Melvyn Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 Hi there, I think I read somewhere that Cambridge had an allocation of class 120's, does anyone know of these and what services they were used on? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cravensdmufan Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 Yes, some were allocated to Cambridge in 1986 for parcels use. See the excellent railcar website https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/class-120/parcel-use 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 To me, as someone who lived in Cambridge from 1959-72, and otherwise always within the county, 120s were strangers. But, post 1973, after I got married, I moved to St.Ives (though I stilled worked in Cambridge. My views of the rail scene were less, but I did fairly often see trains, particularly in the Fens and occasionally at the station. I only ever recall 120s on the Leicester/Birmingham trains, where they were often good for a cop! Their use a s parcels trains is a new one for me, were they converted, or were they used in between passenger diagrams? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvyn Posted July 6, 2022 Author Share Posted July 6, 2022 Thanks all. I think I read that they were seen at Norwich in passenger service coming in from the Midlands, so I may be able to justify one on an East Anglian layout (lf a manufacturer makes one!). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted July 6, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 6, 2022 1 hour ago, Melvyn said: Thanks all. I think I read that they were seen at Norwich in passenger service coming in from the Midlands, so I may be able to justify one on an East Anglian layout (lf a manufacturer makes one!). I keep looking for an excuse to tun one on mine. I've seen a picture of an Allover blue one at Cromer about 69. Would love to see proof of them getting to Norwich in late 60s in blue and grey 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Isherwood Posted July 6, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 6, 2022 1 hour ago, stewartingram said: I only ever recall 120s on the Leicester/Birmingham trains, where they were often good for a cop! I recall travelling in one from Leicester to Peterborough - it still had the (disused) buffet in one car. John Isherwood. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 Just like @cravensdmufan said, see the excellent Railcar website. Page two of their images has a couple of relevant pictures from Brian Ward. Quote Class 120 Express Parcels set 53739 + 51575 stabled in Cambridge station circa Spring 1987. This was the only pair of the type to carry the yellow/red stripes. . https://www.railcar.co.uk/images/class-120/parcels/2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 Would a Class 120 in Grantham also serve Cambridge? Here's one in Grantham Yard. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted July 6, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 6, 2022 As a spotter at Cambridge 1968-1975 and then again in the 1980s we did regularly see Tyseley Class 120s on the Birmingham-Cambridges before they went over to loco haulage; ISTR in the early '70s they also worked a 'fill in' Cambridge-Bishops Stortford turn in the afternoon. After the cross country workings went over to loco haulage they still turned up sometimes - in the early '80s I recall a fairly regular working to Birmingham on a Sunday afternoon. As @cravensdmufan has said though, they weren't actually allocated to Cambridge depot until transferred to the Parcels Sector. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cravensdmufan Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 13 hours ago, russ p said: I keep looking for an excuse to tun one on mine. I've seen a picture of an Allover blue one at Cromer about 69. Would love to see proof of them getting to Norwich in late 60s in blue and grey Russ, I certainly remember seeing them and travelling from Norwich in the late 60's and early 70's at Norwich (in blue and grey as presumably they were used for longer distance main line. Before "ordinary" units were universally treated). They were used on the Birmingham service. I thought at the time how very posh they were compared with our usual Norwich allocated 101s and 105s with their wooden panelled interiors, oval mirrors and curtains. Alas, I don't have photographs from the time. There's a nice shot (albeit in b&w) of a three car blue and grey unit departing from Thorpe on 4th April 1977 in John Brodribb's excellent book "First Generation DMUs in East Anglia. I really hope we get a R-T-R model in 4mm. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted July 7, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 7, 2022 7 minutes ago, cravensdmufan said: Russ, I certainly remember seeing them and travelling from Norwich in the late 60's and early 70's at Norwich (in blue and grey as presumably they were used for longer distance main line. Before "ordinary" units were universally treated). They were used on the Birmingham service. I thought at the time how very posh they were compared with our usual Norwich allocated 101s and 105s with their wooden panelled interiors, oval mirrors and curtains. Alas, I don't have photographs from the time. There's a nice shot (albeit in b&w) of a three car blue and grey unit departing from Thorpe on 4th April 1977 in John Brodribb's excellent book "First Generation DMUs in East Anglia. I really hope we get a R-T-R model in 4mm. That's good news let's hope someone decides to do a RTR one. It's quite a low hanging piece of fruit. The unit I would really like but can't ever see it happening is a 79XXX met camm 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cravensdmufan Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 2 minutes ago, russ p said: The unit I would really like but can't ever see it happening is a 79XXX met camm Tri-ang already did that - albeit a bit on the short side! 😂 Did a centre car as well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted July 7, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 7, 2022 6 minutes ago, cravensdmufan said: Tri-ang already did that - albeit a bit on the short side! 😂 Did a centre car as well. Interestingly I did see a picture of a 3 car one I think on a Romford Upminster service. A power trailer set with an additional DMBS 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvyn Posted July 7, 2022 Author Share Posted July 7, 2022 19 hours ago, 31A said: As a spotter at Cambridge 1968-1975 and then again in the 1980s we did regularly see Tyseley Class 120s on the Birmingham-Cambridges before they went over to loco haulage; ISTR in the early '70s they also worked a 'fill in' Cambridge-Bishops Stortford turn in the afternoon. After the cross country workings went over to loco haulage they still turned up sometimes - in the early '80s I recall a fairly regular working to Birmingham on a Sunday afternoon. As @cravensdmufan has said though, they weren't actually allocated to Cambridge depot until transferred to the Parcels Sector. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvyn Posted July 7, 2022 Author Share Posted July 7, 2022 That's good to know, I have an idea for a layout set near Cambridge circa 1980, so I may be able to justify one occasionally. Just waiting for one of the kids to move out so I have room! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieK Posted July 12, 2022 Share Posted July 12, 2022 There are a couple of images on the railcar website. Hit the "Images" on the top of the page and use the advanced search function... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1059 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 On 06/07/2022 at 19:40, Melvyn said: Thanks all. I think I read that they were seen at Norwich in passenger service coming in from the Midlands, so I may be able to justify one on an East Anglian layout (lf a manufacturer makes one!). Hi Yes, 120s worked the Norwich - Birmingham cross country services until they went over to loco hauled behind class 31's in May 1977 (I think I remember that correctly). After that they were not regular visitors at Norwich Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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