Class 103 Park Royal 2-car DMUs
Operations
All vehicles were allocated new to the London Midland Region and for almost all of the first decade they would mainly be based in the Birmingham area for Walsall services. Electrification saw them transferred to Chester at the start of 1967.
In the late 1950s to mid-1960s a few sets spent some time based at Watford to work the St Albans and Belmont branches.
Four sets were transferred to the Western Region in 1970, and worked in the Cardiff, Reading and Plymouth areas. These were withdrawn by the end of 1972.
The sets at Chester survived longer, some lasting until 1983.
1950s
The first deliveries went to Llandudno Junction to work on North Wales services until the Birmingham services were ready to begin. They would move to Ryecroft (in Walsall) in April / May 1958 where the remainder of the deliveries would be received.
On June 9th 1958 the Park Royal DMUs, along with other Blue Square types, replaced steam on local services in the Walsall area. The introduction was part of the "Birmingham Part Two" diesel scheme and was initially to steam timings.[1]
These services would be their core duties for almost ten years and they became a regular sight in Birmingham New Street, Lichfield, Coventry, Stafford, Rugby etc.
The image shows a Park Royal twin set arriving into Walsall station on May 30th, 1959. Michael Mensing.
Watford
In December 1958 four sets — 50409/11 from Ryecroft and 50413/4 from Toton — (with trailers) were transferred to Watford depot (1C) as substitutes for the ailing ACV railcars. 50409 / 56164 would be noted working the St Albans branch on the 13th.
The Class made their debut on the Harrow - Belmont line on the evening of 18th December 1958 when 50414 / 56169 were noted, and the DMUs would then monopolised the service.
From mid-November 1958 until at least Easter 1959 three sets were required on Sundays to operate a shuttle between Wembley and Harrow during track work on the electric line between North Wembley and Wembley. This meant that the ACV vehicles were back in action on the St.Albans branch. On the 24th March 1959 50413 failed before leaving the shed for the Belmont line, and a couple of ACV vehicles were quickly prepared to take it's place.
In January 1959 50409 returned to Ryecroft who sent 50412 in its place (both moves presumably with their regular trailers).
Easter Sunday 1959 saw 50408 & trailer work with two GRC&W sets on a W720 Walsall - Euston excursion.
Trouble with cracked bogie frames on the Park Royals at the end of 1959 caused an acute shortage of DMUs, resulting in the ACV vehicles re-appearing on the St Albans and Belmont branches. The unreliability of these meant that the services were often cancelled. No services ran between Harrow and Belmont after the morning of 23rd December until a Park Royal set returned on the 29th. Further problems just over a week later saw steam locos brought in. On the 12th January 1960, the only set left was 50413 / 56169, which was out of action, and by mid-Jan it was still steam operated, with ACVs as standby.
1960s
Set 50412 / 56167 was the first noted back on the Belmont branch, on the 13th February 1960, joined by 50414/56168 and 50413/56169 over the next couple of days.
Above: The timetable for the Watford - St Albans services from 10th September 1962, scans courtesy of Chris Bull.
In the image is a set in Belmont station circa 1964, the last remains of the former LNWR Stanmore Village branch. It still carries 3C on the buffer beams (Ryecroft depot) and has had the electrification flashes removed. John Law Collection.
The Belmont branch closed on the 5th October 1964, on the last day of the service on the 3rd M50413/56169 were in operation. A Watford set (the power car being M50411) spent a few weeks allocated to Bletchley depot at the end of 1964, the four sets Watford sets would depart in January, two to Ryecroft (50411/2) and two to Chester (50413/4).
These were not the first Park Royal sets to be allocated to Chester as M50409 (and an unknown trailer) had spend a few weeks there from October to December 1964.
In the winter of 1965 a set operating the last Up train from Barmouth to Machynlleth was misrouted at Dovey Jct into a siding. The set went through the buffers and the DTC M56168 sank into the bogland. It was recovered by crane the following day. More details and images can be found at www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7628.
The two Chester sets moved on to Monument Lane in September 1965 and then joined the rest of the fleet at Ryecroft in December, the Walsall depot now had all twenty sets.
Chester
In September 1966 two sets moved from Ryecroft to Chester, and at the start of 1967 the other eighteen sets followed when EMUs took over the local services between Rugby and Wolverhampton.
The sets would now be regulars in North Wales and the Cambrian Coast and would still work to the Midlands on Birmingham and Crewe workings from Chester.
The image shows M50395 at Llandudno Junction in 1968 paired with a Gloucester RC&W DTC. RW Carroll Collection.
1970s
In June 1970 Chester vehicles 50396 + 56162 were transferred to departmental use at the Derby Railway Technical Centre.
In early 1971 another Chester set (50397 + 56160) went into departmental use as a viaduct inspection unit.
Western Region
In May 1970 two sets (50413/56168 and 50414/56169) moved from Chester to the Western Region. They were initially allocated to Cardiff Canton and the two driving trailers stored. The two power cars formed set CTN100 and worked the Cymmer-Bridgend service to release regulars 55025/6 to provide extra power on Cardiff-Crewe services[2]. This was short lived and by the end of the month the Park Royals had been transferred to Reading.
Another two sets (50411/56166 and 50412/56167) moved from Chester to Reading in October. There the sets worked duties such as to Windsor & Eton and the Marlow service, these having an advantage for conductor-guard operation over the normal Pressed Steel single car plus trailer arrangement as they were gangwayed.
The image shows a Reading based set in Twyford station circa 1971, Henley on Thames is displayed on the destination blind. John Law.
Plymouth
In January 1972 two of the Reading sets (50413/56168 and 50414/56169) were transferred to Laira (Plymouth), the other two would be withdrawn in May. The Laira pair became sets P200 and P201 — the only Park Royal sets to have set numbers applied to the cab front.
They became regulars on the Kingswear-Paignton branch in its final year of operation, replacing two-car Class 118s, and would be withdrawn in December 1972 when the line was transferred to the Dart Valley Light Railway.
The images shows set P200 (presumably 50413 + 56168) at Kingswear with a Paignton service in May 1972. John Jarvis.
Chester accident
On the 8th May 1972 an oil train 'ran away' and crashed in Chester General station, causing a large fire. A Park Royal set (M50407/M56154) that was in an adjacent platform was damaged beyond repair and withdrawn.
The image shows a six-car DMU combo heading for Crewe, taken from Mythop Road bridge at Weeton looking north towards Blackpool on Saturday 9 October 1976. The formation contains three two-car sets, a 103/101 hybrid, a 108 and a 101. Ian 10B.
1980s
At the start of the 1980s, were were 11 power cars and 12 trailers still in passenger service at Chester.
In the image Class 103 and 101 DMUs call at Rhyl, North Wales, on 04/09/80 with the 13:41 Bangor-Manchester. Graeme Phillips Collection.
Trailer M56156, withdrawn from Chester in February 1981 would be the fifth vehicle to enter departmental use as a sandite vehicle.
Vehicles could on occasion be seen running as part of hybrid sets, particular in their later years. In their final months they still made almost daily appearances on the North Wales line from Chester to Rock Ferry, normally power cars with 101 trailers.
On the 20th November 1982 50409/56152 worked the 10:20 Chester - Manchester Victoria and 12:45 return, coupled to Class 101 set 51178/56335. 56151 was found working with Class 101 power car 51191, and awaiting disposal at Chester were 50398, 50400/2 and 56158/64. Found at the rear of the station was 50405 (not officially withdrawn), 56161 and Class 120 centre cars 59278/91.
The last two vehicles were withdrawn in February 1983 - power car 50409 and trailer car 56152.
References
- ⋏ Item 595 (2) Diesel Trains Committee (London Midland Region)
- ⋏ "Coaching Stock" p479 July 1970 Railway Observer (Railway Correspondence and Travel Society)