Class 122 DMU Hauling Coaches

[Sails]

All,

This afternoon while taking the 122 out of a siding it inadvertently had been coupled up to a couple of wagons that were on the same siding. This got me thinking, why even have couplers on the 122? Then I thought. well did they ever haul other rolling stock? A quick google and up came https://www.railcar.co.uk/topic/tail-loads/
A really interesting article and some good photo's, certainly adds another dimension to what you can do with your DMU's. The couplings will be staying on my 122 and hauling some evening mail around.

EDIT: Is anyone aware of DMU's hauling other passenger coaches? That would be very interesting.

Mark

[flying scotsman123]

Fascinating, I knew of DMUs hauling the odd parcels/newspaper coach, but that article goes on to describe some workings where DMUs did haul passenger stock - seems to be a Western Region thing from what that article suggests.

[mjb1961]

Hi ,,,,I've just got a Dapol 121 ,,,I've already removed both couplers because I was un aware of them ever hauling coaches ,though possible,,,,I'll leave it as it is as I bought it to go back and forth to the station automatically once I've sorted out a capable decoder ,,,,,mjb

[Bufferstop]

The later versions of the GWR railcars were fitted with standard buffers and couplings so that they could pull vans or the odd coach. The doubles, no 35 - 38, had an adapted suburban coach which could be marshalled between the two railcars. BR (W) being the GWR in disguise naturally tried to do similar with the bubble cars at any opportunity. They were fitted with standard draw gear anyway. Looking over the yards at Tyseley there would regularly be a three car unit made up of a two car plus driving trailer, the nearest thing they had to a spare suburban coach.

[Mountain]

It was known for the class 120's to be an hour late due to hauling an extra coach on the Central Wales line. One journey had them tow a track recording coach. However the late running didnt cause too many issues as in the late '70's to early 1980's I was told that there was one service each way per day. It was a difficult line to work as a guard. I used to work mainly the classes 153 and 150, with the occasional 143 which we had to transplant the passengers from our train to the next at either Llanwrtyd Wells or Llandrindod Wells. Class 142's and 143's weren't allowed all the way due to sharp curves at the Shrewsbury end, and Crewe train crew didnt sign for them as a precaution. I once had to refuse a train as they sent me a class 158 and they were also not allowed up, though they were allowed at the very bottom end if they then followed the District Line. The reason was the doors would either catch or not close on one of the platforms.
Working the line kept guards fit as there were four plungers to press on the way up and one on the way down and most of the stations were "Shorts" so guards had to work quick if one wanted to keep to time.
I recall a few amusing incidents up there. One was at Llandovery. I pressed the button to lower the barriers and a local passenger decided he was going to run underneath them. I heard my driver chuckling away and I enquired why. He saw it all. The man had ran under the barrier and he clonked his head on it. I didnt see it from the box where the buttons were.
Remember the train and the vehicle passing at a crossing in front of it? We had a much closer near miss then that one. I remember feeling the brakes come in and I quickly opened the rear cab window of the 153 and a lady driving a small car (A dark blue Ford Fiesta) must have only been a few inches between the train and her car. Her young kids were in the back and she didnt even look back in her mirrors as she seemed not to notice the train or the train horn sounding!
On the Pembroke Dock branch a driver drove his car over the crossing with the train sounding its horn etc... He then turned round and drove back across without looking!

[SRman]

Another reason for retaining couplings on a class 122 is that they could work in multiple with other blue square DMUs, including others of the same class, or sets such as the class 120 mentioned above. I recall a photo of a Cornish branch with a 2-car class 120 (no centre coach) plus a bubble car (class 121 or 122), so emulated that with my own models on my previous layout's branch.

[luckymucklebackit]

There were also ten single-ended driving trailer vehicles, originally numbered 56280–56289, later renumbered 54280–54289 built specifically for the purpose of being coupled to class 122s to make a two car unit, some later found their way to the Scottish Region, I remember a six car lash up of 122s and these trailers running on the Hamilton Circle. Later in their career three Scottish Region cars (Sc55013–Sc55015) were converted to carry parcels traffic and were reclassified Class 131, these units could clearly be distinguished by their whitewashed windows and regularly ran coupled to a three car class 101 on a Glasgow Central to Perth working while the elecrification work was being carried out on the WCML.

Jim

[Sails]

Plenty of great additional information coming from you guys, just goes to show that there are always plenty of things you can do on your layout in lieu of a standard train formation.

[Sails]

An interesting film showing a class 101 being coupled/uncoupled to a Derby Lightweight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WlOOwbiw9M

[hairyhandedfool]

Network Southeast used a variety of 101, 117 and 121 vehicles to keep the service going at times, including examples of 117 centre cars being sandwiched by two 121s on services out of Paddington.