Mixed Livery DMUs

[Gwiwer]

Hold the 'phone! That is a Cravens Cl.105 vehicle in blue AND grey? I'd've bet the farm none of them ever received anything past all over blue, but then I was under the impression anything that didn't have asbestos removal wouldn't have been approached with a grey laden paintbrush.

C6T.

A very few Haymarket Cravens cars received blue/grey.

[EddieK]

Some DMU depots were very good at keeping DMU sets permanently formed, for example Kingmoor with the Cumbrian Coast fleet of Class 108s. I suspect that when these units were due overhaul, they were sent as a pair and returned from works still as a pair. Western Region sets were generally good at staying together, with occasional substitutions by single car Class 121 or 122, but usually all sets went to works as a set. Other depots would mix and match vehicles to provide the required formations. If a particular vehicle was due to go to works, it would be sent on its own and then, on return, it would just be formed where required. The Marylebone Class 115 fleet was frequently re-shuffled and I have seen two or even three liveries in a four car set.

 

In 1989, when I started work at a carriage depot on the West Coast Main line, they were just changing the system to give fixed set formations for the Mark 2f and Mark 3 trains. Previously, if a TSO was due routine maintenance it would be shunted out of its set and replaced by a freshly maintained TSO. The coach due maintenance was then shunted to a shed where it was maintained as an individual vehicle, ready to take the place of the next TSO due exam. Again, when the works called for a vehicle, it would go on its own. The new system saw sets of stock planned so that the bogies were all about on the same miles since overhaul, and then we had to shunt the trains to put all of the planned sets together. It was helped by the shiny new maintenance shed that could take a full length set of coaches. So, all maintenance was done on the particular set at the same time. When the bogies were worn out, then the whole set went to works together. 

[M51625]

There are plans to have a preserved DMU set in mixed colours in the next few years... Just need to order a few tins of blue paint and convince the management!

[Revolution Ben]

Hi all,

 

Apologies if it's been mentioned, but if we are talking mixed livery EMUs then let me give a nod to the Southern 6-Pul sets, which had a single Pullman car permanently marshalled into the unit.

 

http://www.semgonline.com/gallery/pics/jb6pul.jpg

 

cheers

Ben A.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Ben A