LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Nuneaton

Stockingford Station: mrs406

A two-car Gloucester RCW DMU is seen arriving on the diverted 1.10pm New Street to Rugby local train on 8th December 1963. Diversions were common in the early 1960s because of the electrification programme being implemented on the West Coast Route including the Rugby - Birmingham - Wolverhampton - Stafford line. To the writer the arrival of a DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit), as seen above, epitomised the growing decline of steam. Whereas just a few years previously a day out trainspotting would be rewarded by plenty of steam hauled trains by the early 1960s they were increasingly rare. In some ways the DMUs were worse than the introduction of diesel locomotives as they were in his eyes glorified motorised carriages whilst at least a Type 4 still hauled trains in the manner of a steam engine.

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