Tyneside Loop Units

[coltrane68]

Hi
I am new here, getting back into trains as a former spotter in my formative years from around 1983. I have a query about the DMUs that used to operate the Tyneside Loop before the Metro system was setup. What were the unit types that operated the loop? Is there somewhere on the Net, or a book that will tell me which units were allocated to, say the Heaton Depot? I don't mean unit by unit number, just the main class types? I am looking to model part of the loop and want to be sure of the correct unit types.

Cheers
Richard

 

[Darandio]

Hi Richard

There were certainly both Class 101 & 105 DMU's knocking about but I cannot provide any resource with allocations etc.

 

[swt_passenger]

Not a direct answer to the question, but a good way of checking this sort of thing out is often to use Google's 'Images' option, for instance a search using 'Tynemouth DMU' quickly brought these up:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3730958654/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3273329964/

Someone may be able to say for certain what class they are - I can't unfortunately...

 

[GospelOak117]

They are classes 101 and 104. Though some of the 111's were identical to the 101's so it may even be one of them, i'm not sure where the 111's reached other that South and West Yorkshire.

So you've got 101, 104 and 105 now at least

 

[PinzaC55]

Re my photo's above I have never been too good on identifying DMU classes (except for the ubiquitous Met Camm 101) but certainly if the Tynemouth bay platform one is a 104 that was the most common type on the Loop in the 1970's.
I've also got one here from Chillingham Road station http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3611023039/ and Walkergate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3757812070/

 

[Welshman]

They are classes 101 and 104. Though some of the 111's were identical to the 101's so it may even be one of them, i'm not sure where the 111's reached other that South and West Yorkshire.

So you've got 101, 104 and 105 now at least

I can only recall seeing the 111s in West & South Yorkshire, as you say. Didn't they used to have a 4-digit code box above the front windows when new, and the destination indicator box lower into the middle window as a result?

So that would suggest the unit in question was a 101.

Incidentally, if you ever see the repeats of "The Likely Lads" on Gold, there's some interesting shots of the Tyneside dmus in the opening scenes!

 

[12CSVT]

South Gosforth had an allocation of 104s until the early 1980s. It seems bizarre that there were two DMU depots in Newcastle (the other one being Heaton) within three miles of each other.

 

[4SRKT]

'Twas always 101s when I saw them when visiting from York.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

South Gosforth had an allocation of 104s until the early 1980s. It seems bizarre that there were two DMU depots in Newcastle (the other one being Heaton) within three miles of each other.

When you think how many depots of any type there were then it is amzing by today's standards. Thinking in Yorkshire alone we had York (03, 08, 40, 47, 55, coaching stock), Neville Hill (08, DMU, HST), Holbeck (08), Bradford Hammerton Street (03, 08, DMU), Hull Botanic Gardens (03, 08, DMU), Healey Mills (08, 25, 31, 37, 40), Knottingley (08), Tinsley (08, 13, 20, 31, 37, 45, 47, 56), Doncaster (08) and doubtless some that I've overlooked.

 

[12CSVT]

When you think how many depots of any type there were then it is amzing by today's standards. Thinking in Yorkshire alone we had York (03, 08, 40, 47, 55, coaching stock), Neville Hill (08, DMU, HST), Holbeck (08), Bradford Hammerton Street (03, 08, DMU), Hull Botanic Gardens (03, 08, DMU), Healey Mills (08, 25, 31, 37, 40), Knottingley (08), Tinsley (08, 13, 20, 31, 37, 45, 47, 56), Doncaster (08) and doubtless some that I've overlooked.

I seem to remember Knottingley having several 47s until the early 80s, and Holbeck being home to some 31s and 45s (possibly 47s as well)

 

[flymo]

There are some wonderful photos of old units at Newcastle at Railscot. Scroll down for some photos of DMU's in the old P1 - P6 at Newcastle that is now the car park. Even has some unit numbers as well for added realism if you can find those units as models anywhere.
I absolutely adore the photos taken from the top of the 'Keep', I've lost count of the number of times I have spent hours on top of there watching the trains go by. School trips to the Keep in the 70's were always fun, never mind the history, let's go watch the trains!

 

[swt_passenger]

South Gosforth had an allocation of 104s until the early 1980s. It seems bizarre that there were two DMU depots in Newcastle (the other one being Heaton) within three miles of each other.

I expect when they looked at the facilities across the area, Gosforth was the EMU depot in use immediately before dieselisation, so that would have been where the space (and staff) were when the additional DMUs arrived. The original suburban electric depot (destroyed by fire ages before IIRC) was at Walkergate though, so basically next to Heaton.

Did the two DMU depots basically divide along main lines and loop responsibilites? Then of course the South Shields line was changed to DMU before the North Tyne system - were their DMUs kept at South Gosforth?

I lived in Heaton while this was going on and had little or no interest in railways then - I almost never used the loop trains, although I did use the service to Alnwick regularly...

 

[GospelOak117]

I can only recall seeing the 111s in West & South Yorkshire, as you say. Didn't they used to have a 4-digit code box above the front windows when new, and the destination indicator box lower into the middle window as a result?

So that would suggest the unit in question was a 101.

If only it were that simple ......a later batch of 111's had the 4 character headcode box and lower destination blind, and the originals had exactly the same front as a 101; but I can't see any evidence of them being used any further North than Scarborough.

 

[BOSCH]

Re my photo's above I have never been too good on identifying DMU classes (except for the ubiquitous Met Camm 101) but certainly if the Tynemouth bay platform one is a 104 that was the most common type on the Loop in the 1970's.
I've also got one here from Chillingham Road station http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3611023039/ and Walkergate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3757812070/

Mate,I've trawled through your fotopic site and I think it is absolutely brilliant ! I was working in heaton then Newcastle in those days for BR et al and the memories came flooding back seeing the old DMU's in the bays at Ncle.Coupling those DMU's were a nightmare if they had brand new vacuum pipes fitted believe me !!!
I also like the pics of stations/signal boxes that are no more in my area,a real sense of history,many thanks !!!!

BOSCH

 

[Welshman]

'Twas always 101s when I saw them when visiting from York.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


When you think how many depots of any type there were then it is amzing by today's standards. Thinking in Yorkshire alone we had York (03, 08, 40, 47, 55, coaching stock), Neville Hill (08, DMU, HST), Holbeck (08), Bradford Hammerton Street (03, 08, DMU), Hull Botanic Gardens (03, 08, DMU), Healey Mills (08, 25, 31, 37, 40), Knottingley (08), Tinsley (08, 13, 20, 31, 37, 45, 47, 56), Doncaster (08) and doubtless some that I've overlooked.

When the dmus were introduced, they were simply stationed at the existing local steam sheds, as they had little understanding of the need for cleaner conditions at first.

Also, as rationalisation in the 60s and 70s took place, it enabled some depots to be closed. For example, until the remodelling at Leeds and the diversion of Calder Valley trains into the then Leeds City in 1967, access to Neville Hill depot would have been very difficult for units working the routes around Bradford Exchange/Halifax, so Hammerton St had to be retained.

Interestingly, the last time I passed, I noticed the site was being used as a depot for First buses!!

 

[PinzaC55]

Mate,I've trawled through your fotopic site and I think it is absolutely brilliant ! I was working in heaton then Newcastle in those days for BR et al and the memories came flooding back seeing the old DMU's in the bays at Ncle.Coupling those DMU's were a nightmare if they had brand new vacuum pipes fitted believe me !!!
I also like the pics of stations/signal boxes that are no more in my area,a real sense of history,many thanks !!!!

BOSCH

Cheers Bosch! The worst thing is not being able to go back in time and take shots I SHOULD have taken, in an ordered fashion rather than at random. And of course taking them digitally on my 12 megapixel mobile phone instead of paying loadsamoney for the film and then to get it developed! :roll:

 

[4SRKT]

Cheers Bosch! The worst thing is not being able to go back in time and take shots I SHOULD have taken, in an ordered fashion rather than at random. And of course taking them digitally on my 12 megapixel mobile phone instead of paying loadsamoney for the film and then to get it developed! :roll:

TBH if I could travel back in time I wouldn't take photos, I'd just stay there.

 

[PinzaC55]

TBH if I could travel back in time I wouldn't take photos, I'd just stay there.

I'd go back to 1975 and give Bill Gates half the money to get his business started

 

[coltrane68]

Thanks to everyone who posted on here, has helped me a lot. PinzaC55's pics were great - some memories there, had a real wander through some of your "local" stuff.

 

[swt_passenger]

... and thanks to you too, for getting back to us with those thoughts.