Swindon Inter-City 79xxx series 3/6-car DMUs

Operations

The sets are best known for working the express services between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street (earning them the nickname E&G units). On this route the usual formation soon became a six-car set with two trailers together in the centre of the train (a buffet and a corridor first), flanked by intermediate power cars and then the leading power cars on the outer ends. The class usually stuck to this route but did appear on other services from time to time.

In the early days eighteen vehicles were allocated to the Western Region to work Birmingham - Cardiff - Swansea express services.

When the Edinburgh - Glasgow route became loco-hauled in 1971 a few moved to Ayr to join the 5xxxx series Class 126s, five vehicles were exported to work staffs train on a mining railway in Liberia.

Delivery

The newly completed 79xxx sets were tested on various lines in the Swindon district including the M.S.W.J. line to Andoversford, the closed Malmesbury branch, and on the main lines to Bristol (Dr.Day's Bridge), out via Bath and back via Badminton.

This British Pathe clip features a period newsreel of a set on test. The image shows vehicles "on trial" at Rushey Platt Junction to the west of Swindon on 25/5/56. Part of the works can be seen in the background. British Railways.

The first vehicles worked north to Scotland during the w/e 25th August 1956 via the Waverley route, with a special photostop at the border sign at Kershopefoot station. This undated image shows the "1st of 4 units to arrive from Swindon".

The ScR sets were allocated to Leith Central depot, which was specially converted from the former Leith Central station to accomodate DMUs. On paper the vehicles were allocated to St Margarets (64A), of which Leith Central would be a sub-shed. It was November 1959 before Leith was given the depot code of 64H, and I've never came across actual transfer dates for an allocation change. Is it possible that Leith was treated as a maintenance location without any allocation until November 1959 and that would be the 'paper' date of transfer? I've never seen any evidence of any DMUs physically being at St Margarets depot.

The DMUs were initially termed "Inter-urban", this was soon changed to "Inter-City" long before that branding was used for main line express services.

Scottish Region Introduction

After a public inspection in Queen Street and Waverley on Friday they were introduced to Edinburgh to Glasgow services on Monday 7th January 1957. Not all vehicles had been delivered, and so the service was still predominately steam, supported by the DMUs, giving an additional six services in each direction daily except Sundays.

Extensive engineering operations had just been completed on the line, this allowed the whole timetable to run to reduced journey times. With steam, the new timetable meant that at certain peak times there would be a train departure about every half hour, and from Edinburgh there was a choice of about nine trains to Glasgow between 4.00pm and 8:30pm.

The initial DMU services, daily except Sunday, were:

With the exception of the 11pm from Edinburgh, all called at Haymarket, 4 minutes before/after Waverley. The 11pm provided a connection with the 4pm “Talisman” from London, and was routed via Falkirk Grahamston, all others were via Falkirk High. With the exception of this service, the diesels were allowed 60 mins for the 47¼ mile journey. In comparison, the fastest steam services were the up and down “Queen of Scots” and the 4:26pm from Edinburgh now timed for 55 mins.

The six DMU trains meant there were now 23 express services from Edinburgh (24 on Fridays) and 22 from Glasgow. Although many of the trains started at hourly intervals (at the hour) it was not possible to introduce a complete regular interval service.

Two six-car and two three-car sets were used, the smaller trains only making one run. This limited DMU service was felt by the ScR to be a contribution to the Suez oil crisis as it eased the over-all transport situation, especially that of private motorists who formerly used cars to do the journey between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The image shows Sc79109 at the head of a three-car set in Glasgow Queen Street on 12th January, 1957. The power car has no crest on the bodyside, typical of the ScR power cars, and is carrying an 'Edinburgh - Glasgow' roof board. George Bett.

A much fuller diesel service was aimed for, if the national fuel situation permitted, with the summer timetable. The diesel trains were then hoped to operate the full service, and replace all the steam trains between the two cities with the exception of certain selected trains which carried through Anglo-Scottish connections. The timings would be to the same basis as the limited service, unless experience showed that they required adjustment. The buffet cars were to be added as soon as possible.

The First Train

The Glasgow Herald newspaper reported that "with a staccato blare on its two-tone horn, the first diesel train to go into service on the Glasgow - Edinburgh route glided smoothly out of Queen Street Station, Glasgow.

This first train, the 8am, carried nearly 200 passengers - filling about 2/3rds of the 6-car set. One of them was a refrigeration surveyor who commuted between the two cities, had taken his motor scooter with him. The commuters were generally impressed by the relative lack of vibration of the motor driven train, and of course by the absence of smoke and steam. The first impression gained by the diesel traveller was the train’s rapid takeoff. Before it had cleared the platform the train had attained the speed at which it pulled steadily, unassisted, up the 1 in 41 gradient to Cowlairs. It reached Cowlairs in five minutes, compared with the scheduled six of the ‘banked’ steam train, but the distance had been covered in four.

The train ran strictly to schedule, reaching Waverley at 9am. The train was noted as being able to accelerate quickly out of the nine speed restrictions still remaining on the line, varying between 15 and 60 mph, imposed on the line because of underground mine workings, a number of viaducts and two tunnels.

The train was worked by Driver John McPherson, who at the age of 63 had more than 45 years of railway service. He had no complaints about the performance of his new charge.

The Waverley-Queen Street service was a busy one, much used by those who commute between the two cities. Commercial travellers, business, and professional people are among the regular passengers."

This video clip contains a new set passing at speed at 2 mins 25 seconds.

The Route

The convenient location of Scotland’s main commercial and trading conurbation around Glasgow and the Clyde Valley at the western end, and in the east Edinburgh, the administrative and cultural centre, joined by a 47¼ mile main line which had long generated a well balanced two-way flow of traffic. Even in steam days the margin of receipts over expenditure was substantial and as far back as the 1930s the LNER operated an hourly service of trains, with restaurant car, on a regular departure pattern.

From Glasgow Queen Street the line climbs at 1 in 45 for just over a mile (a North British Railway diagram shows the maximum gradient is 1 in 41, extending for roughly the upper half of the tunnel, from 875 yards out of Queen Street to 2375 yards out. The immediately preceding section (from the first vent to about 50 yards past the second vent) is 1 in 43 and all other gradients are less severe. When clear of Cowlairs it is a straight, almost level route for the 45 miles to Edinburgh, and apart from a brief 1 in 600 near Polmont no gradiant is worse than 1 in 880. The main restrictions were Falkirk and Winchburgh tunnels, restricted to 60mph as there were refuges in them for PW men, and two speed-restricted junctions at Falkirk Grahamston.

Expansion?

A Railway Gazette editorial noted "Scotland provides plenty of scope for rather similar workings, such as from Glasgow to Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen by the old Caledonian route; and from Glasgow to Ayr."^[1] Only the later route saw Inter-City DMUs, the other lines became regular DMUs or diesel loco hauled.

Failure

The first recorded failure was on the 9th January 1957 when the 3-car on the 7.30pm from Glasgow Queen Street failed and the service had to be cancelled. Otherwise the service had been well maintained with the trains appearing to have much power in reserve. The public support was good, although the comfort in the open seconds was felt to be inferior to the steam compartment stock.

Buffets

The buffet cars were delivered between February and April, allowing them to be introduced to the services on the 15th April, except for the 7.30pm Queen St to Waverley, and the 11pm return (this was the 3-car turn). A varied choice of snacks and refreshments were available, and an innovation was the service of afternoon tea in the first and second class accommodation throughout the train. Trays with tea, toast, toasted tea cakes, bread & butter, cakes and pastries were taken to passengers by an attendant.

The image shows a set seen at Craigentinny on May 27, 1957. The first and last power cars were 79106 and 79107, the third vehicle is a buffet car. Interior cleaning was done at Craigentinny, to the east of Edinburgh.Stuart Mackay Collection.

Success

A Railway Gazette editorial reported that the E&G services had been "entirely successful" and they were well appointed. However, they stated that they wished the opportunity had been taken at the outset to stir public imagination by providing as many 50 min. or even 45 min. timings non-stop, or just a stop at Haymarket, as could be worked by sets available. At the time the fastest timing was 55 min., quoted as "fast enough to influence a decision to go by train rather than road, but not startling, as this kind if innovation should be."

Health Concerns

During the early days of this service concern was expressed about the effects of atmospheric pollution due to the concentration of exhaust fumes in Queen Street tunnel. Tests were conducted by the Regional Scientific Research and Medical Officer which proved these fumes harmless to health - “Fuel oil, unlike petrol, does not contain lead traces which was the main cause of environmental pollution, medical opinion suggests a greater peril exists in the “SMOKER” section.”

Excursion

The sets operated their first excursion on Monday the 27th May 1957 (the Queen’s Birthday holiday). The 6-car train (able to accomodate 360 second class passengers) left Queen Street at 9.50am, called at Waverley at 10.47 and then arrived at North Berwick at 11.25. Returning, it departed at 6.45pm, Waverley at 7.20 and arrived at Queen Street at 8.15.^[2] The advertising for this special emphasised that a Swindon set would be used.

Once enough of the Scottish Region’s own intermediate power cars arrived — the DMSs — the borrowed Western Region DMBSs were able to head south in preparation for their introduction there.

Scottish Services Expand

Meanwhile in Scotland, the diesel trains had been very reliable and were extremely well patronised, and on some Saturdays and Sundays during the summer of 1957 it was often impossible to get a seat at Falkirk, except first class. The only adverse comment was on the ride, with the vibration noted as being very bad in some of the second class vehicles, but the non-powered first class coaches were very steady.

Passenger figures for June 1957 were 190,233, compared with 162,516 in June 1956 — an increase of 27,717 (17.05%). The comparative receipts were £30,706 and £25,438 - an increase of £5268 (20.71%). For the first half of June there were still only six diesel trains running in each direction, but an augmented service came into force on June 17th. Had the full service operated from the beginning of the month, it was expected that the figures above would have been 30% higher.

Mr G. Smith, the Queen Street Stationmaster, talked about the release of the figures at the end of July, saying "Even before the Glasgow Fair holidays the diesels were an unqualified success. We have had a considerable increase in passengers for Edinburgh and Sunday traffic has greatly increased between the two cities."

The quick turn round of a particular set was mentioned by Mr Smith as illustrating a good point in operation. A steam hauled train from Edinburgh, because of difficulties, fell badly behind schedule. Following close on its heels was a DMU, held up all the way. When it got to Queen Street it was scheduled to depart on its return journey in five minutes. "Before we got the passengers out of the steam train, the diesel was emptied, refilled with passengers and on its way."

Mr Smith described the coming of the diesels as the "salvation" of Glasgow Queen Street as a station, and he was noted as saying that he looked forward to the day when the steam engine there would be but a memory. Mr Smith’s views on increased traffic were shared by his counterpart Mr T Arnott, Stationmaster at Waverley. He described how businessmen had found the service so reliable and comfortable that they now thought twice before travelling to Glasgow by car for a business appointment.

From the operating view, the extra diesels meant a considerable saving in locos and crews with the dispensing of two of the banking 'tanks' which were doubled shifted.

The augmented timetable introduced on 17th June 1957 is detailed below. The set number column refers to the diagrams worked by each set.

South West Excursion

On the Monday of the 1957 Glasgow Fair, the 15th July, there were the usual heavy service of relief services to the Ayrshire coast. They included an excursion from Airdrie to Ayr operated by a 6-car E&G set (including — in no order — 79095, 79105, 79107, 79157, 79160 and 79474). The formation had been noted at Largs in the afternoon, and returned from Ayr at 8.10pm. A few days later on Thursday 18th and an excursion from Largs consisted of 79111, 79160, 79475, 79478, 79095, 79474, 79157 and 79105. These were undoubtedly the first of the class to visit Ayrshire, but certainly not the last.

Further Timetable Changes

From Sunday 6th September 1957, the sets started a regular Sunday service of six buffet car trains in each direction.

At the start of October 1957 certain services made additional stops to give improved service to and from a number of stations on the route:
From Edinburgh - the 9.00am, 12.00 noon and 7.00pm called at Linlithgow, the 9.30am called at Falkirk High, the 11.25am at Haymarket, and the 4.30pm at Polmont.
From Glasgow - the 11.30am called at Polmont & the 12.30pm & 7.30pm at Lenzie.

On Sunday 17th November 1957 a set failed at Bishopbriggs on the 6.00pm Glasgow to Edinburgh. The lights also failed on the set, and the passengers were transferred to the following 6.50 and arrived at their destination over two hours late.

In the first full year of traffic there were 700,000 additional passengers.

The six-car set on trial at Ayr featured in the Ayrshire Post.

Ayrshire Timing Trials

Starting on the 6th January 1958, in preparation for the introduction "at a later date" of diesel trains between Glasgow St Enoch, Paisley, Ayr and Girvan, trial runs were made on the line with a borrowed 6-car E&G set (79098, 79479, 79095, 79158, 79474 and 79106). The trials were due to run for three weeks Monday to Friday without passengers, doing two runs Glasgow to Girvan and back and two return trips Glasgow to Ayr (it was mentioned that they may carry passengers on the final week). It would appear that the first trial train left Glasgow at 08.50 arriving at Ayr at 09.45 with a stop at Paisley Gilmour Street on the way.

There are images on the Transport Treasury website showing E&G sets in St Enoch and at Ibrox which may be these timing trials.

These trials recommenced on the 10th February, with a 3-car set. In a move to keep the Ayrshire travellers happy that an improved service was on its way, the ScR issued press releases about the trials. The article accompanying the image from the Ayrshire Post read:

More DMU services

From the 23rd June 1958 they replaced another three E&G steam services in each direction. These were the 8:30am, 12:10pm and 6:40pm from Glasgow and the 7:35am, 10:00am and 4:35pm from Waverley. On these buffet facilities were only available on the 7:35am from Waverley and the buffet car previously in service on the 6:12am stopping train from Edinburgh was withdrawn. Starting from Saturday 28th June, the 4:35pm from Waverley, which ran only as far as Polmont on Saturdays, was extended to Glasgow as on other days.

At the beginning of July 1958, the only steam remaining on the line (apart from the through services from England) were from Edinburgh at 4:05am, 5:43am, 10:00am (SO), 12:15pm (SO), 5:15pm, 5:54pm and 8:30pm, and parcels trains at 2:45am, 9:53am and 10:00am (SX). From Glasgow: 12:10pm (SO), 5:35pm, 8:00pm, 9:30pm & parcels trains at 2:05am and 2:45am.

It is not known whether an E&G set worked this excursion on 8th June 1958, but they certainly featured in the publicity!

The reverse of the 6" x 10" handbill listed the timings and fares. Starting from Dalmuir Park at 10.15 am, the train called at some other ex-NBR suburban stations before passing through Glasgow Queen Street low level platforms. Presumably it would then have reversed in the Bellgrove area to take the City Union line over the Clyde until joining the main line to Paisley and Ayrshire. A grand day out indeed, and all for a maximum fare of 6/8 (about 33p). Return to Dalmuir Park was at 8.49 pm.

More off the beaten track adventures

The sets were not strangers on other lines, nor were other classes excluded from working the E&G services, although it was unusual. The Inter-City sets reached Fife in the summer of 1958 on the 5.03pm Edinburgh - Leven and 8.43pm return, apparently worked by the set of the 3:30pm ex-Queen St^[3]. On the 2nd August 1958 the combination of the return Glasgow Fair traffic and the Bank Holiday saw an eight-car GRC&W (Class 100) formation supplementing the Inter-City sets on the E&G line.

The image shows the diverted 4.0pm Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Queen Street passing Garrowhill Halt on 26th September 1958. This was on the route via Bathgate and Airdrie. Walter Burt.

At the end of 1958, owing to complaints of rough riding by Gloucester twin sets on the Edinburgh - Shotts - Glasgow route, an extra three-car Swindon set was created by reducing a six-car Waverley - Queen St set to four and adding one spare vehicle to the two released vehicles. The resulting three-car was diagrammed for the 8:40am Princes St. - Glasgow Central and 4:30pm return, interspersed with local workings (most likely on the Cathcart Circle). Subsequently Leith Central seemed to have insufficient serviceable vehicles to provide the four-car set and certain workings, starting with the 6:10am Waverley to Queen St, reverted for a time to steam.

The 5xxxx series Inter-City vehicles began to be delivered to Scotland in the spring of 1959 in preparation for the Glasgow-Ayr-Girvan services later in the year. Some of these vehicles were noted working from Leith mixed with the 79xxx vehicles, possibly as a stop-gap until the Western Region vehicles arrived.

When the Western Region transferred it’s Inter-City vehicles to the ScR in summer/autumn 1959, the twin sets on the Edinburgh Princes Street - Glasgow Central line (via Holytown/Shotts) were replaced by three-car Inter-City sets.

The two additional (79440/1 ex-WR) buffet cars allowed an additional six trains to include buffet facilities from January 1960, making a total of 18 refreshment services each way on the E&G line.

The Class were also noted working on the Cathcart Circle when the reconstruction of a bridge carrying the Circle at Shawlands was not completed as planned, resulting in an E&G set working a shuttle service between Maxwell Park and Glasgow on the 1st May 1961.

Performance

For many years O.S. Nock had a column in Railway Magazine looking at locomotive performance. He noted in 1959 that DMUs were bringing about very standardised operations, and to prove this he printed two timings for the 19:30 from Glasgow taken on the 23/11/58 and the 29/11/58. As far as Haymarket the biggest difference between the timings was 10 seconds! The logs appeared in the June 1959 edition, and the highest speed recorded was 71¼ mph through Castlecary.

The Sixties

At the start of the 1960s the the E&G services were still performing well, with little out of the ordinary to report. There was the odd occasion when steam would be working one of the DMU diagrams, such as on the 23rd November 1960, most likely due to set shortages. They also continued their occasional forays across the Forth Bridge into Fife, such as in August 1961 when one worked the 5:05pm Waverley to Thornton via Dunfermline and returning with the 8:36pm Leven to Waverley via Kirkcaldy.

The image shows L.N.E.R. class A1/A3 60048 'Doncaster' and a 'Swindon' Inter-city DMU awaiting departure from Glasgow Queen Street in 1960. Gordon Thomson Collection.

There was the possibility that the units’ Edinburgh terminus may have been changed away from Waverley. In a House of Lords discussion in the early 1960s on road traffic problems in and around Edinburgh, Lord Amulree said that one of the great drawbacks of the city was the railway line through Princes Street Gardens. The Earl of Haddington agreed, and wanted the surface space occupied by it reclaimed as a park and the space underground used as a parking place for 2000 cars!

The Castlecary area (15½ miles from Glasgow) proved for some reason a favourite point for incidents. Underframe fires caused by contra-rotation of engines invariably gave trouble and set off the automatic fire extinguishing equipment at this point on the up line from Glasgow.

First major incident

On Friday the 2nd September 1960, in thickening mist, the 7.30am Glasgow Queen Street - Edinburgh Waverley service collided with a train of empty coaches at Castlecary.

The investigation found the main cause of the collision to be an irregular block working by a relief signalman at Dullater East Box, although some blame was put on the driver for not braking as quickly as he should have, which would have avoided the collision. The DMU driver had noticed the Castlecary distant at clear, but although he saw the home signals at danger he failed to make an appreciable brake application until reaching the inner home signal and was the unable to prevent the collision. The E&G set had been irregularly admitted to the Dullater - Castlecary block, and collided with the ECS while travelling about 25-30 mph, although the ECS was moving slowly giving a relative impact speed of between 10 - 15 mph.

The buffers of the DMU were forced back, but the chief damage was suffered by the leading coach of the ECS, which piled up on the engine, a Class 5 running tender first. The shock of the collision, transmitted through the other coaches, forced the leading end of this coach up off its bogie, which continued forward till it struck the engine’s bogie derailing one pair of wheels, and thrust it forward over the front of the engine’s frame till it hit the smokebox, which stoved in. The other coaches were little damaged. With its brakes off the train was propelled forward and the two trains came to rest 183 feet apart.

The buffers on the leading power car were broken off, its headstock was torn away, and the end flanges of its solebars were bent, but the driver’s cab did not stove in and the driver was not hurt. The rest of the train, which was well loaded, sustained very little damage, and only 9 out of 123 passengers needed hospital treatment, with only one of these seriously, remaining in hospital till the 10th December. Two doctors who had been passengers on the train gave immediate medical aid. The remaining passengers walked back along the line for about ¼ mile to Castlecary station where they were taken forward by bus or taxi.

The buckeye coupling between the second and third coaches was forced apart during the collision, and the divided train came to rest with its two portions 33 feet apart, but the couplings had kept the train in line and only one pair of wheels, on the leading bogie of the front portion was derailed.

The track was only slightly damaged and the signalling unaffected. The Down line was not obstructed but it was closed to traffic to aid clearance of the damaged trains. E&G services were diverted via Bathgate. The line was cleared just after 1pm, when working as restricted speed was introduced; normal working was resumed at 4:50pm, about nine hours after the incident.

The accident report can be found on the Railways Archive website.

Fastest Trains

An annual Trains Illustrated feature on trains that were timetabled to run at an average speed of over 60mph stop to start, featured trains on the ScR once again in 1961 thanks the units on the Glasgow – Edinburgh route which ran at sustained speed of 70mph. Ten services were listed: the 7.31pm from Polmont to Lenzie, 18.65 miles in 18 minutes, averaged 62.2mph; five services from Falkirk to Lenzie were allowed 15 minutes for the 15.5 miles, averaging 62.0; three from Lenzie to Falkirk in the same time, and the 11.04am from Haymarket to Dullatur, the 33.25 minutes taking 33 minutes at 60.5mph.

The following year featured twelve E&G services: the 10.28am and 7.41pm Polmont to Lenzie, 18.65 miles in 18 minutes averaging 62.2mph, 4 trains from Falkirk High to Lenzie, and two in the return direction, 15.5 miles in 15 minutes, averaging 62.0mph; the 7:04am Falkirk High to Croy and two in the opposite direction took 10 minutes for the 10.3 miles, averaging 61.8mph, and the 11.04 from Haymarket to Dullatur, the 33.25 minutes taking 33 minutes at 60.5mph. One Ayrshire DMU service was included, the 10.55pm from Ayr to Paisley Gilmour St took 34 minutes for the 34 miles (via Troon), averaging 60mph.

Passengers

The line was the Region’s busiest line, linking the two biggest Scottish cities, both gateways for services to other areas. Commuters, shoppers, sports fans, tourists and holidaymakers all had reason to use the line often, and the regular services encouraged this. Business travel is particularly significant with a high ratio of first-class patronage. Unfortunately there were also the usual vandals who defaced the woodwork and toilets. The two-gallon fire extinguishers were also known to regularly leave the train by a window at speed, and on one occasion this caused a fatal injury to a passenger looking out further back, after it rebounded off a footstep. The 11pm Edinburgh to Glasgow, became known as the "Winchers Special" due to the number of light bulbs that required replacement at Glasgow.

The two cities have for a long time been ‘media’ centres, and passengers could often find many well-known local personalities sitting amongst them, as well as TV and newspaper reporters. It was claimed that near the end of the sets time on the line, one day the driver of the 10am from Glasgow had a knock on his window on arrival at Edinburgh. He was surprised to find the Western character actor Tonto wanting to thank him "for such a pleasant journey".

Prominent employees of the railway were often found on these services — Sir Ian Bolton regularly joined the train at Falkirk and Mr. Cameron of Locheil could often be found in the cab discussing the railway business of the day with the driver. It is alleged that one lady passenger who commuted daily always placed a thermometer on the armrest when she recognised a BR official travelling in the same compartment. Soon all saloon thermostats incorporated a built-in thermometer to enable all staff to note the compartment temperature. These were also found to be cheaper than the original type of thermostats.

As well as notable passengers there was also notable cargo carried. The 3pm from Edinburgh became known as the ‘Bullion Train’, as it daily carried a specially constructed safe which was guarded by two Post Office officials. Unobtrusively mingling with the passengers on the platforms and concourse of the departure and arrival stations were a reception party of police and officials. The special locks on the doors occasionally led to a driver being locked in his cab by a forgetful P.O. official, the driver having to get out by his window in order to have the door unlocked. There was also a considerable volume of mail carried on the services, sometimes delaying departure at stops for a minute or two for loading/unloading due to the volume, but this was easily made up. The hourly services carried the mail between the two cities only, and the half-hourly services from both cities to Falkirk for the conurbation of Falkirk, Grangemouth and Stirling.

Six Lochs Land Cruise

On 7th July 1963 a six-car set would work one of the circular Six Lochs Land Cruise services. Seen here at Callander.

Strike

At the beginning of July 1963 there was a work-to-rule by staff. While some services were badly affected, but the Edinburgh – Glasgow trains were well maintained.

Extra service

The Summer 1964 timetable saw the end of the “Queen of Scots” service, and this was compensated by a new 11:00am DMU service from Queen St. to Waverley calling at Falkirk High, Polmont, Linlithgow and Haymarket. There was no corresponding westbound service.

Ticket Offer

In 1964 the ScR introduced a reduced fare scheme on urban lines. Cheap single tickets were offered on commuter routes such as between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Falkirk, Ayr, Largs, Gourock and Wemyss Bay. Between Glasgow and Edinburgh the cheap single cost 6s 10d compared to the ordinary second class single of 12s 3d. Introduced on the 20 July 1964, in the 40 weeks to 24 April 1965 passenger journeys between the two cities rose from 943,366 to 1,044,947, more than 10% and averaging 2,500 extra passenger journeys a week. Figures for the Ayrshire and Clyde Coast services were slightly better, increasing by 17% in the first 21 weeks, the number of journeys increasing from 2.3m to 2.7m.

Improvements Needed

Despite the increase in passenger figures from the cheap tickets, the ScR felt that the passenger traffic between the two cities had shown signs that the peak increase stimulated by the new trains had passed and a new stimulus was required, and announced late in 1964 that it was to look at implementing a 45 minute journey time. This followed an intensive 12 month market research project, which even included a checkpoint on the main Glasgow – Edinburgh road where motorists were stopped and questioned about their travelling habits. The accelerated timings would require major resignalling and the completion of long-welded track installation, expected to take two years. The Swindon sets were considered adequate for the faster workings, and the 45 minute journey time with a 15 minute turnaround meant that the set could return on the next hourly interval service, considerably improving stock utilisation.

The black-and-white advert appeared in the Glasgow Herald newspaper on 11th November 1964 and again on the 26th of that month, an attempt by British Railways to get drivers to abandon their cars in favour of the frequent train service between Edinburgh and Glasgow by pointing out the “terrors” of the road journey. They listed the virtues of rail travel — including encouraging passengers to consume whisky! The repeated image is a simplified version of that used in posters to advertise the E&G introduction updated with half-panels replacing the front whiskers.

Uncomfortable

In a rather scathing letter published in the March 1965 Modern Railways a reader explains why he doesn’t like the sets:-
“If the “gilt is off the gingerbread” of the Edinburgh – Glasgow diesel services this is not necessarily because the journey times are not fast enough. It could well be because the diesel multiple-units are so uncomfortable. Second-class travel in these trains is a jolting, jarring, over-heated purgatory – as, of course, it is on most of the diesel multiple-units. Indeed I cannot help wondering how many passengers have been lost to British Railways as a result of their introduction. When they are first introduced to a line the service is usually improved (temporarily, at least) and a number of new passengers are attracted by the novelty. These, however, soon depart in disillusionment – and with them go many of the “old regular” passengers who cannot put up with the new discomforts. Why cannot they build smooth-riding coaches these days?”
(NOTE – the “gilt” comment refers to another brief letter that stated the ScR is looking at reducing journey times.)

Replacement?

At the end of 1965 there were stories in the Scottish press suggesting that the ScR was hopeful in gaining some additional DMUs for an acceleration of the E&G line (in conjunction with resignalling). The 79xxx sets were then thought to be available for Edinburgh / Glasgow services to Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen, as part of a ScR concept of having all services, other than Anglo-Scottish trains multiple-unit operated.

In 1966 there was renewed interest in gas turbine traction, and a design study was prepared by Rolls-Royce in collaboration with the BR research staff at Derby for the conversion of multiple units trains to gas turbine power. Previously dismissed because of high fuel consumption, this latest move was inspired by developments on the Long Island, New Haven and Canadian National Railways. Despite the 50% increase in fuel consumption, it made available the high levels of horsepower that electrification offered, without the high investment of fixed equipment. The gas-turbines would be used to provide fast inter-city services on routes which did not justify electrification, and the Edinburgh - Glasgow line was cited as likely to be the first application of this, cutting the journey time to 35 mins for the 47 mile journey. It was noted that it was unlikely that existing stock could be run over 100mph, but the study was extended to see what transmission and running gear components could be adapted to run at up to 130mph. Ultimately nothing came of it.

Another factor favourable to rail was the state of the A8 trunk road which joined Edinburgh with Glasgow, which even in those days this was an overcrowded, three-lane road with a high accident rate. It had a bad reputation throughout Scotland, and passed through a singularly flat, uninterestingly part of the country.

British Rail used this viewpoint in a 1968 newspaper advert 'I hate the A8'.

Winter 1966 timetable

As part of a major revision of passenger-train services throughout Scotland, the Edinburgh - Glasgow line was recast to keep pace with the progressive increase in traffic. The results of market research were also incorporated in the schedules. The new basic service now comprised two trains per hour in each direction throughout the day. As 80% of the traffic on the service (creating 73% of the passenger receipts) was end-to-end journeys between Edinburgh and Glasgow, the combination each hour of a fast train and an intermediate service was also adopted. There was now a half-hourly service for 16½ hours of the day, with additional trains at peak times. This meant 35 trains from Glasgow to Edinburgh – seven more than before, and 36 in the opposite direction, increased by 10.

The service which left on each hour was known as the fast, calling only at Falkirk High and Haymarket, and taking 55 mins eastbound and 56 mins westbound (previously only four services did the journey in this time). It frequently arrived ahead of the advertised schedule. Passengers could be overheard commenting “We’re late today” on arrival at the scheduled time. A slower service departed from the two cities on the half hour, taking 70 mins eastbound and 71 min westbound; these trains calling at Lenzie, Croy, Falkirk Grahamston, Polmont, Linlithgow and Haymarket. These were integrated at Grahamston with Larbert & Stirling services to create a regular interval pattern of connections, although these did take some time to mould reliably. On Sundays there was an hourly service of 16 trains in each direction, leaving at half past the hour starting at 7:30am from Edinburgh and 8:30am from Edinburgh. These ran via Falkirk Grahamston also calling at Linlithgow and Haymarket.

The Haymarket call was important. The pattern of suburban bus services from the eastern suburbs of Edinburgh - Davidson’s Mains, Blackhall, Murrayfield, Barntona and Costorphine - was based on a main road route through Haymarket to Princes Street. Thus rail passengers from this area used Haymarket in preference to Waverley, to obviate an unnecessary doubling back. Most of the city’s business offices were nearer to Haymarket than Waverley, and thus almost one third of the passengers to or from Edinburgh used Haymarket.

Some faster running was embodied in the 1966 recast, but much of the acceleration was due to the elimination of intermediate stops. Acceleration also improved train-set utilisation. Slow trains arriving in Edinburgh from Glasgow at 40 mins past the hour turned about in 20 mins as the following hourly fast departure back to Glasgow. A similar 19 min turnaround operated at Glasgow. This meant that only eight sets were required for the service.

Another change with the winter timetable was the closure of Glasgow Buchanan Street on the 7th November 1966, it’s services moving to Glasgow Queen Street. The E&G services had very occassionaly worked into Buchanan Street when engineering work affected Queen Street.

Problems

A spate of fires and failures in ‘Inter-City’ DMUs at the start of 1967 led to a serious shortage replacement engines, and locomotive hauled trains were again running between Edinburgh and Glasgow, powered by anything from a EE type 1 to a Finsbury Park Brush type 4. Other services both north and south of the Clyde were running with sets below their scheduled complement of vehicles and public complaints, particularly on the Glasgow - Ayr service were rife. Eight WR suburban sets (116s) were now working from Hamilton but their lack of access to toilet facilities kept them off the longer distance diagrams.

A work-to-rule by railway staff at the beginning of July 1968 badly affected inter-regional services, although internal workings, particularly the E&G services were well maintained.

Another Castlecary Accident

Near Castlecary on Friday 9th September 1968 Class 24 D5122 was returning light engine to Perth after working the 7:20am Perth - Glasgow when it collided with the rear of the stationary 8:46am Glasgow to Edinburgh. The Guard on the DMU, who was observing the signal at which the train was stopped due to a track circuit failure, saw the locomotive approaching at speed and ran into the passenger section telling the passengers to brace themselves for a collision. After the impact, and despite injuries to himself he marshalled all the passengers from the trailing power car 79092 and assisted in the detachment of the car from the train. Both the crew members of the Class 24 had been killed. All trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh were diverted via Cumbernauld and Falkirk Grahamston. This incident caused the only loss of stock in the E&G fleet as the car was totally destroyed by fire.

The accident report can be found on the Railways Archive website.

E&G vs. Cow

Nearer Glasgow, there was an incident at Croy cutting involving a driver who was well known for eloquence. The story goes that an escaped bull jumped a fence and became enraged at the two-tone DMU horn, which it accepted as a challenge, lowered its head and charged the train. Both animal and train failed on impact. The event prompted a poem from one of the driver’s colleagues, just as locomotive characters such as Dugald Drummond were immortalised in the days of steam.

A TAIL OF THE TIMES

Now gather round and hear a tale
which the Skipper will endorse
On a sleek smooth-running Diesel
Far removed from the Iron Horse.
 
T’was a passenger train from Edinburgh
with practically a through beat
For apart from a stop at Falkirk
It was destination Queen Street.
 
He ran to time at Falkirk High
Then past Greenhill they sped
He hammered through Croy Cutting
Unaware what lay ahead.
 
And then suddenly it happened
Like a bolt from out the blue
He smashed into an obstruction
and all the things - a Coo.
 
Amazed the astonished Skipper
travelling at seventy miles an hour
Braked sharply in the emergency
With a Prayer to a higher Power.
 
Of course like a traditional Driver
For he’s no hit and run like sport
“Its a female of the bovine species”
He’ll state in his report.
 
Now there’s something in Regulations
about animals being loose
Yet Protection seems belated
and a Fitter’s not much use.
 
Still, trespassers must be dealt with
tho’ the penalty seems a farce
But that is not the “Criterion”
When you dunt a Coo in the arse.
 
However I must get cracking
For the train has still to run
And so he ruminated sadly
If you’ll excuse the pun.

 

“I’ve heard of people strike it lucky
though misfortune hits a few
But of all the things I might have hit
“the Skipper hits a Coo”
 
Now I might have hit a silly sheep
For brains they have but few
A criterion which the Management might
take a distinctly dim view.
 
Or I might have hit a Rangers Fan
or even an Ulster Prod.
Or some other form of wild life
One meets along the road.
 
It could have been a Loco. Inspector
If I could get him off my back
And so his wistfull thoughts ran
As he sped along the track.
 
Theres a striking similarity
In Magonigall’s Famous Ode
Except the Bull that Skipper struck
turned out a Coo, bi Goad.
 
But now he’s passing Eastfield
With its spotlight on the Shed
Reminding him of “some kind Christians”
He might have hit instead.
 
And so he reaches Queen Street
Then books a rail-guard for the Fitter
And cheerfully thought on his way home
“It had to happen to the Skipper”
 
P.S.
With apologies to the Skipper
Should the facts be not in full
And the story of the bloody cow
turns out a lot of bull.

Other notable incidents occurred, some of which have led the way to safer techniques. The regular ultrasonic testing of all DMU axles was claimed to be as a result of an axle failure at Cowlairs Junction. Difficulties in combating an engine fire at Redding demonstrated the inadequacy of the CO2 handheld fire extinguishers in the open air, and was a contributing factor in the replacement of all the CO2 extinguishers with the B.C.F. type. A misinterpretation of a verbal message sent via a porter at Croy, requesting a fitter at Glasgow to fix a blowing "deadman’s" valve on the train, saw the train met at Glasgow by an ambulance crew and police asking about the ‘deadman’. This apparently contributed to the official name for the "deadman’s valve" becoming the ‘Driver’s Safety Device’ (D.S.D.).

Trials were done with the Region’s Safety Officer to make these faster and quieter trains more visible to permanent way staff, particularly at dusk and other times of poor visibility. Shaded strip lighting was tried on the front of a set, but it was found that the Signalman then had difficulty in reading the train classification indicator.

Buffets

Despite the short journey, the buffet service proved to be popular. At lunchtime soup and salad meals were provided. In the early days cooked meals had been tried but these never caught on. One car was specially converted to serve draught beer but was apparently never used for that purpose.

The only recorded incidents of complaints from the buffets were over the taste of coffee, tainted with linseed from boilers after works attention when, despite flushing the system, slight traces from the pipe jointing had remained for a few days. In order to ensure that the water system on these cars was sterile, the complete water system was chlorinated periodically and water sterilisation equipment was installed to ensure that all water from the roof tank passed through ultraviolet rays and so rendered sterile. The quality and safety of the water was also checked periodically by the area chemist.

An article in the September 1966 Modern Railways titled "Today’s Menu – An occasional commentary on train catering" contained the following note on the E&G services: “The most successful buffet car set-up I have encountered is the relatively long-established two-man system on the Glasgow – Edinburgh diesel multiple-unit trains. The buffet occupies half a coach. It has a kitchen section, a counter with display cabinets set transversely in the coach and a passenger area with circular tables mainly for standing passengers, though a few have fixed seats that are just uncomfortable enough to encourage a quick turnover. One man could not do the job, but with a boy to assist him a surprising level of service is attained. Sandwiches are always freshly made, the car is usually tidy and free of dirty crockery, bottles and cans, and on most journeys coffee and biscuits are offered throughout the train. At lunchtime a soup and salad lunch is provided and served at the tables. The superiority of this system to the one-man miniature buffet cars is so great and glaring that it must surely be worth the boy assistant’s wages.”

A report on ScR train catering services for 1968 saw the revenue on the various Edinburgh - Glasgow ‘circuits’ (the catering term for diagrams) as shown in the first table.

Balance is after direct expenditure. The report, issued in late 1969 or 1970 noted that circuits 35380/9 were to be withdrawn in 1971, a consequence of the new Glasgow-Edinburgh service philosophy, and that ‘market research produced this conclusion’ (1971 is when the sets replaced on the line).

It went into further details about Circuit 35381, on which the TFRB worked the following diagram: 7.35am E-G, 9.00 G-E, 10.30 E-G, 12.00 noon G-E, 1.30pm E-G, 3.00 G-E, 4.30 E-G and 6.00 G-E, staffed by two (a chief and a junior steward). The average train load factor was 50-60% for each service.

Economics of service (35381):
     | REVENUE                | EXPEND                 | CREW     
     | SUST    STOCK   TOTAL  | SUST    STOCK   TOTAL  | COSTS   BAL
1968 | £3,456  £4,850  £8,306 | £1,325  £2,754  £4,079 | £3,084  £1,143

When mentioning the lack of buffet facilities on the proposed Mk2 push-pull services, a feature in the August 1970 Modern Railway states "Buffet service has been a fairly popular feature of the Inter-City DMUs since the service began in 1957, but it has not been a profitable venture."

Alan Rintoul remembers: "As a lad I travelled on the Edinburgh – Glasgow service regularly between 1967-1969. A trip to the buffet car was quite a lively experience, and trying to drink a bottle of Coke through a straw while standing up it was quite a feat to keep your balance!" Alan also remembers that during these the times that the seats in 2nd class were of the red or green and black horizontal line pattern (“Trojan”) that was also used in standard Mk1 stock. And "on a Sunday, the service was hourly, and I recall one evening  after visiting family, the train was packed when we boarded at Queen Street and we were crammed into a first class compartment while other people were standing in the corridor! Again the seat pattern was of Mk1 coach type ie. dark blue with a floral pattern."

Newcastle

A new Sunday service begun with the summer 1968 timetable, involving the running of a Swindon set at 3:40pm from Edinburgh to Newcastle for a connection with a King’s Cross train at Newcastle. Not in the timetable, the set returned from Newcastle at 8:55pm. Occasionally it was formed of a Met-Camm set, which arrived on the afternoon arrival from Newcastle.

On Good Friday 1969 (4th April), the normal 17:08 Edinburgh to Leeds was cancelled and a relief to Newcastle ran in its path, formed of a six-car Inter-City unit.

Re-Classification — ABCs become 123s

A revised BR train classification came into effect on May 5th 1969, and so the As, Bs and Cs carried on the cab fronts were replaced with either a 1 (Class 1 train – express passenger), a 2 (Class 2 train – ordinary passenger) or a 3 (Class 3 train – empty coaching stock). Note that for loco-hauled trains Class 3 would be for parcels trains (allowed to run at 90mph) and Class 5 would be for ECS.

Seven-Car Sets

Over-crowding must have been a problem in the morning rush-hour. From early October 1969 the 8.10am Waverley to Queen Street was worked by a seven-car set - the first recorded regular use of such a formation. An extra train was introduced from the 3rd November, leaving Waverley at 8.15am, with the 8.10am reverting to six cars. Set formations had to be temporarily amended again in October 1970 when a maintenance workers’ strike at Scottish Depots caused some five-car units to appear in traffic.

In 1957 these units improved passenger comfort, reduced journey times and increased frequency on the Edinburgh - Glasgow line, providing an immediate impact on passenger receipts. The traffic growth between Edinburgh and Glasgow averaged 7 per cent each year from 1957 to 1970, almost double the normal for BR Inter-City, and the railways share of the Edinburgh - Glasgow passenger market had risen from 42 to 59 per cent. The number of passenger journeys between the two cities was second only to London - Brighton in BR’s Inter-City indices. Most of this increase came from business executives who previously went by road. Because of the comparatively longer journey times by bus, rail had always been able to retain the largest share of the optional market; buses were mainly used by passengers whose only concern was price.

Replacement

The 47 mile Edinburgh to Glasgow line was Scotland's premiere service, it was intensively worked and at the Glasgow end had a long climb out of Queen Street station. These conditions took their toll on the units and they were displaced from 1971 by the Class 27 push-pull sets.

Although it seems like a short lifespan for the service, fourteen years was quite impressive as the line does have a quick turnover of stock. The Class 27s only lasted eight years until replaced by Class 47/7s, which only lasted eleven years until replaced by 158s, etc.

A five-car set did a trip to Wick / Thurso to test their suitablility for transfer to the Far North line, which didn't come to anything. It is pictured at Georgemas Junction. Hamish Stevenson.

All were withdrawn by 1972 except for four cars transferred to Ayr. Disposal was a long process, the vehicles were stored en-mass at Millerhill for a while and slowly migrated south often stored at places en-route to Snailwell where most were cut up. Some went via Polmadie depot for component recovery.

References

1. ^⋏ "Main-Line Diesel Trains in Service" p34 11th January 1957 Railway Gazette
2. ^⋏ "First Excursion by Inter-City Diesel Train" p669 7th July 1957 Railway Gazette
3. ^⋏ p249 August 1958 Railway Observer (Railway Correspondence and Travel Society)