(a) West Cumberland Scheme - Three vans now delivered and were being tried out on the Manchester Part 1 and Birmingham Part 1 schemes with the object of ascertaining whether better results could be obtained in these schemes than in the West Cumberland.
Mr.Gould said there had been a change in the traffic requirements in West Cumberland and he was looking further into the question of parcels vans in that area. He would supply Mr.Nicholls with the details of working to enable a re-appraisal of costings for running parcels vans in the West Cumberland area to be made.
(b) Manchester Part 2 scheme - Two vans authorised for inclusion in 1959 building programme.
(c) St.Pancras suburban scheme - Two vans included in scheme submitted to B.T.C. Authority had been given for the building of the passenger vehicles, but this did not include authority for the parcels vans, and Mr.Fiske will follow up with B.T.C. headquarters.
(6) Design of Standard Units of 57' Stock
(a) Coupling together of units - Noted that the position with regard to the inter-coupling of rail cars was that all cars being built at present would couple with each other but not with the inter-city sets which been or would be built in the future. In addition, there was a total of approximately 250 of the original cars (including 135 on the L.M.Region) which would not inter-couple an these were the first light alloy sets built at Derby and Metro-Cammell, and the first eight 2-car sets for the Bradford scheme.
The only variation to the above was the twenty 3-car Lea Valley sets with Rolls Royce engines and they would not couple with any of the above. Work was proceeding with a design for the inter-coupling of cars with Rolls Royce engines with other cars.
(7) Units out of service for Works attention
Mr.Gould reported that a departmental meeting has been held on July 16th. Approval of technical officers to the proposals would be required, after which a full report would be submitted.
