East is East – with DMUs

Links to GB trainspotting logs can now be found at the following address

https://spottinglogs.co.uk/spotting-records-1950s-60s-70s-80s/

I purchased a box of b/w prints, a while ago. Initially, they seemed rather unexciting, but on closer inspection there are some decent images. Here are a few…

These Cravens 3-car units of class 105 were built for the Birmingham – Derby – Leicester – Nottingham local services, but the centre cars (M59307-M59325) were all withdrawn in 1967/8 leaving the remaining cars to operate as power twins. I am not sure of the location, but the destination blind reads ‘Nottingham’.

The class 125s are often referred to as ‘Lea Valley’ units, because they were built primarily for that route, but could be found as far east as Southminster – as witnessed by E50999 seen here as part of a 6-car formation. Unfortunately, they had Orange Star coded controls, which meant they were unable to work with any other units; apart from possibly E50000/E56000, but that was at Lincoln. They all had hydraulic transmission.

Many of the earliest Metro-Cammell units were ‘yellow diamond’ control and were early casualties of the unit grim reaper, but a batch of 4-car units were built for NE England and became part of the ‘blue square’ class 101 family. Here is E50186 at Whitby West Cliff on a service to Scarborough.

Another Cravens unit on the Witham – Braintree branch at Cressing.

E79051 arrives at North Walsham with a Norwich bound service. 

Many thanks to Russell Pigott for identifying the location of this photo.

E79126 is seen on the Harwich Branch. These Derby lightweight units were introduced in 1955, but had been taken out of service by 1969.

Another Derby lightweight, on a rural branch service in deepest Suffolk/Essex.

A 2-car Cravens unit on a service to Sudbury in Suffolk.