DMU "Paytrain" Operated Routes now closed?

[Taunton]

I believe that it was normal practice to take the unpowered intermediate trailer out of units diagrammed for this line and just run them with two powered vehicles. If a third coach was required, three being (I believe) the maximum permitted on the line in later years, they coupled another Driving Motor to one end.

That was done on several WR lines, and their builds of dmu would have less trailers ordered than the overall number of sets- a couple of their batches of around 50 sets had only 47 trailers. The Taunton to Barnstaple line likewise was always operated with Plymouth-based 2-car sets. Two coaches, four diesel engines, timings never changed from steam days, they were notably too capable, and needed to wait a few minutes for time at almost every station.

As I understood it the Gunnislake line had to have some of the curves actually eased before diesels could be deployed. Not the only former Southern line in the district where this applied, the Lyme Regis branch needed the same.

 

[Ashley Hill]

As I understood it the Gunnislake line had to have some of the curves actually eased before diesels could be deployed. Not the only former Southern line in the district where this applied, the Lyme Regis branch needed the same.

I think the curves on the Lyme Regis branch were eased to allow larger steam locos so the veteran Adam’s locos could be replaced.

 

[Taunton]

I think the curves on the Lyme Regis branch were eased to allow larger steam locos so the veteran Adam’s locos could be replaced.

I wonder if the same applied to Gunnislake, that Ivatt 2-6-2Ts could only take over from old LSWR 0-4-4Ts in the last years when the changes had been made. I believe that Plymouth Friary shed even hung on to Adams O2 0-4-4T locos to their end for this branch because even comparable, but slightly later, M7 locos had issues there.

The Lyme Regis branch had an initial attempt, before the curve easing, with replacing the Adams Radial Tanks with WR 14xx 0-4-2T locos, which was apparently a failure. I never learned why, they were notably capable locos elsewhere (and I don't just mean seeing the steamroller off in "The Titfield Thunderbolt" )