Derby Lightweight (Yellow Diamond) 1, 2 & 4-car DMUs

Lincolnshire sets

Thirteen power trailer sets

The first Lincolnshire set, 79021 + 79613, left Derby C&W at 11.30am on January 24th 1955 and arrived at Lincoln loco shed at 1.16pm. The next set, 79022/79614 (pictured in the official image above) was trialed on the Wirksworth branch on the same day.^[1]

By mid-February there were three sets at Lincoln, they were kept in the MS&L loco shed site near Durham Ox Junction. They were making trial runs which included staff training. They were expected to be gradually introduced to traffic with full operations expected in September.^[2]

A new depot would be built for the sets, as well as for diesel shunting locos. The steel frame shed would have three roads, two with pits for underframe work. There was a large lineside sign advertising the construction, in the image three Derby Lightweight sets can be seen in the background.

By Easter 1955 nine sets were now in the area, 79021/79613 to 79029/79621. Towards the end of March, units were working on public services between Lincoln, Cleethorpes and New Holland, Lincoln - Skegness, Lincoln - Boston and Boston - Grantham. About mid-May they were joined by the last four sets (79030/79622 to 79033/79625) which had been borrowed by the London Midland Region to operate BIF services from Birmingham to Castle Bromwich.^[3]

They were gradually introduced to traffic, working selected routes from the start of the summer 1955 services on the 13th June.

The image is an Eastern Region publicity photograph of a set at Lincoln circa 1955.

On the 10th June 1955 E79024/79616 and E79027/79619 were noted working a service at Ipswich.

In July 1955 many of the Red Triangle sets were making works visits and so three power cars went on load to Bradford. 79032/3 arrived there on the 8th and the following week they were noted on crew training runs on the Bradford-Halifax-Keighley lines — these had gearboxes whereas the Red Triangle ones didn't. On the 15th the third power car (79031) arrived, along with Norwich car 79036 which was on loan to Lincoln. The gradients and other severe conditions in the district meant power twins were needed and their trailers were left behind at Lincoln. The Yellow Diamond power twins were more powerful than the Red Triangles (600hp vs 500hp) and the drivers were noted as preferring them, and they made less smoke - although they were much newer.^[4]

With three power cars away on loan and another in works, 79036/40/2/3 were loaned to Lincoln from the Norwich district — 79036 also going on load to the West Riding. The Norwich trailers, 79252/6/8/9, did not contain 1st class accommodation and so were stored at Bardney^[4]. The vehicles returned from Bradford in November.

The image shows E79026 on the back of a Boston service seen at Grantham, date unknown. Stuart Mackay Collection.

79022/79614 were noted passing on the main line at Barkston, August Bank Holiday Saturday 1956. It was working the regular SO diagram - 8.00am, 12.08pm and 4.15pm from Grantham and the 10.12am, 1.30pm and 6.30pm from Doncaster.

Some diagrams involved a tail load, as seen in this image of E79028 at Barrowby Road Junction and this image of a newish E79022 heading for Cleethorpes.

In February 1956 Metro-Cammell "Lightweights" began to arrive at Lincoln depot, by July there were fifteen of these sets. There also had the Yellow Diamond coupling code and would share the passenger duties in the area.

In August 1956 the Derby Lightweight allocation at Lincoln was still 79021/79613 to 79033/79625, working about the county including the Grantham, Louth, Grimsby and Barton-on-Humber areas. This was about to change with the arrival of Cravens and Derby Heavyweights.

The first to leave were 79021-3 and 79613-5 to Norwich in September / October 1956. The Met-Camm Lightweights also began to move on. In February 1957 a new arrival at Lincoln was 79034 + 79250 transferred from Stratford.

In April 1957 79024-33 and 79616-25 moved to Gorton, followed by 79034 + 79250 in June, ending the short use of Derby Lightweights at Lincoln.

References

1. ^⋏ p48 February 1955 Railway Observer
2. ^⋏ p94 March 1955 Railway Observer
3. ^⋏ p197 June 1955 Railway Observer
4. ^{⋏ a b} p279 September 1955 Railway Observer

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