GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Tyseley Shed: gwrt2408

A British Railways built 'Derby Heavyweight' DMU arrives at Tyseley with a Henley-in-Arden to Moor Street service. The class first entered traffic on the 17th June 1957 operating suburban services radiating from Birmingham. This was the same day as the Class 126s were introduced on the WR on services from Birmingham to Cardiff and Swansea. After a fanfare of publicity, posters and pamphlets showing diesel trains, and having set 50058/59008/50100 on exhibition at Snow Hill on the 14th June, it was a bit of an anti-climax on the official introduction date of the 17th to find that less than half the trains were actually diesels. The public was disappointed and sceptical, and at least two DMU services failed that day. The steam hauled trains working to the DMU schedule had difficulty keeping time because of running around and water stops. At the time the sets were stabled overnight at terminal points with Tyseley the service centre. A single road shed was being built at Leamington. Noted seen to this date were 50050 - 68 plus partners. The Birmingham services included a regular interval service from Lapworth to Wellington with some extended to Shrewsbury and others to Leamington Spa (General). An hourly regular interval service ran to Stratford-upon-Avon via the North Warwickshire line and the 116s also worked between Leamington and Stratford and Bewdley - Kidderminster - Birmingham. The Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town service was to remain steam worked. Courtesy of the Railcar Association'.

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