Longest DMU consists ever in regular service

[GS250]

Also includes DEMU's too.

Can think of 2x4 car units that ran on the Marylebone peak hour services. Also...I believe there are 3x3 car formations that run from Waterloo to Exeter on some busier days. 2x5 Hastings units possibly the longest?

Was there ever anything over over 10?

 

[Iskra]

Also includes DEMU's too.

Can think of 2x4 car units that ran on the Marylebone peak hour services. Also...I believe there are 3x3 car formations that run from Waterloo to Exeter on some busier days. 2x5 Hastings units possibly the longest?

Was there ever anything over over 10?

Triple Voyagers have happened a few times, I think a 15 car set has run on the WCML in times of disruption or engineering from a vague recollection. I think 180's might have also managed a trio at some point too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You get some fairly long formations on the Uckfields, though I'm not quite sure what the maximum is - 9x23m?

Triple Voyagers have happened a few times. I think 180's might have also managed a trio at some point too.

You've probably got the answer there. 15 car Voyager formations (3 x 5) were used on the Birmingham-Euston via the Chiltern Line "blockade busters" a number of years ago. This is probably the longest UK passenger train in recent history other than the Cally, let alone D(E)MU.

 

[GS250]

That's probably it! I presume that 'blockade buster' would have included the 'New North Main line' from Greenford to South Ruislip?

Guess they were a one off though. Anything that was/is regularly timetabled?

 

[Western 52]

The Hastings DEMU sets regularly ran as 2 6-car sets. These were probably the longest regular dmu workings for first generation sets. For the diesel mechanical sets we used to get some 9 car class 116 sets on services to Barry Island in the summer in the 1970s.

 

[hexagon789]

That's probably it! I presume that 'blockade buster' would have included the 'New North Main line' from Greenford to South Ruislip?

Guess they were a one off though. Anything that was/is regularly timetabled?

Would the use of the two 6-car Blue Pullmans on the Bristol Pullman be allowed?

(This was after the WCML electrification was completed, and the LMR no longer had use for its two 6-car sets, so they were transferred to the WR to work with their three 8-car sets. The 6-cars had MU jumpers fitted and worked Up from Bristol to Paddington in the morning, split. Ran as a 6-car to Oxford and back, then back to Bristol as a 12. The Oxford fill-in was short lived.)

 

[6Gman]

6 x 2car First Generation units definitely ran in North Wales on 60s/70s Summer Saturdays. All had to be D1 units (ie one motor, one trailer cars).

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's probably it! I presume that 'blockade buster' would have included the 'New North Main line' from Greenford to South Ruislip?

I believe so, so no longer possible now HS2 has severed that (I think).

 

[Western 52]

6 x 2car First Generation units definitely ran in North Wales on 60s/70s Summer Saturdays. All had to be D1 units (ie one motor, one trailer cars).

I think they were limited to 6 power cars in one formation?

 

[hexagon789]

6 x 2car First Generation units definitely ran in North Wales on 60s/70s Summer Saturdays. All had to be D1 units (ie one motor, one trailer cars).

I thought there was a limit of 6 driving cars per formation because anymore and the control circuit signals became too degraded (low voltage).

 

[Irascible]

Also includes DEMU's too.

Can think of 2x4 car units that ran on the Marylebone peak hour services. Also...I believe there are 3x3 car formations that run from Waterloo to Exeter on some busier days. 2x5 Hastings units possibly the longest?

I think the longest WoE trains are 2x3+2x2 - I don't think you can fit anything longer in at Waterloo.

What about those 4-car I-C DMUs? did they ever work as 12?

 

[paul1609]

You get some fairly long formations on the Uckfields, though I'm not quite sure what the maximum is - 9x23m?



You've probably got the answer there. 15 car Voyager formations (3 x 5) were used on the Birmingham-Euston via the Chiltern Line "blockade busters" a number of years ago. This is probably the longest UK passenger train in recent history other than the Cally, let alone D(E)MU.

The peak services on the Uckfield Line were 10 cars pre covid and all the platforms were extended to accommodate them.

 

[hexagon789]

What about those 4-car I-C DMUs? did they ever work as 12?

The 123s? Yes, they had booked 12-car working in their early years on the WR .

 

[MadMac]

I thought there was a limit of 6 driving cars per formation because anymore and the control circuit signals became too degraded (low voltage).

Also bear in mind that the cabs only had indications for six power cars.

 

[43096]

I think the longest WoE trains are 2x3+2x2 - I don't think you can fit anything longer in at Waterloo.

Correct. The platform lengths at Waterloo are maximum of 12-car 20m vehicles (450/458 etc) or 10-car 23m stock (158/159/444).

 

[Mag_seven]

I think 180's might have also managed a trio at some point too.

On GWR there was a 10 car Paddington Bristol diagram for a period. No 15 car workings to my knowledge.

 

[RichJF]

Also includes DEMU's too.

Can think of 2x4 car units that ran on the Marylebone peak hour services. Also...I believe there are 3x3 car formations that run from Waterloo to Exeter on some busier days. 2x5 Hastings units possibly the longest?

Was there ever anything over over 10?

Hastings Diesels used to operate up to 2 x 6, so 12 coach trains. Also used to regularly be 9 coach trains on the East Grinstead/Uckfield lines before the former was electrified in 1987; 3 x 3 coach. Occasionally 1x6 + 1x3 coach (Hastings unit with 3 car Thumper).

As mentioned above in the 21st century, pre-Covid 171s on Southern used to operate up to 10 coach trains; 2 x 4, 1 x 2.

 

[nw1]

It doesn't answer the question, but it's notable how the (G)WR out of Paddington never seemed to run long formations on commuter DMU services, whether in the 117 or Turbo era. Don't think I ever saw anything longer than 6 cars, and in the 117 era, even 6 car seemed to be rare (from reading Paddington CWNs of the 80s; while I spent a lot of time at Reading in the 80s I never saw the height of the peak).

Were there ever any 8 car Turbos (3+3+2) or even 7 (3+2+2) out of Paddington?

 

[GS250]

It doesn't answer the question, but it's notable how the (G)WR out of Paddington never seemed to run long formations on commuter DMU services, whether in the 117 or Turbo era. Don't think I ever saw anything longer than 6 cars, and in the 117 era, even 6 car seemed to be rare (from reading Paddington CWNs of the 80s; while I spent a lot of time at Reading in the 80s I never saw the height of the peak).

Were there ever any 8 car Turbos (3+3+2) or even 7 (3+2+2) out of Paddington?

Its an interesting derivative from this post as that was actually part of the thought process behind my posting. The natural assumption that those who had DMU's as opposed to EMU's were usually short changed when it came to seats available. 8-12 carriages was pretty much taken for granted on most busy peak hour EMU services out of London anyway. Naturally....the busier the line the higher chance it had of being electrified I guess. The GWR was the notable exception here. Do recall 3 car early DMU's being used fairly frequently even in the peak hours. Although saying that, virtually everything to Oxford or Newbury was loco hauled. When the 166's came in...they took over the inner and outer suburban services. Was not uncommon though to see an absolutely wedged 3 car 166 on a peak hour fast to Oxford. Wasn't there a plan to use 2x4 319's on the Padd-Oxford services? For passengers...it would have been a similar generation of unit...but with extra capacity.

 

[Mag_seven]

Did the Ayrshire Class 126 DMUs ever operate as nines?

 

[hexagon789]

Did the Ayrshire Class 126 DMUs ever operate as nines?

Yes, frequently enough. As did their design predecessor 79xxx series units on the WR.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

5-6 car Turbo was the normal limit for RL services out of Paddington which I believe was partially constrained by platform lengths? (I forget at which stations.)

The thing to remember is that seat density on a 16x was much higher than an HST, so it was accepted that if a 5-car Turbo could be diagrammed to a fast Oxford it was as good as providing an HST at least in terms of seats provided, and considerably cheaper operationally. 3-car peak workings would normally have been due to stock shortages or disruption. I know around the time that 387s were on the horizon, a final push was made to ensure all peak direction Turbos were at least 5 cars and it was achieved on paper at least.

 

[Ken H]

Also bear in mind that the cabs only had indications for six power cars.

Discussion about that here - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/panel-on-left-of-driver-on-classic-dmus.231575

 

[Western 52]

Did the 6 car class 124 TransPennine units ever work as 12 car? The reason I ask is that a photo on page 94 of the 1975 Ian Allen combined volume appears to show a 6 car set with part of the roof of a 7th car just visible. It's not possible to determine what the extra car is though.

 

[Ken H]

Did the 6 car class 124 TransPennine units ever work as 12 car? The reason I ask is that a photo on page 94 of the 1975 Ian Allen combined volume appears to show a 6 car set with part of the roof of a 7th car just visible. It's not possible to determine what the extra car is though.

They frequently just multiplied one up with any blue square DMU. Could have even been a 2 car.

 

[Dave1954]

I have seen a 9 car DMU on a summer SO only Birmingham to Pwilheli via Shrewsbury 1977/78ish

 

[MadMac]

Did the 6 car class 124 TransPennine units ever work as 12 car? The reason I ask is that a photo on page 94 of the 1975 Ian Allen combined volume appears to show a 6 car set with part of the roof of a 7th car just visible. It's not possible to determine what the extra car is though.

A six car set had eight engines as two non-driving vehicles had engines. They were, contrary to my initrial thought, fitted with jumpers, so you could put another two powered “Blue Square“ cars on.

 

[Ken H]

A quick look over at Railcar.co.uk indicates that they don’t appear to have been fitted with jumper sockets to enable sets to work in multiple. Also, a six car set had eight engines as two non-driving vehicles had engines.

Whats these then?

 

[hexagon789]

Did the 6 car class 124 TransPennine units ever work as 12 car? The reason I ask is that a photo on page 94 of the 1975 Ian Allen combined volume appears to show a 6 car set with part of the roof of a 7th car just visible. It's not possible to determine what the extra car is though.

Not that I'm aware of. I don't think there were enough vehicles to do so.

 

[43096]

Not in any sense a regular working, but back in 1986 Hertfordshire Railtours and the SEG took a 14-coach Hastings unit formation from Victoria to Carlisle! Out via the Settle & Carlisle, returning over Shap. The train was formed of units 1032, 1011 (as 6-cars) plus the motor cars of 1001 back-to-back to give some extra power.