Class 120 Swindon 3-car DMUs

Parcel Use

In parcel use are former DMBCs M53703 + M53713 at Chester depot circa 1987. Surface Stock.

Beginning in 1985 some vehicles made surplus by the introduction of second generation vehicles entered parcel use for the London Midland (at Chester, Etches Park and Newton Heath depots) and Eastern (at Neville Hill and Cambridge depots) Regions.

Many more power cars with brake vans were used than those without, in almost all cases they became power twins. Conversions were limited to the removal of seats. Vehicle numbers in the 559xx parcels series were issued for some but these were never carried in traffic.

In all cases their existing blue/grey livery was kept, there was no consistency to the parcel branding added, some with square yellow/red Red Star stickers, others 'Express Parcels' lettering on the bodysides, one set had waist yellow/red stripes applied.

The last vehicles were withdrawn in June 1988.

For ease of describing the power car types I have used DMBC or DMBF in the text below to describe the brake vehicles — their original layout — they were probably declassified to a DMBS before conversion.

1985

The first vehicles converted were four former ScR brake vehicles which were allocated to Newton Heath. This ScR batch were built as seven sets, two of the other brakes were at CF and one withdrawn. Three of the NH vehicles were the DMBF conversions (the fourth conversion had been withdrawn) and while the larger van made little difference to the carrying capacity since all the seats would be removed in both types creating equal space, the extra set of double doors would speed up loading and unloading.

One source noted that the four vehicles 51783/5/6/7 (displaced by Class 142s) were expected to operate from Longsight depot^[1] alongside the Class 127s parcel sets, another noted that this would be at NH^[2], but it seems they were be transferred from passenger use to the Parcel Sector at Chester in October.

1986

Former ScR DMBF conversion 51786 is paired with Class 116 DMBS 53051 seen heading for the Red Star Parcels depot at Manchester Victoria on 22/3/86. Paul Moxon.

In January a Derby Etches Park formed 53704 + 59301 + 53692 was converted to parcel cars^[3][4]. This would be the only Class 120 centre car in parcel use.

On 21 February Chester vehicles 51783 + 51786 were noted working together while 51785 was paired with DMBS 53072, one of two parcel Class 116 DMBSs allocated to Chester^[3], the other being 53051. Another report from the same period notes the pairings of the six Chester vehicles slightly differently:^[4]
51783 + 51785
51786 + 53072
51787 + 53051

The vehicles appeared to have switched around again by the 19th March when 51783 + 51787 and 51786 + 53051 were noted in use, these having no other modifications other than the removal of seats and a Red Star sticker on each side^[5].

At Derby, the DMS 53692 and centre car 59301 from the 3-car parcel set were withdrawn on the 2nd March, the DMBC 53704 would be transfered to Chester a few weeks later where it would remain in parcel use. 53703, withdrawn from Etches Park in January, was reinstated in February as partner for 53704. Before they moved to Chester on the 23rd they apparently worked some passenger services from Bletchley depot^[6] — perhaps 53703 still had seats at this point?

53704 + 53703 attached to the rear of a Class 110 on a service train at Dewsbury, 6/6/86. Malcolm Clements.

Two other pairs — 53713 + 53714 and 53725 + 53729 — also withdrawn from Etches Park in January were also re-instated in February with one source noting that these would go to Chester as spares^[6]. The first set did move to Chester on February 23rd with 53703 + 53704, 53714 would become a spare but 53713 would become one of the Class 120 vehicles to remain in parcel use the longest.

What happened to the second pair 53725 + 53729 is less clear. They would have their reinstatement cancelled in March yet were noted around then in use as a power twin at Chester still with seats and with no external parcel markings. 53703 + 53704 also still had seats but did had Red star stickers. 51783 + 51787, 51785 + 53072 and 51786 + 53051 had seats removed and Red Star stickers.^[7]

In an interview circa April 1986 the LMR Parcels Operations Manager David McIntosh noted that the two Chester hybrids were formed this way as the ScR cars had the two sets of double doors which meant loading time was faster than a 116 twin would be. There was mention of the vehicles with the single double doors being replaced by Leyland-engined Class 104s and the three with the double doors (51783/5/7) being re-engined with Leylands due to the difficulty in getting AEC spares^[8].

Eastern Region

The success the LMR was having with the parcels conversions prompted the Eastern Region to follow suit. On 13 April two Newton Heath three-car sets from the third batch (one with a Met-Camm centre car) 51573 + 59108 + 51582 with 51581 + 59587 + 51585 were re-allocated to Cambridge for parcels use. They were noted that day being hauled by 25038 from Newton Heath to Darnal C&W shops where conversion work would be undertaken, they expected to begin work with the new timetable on 12 May^[9].

M51573 + M51582 at Leeds circa 1986. They still carry set number EP503 from their time at Etches Park depot. Ian Charles.

As was not unknown, it seems that plans changed. Four of these six vehicles (the non-brakes) were withdrawn on 27 April. On 18 May the remaining two, DMBCs 51573/81, were reallocated from Cambridge to Neville Hill, and the DMSs (51582/5) were reinstated to Neville Hill, giving the Leeds depot two pairs. 20025 + 20043 were noted hauling the four vehicles through Leeds station to Neville Hill depot on May 20^[10]. Unlike the LMR vehicles which just had a square Red Star sticker applied to them, the ER vehicles would have "Express Parcels" lettering applied to the lower bodysides.

Cambridge depot did not go without an allocation of Class 120 parcel vehicles at this time. Two DMBC vehicles (53725/9) that had been reinstated to Etches Park for parcel use in February only to have this cancelled were reinstated to Cambridge on 11 May and transferred to the Parcel Sector at CA on 6 July. Evidence suggests that these were only paper moves and no conversion work was done on the pair, they were transferred to Neville Hill on 27 July, stored at NL on 2 November and withdrawn on the 3rd May 1987. It was a similar story for 51579 + 53726, transferred from Newton Heath to Neville Hill on 11 May, on to Cambridge on the 18th (swapping for 51573/81), back at Neville Hill on 27 July and stored at 2 November, again without any actual use.

The ER moves from the three paragraphs above in date order were:

13 April 51573 + 59108 + 51582 with 51581 + 59587 + 51585 NH->CA
27 April 59108 + 51582 and 59587 + 51585 Withdrawn
11 May   53725 + 53729 Reinstated to Cambridge
         51579 + 53726 NH->NL
18 May   51573 + 51581 CA->NL
         51579 + 53726 NL->CA
         51582 + 51585 Reinstated to NL
27 July  53725 + 53729 and 51579 + 53726 CA->NL

Chester would also receive some additional vehicles that had been replaced with modern units during the summer timetable change. DMBCs 51574/5/80 and 53739 were all withdrawn from Newton Heath on 11 May then reinstated the following month and transferred to the Parcels Sector at Chester.

The Class 120 Parcels DMUs were now (mid-May 1986):

LMR                  ER      
51574 CH DMBC        51573 NL DMBC
51575 CH ""          51581 NL ""
51580 CH ""          51582 NL DMSL
51783 CH DMBF        51585 NL ""
51785 CH ""
51786 CH ""
51787 CH DMBC        53725 CA DMBC
53703 CH ""          53729 CA ""
53704 CH ""
53713 CH ""
53714 CH ""
53739 CH ""

Hauling

On the 17th May one of the 120/116 hybrids was noted at Pwllheli with two ballast wagons - it was unclear whether DMU had been hauling the wagons^[11]. It would not have been the first time a set had been used for traction, a few weeks earlier on the 9th April M51785 + M53072 were used to haul Officer's Saloon DM45029 in the Aberystwyth area due to a ban on locomotives working along the Cambrian Coast.

In June more vehicles withdrawn from passenger use at Newton Heath the previous month were reinstated with 51576/90 going to Cambridge on the 29th.

One diagram the parcel sets worked was a Leeds and Peterborough service scheduled to run from June 2 to July 4. It would depart Leeds at 06:00 as 3G70 and call at Grantham, Newark, Retford and Doncaster, arrive into Leeds at 08:47. A second diagram ran via Wakefield Westgate leaving at 19:35 and arriving at 22:31. On Saturdays it would run non-stop leaving Leeds at 21:00^[12]. It was not unknown for Chester parcel sets (including the 120/116 hybrids) to reach Peterborough.

The formations at this time were noted as:^[13]

LMR                   ER
51574 + 51580 CH      51573 + 51582 NL
51575 + 53739 CH      51581 + 51585 NL
51783 + 51787 CH
53703 + 53704 CH      51579 + 53726 CA
53713 + 53714 CH      53725 + 53729 CA
51785 + 53072 CH      (also at CA were 51576 + 51590)
51786 + 53051 CH

On 27 July 51573/82 were transferred from Neville Hill to Cambridge while DMBCs 53725/9 and 51579 + 53726 moved in the opposite direction. Cambridge now only had batch three vehicles, and for the first time a set that would actually be noted in use.

On 4 August the normally Class 120 worked evening Leeds-Manchester parcel service was operated by a Class 47 and one coach, on the 6th it was a worked by a Class 31^[14].

On 28 September the only inter-regional transfer of these parcel vehicles was made when Chester pair 51575 + 53739 moved to Neville Hill. They were noted being hauled into Neville Hill depot on 15 October by 31171.

Complete with Red Star Parcels logos, hybrid DPU M51786 (120) and M53051 (116) was stabled in Croft Street Sidings at Preston on October 12th 1986. Martyn Hilbert.

The allocation of the 22 vehicles was now:

LMR (10)           ER (12)
51574 CH DMBC      51575 NL DMBC
51580 CH ""        51579 NL ""
51783 CH "" *      51581 NL ""
51785 CH "" *      51585 NL DMSL
51786 CH "" *      53725 NL DMBC
51787 CH ""        53726 NL ""
53703 CH ""        53729 NL ""
53704 CH ""        53739 NL ""
53713 CH ""          
53714 CH ""        51573 CA DMBC
                   51576 CA ""
*DMBF              51582 CA DMSL
                   51590 CA ""

A Cambridge parcel diagram that ran in the Autumn involved newspaper trips from Kings Cross to Hitchin departures at 03:55 and 04:05^[15] - it is unknown whether the 120s worked these. The Eastern Region was now receiving Class 101 and Class 105 parcel vehicles. At the start of November Cambridge depot was noted as operating at least seven parcel, most carrying Express Parcels bodyside legend^[16]. The Class 120s noted were 51573 + 51582 and 51590 running with Class 105 DMBS 53363. The Cravens was never listed as being part of the Parcels Sector and still contained seats when sent for scrap.

Stored

On 2 November seven vehicles — 51581/5 and 53725/9 at Neville Hill and 51573/6/82 at Cambridge — were listed as stored. On 16 November the remaining vehicle at Cambridge, DMSL 51590, was withdrawn, and another Neville Hill pair (51579 + 53726) placed in store. This latter set was listed as withdrawn that day, but subsequently also later listed as withdrawn from store so it is presumed it was stored not withdrawn on 16 November.

The nine stored vehicles were the ones that were allocated numbers in the parcels series.

On 22 November Chester vehicles 53703/4 were noted at Allerton depot for tyre turning.^[17]

1987

Carrying yellow/red stripes 51575 + 53739 are seen at Peterborough on 24/2/87. The destination reads 'Express Parcels'. Andy Cole.

At the start of 1987 the Eastern Region has just one set remaining in traffic, and on 18 January that set formed of former Chester vehicles 51575 + 53739 moved from Neville Hill to Cambridge. As late as October 1986 they had carried no parcels markings, while they were at Cambridge they became the only Class 120 vehicles to carry the yellow/red waist stripes, they also had the "Express Parcels" lettering on the lower bodysides, red buffer beams and two red star stickers on each side, becoming the most decorated of all the Class 120 parcel fleet.

Circa May 51575 was noted working with Cravens parcel car 53365 while 53739 was attached to Class 114 DPU 53024 + 54001^[18]. The 105/120 hybrid seems to continue for a while, perhaps until 51575 was withdrawn - it was noted on the 14:20 Leeds-Liverpool parcel train on 18 June and on a parcel train at Whittlesford on 9 July (image on p87 of the Brian Morrison DMU book).

Five of the stored ER vehicles (51573/6/82 53725/9) and previously withdrawn 51590 were noted at Tinsley on 15 March along with many other DMU vehicles.^[19]

1987 was a year of withdrawals. First to go was in April was a Chester set and later in the month the Chester spare:

53704 DMBC  W 12/04/87 CH
53714 DMBC  W 12/04/87 CH

51574 DMBC  W 31/04/87 CH

At the start of May the nine stored ER vehicles were withdrawn:

51573 DMBC  W 03/05/87 CA
51576 DMBC  W 03/05/87 CA
51579 DMBS  W 03/05/87 NL
51581 DMBC  W 03/05/87 NL
51582 DMSL  W 03/05/87 CA
51585 DMSL  W 03/05/87 NL
53725 DMBC  W 03/05/87 NL
53726 DMBC  W 03/05/87 NL
53729 DMBC  W 03/05/87 NL

Of the above 51579/81/5 were noted at Darnall on 20 May (a popular location for boarding up of withdrawn vehicles containing asbestos) and at Tinsley Secondary Yard the same day were the same vehicles noted there as on 15 March. The only one of the nine ex-stored vehicles not noted was 53726, and all had their 559xx series numbers crudely applied.^[20][21]

51576 and 53729 moved from Tinsley to Vic Berry's at Leicester for disposal arriving on 5 June^[22]. Both were still there on 15 June as were 51585 and 53726, while 51579/81 were noted in the Mayer Newman scrapyard at Snailwell on 27 June.^[23]

M53703 at Crewe in August 1987. Still carrying its former Etches Park set number, it was now part of Chester set 301. Walter Burt.

More withdrawals:

51580 DMBC  W 31/05/87 CH

51575 DMBC  W 16/08/87 CA
53739 DMBC  W 16/08/87 CA
51787 DMBC  W 16/08/87 CH

51786 DMBF  W 06/09/87 CH

51783 DMBF  W 16/10/87 CH

51785 DMBF  W 25/10/87 CH

After all these withdrawals it left just one set allocated to Chester: 53073 + 53713.

1988

1988 would be the final year for the Class 120 DPUs. There was just one set in traffic and it would be seen regularly at Chester and and Crewe. By now they had a small set number 301 applied under the driver's cab window, in a smaller than normal size, possibly a set number. The EP set number was still carried under the left cab window.

M51575 at Snailwell on 15 May 1988. Surface Stock.

They would be withdrawn in June:

53703 DMBC  W 12/06/88 CH
53713 DMBC  W 12/06/88 CH

Despite being withdrawn, it was not the end for the pair as they saw further use based at Machynlleth shed for permanent way work and storage^[24]. They can be seen in the shed at Machynlleth in this image taken on 27 August.

They'd be at Vic Berry's by the end of the year for scrapping.

Liveries

None of the vehicles were repainted for parcel use, they all remained in their blue/grey livery and often retained the set numbers from their passenger days. The branding applied by the two regions differed.

The London Midland Region applied rectangular yellow/red/white Red Star stickers to most vehicles, either on the grey at the van area or the centre of the bodysides just under waist level. One vehicle (51786) had red buffer beams.

The Eastern Region didn't add these stickers but instead added 'Express Parcels' text in white on the bodyside. One set, Cambridge pair received yellow/red stripes at waist level, red buffers beams, a white with black lettering 'EXPRESS PARCELS' on the destination blind, 'MAX TAIL 40T' on the lower right of the cab front, and the red star stickers on front and rear of the bodyside grey.

The Red Star branding carried on 53703. Malcolm Clements.

51785 with lower bodyside logos. AndrewHA.

51582 + 51573 with Express Parcels branding. Andrew J Crowther.

Striped set 53739 + 51575. Brian Ward.

Many more images of vehicles in parcels use can be found in their own gallery.

Renumbering

Revised numbers were issued for the nine Eastern Regions vehicles that were in store, with a renumber date of 4 April.

The numbers were never carried in traffic, they were crudely applied by hand while stored. This application was necessary as the new numbers had been used on the tender list sent to scrap dealers.^[25]

55939 can just be seen applied above 51582. Taken at Ely on 4 July 1988 en route to Snailwell. Surface Stock.

References

1. ^⋏ p31 December 1985 Rail
2. ^⋏ p562 December 1985 Railway Observer
3. ^{⋏ a b} p186 April 1986 Railway Observer
4. ^{⋏ a b} p55 April 1986 Rail
5. ^⋏ p215 May 1986 Railway Observer
6. ^{⋏ a b} p55 May 1986 Rail
7. ^⋏ p262 June 1986 Railway Observer
8. ^⋏ p30 June 1986 Rail
9. ^⋏ p39 July 1986 Rail
10. ^⋏ p43 August 1986 Rail
11. ^⋏ p24 8/86 Rail
12. ^⋏ p49 8/86 Rail
13. ^⋏ p49 September 1986 Rail
14. ^⋏ p443 October 1986 Railway Observer
15. ^⋏ p30 October 1986 Rail
16. ^⋏ p49 February 1987 Rail
17. ^⋏ p62 February 1987 Railway Observer
18. ^⋏ p396 July 1987 Railway Observer
19. ^⋏ p49 June 1987 Rail
20. ^⋏ p339 August 1987 Railway Observer
21. ^⋏ p58 August 1987 Rail
22. ^⋏ p59 August 1987 Rail
23. ^⋏ p60 September 1987 Rail
24. ^⋏ p5 October 1988 Ten-Four, 104 DMU Preservation Group
25. ^⋏ p46 July 1987 Rail

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