Class 110 BRC&W 3-car DMUs
Operations
The first batch, ordered in April 1959, was for the North Eastern Region, the first six sets were delivered to Darlington and the remainder to Bradford Hammerton Street. The second batch was for the LMR, delivered to Newton Heath in Manchester.
The sets were completed at the rate of one a week, they ran their first ex-works trials between Handsworth and Cleobury Mortimer[1] (where some of the official publicity photographs were taken). The were also noted as being tested along the Midland Division lines to Derby.
For the Bradford based sets, driver training took place over the Queensbury lines, much to the annoyance of the locals, as it had recently lost its passenger services. Performance tests showed an unladen set reaching 30mph in 45secs from a standing start on a 1 in 261 ruling gradient, 40mph in 70secs, 50mph in 124 secs, 60mph in 177 secs, and 70mph, the maximum allowed speed in 246secs. From a standing start on a 1 in 45 a speed of 25mph in third gear was reached in 42 secs.
Early outings included a trip from Penrith to Keswick on 23/9/61.
In October 1961 three Hammerton Street sets went on loan to Hull Botanic Gardens when their Cravens fleet was withdrawn for axle exams. They were returned in December.
The Darlington sets, which been used on services such as to Whitby, were transferred to Hammerton Street in December 1961, and Hammerton Street then sent five sets on loan to Newton Heath for a few weeks until the completion of the LMR deliveries.
Calder Valley Services Begin
The 1st January 1962 saw the sets enter service, mainly centering around the Sowerby Bridge - Manchester line. Destinations included Leeds Central, Bradford Exchange, Manchester Victoria, Liverpool Exchange, Blackpool Central, Southport Chapel Street, York and Wakefield. The sets replaced all but two weekday steam turns, both of them in the small hours, as on Sundays all but a single Liverpool - York service running via Bolton, Heywood and Rochdale.
The biggest improvement on introduction was the combination of Leeds and Bradford portions, doing away with the need to split and combine trains at Low Moor. Including the extra run via Bradford this cut the fastest journey time (the 16:06 from Leeds) from 90mins to 82 mins for the 50 miles. An hourly interval service was introduced, leaving Leeds at 6 mins past the hour from 09:06 to 21:06, and Manchester at 25 min past the hour from 09:25 to 21:25. Seven trains ran to/from Liverpool, and the majority were extended past Leeds to/from Harrogate.
On the Normanton route, better connections at Sowerby Bridge with Leeds allowed the through trains from York and Liverpool to be reduced. The fastest York - Manchester timings over the Calder Valley were reduced from 2hr 6 min to 1 hr 51 min (by the mid-'80s this journey time had crept up to 2 hr 35 mins!)
The sets increased power allowed many other steam timings to be cut. The 10 1/2 mile section from Manchester to Rochdale was cut from 18 min to 14 min, which included a 1 in 59 - 151 from a standing start up Cheetham Hill and then climbing all the way with a peak of 1 in 63. However the most noticeable reductions were in the Sowerby Bridge to Bradford sections, which included sections of 1 in 156 and 118, with a short, sharp 1 in 91 on the climb up from Milner Royd Jct. The timings were cut from 30 to 20 min, giving a net reduction of 16 min over steam timings, after allowing for the removal of the 4 min pause at Low Moor to detach the Leeds portion.
In the image the set is working the 2.04pm to Manchester (Victoria) via Rochdale waits to depart from York on June 19th, 1962. DMBC M52070 is at the front, allocated to 26A. Michael Mensing.
Differences in operating procedures between the Regions when new caused a few problems. The NER allocated a set of keys and driving controls to each set which the driver was to leave in the cab in the special storage bracket. The LMR allocated keys and driving controls to drivers which had to stay with them at all times. In situations when NER drivers took over from LMR men they were left with no controls, resulting in cancellations or delays while another set was found. After several months the LMR changed their procedure, leaving keys with the units.
Temporary Withdrawal
A series of fires culminating with one at Sowerby Bridge on 13 January 1963 resulted in the whole fleet being temporarily withdrawn on 18 January 1963. Substitute sets were borrowed from the Darlington and Newcastle areas (although no moves seen to have been recorded in allocation changes), and steam took over Bradford–Blackpool, Bradford–Stockport, York and Halifax–Manchester and certain Bradford–Penistone services[2]. When the sets returned to traffic does not seem to have been recorded so it was presumably soon after.
Excursions
When introduced, booked diagrams took the sets as far afield as Liverpool, Southport and Blackpool, but as the years went by they were to become even more widely travelled, regularly reaching Morecambe, Sheffield, Doncaster, Hull, the East Coast resorts, and even the North East.
A nine-car formation (three three-car sets) worked a Bradford Exchange - Scarborough excursion on Saturday 21st September 1963[3]. One set would regularly work the 07:35 York to Blackpool North over Copy Pit and a regular Sunday turn for a Newton Heath set in the early '60s included a Church Fenton - York - Market Weighton - Bridlington train. In the early 1970s there was a Bradford - Blackpool North working which included a Met-Camm buffet car. In the late '70s there was a Class 110 diagram along the GN&GE Joint line from Doncaster to Cambridge.
The units operated the West Riding - Blackpool and Southport services when these were reintroduced after withdrawal, while through Liverpool workings were gradually wound down, with only one remaining in the mid-'80s. Services on the Normanton route to/from York were withdrawn in May 1970.
In the mid 1970s several sets had an additional trailer, from Class 104s, for a short spell. The image shows an example of this, the third vehicle being a Class 104 trailer identifiable by the lack of window frames. The formation is seen at Dringhouses, York, on the 8th August 1974, led by DMCL E51845. 53A Models of Hull Collection.
1980s
In the early 1980s the West Yorkshire PTE adopted a policy of reducing sets to two-cars wherever possible to meet public transport spending limitations imposed by Parliament. Services required only nine 3-car sets for peak workings, and so eighteen trailers were withdrawn in 1983, leaving ten 3-car sets. The trailers were scrapped, despite some having been recently refurbished, which attracted a lot of criticism, although asbestos insulation meant they had a limited life anyway. The first three withdrawn on 9/1/83 (unrefurbished 59695/702/808) were immediately replaced by Met-Camm trailers 59570-2. The remaining fifteen, all refurbished, were withdrawn in Oct. 83, at the same time the Met-Camm trailers were transferred to the LMR. Many of the trailers were stored at Hammerton St. for several months before scrapping.
The majority of the 2-car turns began on 3 October 1983 and these could also be found on diagrams that should have been a 3-car set, resulting in serious overcrowding, and it was not unknown for passengers to use the drivers cab as the only way out! In the Summer of '84 the problem got so bad that 2x2 car sets had to be used on Saturdays when a 3-car set was not available. The remaining trailers were there to stay, and began receiving body overhauls with 59710 being the first outshopped from Doncaster on 30th January 1985.
Pictured is one of the 2-car sets at Ilkley on 10/10/85, formed of E51841 and E52075. Malcolm Clements.
Before the trailers were withdrawn there were 19 diagrams for 28 units. By 1985 this had fallen to 7 diagrams for the 3-car sets. The other 18 2-car sets were included in a pool of Met-Camm and Derby 600hp and Met-Camm 720hp units, with no distinction between different types for diagramming purposes, so they shared the same duties. In addition to the Calder Valley route, these included Leeds to Manchester via Diggle, Leeds - Hull / Ilkley / Harrogate / Morecambe, Sheffield - York / Huddersfield - Doncaster, and Leeds to Preston, with a fill- turn between Preston and Colne.
Seventeen weekday Calder Valley trains were included in the seven 3-car diagrams, which was about 50% of the service. Eighteen trains on Saturday and six on Sundays were covered. Some examples of 1985 diagrams included:-
| Neville Hill No. 50 diagram | 05:25 Depart Depot |
| (430 miles) | 06:50 Leeds - Manchester |
| 08:58 Manchester - York | |
| 11:34 York - Manchester | |
| 14:58 Manchester - York | |
| 17:32 York - Manchester | |
| 20:18 Manchester - Leeds | |
| 22:00 Leeds - Bradford | |
| 22:44 Bradford - Leeds then depot for refuelling. | |
| Neville Hill No. 52 diagram | 05:29 Depart Depot |
| 05:50 Leeds - Selby | |
| 06:38 Selby - York | |
| 07:35 ecs Leeds - Gascoigne Wood | |
| 07:58 ecs Gascoigne Wood - Garnforth | |
| 08:20 Garnforth - Leeds | |
| 08:37 Leeds - Morecambe | |
| 12:08 Morecambe - Leeds then refuelling (220 miles) | |
| 16:50 Depart Depot | |
| 17:20 Leeds - Hull | |
| 21:23 Hull - Doncaster |
In December 1984 a disastrous fire in Summit Tunnel disrupted Calder Valley services and required Class 110 diagrams to be extensively ammended. Generally, the sets worked between York and Todmorden, with Newton Heath sets of various types used on the Lancashire side of the blockage, although there was the occasional Class 110.
It wasn't until May 1984 till the sets had drastic changes to their operating pattern. All services were extended to York, except a few peak hour and evening trains, and the Blackpool workings were withdrawn. Two new stations, Mills Hill and Smithy Bridge saw timings extended by 3 mins (up) and 6 mins (down). This month also saw the close of Bradford Hammerton St. depot. Many had been allocated there since new, and all had been moved there by 1980. The sets were transferred to Leeds Neville Hill, along with most of the staff.
A class 110 unit approaches Holgate with 1710 York to Huddersfield with a class 108 on 2T19 1711 York to Doncaster in pursuit. 7th May 1985. Bruce Galloway.
There was a lot of pressure from the WYPTE to downgrade the power cars to one engine only, as had been trialed on a Class 104 and implemented on the Class 111s. They believed that the effect on timings would have been marginal, but this was resisted as in reality it could have added 20 mins to a Manchester - York journey due to the nature of the line through the Calder Valley. The mid 1980s also saw Class 110s, amongst others, taken off their diagrams, often at short notice, to deputise for Class 141s which were experiencing prolonged teething problems.
London/parcels
In September 1986 51812 + 59697 + 51842 was noted in use as a parcel unit - it reached London Kings Cross on September 1 and then worked between York, Leeds and Peterborough until the 5th.[4]
At the end of 1987 sets were noted being loco-hauled on service trains. On 16/11/87 37098 hauled 52075/52084 on 2G18 1017 Sheffield-Leeds via Barnsley. The next day on 17/11/87 47116 hauled 51812/59069/51842 + 52060/52069 on 2G23 1243 Leeds-Sheffield via Barnsley and 2G36 1642 Sheffield-Leeds via Barnsley[5]. An unusual sight circa September 1987 was a two-car set in London Liverpool Street station.
The class made rare visits to Scarborough. In the '88/'89 period some trailers worked on the ScR & WR. 59694/709/812 had a spell at CF before two moved to NH. The other, 59709, was burnt out after being temporarily stored with other units near Abercynon, South Wales. 59696/7/701/810/7 were allocated to ED & HA, and worked with 101 or 101/108 power cars.
Decline
The 1974 National Traction Plan showed the units as continuing in service until 1991 or beyond, however this was superseded by the £360 million investment programme aimed at replacing first generation units by 1990. Because of the way the Rolls-Royce engines were fitted to the underframes, it meant that they couldn't easily be removed by fork lift as with other types, but needed a drop pit. The ER only had two DMU depots with these (Neville Hill and Botanic Gardens) so there was no real chance of transfer.
First cars to be withdrawn were 51821/59706/51837 on 9 November 1963, all noted as being due to the Sowerby Bridge fire on 13/1/63[6]. Another souce[7] notes that the three withdrawals were due to three separate incidents: one power car in the Sowerby Bridge fire which would be stripped of usable spares by Hammerton Street staff at Sowerby Bridge shed; E59706 catching fire on Hammerton Street depot with the depot foreman risking his life uncoupling them from the power cars either side; and the other power car in an unknown incident. To add to the mystery over these three, all three were noted as cut at Sowerby Bridge yet Rolling Stock Library Ledger FG07 shows the three vehicles as condemned at York Works circa December 1963 and scrapped at the works in April 1964[8].
52074/59705 were involved in another major fire at Bescar Lane on 9/5/71, and withdrawn the following month. Moved to Hammerton St, they were cut up there in July 1972. This left 28 complete sets and one spare DMC. The cost of refurbishment of a spare power car could not be justified, so the one in the worst condition at the time, 51848, was withdrawn. On 9/1/83 the three unrefurbished centre cars were withdrawn, followed by fifteen refurbished ones later in the year, with many stored at Hammerton St for long periods before scrapping.
The remaining vehicles continued on until power cars started being withdrawn in 1986 (3 vehicles), 1987 saw 19 power cars go, and 1988 saw a smaller loss of just 3 vehicles. The following year saw the trailer cars starting to go as well, 1989 seeing a loss of 14 vehicles, with the remaining 22 vehicles withdrawn in 1990 except one trailer which lingered into 1991. These figure's don't include four vehicles that were transferred to Sandite use.
Pictured is E51834 awaiting it's fate at Snailwell on August 31st, 1990 Mac Winfield.
References
- ⋏ Motive Power Miscellany, p141 February 1962 Modern Railways
- ⋏ p208 March 1963 Modern Railways
- ⋏ p107 BR DMUs and Diesel Railcars, Brian Morrison
- ⋏ "Traction Talk" p50 November 1986 Rail magazine
- ⋏ email Richard Rooker to Stuart Mackay 1/1/21
- ⋏ p107, April 1965 Railway Observer (Railway Correspondence and Travel Society)
- ⋏ "The Calder Valley DMUs" by Stephen Chapman, p344 July 1985 Railway World
- ⋏ email John Hall to Stuart Mackay 18 August 2022