European Railroad Discussion > First generation BR dmu's at Dovey Junction, 1968

Travelling between the various narrow guage preserved railways on British Rail sometimes involved changing trains at Dovey Junction, a remote spot with little services in the middle of a salt marsh. On July 31st, 1968, Dovey Junction still had a working signal box and station staff. I forget who was the manufacturer of these railcars.

It's still remote, with no road access but the box and signals have gone. I think those are the solitary class of Park Royal DMUs, a very lucky catch.

Great scanning job,, priceless images of a long past era.

On my first GB trip 1969 or so this was the most passenger train we used. What surprising for us Continentals, there always was a newspaper reading fireman in this Diesels.

Erwin from Austria

I think there are two different dmu classes photographed, the second photo being the driving trailer composite of a Gloucester RC&W pair. But I could be wrong; I confess to not being a big fan of BR dmu's, the Trans-Pennine and Inter-City units excepted.....

Best, SZ

Steinzeit Wrote:
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> I think there are two different dmu classes
> photographed, the second photo being the driving
> trailer composite of a Gloucester RC&W pair. But
> I could be wrong; I confess to not being a big
> fan of BR dmu's, the Trans-Pennine and Inter-City
> units excepted.....
>
> Best, SZ

I think that's right, those Gloucester units ended their days on the Gospel Oak to Barking line in London decked out in NSE livery.

If you look a in background on the signal gantry you can see a route destination board like what is still in use at Worcester Shrub Hill.

Jim

I also think the destination indicator on the Park Royal unit (upper picture) is wrong, it like it's bound for Aberystwyth. The driver is certainly facing Aberystwyth and there's no tail light, unlike on the Gloucester unit (lower picture). IIRC the signal box was on the island platform, one face for Aberystwyth, the other Pwllheli. Todays trains, all class 158s equipped with ERTMS, join and split at Machynlleth, five miles east of Dovey Junction, which these days is a request stop.

86235 Wrote:
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> I also think the destination indicator on the Park
> Royal unit (upper picture) is wrong, it like it's
> bound for Aberystwyth. The driver is certainly
> facing Aberystwyth and there's no tail light,
> unlike on the Gloucester unit (lower picture).
> IIRC the signal box was on the island platform,
> one face for Aberystwyth, the other Pwllheli.
> Todays trains, all class 158s equipped with ERTMS,
> join and split at Machynlleth, five miles east of
> Dovey Junction, which these days is a request
> stop.

Trains always used to split at Machynlleth, at least in diesel mu days, with the result that a wait there iof 10 minutes was (and still is) required for a journey on the Barmouth line even the tarin is running through to Shrewsbury. Also, changing at Dovey Junction was discouraged - I recall in 1972 a guard preventing me from getting off a train from Pwlleli with the words "I can't have you confusing my train now"! All we wanted was to get on the Shrewsbury train at Dovey Junction rather than Machynlleth in the hop of getting better seat (ie behind the driver!)

spflow Wrote:
-----------------------------------------------
> Trains always used to split at Machynlleth, at
> least in diesel mu days, with the result that a
> wait there iof 10 minutes was (and still is)
> required for a journey on the Barmouth line even
> the tarin is running through to Shrewsbury. Also,
> changing at Dovey Junction was discouraged - I
> recall in 1972 a guard preventing me from getting
> off a train from Pwlleli with the words "I can't
> have you confusing my train now"! All we wanted
> was to get on the Shrewsbury train at Dovey
> Junction rather than Machynlleth in the hop of
> getting better seat (ie behind the driver!)

I seem to recall that there were through trains - at least one a day - between Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, which reversed at Dovey Junction.