3. Allocation of units being built at Derby
and by contractors
(a) Revised schedule of allocation attached as Appendix 'B'.
(b) Re-allocation of nine 2-car sets from L.M. to Scottish Region. Request has
been made to B.T.C. for Park Royal vehicles to be allocated to Scotland to avoid delay in completion of Manchester Part 1 scheme. Reply is still awaited but it is understood the reply will be that the L.M.R. will take nine sets from Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Company and, when Park Royal sets are delivered, these to be taken by L.M.R. and sets from Gloucester C.&.W.Company to be sent to Scotland. Mr.Gould sees no onjection to this arrangement.
(c) Revision of requirements of units for L.M.R. schemes. Mr.Gould stated that
this revision is well in hand but as from January 21st it has been found necessary to resume steam operation of the Silloth and Amlwch services in order to release diesel units for transfer to the Birmingham area as a temporary measure to relieve the serious difficulties with overcrowding in that area.
4. Fuel Oil Supplies
B.T.C. have been given unofficial intimation by the Ministry of Transport that we may be asked to defer up to June 1957 the introduction of diesel rail car services because the consumption of diesel fuel they involve is more than the country can spare during the present shortage and also because the services could be steam hauled. The Ministry see no reason why the restriction should affect any plans for the intensification of existing diesel passenger services to cope with additional traffic. B.T.C. have asked for recommendations as to the diesel passenger services which it is absolutely essential to introduce before the end of June and for which vehicles will be delivered in time, together with the estimated fuel consumption, month by month, both for rail cars and locomotives up to the end of June.
Noted that reply is being sent to B.T.C. that to cope with additional passenger traffic in the Birmingham area it has been found necessary to transfer three additional 2-car units there and these will be brought into service as from January 21st. To provide these units, two have been taken from the West Cumberland area and one from the North Wales area until further units are available. In the meantime the services on the Carlisle-Silloth and the Bangor-Almwch branches are being steam operated. The three 2-car units to be delivered in February will provide replacements for those sent to Birmingham and it is proposed to utilise all the other units delivered up to the end of June in the Manchester Part 1 and North Wales schemes.
