The end of the old GN suburban as we knew it 1976

[strang steel]

Here is another video taken just before the EMUs took over.

http://youtu.be/ut5AOR-zksc

Sound quality not great, but anything will do after 35 years.

[Mickey]

A x3 car Rolls Royce DMU set departing WGC on the up slow line with a van attached on the rear going passed the up yard full of mainline ECS with even wot looks like a sleeping car in the yard!. Wot was going on at WGC??.

That opening sequence of 'run bys' was shot just north of Hatfield on the downside of the main line just on the curve heading northwards towards WGC and the following shot of a Cravens DMU at speed was passing Marshmoor got e'm straight away!!.

Nice one John.

[robertcwp]

A x3 car Rolls Royce DMU set departing WGC on the up slow line with a van attached on the rear going passed the up yard full of mainline ECS with even wot looks like a sleeping car in the yard!. Wot was going on at WGC??.

That opening sequence of 'run bys' was shot just north of Hatfield on the downside of the main line just on the curve heading northwards towards WGC and the following shot of a Cravens DMU at speed was passing Marshmoor got e'm straight away!!.

Nice one John.

The DMU with the CCT in tow looks like a 116 rather than a Rolls-Royce set as it appears to have first class in the trailer. The Class 125 sets were all second class.

[strang steel]

The DMU with the CCT in tow looks like a 116 rather than a Rolls-Royce set as it appears to have first class in the trailer. The Class 125 sets were all second class.

Yes Robert, I was a bit confused by that at first, as I was not aware of any 1st class on the 125s.

Were a few 116s were sent across from the WR, in order to keep the services running after the 125s had been withdrawn?

I did see 50828 59336 50880 at WGC on 7/3/77, but the 313s were working to Moorgate by then.

[StevieG]

In the mid-'70s, the ex-'Lea Valley' 125s (known in 'Control' as 'Rolls' units) tended to mainly mix in with Cravens units in forming the inner-suburbans [Broad St./KX - WGC/Hertford].

The 116s (which we referred to as 'B.U.T.s') on the other hand, were few (4 units for three diagrams IIRC), and because of their 1st Class compartments, had to be kept as far as possible, to scheduled diagrams insofar as when those included journeys advertised to have 1st accommodation, which more often than not were outer suburbans; e.g. Hitchins, Baldocks, Roystons etc. etc.

[Andy W]

Yes Mr G, we (KX) did have 4 B.U.T. 3 car units. Originally they were WR sets but they went to the North East at the back end of 1966. We got them in the summer of 1968 as part of the drive to reduce the number of block enders.

We kept them right until the end of the DMUs on the Outers in February 1978 and then they were sent on to Tyseley.

Much more reliable than the Rolls units but then most things were!

[StevieG]

Yes Mr G, we (KX) did have 4 B.U.T. 3 car units. Originally they were WR sets but they went to the North East at the back end of 1966. We got them in the summer of 1968 as part of the drive to reduce the number of block enders.

We kept them right until the end of the DMUs on the Outers in February 1978 and then they were sent on to Tyseley.

Much more reliable than the Rolls units but then most things were!

"You say it's another Rolls that won't go into direct drive, driver?
OK, so max.40mph then.
Should be able to get a replacement ready and in the next platform for you to change units at Finsbury Park Down side."

[strang steel]

Yes Mr G, we (KX) did have 4 B.U.T. 3 car units. Originally they were WR sets but they went to the North East at the back end of 1966. We got them in the summer of 1968 as part of the drive to reduce the number of block enders.

We kept them right until the end of the DMUs on the Outers in February 1978 and then they were sent on to Tyseley.

Much more reliable than the Rolls units but then most things were!

Just had a quick rummage through my Ian Allans, and in 1977 they were 50824, 50827, 50828, 50830, 50877, 50880, 50883, 50906, 59332, 59336, 59343, 59361.

[StevieG]

Just had a quick rummage through my Ian Allans, and in 1977 they were 50824, 50827, 50828, 50830, 50877, 50880, 50883, 50906, 59332, 59336, 59343, 59361.

Many thanks Mr. steel. Brings back memories of filling out the daily DMU allocation record sheets every morning and at other times as necessary, where (mostly) only the last three digits of each car were used for these; e.g. "828, 336, 906".

We always had to do a p.m. sheet for the Rolls's, when Stratford told us what serviceable units/vehicles they were able to send back from maintenance (two units were scheduled to come back, as were also due to go over to Stratford post-a.m. peak).
The afternoon report from Stratford was often bad news, if it was when we learned that the two units they were sending back could not run separately, for technical reasons or were not properly formed.

We then had to keep note, when instead of receiving a healthy "2 x 3" as we would record it, which could be split and used required/per diagram, it was instead a "2 x 3 NTS" (Not To be Split while not in depot/sidings), or a "1 x 6" (one 3-car set was formed without a DMBS brake-compartmented Driving Motor car, so could not be used on its own).
Occasionally it was even "1 x 5 NTS", meaning that one unit was completely without a Driving car at one end, so a block-end of the centre TS car of the unit that was 'short', was coupled directly to the cab of a driving vehicle of the 'good' unit: Usable as a 5-car set, but providing 16.7% less passenger accomodation for the punters when on 6-car scheduled trip.
( End of stroll down memory lane.)

[third-rail]

Yes Mr G, we (KX) did have 4 B.U.T. 3 car units. Originally they were WR sets but they went to the North East at the back end of 1966. We got them in the summer of 1968 as part of the drive to reduce the number of block enders.

We kept them right until the end of the DMUs on the Outers in February 1978 and then they were sent on to Tyseley.

Much more reliable than the Rolls units but then most things were!

if these where the coaches with all the doors they did not last long on the north tyneside loop to many bodies got on them at busy times and the coaches sagged in the middle and they had ask poeple to get off so the doors would shut

[Andy W]

The very same. If anyone thinks that door problems on diesel units are new, then they have never seen the fun that too many people in them used to cause the first generation suburban sets!

[Mickey]

I have a vague memory of one or two of the compartments in these Inner suburban sets (block enders) being set aside as- LADIES ONLY COMPARTMENTS with a BR sticker on the carriage compartment windows.

Also i recall on some station platforms (WGC up platform for one) that there was a LADIES ONLY WAITING ROOM.

Not sure how the above mentioned would go down in todays PC society??.

[StevieG]

Weren't the "Ladies Only" 'stickers', permanent-looking transfers onto the glass, and green in colour? (Was that just the loco-hauled 'block-enders', or DMUs as well?).
I think there were also a very few "NO SMOKING" (red triangle transfers?) compartments on some(/all?) stocks.

Lastly, remember (depending on the length/how, a train was formed up, and its schedule's stopping places), there were the stick-on paper labels headed "SHORT PLATFORMS", reading something like, e.g. 'Passengers for Baldock, Ashwell, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, travel in the front 6 carriages' ?

[giner]

as far as my old noodle goes, yes to all of the above, Steve. Micky, I think you're right about a ladies only waiting room at WGC. I don't recall such a cultural refinement at Stevenage, though. I suppose we were a bit uncouth up there.

[StevieG]

" .... I think you're right about a ladies only waiting room at WGC. I don't recall such a cultural refinement at Stevenage, though. I suppose we were a bit uncouth up there. "

....Incredulously, the new Stevenage station doesn't have a ladies-only waiting room either. ( )