Longest through journeys for first generation DMU sets

[Falcon1200]

I remember the Oxford - Paignton in the mid 80s as a 50 turn and a means to scoop Foxhall curve. And yes, it ran via Bath & Bristol.

And on the one time I was on it the main clientele seemed to be railway staff from Swindon!

 

[Harpo]

And on the one time I was on it the main clientele seemed to be railway staff from Swindon!

I often wondered if there were any holidaymakers at all on some of those summer SO services!

 

[jfollows]

I assisted with the 'buffet' (actually a trolley in the brake area) on this service in 1978 and at that time it was formed by one of the Oxford/Paddington loco-hauled sets.

The SO Oxford-Paignton shows as loco-hauled in the 1977 and 1981 working timetables I have.

 

[Gloster]

I assisted with the 'buffet' (actually a trolley in the brake area) on this service in 1978 and at that time it was formed by one of the Oxford/Paddington loco-hauled sets.

Maybe it was only 1980, but I remember it because it and its return was the only timetabled DMU workings that we saw. Otherwise, between Taunton and Cowley Bridge Junction it was loco only; there weren’t even many ecs as the Plymouth Division had its own fleet of DMUs and they only went north for major overhaul.

 

[Magdalia]

Maybe it was only 1980, but I remember it because it and its return was the only timetabled DMU workings that we saw. Otherwise, between Taunton and Cowley Bridge Junction it was loco only; there weren’t even many ecs as the Plymouth Division had its own fleet of DMUs and they only went north for major overhaul.

1B20 0715 Oxford-Paignton is in the 1H80 book of loco hauled trains.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 May 2026 ==

I often wondered if there were any holidaymakers at all on some of those summer SO services!

Trains to and from Yarmouth definitely had holidaymakers, and I've travelled on trains that were standing room only. Some had compulsory reservations. But some afternoon trains were glorified ECS moves.

Yarmouth briefly had some long distance DMU services on summer Saturdays, including Yarmouth-Birmingham and Manchester-Yarmouth.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Historically Henley was treated as an important destination with evening commuter services before diesels hailed by express steam with corridor stock. The perceived importance seemed to persist, hence running services first stop Twyford to give a fast service to Henley.
...

The reason, as explained to me by a former Reading maintenance engineer in a conversation 51 years ago, was simple: a bunch of MPs resident in or near Henley would use these trains and top BR management did not like negative letters in The Times if the service was in any way sub-standard.

Quite how large this bunch was I know not, might have been just 3-4, or maybe 8-10. Whatever, their negative PR power meant Reading depot treated these units with very special care, I was assured.

 

[GordonT]

The reason, as explained to me by a former Reading maintenance engineer in a conversation 51 years ago, was simple: a bunch of MPs resident in or near Henley would use these trains and top BR management did not like negative letters in The Times if the service was in any way sub-standard.

Perhaps inherited from the original Great Western Railway culture highlighted by GF Fiennes - “Sir, we do not blow whistles at people from Newbury”.

 

[westernpunk]

maybe not as far mileage wise, in 75/76 there was a summer sat bns to taunton and return, maybe ir was for butlins trade not sure what class it was, we used ro call them tyselly units, looking at my notes one of the sets comprised 51110 59121 50309.
it left taunton about 1700 and took 3 hrs 40 mins to bns, wonder what lickey was like

 

[Harpo]

The reason, as explained to me by a former Reading maintenance engineer in a conversation 51 years ago, was simple: a bunch of MPs resident in or near Henley would use these trains and top BR management did not like negative letters in The Times if the service was in any way sub-standard.

A tension that continued. I remember a FGW (as was) person talking of the difficult conversations about fast commuter services at Maidenhead with the local MP Theresa May.

 

[Beebman]

A tension that continued. I remember a FGW (as was) person talking of the difficult conversations about fast commuter services at Maidenhead with the local MP Theresa May.

I was one of her Twyford-based constituents and around 2005-2010 she appeared at the station on a few mornings, often with a TV crew from the local ITV news programme 'Meridian Tonight'. On one occasion she approached people (myself included!) to hand out leaflets. For me personally her biggest success came just after a timetable change when a 6-car Turbo was replaced by a single 5-car 180 (faster but many fewer seats) and she persuaded FGW to double-up to a 10 car formation.

 

[Falcon1200]

A train I regularly use is 1P06 0516 Worcester Shrub Hill-Paddington, joining at Oxford, after which it calls at Reading.... and Maidenhead (only)!

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I often wondered if there were any holidaymakers at all on some of those summer SO services!

So have I. Even on the present day Cannon Street to Ramsgate summer stopping trains.

 

[nw1]

Maybe it was only 1980, but I remember it because it and its return was the only timetabled DMU workings that we saw. Otherwise, between Taunton and Cowley Bridge Junction it was loco only; there weren’t even many ecs as the Plymouth Division had its own fleet of DMUs and they only went north for major overhaul.

I do have the WR PTM from 1980 (downloaded from the BR Coaching Stock groups.io group) and it shows it as loco-hauled (0715 Oxford-Paignton).

Maybe there was a short-term alteration and it ended up being run with a DMU?

These did seem to happen, remaining somewhat on topic I am absolutely convinced that there was an 1140 Reading-New Street service in 1986, operated with a Tyseley 116 DMU and calling only at the usual IC destinations (Oxford, Banbury, Leamington, Coventry, International). This did not appear in the timetable and doesn't seem to have been in the WTT either, yet I am sure I saw it on both of the two occasions I visited Reading that year, 26 August 1986 and 24 October 1986.

I would guess this was also a short-term alteration, as otherwise there would have been two gaps (at 1140-ish and 1540-ish) in the Reading-Birmingham roughly hourly schedule and this was deemed unacceptable. It would have been relatively inexpensive to operate, presumably, as it could use a unit otherwise idle between the Birmingham peak hours.

Would be great if anyone can shed any light on this service!

 

[Gloster]

I do have the WR PTM from 1980 (downloaded from the BR Coaching Stock groups.io group) and it shows it as loco-hauled (0715 Oxford-Paignton).

Maybe there was a short-term alteration and it ended up being run with a DMU?

These did seem to happen, remaining somewhat on topic I am absolutely convinced that there was an 1140 Reading-New Street service in 1986, operated with a Tyseley 116 DMU and calling only at the usual IC destinations (Oxford, Banbury, Leamington, Coventry, International). This did not appear in the timetable and doesn't seem to have been in the WTT either, yet I am sure I saw it on both of the two occasions I visited Reading that year, 26 August 1986 and 24 October 1986.

I would guess this was also a short-term alteration, as otherwise there would have been two gaps (at 1140-ish and 1540-ish) in the Reading-Birmingham roughly hourly schedule and this was deemed unacceptable. It would have been relatively inexpensive to operate, presumably, as it could use a unit otherwise idle between the Birmingham peak hours.

Would be great if anyone can shed any light on this service!

Yes, it has occurred to me as a possible short-term alteration in Summer 1980 only. One possible reason is that, if I remember correctly, the delivery of HST sets for West of England services was slightly delayed and, if the planned cascade of loco-hauled sets to other Regions still went ahead, the number of coaching stock sets available on a Summer Saturday might be a bit tight. Oxford-Paignton would probably be one of the easiest operationally to substitute.

 

[brooklynbound]

Did a Western Region mystery tour Merrymaker style trip from Paddington in the mid seventies. Turned out it was an entire day spent on a DMU going to Hereford and back. I think it was commuter stock surplus at the weekend.

 

[Harpo]

These did seem to happen, remaining somewhat on topic I am absolutely convinced that there was an 1140 Reading-New Street service in 1986, operated with a Tyseley 116 DMU and calling only at the usual IC destinations (Oxford, Banbury, Leamington, Coventry, International).

There was a late night Reading - Brum through the late 70s at least which was booked for a Tyseley unit, coming in in as a Birmingham(?) - Oxford and then a Reading local. Conversely, ar that time there’d also be a crewed standby set for the end of the Reading festival, ready to operate to Brum or London. Finally, there were also Marylebone sets at Birmingham International on one of the early motor shows there.

 

[Beebman]

There was a late night Reading - Brum through the late 70s at least which was booked for a Tyseley unit, coming in in as a Birmingham(?) - Oxford and then a Reading local. Conversely, ar that time there’d also be a crewed standby set for the end of the Reading festival, ready to operate to Brum or London. Finally, there were also Marylebone sets at Birmingham International on one of the early motor shows there.

One Sunday in the late 70s I remember catching an early evening stopper to Twyford from Paddington and I was very surprised to see it formed of a 116/122 combo with 'WM' logos. I mentioned it to my Dad who asked a Reading guard who he knew and who said that there was a Tyseley DMU duty on Sundays which returned to Birmingham in the late evening, and he said it had probably been 'borrowed' from that.

 

[nw1]

There was a late night Reading - Brum through the late 70s at least which was booked for a Tyseley unit, coming in in as a Birmingham(?) - Oxford and then a Reading local. Conversely, ar that time there’d also be a crewed standby set for the end of the Reading festival, ready to operate to Brum or London. Finally, there were also Marylebone sets at Birmingham International on one of the early motor shows there.

This can be found on the Reading 1981 and 1982 station working books on Timetable World, so definitely lasted until at least 1982.

0014 from Reading, all to Oxford, then Banbury and Leamington. Off the 2049 Leamington-Reading parcels.

 

[Elecman]

I did Blackpool North to Perth on a mixture of BRCW and Derby units as a charter train for Cadet Force units going to Comrie camp. Was a very slow slog up Shap and Beattock !! Similar unit consist on the return a week later