinged door on the left would go to the van, the sliding door on the right to the passenger saloon. Note the well varnished doors!
"Intermediate Brake Third (Vestibule - Lavatory End)"
Negative 5CR25
Taken from just inside the rear passenger saloon, the edge of a seat can just be seen on the right. The door facing is the gangway door, and would normally be open, the two side doors are the lavatories. Between the lavatory doors and the end of the vehicle are two 'cupboard' doors to access the pipework behind the lavatory.
"Intermediate Brake Third (Vestibule - Lavatory End)"
Negative 5CR24
The lavatories are to the right. On the lavatory wall, just to the right of the exterior door, is a 'cupboard' door to access the pipework behind the sink. These 79xxx series Inter-City vehicles had wooden skirting boards, on the later build Class 126s these would be formed from aluminium.
"Intermediate Brake Third (Lavatory)"
Negative 5CR23
These lavatories would probably be a very similar layout to standard coaches. A press release when the vehicles were new stated: "The lavatories have walls finished in an attractive design of Formica, mottled charcoal grey and white, which harmonises with the aluminium metal fittings. For the provision of hot water, Stones's electric water heaters are fitted."
"Intermediate Brake Third (Lavatory)"
Negative 5CR22
The sink is at an angle to allow pipework behind (accessible through a door in the vestibule). The 'pull shield' for the alarm chain is black.
"Intermediate Brake Third (Guard & Luggage Compartment)"
Negative 5CR21
The van, with the door on the right leading to the cab. Under the cab window is a seat which folds up to the right. The hatch under the windows would give access to the bulbs which illuminated the headcode. A handbrake in a guards van on a power car is unusual. The 'on' direction is shown as anti-clockwise; it is connected to another directly through the wall in the cab which is marked as clockwise for on. Beneath the handbrake the black brackets will hold a spare coupling.
"Intermediate Brake Third (Guard & Luggage Compartment)"
Negative 5CR20
The van layout was identical on the 5xxxx series Class 126 vehicles, probably only differing in the seat cover material and the heater controls. The later vehicles had through train control where all heaters on the train could be controlled from the van. These early sets had the original clockwork controls which would only control one heater, and the two black switches alongside controlled the power to them. The notice below states: 'Warning: Switches on heater control panels must be used when switching heaters off. Main switches must not be used for this purpose.' It meant that just killing the power to the heater would not allow it to run through its proper shut down procedure, where fuel is cut off killing the flame, while the motor continues running blowing air over the combustion chamber until it cools to an acceptable temberature and then turns off.