Why did Parcels Multiple Units fall out of favour?

[Helvellyn]

Whilst the new build Class 325 parcels units came along in the mid-1990s why did Parcels Multiple Units seem to fall out of favour before that?

There were a small number of 302 unites converted in the mid-1980s that gained Royal Mail livery and were used in Anglia. But nothing similar seemed to happen for the West Coast where there were a number of loco-hauled services.

On the DMU front besides the single car Class 128s a number of Class 127s were converted to Power-Twins for Parcels services once displaced from BedPan services in the early 1980s, then some Class 114 Units (that got Royal Mail livery) in the late 1980s. Both types got roller shutter doors. There were also lower cost conversions of Class 101, 105 and 120 Units.

With Sprinterisation and electric multiple unit expanded passenger operations to reduce costs Parcels moving seemingly to all loco-hauled seemed counterintuitive. For electric services my only immediate thought was a lack of 90/100 mph AC Units to convert (could a 302 have been regeared for example?). For diesel service the lower speed might have been a factor again, but if not were Class 115/117 Driving Motors completely life expired?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Royal Mail's contract with EWS (ex-RES) ceased early-2004.
The few remaining T.P.O. services ended that January.
I believe this also ended the conveyance of parcels by rail.

The converted DMU / EMU classes you mentioned (bar 325) were life expired by the 1990s; and rail-borne traffic volumes by then, were too low to justify a new-build or a conversion.

 

[hexagon789]

Whilst the new build Class 325 parcels units came along in the mid-1990s why did Parcels Multiple Units seem to fall out of favour before that?

There were a small number of 302 unites converted in the mid-1980s that gained Royal Mail livery and were used in Anglia. But nothing similar seemed to happen for the West Coast where there were a number of loco-hauled services.

On the DMU front besides the single car Class 128s a number of Class 127s were converted to Power-Twins for Parcels services once displaced from BedPan services in the early 1980s, then some Class 114 Units (that got Royal Mail livery) in the late 1980s. Both types got roller shutter doors. There were also lower cost conversions of Class 101, 105 and 120 Units.

With Sprinterisation and electric multiple unit expanded passenger operations to reduce costs Parcels moving seemingly to all loco-hauled seemed counterintuitive. For electric services my only immediate thought was a lack of 90/100 mph AC Units to convert (could a 302 have been regeared for example?). For diesel service the lower speed might have been a factor again, but if not were Class 115/117 Driving Motors completely life expired?

I thought the earlier Sprinter types, and some 2nd gen EMUs, had a passenger or in the case of 156s luggage/bikes section, with lockable sliding doors precisely to create a secure area to transport parcels etc. Though I don't think the areas were used for their intended use particularly much.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Originally parcels were caried in guards vans, at minimal cost other than handling by station staff most of whom would otherwise have been under-employed between trains, but a few spocialised parcels units were built or converted to handle particularly busy flows.

Marketed as "Red Star" they became one of the five British Rail "sectors" (freight, Inter City, NSE and regional were the others) and expected to be largely separate from the passenger services. The sector also included the Royal Mail contract and a few other oddments such as the Royal Train. (Thgere was still some newspaper traffic, but it was on the way out, mainly partly because the new out of town printing presses were better suited to lorry deliveries than Fleet Street had been, having better road access and being more remote from main line termini.

Sectorisation resulted in such uneconomic practices as parcels units running as a separate train instead of being coupled to a passenger train. It also led to the disappearance of many overnight passenger services, as these were primarily for mail, parcels and newspaper distribution but would often convey the odd BSK (or even a sleeper) but, in the brave new world of sectorisation, if a service carried any passengers the cost of running that service fell to the passenger sector. So to save itself money the passenger service was withdrawn. the train still ran of course, and still cost BR the same to do so (the carriages even still needed heating for the benefit of the sorting staff!), but the admittedly small extra revenue was lost from hardy souls like me, prepared to change trains at Retford in the small hours.

Red Star was subject to a management buyout in 1995, and later taken over by Lynx, who largely abandoned their rail-based services (as did Royal Mail) in the aftermath of Hatfield. Newspapers had gone the same way several years before -

 

[Gloster]

One of the reasons for the original Modernisation Plan parcels DMUs, later the Classes 128 and 129, was that the introduction of DMUs to some passenger services sped them up. However, mail and parcels handling continued to be a problem due to the long dwell times needed to load and load the traffic slowing down the improved services. Sometimes this was catered for by operating steam-hauled van trains, but this dealt a blow to the economies brought about by the dieselisation. Parcels DMUs could be maintained in the same facilities as the passenger ones, driven by the same staff and, when necessary, be coupled to them.

 

[43096]

The sector also included the Royal Mail contract and a few other oddments such as the Royal Train.

The Royal Train came under the InterCity sector - it was part of the Charter trains sub-sector. It was only with the onset of privatisation that it transferred over to Rail express systems (Parcels sector), presumably as it needed to be assigned to a national operator.

 

[StephenHunter]

Newspapers had gone the same way several years before -

That was due to a move to regional printing, fuelled by industrial action by printers and rail workers.

 

[Magdalia]

That was due to a move to regional printing, fuelled by industrial action by printers and rail workers.

News distribution by rail only worked while all of Fleet Street used it. The Times "broke ranks" when it moved printing to Wapping in 1986 and it fell apart very quickly after that.

One of the reasons for the original Modernisation Plan parcels DMUs, later the Classes 128 and 129, was that the introduction of DMUs to some passenger services sped them up. However, mail and parcels handling continued to be a problem due to the long dwell times needed to load and load the traffic slowing down the improved services. Sometimes this was catered for by operating steam-hauled van trains, but this dealt a blow to the economies brought about by the dieselisation. Parcels DMUs could be maintained in the same facilities as the passenger ones, driven by the same staff and, when necessary, be coupled to them.

Here in East Anglia DMUs hauling vans for parcels traffic was common at least into the early 1970s.

DPUs came in about 1986, using converted DMUs made surplus by the first sprinters.

The period in between, from mid 1960s to the early 1980s, was a busy one for parcels with the development of the BRUTE circuits and the peak of catalogue shopping. Both needed loco hauled trains. There was a big reduction in parcels traffic with the closure of the collect and deliver service in 1981, and the decline in catalogue shopping as chain store shopping centres took over retail.

 

[norbitonflyer]

DPUs came in about 1986, using converted DMUs made surplus by the first sprinters.

DPUs existed long before that. GWR DPU No17 of 1936.

Class 129 of 1958

Class 128 of 1960

Class 130 of 1966 (converted from class 116)

Class 131 (converted from Class 122 in 1971)

 

[Magdalia]

DPUs existed long before that.

Thanks. I meant in East Anglia.

I knew the late 1950s builds which were called Motor Parcels Vans, but I'm not sure that I was ever aware of those 1966 and 1971 conversions. What did they get called when they were first converted?

 

[norbitonflyer]

Thanks. I meant in East Anglia.

I knew the late 1950s builds which were called Motor Parcels Vans, but I'm not sure that I was ever aware of those 1966 and 1971 conversions. What did they get called when they were first converted?

I don't think they were called anything really, just "parcels units" They kept their original numbers in the 508xx, 509xx and 550xx series, but were recallsified 130 and 131. Conversely, the 1990s conversions kept their original classifications (101, 105, 114, 120, 127) but got new numbers in the 549xx and 559xx series.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The class 130 was a fascinating hybrid, with a BR GUV sandwiched between the former 116 driving motors.

 

[Failed Unit]

I thought the earlier Sprinter types, and some 2nd gen EMUs, had a passenger or in the case of 156s luggage/bikes section, with lockable sliding doors precisely to create a secure area to transport parcels etc. Though I don't think the areas were used for their intended use particularly much.

The only time I saw it in use was in Scotland on a Inverness to the far north. It was a 156 and stil BR in the 1990s. The post vans met the train a various stations. The post vans I think were actually minibuses and took passengers as well.

Not sure when that ended. I have feeling it never made it to privatisation.

 

[driver9000]

I thought the earlier Sprinter types, and some 2nd gen EMUs, had a passenger or in the case of 156s luggage/bikes section, with lockable sliding doors precisely to create a secure area to transport parcels etc. Though I don't think the areas were used for their intended use particularly much.

142s also had the lockable parcels area as built. Most of the partition doors were removed but a couple of the ex North Western units at Northern managed to hang onto the doors albeit long disused until refreshed by the company.

 

[StephenHunter]

142s also had the lockable parcels area as built. Most of the partition doors were removed but a couple of the ex North Western units at Northern managed to hang onto the doors albeit long disused until refreshed by the company.

The 315 had a rather large area around the cab; could parcels have gone in that?