Class 123 Swindon 4-car DMUs

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Operations

The sets were originally designed for a through South Coast - Wales service, and initially consideration was given to building them with diesel electric transmission. Plans for a through service from Brighton were abandoned because of the Southern Region's resistance to DMUs, but they did manage to make it to Portsmouth on services from Cardiff and Bristol.

Initially working from Cardiff, they would move to Reading in 1968 and after a brief spell back at Cardiff they were integrated with the Class 124s at Hull on Trans-Pennine services.

The Cardiff Years Part One 1963 - 1968

They were all delivered to Cardiff Canton depot between February and June 1963. They were introduced on services between Swansea, Cardiff, Birmingham, Derby, Sheffield and Crewe, and also on the Cardiff to Bristol route.

The image shows W52088 on the rear of the 12.15pm Cardiff General - Derby during the Birmingham New Street stop on April 20, 1963. The other power car was noted as W52098, and that it was coupled to a three-car Cross-Country set. Michael Mensing.

Rick Squirrell notes: "As delivered these were given numbers 511 - 520. I first encountered 2 of these distinctive sets at Portsmouth Harbour on a Cardiff working when they were brand new; they looked very important alongside the green and plain blue of the electrics."

Cardiff Diagrams

These show us that they were no longer booked to work the services to the Midlands after June 1965. The June 1964 to March 1967 diagrams are courtesy of Mark Alden.

9th September 1963 to 14th June 1964 15th June 1964 to 6th September 1964 7th September 1964 to 13th June 1965 14th June 1965 to 5th September 1965 6th September 1965 to 17th April 1966 18th April 1966 to 5th March 1967

After June 1965 most of the workings were between Cardiff, Portsmouth and Bristol, with the odd turns to places like Weymouth and Salisbury. The image shows a set in third-rail territory, departing from Portsmouth & Southsea (High Level) towards Harbour station in 1965. Steve Davies Collection.

In 1965 some vehicles (52098 / 59825 / 59829 / 52094) sustained what appears to be side-swipe damage, although details of the cause is unknown. They were noted awaiting repair in Swindon Works on June 14th.

Testbed

In July 1967 the British Railways Board approved practical testing of a Rolls-Royce Dart gas-turbine engine on a Class 123. The engine and transmission were to be supplied at Rolls-Royce expense. This class was selected because of its B4 bogies, although it was mentioned that when ready in early 1968 that it would not run at speeds higher than 100 mph. No further information can be traced on this, so we assume that the project was abandoned at an early stage.

The Reading Years 1968 - 1976

Displacement saw them transferred from Cardiff to Reading depot in early 1968 for working "outer-suburban" services out of Paddington to Oxford and Newbury. The first five vehicles moved in February, the rest followed in April.

From the summer 1968 timetable on May 6th three rakes (each with two four-cars) took over peak hour services which had previously been loco-hauled:
06:17 Reading - Newbury
07:02 Newburry - Paddington
07:45 Henley-on-Thames - Paddington
08:12 Henley-on-Thames - Paddington
09:03 Paddington - Southall (where the formation remained till 16:42)
08:41 Paddington - Oxford
11:18 Paddington - Didcot
11:35 Oxford - Paddington
13:07 Paddington - Southall (where the formation remained till 17:21)
14:25 Paddington - Oxford
16:06 Paddington - Reading
17:08 Reading - Paddington
17:18 Paddington - Henley-on-Thames)
17:55 Paddington - Hungerford
18:18 Paddington - Henley-on-Thames
19:25 Hungerford - Reading

The three sets worked back to Reading each night. The following week, from the 13th, the 08:12 ex-Henley-on-Thames and the 18:18 to Henley-on-Thames would normally become a ten-car formation. To give extra space to stable the sets at Reading Triangle Sidings three additional roads were added, each being able to hold two four-car sets, with alterations being made to the layout near the fuelling point.

Set numbers were allocated to the ten sets, but did not remain static:
506 / L701 : 52086 + 59236 + 59818 + 52101
507 / L702 : 52087 + 59235 + 59820 + 52103
508 / L703 : 52088 + 59819 + 59822 + 52099
509 / L704 : 52089 + 59827 + 59832 + 52104 *
510 / L705 : 52090 + 59239 + 59826 + 52100
511 / L706 : 52091 + 59823 + 59829 + 52098 *
512 / L707 : 52092 + 59238 + 59830 + 52097 *
513 / L708 : 52093 + 59825 + 59828 + 52105 *
514 / L709 : 52094 + 59821 + 59824 + 52102
525 / L710 : 52095 + 59237 + 59831 + 52096 *
* buffet car sets^[1]

The image shows a four-car set at Newbury, circa late 1960s. Graham Clark.

Rick Squirrell: "Upon transfer from Cardiff to London (Reading) they soon became L701 - L710 (many years later that series was re-used for class 104 sets running from Old Oak Common ). While on the Western Region the sets stayed more or less in correct formation which was:
511 / L701 : 52086 + 59818 + 59235 + 52096
512 / L702 : 52087 + 59819 + 59236 + 52097
513 / L703 : 52088 + 59820 + 59237 + 52098
514 / L704 : 52089 + 59821 + 59238 + 52099
515 / L705 : 52090 + 59822 + 59239 + 52100
516 / L706 : 52091 + 59823 + 59828 + 52101
517 / L707 : 52092 + 59824 + 59829 + 52102
518 / L708 : 52093 + 59825 + 59830 + 52103
519 / L709 : 52094 + 59826 + 59831 + 52104
520 / L710 : 52095 + 59827 + 59832 + 52105"

Rick adds: "These units carried bodyside destination boards for a few years - a feature of WR loco-hauled expresses at the time. Clearly they wanted the DMU sets to look like and have the same feel as their hydraulic-hauled expresses! A yellow board (about 18" square) was clipped to the lower panels midway along each driving car (not the trailers so far as I recall) with black lettering proclaiming PADDINGTON OXFORD or PADDINGTON NEWBURY with one name above the other. Special clips were fitted to the bodysides for these boards which were later removed. Pictures of them in service with those boards seem to be rather elusive however!"

Buffets No More

The five buffet cars were put into store at Old Oak Common in April 1970 and would be withdrawn that August. Two saw further use, 59828 becoming a departmental mess van, 59831 was converted to run in a Class 309 EMU set after accident damage left set 309 616 without a griddle car. Renumbered 69108, it was withdrawn again in April 1981 after it too received accident damage.

Rick Squirrell: "Upon withdrawal of the buffet cars L706 - L710 lost 59828 - 59832 to become 3-car sets. It was not uncommon to see odd cars coupled with a complete set to form a train of the required length. I have records of two 3-car sets coupled, of a 4-car coupled with two coaches from another to form a 6-car, and of two three-cars units plus two cars from a 4-car unit coupled between them to form an eight car train. Another formation noted was two 3-cars coupled with an odd driving motor (DMSK) to form a seven car train. But despite these oddities the sets tended to stay correct and were remarshalled correctly after being split."

In 1970 there was a Saturdays Only 08:50 Paddington-Minehead service, on which could be found a ten-car formation, such as on 18 July 1970 (a 3-car, 4-car and another 3-car)^[2].

On April 12, 1971 (Easter Monday) 52101+59818+59236+52086 / 52088+59819+52099 / 52095+59822+52096 formed a 09:05 Paddington - Plymouth footex (Fulham v Plymouth), returning from Plymouth at 18:15, the headcode was 1Z35 in both directions.

On 16th April 1972 set L713 (W52093 + W59237 + W59821 + W52105) worked the Locomotive Club of Great Britain 'The Somerset Quarryman' railtour. Starting in Paddington the stops included Swindon Town, Radstock West, Frome, Cranmore, Merehead Quarry, Witham, Yeovil Junction, Andover Junction and Ludgershall (pictured). John Law.

The next image shows a set at Paddington on September 5th 1972. John Reddyhoff.

On Saturday 8th June 1974 a 1Z15 08.35 Paddington - Exeter working was noted formed of a 10-car formation consisting of:-
L715 W52095+59822+52096
L709 W52104+59827+52089
L712 W52092+59820+59238+52097

Rick Squirrell: "One of the less common (and less popular) workings was the evening Paddington - Bourne End train which should have been 8-car Inter City stock, 7 after the buffet was withdrawn, but was very often a 4-car 123 coupled with a 3-car 117. I have noted this on one occasion formed of 3-car 123, a Class 121 bubble car and a 3-car 117."

The Cardiff Years Part Two 1976 - 1978

On February 28th, 1976 the remaining 35 vehicles were transferred back to Cardiff Canton depot. There some received C prefixes to the set numbers, and they would work secondary services from South Wales such as to Bristol.

Beginning May 3 1976 they took over the remaining loco-hauled passenger duties on the Cardiff Central-Crewe line^[3]. The image is a London Midland Region publicity photograph showing two sets at Whitchurch.

It was thought that the higher power of these sets would aid punctuality on this Western Region North and West Border Counties route from South Wales via Hereford and Shrewsbury as they would be able to make up time after the common delays of waiting for scheduled connections a the various junctions on the route^[5]. They shared the duties with the Cross-Country Class 120s which had dominated the services for the past few years^[6].

By July locos were noted on some of these Cardiff-Crewe services^[7]. By December most trains had revered to being loco-hauled using four Mk1s and various types of locomotives^[8].

Sixteen vehicles were placed into store in December 1976, and a further three in January 1977. Storage was at Canton and Barry.

In the image C712 is one of many Class 123 sets seen at Cardiff Canton depot on the 12th February 1977. 52097 is nearest the camera. Jerry Glover.

DMS 52101 would be the first power car to be withdrawn, from Cardiff circa May 1977. It had beed noted in Swindon Works earlier in the year, along with TCK 59818, (both from set C706) the power car having suffered fire damage. At the start of 1977 just C708, C712 and C713 remained in use, mainly on services from Cardiff to Cheltenham.^[9] In March C708 was noted at the Derby Research Centre, with 711 brought from store to take its place, although it was soon out of action with a gearbox failure.^[10]

The Hull Years 1977 - 1984

In April 1977 the Eastern Region Chief Passenger Manager saw the opportunity to improve the level of comfort on his Trans-Pennine services by integrating the Class 123s with the Class 124s and approached the regional CM&EE. At the time there was a rolling stock rationalisation going on, and this would concentrate the two similarly engined classes in one place.

Agreement was reached in May 1977 and on the 3rd June (with a transfer date of 5th June) the first three-car set, W52092 + W59820 + W52097 (712) arrived at Hull Botanic Gardens where the Class 124s were based. Two more three-car sets would arrive the next week (711 on the 15th, 713 on the 16th). The Eastern Region seemed to prefer the Trailer Composites (compartment stock) for centre cars, which these first three sets had.

At this time sets 707/9/14/5 and 52086 from set 706 remained in store at Ninian Park Sidings at Cardiff, while set 710 was under repair. The five Trailer Seconds (open stock) were also transferred from Canton to the Eastern Region in June 1977, four (59235-8) arriving at Hull on 22nd June and 59239 on 27th June.^[10] They would be placed in store at Lincoln. Set 708 remained listed as stored at the Derby RTC until April 1978.

It was thought that Hull would use five sets in traffic, the remainder to be used as a source of spares.

That year saw the last of the through Hull to Liverpool workings, and the sets settled in to working the "South Trans-Pennine" route from Hull - Doncaster - Sheffield - Manchester, and occasionally to Leeds.

The image shows a set at Manchester Piccadilly in 1978. Botanic Gardens did not use set numbers, and their former Cardiff / Reading set numbers would be left on the power cars, C708 in this case. Malcolm Clements.

Twelve four-car diagrams were subsequently introduced, and although resisted initially, the classes were mixed as required to form Class 123 / 124 hybrid sets.

No more vehicles arrived at Hull in 1977, but throughout 1978 there were many moves and re-instatements from store, and by the 1st January 1979 Botanic Gardens had thirty-one Class 123 vehicles listed as available for traffic. Six of the type had been withdrawn to date (five buffets and one power car) and the other three were in store at Lincoln and Botanic Gardens. One of these (power car 52086) was withdrawn in April 1979, the other two would be re-instated in May 1979, the last allocation changes until 1984.

Allistair Taylor was an electrician at Hull BG whilst the Trans-Pennines and the 123s where based there, and recalls: "When the 123 units came to Hull they quickly became know as Mini-Pennines. An attempt was made to keep them in sets, but due to the high mileage's they began to cover it became nigh impossible to keep them that way, mainly due to engine and gear box troubles. So they soon became a common fleet with some very odd combinations (DMBS, TFK, MBSL, DMBS) and one occasion of no first class. At one period a set of trailer cars was made up with a BG for a brake and used on Hull - Goole services."

The image shows set E52090 + E59819 + E59838 + E52096 at Morecombe Promenade on the 27th August 1982 after arriving from Leeds. Robert Frise.

The Final Year - 1984

All the remaining (thirty-three) Class 123 vehicles were withdrawn in 1984, a handful between February to April, most in May, the final eight (all DMSKs) in August.

In May 1984 the Trans-Pennine services went over to loco-hauled trains, meaning withdrawal of the DMUs. On the 4th May E52089 was the last vehicle to undergo an engine/gearbox change, only ten days before scheduled withdrawal. E52098 and E52100 were the two power cars on the last booked working on the 13th, however the final working was E52090 and E52096 on an additional booking, the 06.35 Cleethorpes to Doncaster on Monday 14th May.

52088 is closest in the image showing a four-car set at Doncaster on 20th April 1984. Andy Cole.

Allistair Taylor: "Upon withdrawal in May, nine two-car sets where made up to cover for the "wonderful" 141s. This comprised the remaining 123 DMBSs and a 124 DMC, which if memory serves had been de-classified. The units where kept at BG for a while and some where moved to Hull Dairycoates until around October 1984. They were then moved to Darnel to join many other units that were under going component recovery."

The recovered engines were sent to Bletchley for use on the Marylebone Class 115s.

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References

1. ^⋏ p265 July 1968 Railway Observer
2. ^⋏ Photo by Hugh Ballantyne, p64 "The Heyday of the DMU" by Alan Butcher (Ian Allan, 1994)
3. ^⋏ Traffic Report, p203 May 1976 "Modern Railways" (Ian Allan)
4. ^⋏ The Coaching Stock of British Railways 1976, P Mallaband & LJ Bowles, RCTS
5. ^⋏ Western Region news, p283 July 1976 "Modern Railways" (Ian Allan)
6. ^⋏ Traffic and Traction, p435 August 1976 "Railway Magazine"
7. ^⋏ Traffic Report, p370 September 1976 "Modern Railways" (Ian Allan)
8. ^⋏ Traffic Report, p78 February 1977 "Modern Railways" (Ian Allan)
9. ^⋏ p138, April 1977 Railway Observer
10. ^{⋏ a b} p285, August 1977 Railway Observer

The Railway Observer is the journal of the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society