Longest DMU consists ever in regular service

[jadmor]

I have a copy of the Scottish Region timetable for 1967 which shows a service leaving Edinburgh Waverley at 1733 with 3 sets that split at Dunfermline Lower, 1808 to Perth, 1812 to Dunfermline Upper (it would have been quicker walking) and 1816 to Thornton Junction. I can recall being in a car passing Rosyth Halt and spotting this as an unusually long set. I can’t confirm absolutely, but it was very likely made up of Met-Cam 101s.

 

[Western 52]

This just brought something to mind. In mid-2000, eight 101 power cars ran under their own power from Corkerhill to Longsight (reversing in Glasgow Central). We've already determined that there were only enough indicators in the cab for six power cars, so how was this done? A similar move took place a week later with the cars hauled by a 37 - something sticks in my mind about the first move being stopped somewhere due to the fire bells ringing.

Maybe with 2 cars running dead? Presumably then they would just be trailers so no problem with the indicator lights.

 

[CW2]

Depends on your definition of "in regular service", but the WR London Division back in the late 60s had a very heavy excursion programme. There were sometimes more than one special train each Saturday and Sunday through the summer, and on through the winter with names like "Holiday Preview Excursion". Whilst some tours were loco hauled (using the Paddington - Oxford commuter sets), there were frequent trips featuring class 117 DMUs. That would be 3 sets, with one of the sets strengthened to 4 cars by the addition of one of the spare Met-Camm trailers (59528/59538 + 1 other, IIRC). So 10 cars total, 6 power cars.
I recall doing trips from Reading to Hereford + Shrewsbury + Great Malvern (all one trip), Minehead, and Swanage in these DMUs.

 

[MadMac]

Maybe with 2 cars running dead? Presumably then they would just be trailers so no problem with the indicator lights.

I wondered about that, but they would have to have had the front cars “active”, meaning that they would come to Central, the “leading” pair would have needed to be shut down and the drives isolated and the originally “trailing” pair activated. There’s also the practicality of hauling two dead cars over Beattock and Shap. I’m surmising that it somehow didn’t go as anticipated, hence a 37 hauling 8 dead a week later.

 

[Ex-controller]

Longest recent regular passenger DMU working in Scotland was a 170+158+158 7 car working on the 1718 Aberdeen to Inverness, as far as Inverurie where the back unit detached.

This later became part of the 1441 Glasgow Queen Street to Inverness via Aberdeen service, which arrived Aberdeen as a 3 car, attached the 2x158. I don’t believe this is diagrammed now, nor required given the Aberdeen to Inverurie section is now double track with a close to half hourly service, but it certain was a necessity when diagrammed.

There have been for many years 8 car class 156 moves from Corkerhill to Glasgow Central, but the maximum in passenger service is 6 car due to platform lengths.

 

[MadMac]

I wondered about that, but they would have to have had the front cars “active”, meaning that they would come to Central, the “leading” pair would have needed to be shut down and the drives isolated and the originally “trailing” pair activated. There’s also the practicality of hauling two dead cars over Beattock and Shap. I’m surmising that it somehow didn’t go as anticipated, hence a 37 hauling 8 dead a week later.

Having had some further discussions with some retired (like me!) BR staff, it’s probable that one of the middle two car sets ran ‘dead’. Something evidently took place resulting in a change of thinking a week later!