DMUs hauling freight/parcels vehicles

[Taunton]

Did any EMU's do this?

Unlikely. DMUs were vacuum braked, EMUs were entirely air braked. Until recent times there were few loose goods vehicles, which were air braked.

 

[Harpers Tate]

I commuted between Beverley and Driffield in the mid 1980s. My train home (1723 ex Driffield IIRC; had come from Scarborough; don't know where before that) was invariably formed of the two power cars from (what would have been) a 3-car "Calder Valley" DMU. With 720hp to play with (compared to a standard DMU's ~300) these things went like billy-o. It was invariably a good few minutes early pulling in to Driffield and I suspect, left early on occasion, too. I know I was always there in good time......

Reason: On arrival in Hull it was coupled to (usually) one or (occasionally) two wagons which it dragged to Leeds. I cant give you a departure time except that it would be very roughly around 1800. Extra hp diagrammed for the extra weight, presumably.

 

[theblackwatch]

There were a couple of GUVS adapted by the WR with Blue square MU wiring to work with DMU's.

These will be the ones mentioned in #25.

The East Lancs Railway will be recreating tail loads at its 'Scenic Railcar Weekend' on November 4th/5th, using an LMS CCT.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Both the Cambrian and the Hear of Wales had WR 120 class DMU's hauling a single GUV to Shrewsbury in both directions , replacing a previous loco hauled York mail - well into the 1979 / 1980 period ....often the mail bags were also stocked in the passenger accomodation , not that there were many of them at 4am....

 

[DT611]

I seem to remember reading a report about container wagons being tacked on to the end of Northern Ireland Railways DeMUs back in the early 1970s.

I believe so. Not only them, but the power cars of their 70 class units were apparently used for freight, 1 at each end i believe.

 

[SteveT]

At Saltley we used to work a Birmingham New street to Reading Dmu (Mon-Fri) which conveyed a parcels van every night (usually a GUV) It left New Street at about 9.00 pm.

During the early/mid 70s a northbound dmu would stop at Banbury to pick up a parcels van (sometimes a 6-wheeler) from the loading bay on the west side of the north end of the station, usually at about 8:30-9pm.

 

[davetheguard]

http://www.railcar.co.uk/topic/tail-loads/?page=page-02

Found that page which has got some people's recollections of DMUs hauling goods

The page mentions a limited stop 00.21 Reading - Birmingham DMU+van. I certainly remember an 00.14 Reading to Birmingham which left from the old bay platform 7 at Reading. Unless my memory is playing a trick on me, I remember it running as a stopper between Reading and Oxford, and then principal stations to Brum, having connected out of the last HST of the day from Paddington (23.40 ex Padd?). It certainly ran for quite a few years, so perhaps it's stopping pattern varied - but always with a van on the back.

 

[56 1/2]

I recall that the first DMU up to Barnstaple would draw a box van, perhaps news and parcels, Barnstaple was listed as a Red Star station, the van would be shunted by the DMU into the siding platform and spend the day there, then dragged back at about 19-00, roughly 1986 > 1991

 

[AndrewE]

I recall that the first DMU up to Barnstaple would draw a box van, perhaps news and parcels, Barnstaple was listed as a Red Star station, the van would be shunted by the DMU into the siding platform and spend the day there, then dragged back at about 19-00, roughly 1986 > 1991

The point about Red Star Parcels was that most of them went by the normal scheduled passenger trains. A few overnight parcels-only trains took them but the selling point was that it was almost as fast as sending a courier during the day.

 

[Cowley]

I must add this photo to the thread.
Taken on Saturday at Ramsbottom on the East Lancs at their DMU gala.

(I’ve gone for moody black and white to give it a bit of atmosphere )



Bubble Car and stove van. Lovely.

 

[Ash Bridge]

That's very nice Mr Cowley, sorry to sound pedantic but I think that Stove Van might actually be a CCT?

 

[Cowley]

That's very nice Mr Cowley, sorry to sound pedantic but I think that Stove Van might actually be a CCT?

Oh how embarrassing and I can’t even change it now that you’ve pointed it out.
Was there a stove pipe van there as well on one of the trains? Or have I made that up as well?

 

[Ash Bridge]

Oh how embarrassing and I can’t even change it now that you’ve pointed it out.
Was there a stove pipe van there as well on one of the trains? Or have I made that up as well?

It's not really embarrassing Mr C, like I said just me being my pedantic self regarding the stove van, yes there was and it was behind the following DMU which happened to be the duff BRCW 110.

 

[Cowley]

It's not really embarrassing Mr C, like I said just me being my pedantic self regarding the stove van, yes there was and it was behind the following DMU which happened to be the duff BRCW 110.

Now I remember.

 

[theblackwatch]

Here is the 110 with the Stove Van arriving at Ramsbottom on Saturday:

 

[Ash Bridge]

Must admit I do like that shot theblackwatch!

 

[Cowley]

Must admit I do like that shot theblackwatch!

That’s a beauty.
I can’t look at the 110 in green without thinking of the Hornby model...

 

[73001]

i came across a few interesting pics on this website showing, amongst other things, a very unusual working of a 128 and loaded ballast wagons.

http://railphotoprints.uk/p772490069/h3B3BC09C#h7a8506ee

 

[Ploughman]

The NYMR used to attach loaded hoppers to the first and last trains as a means of moving ash from Grosmont to Newbridge for later use as ballast.
Not been done for many years now though.
Will see if I an drag up a photo.