One of the final units in service leaves Johnstone station on its way to Ayr. The corridor connection has been removed to reduce draughts in the driver's cab. Note that part of the connection buffing plate was retained as this carried the tail lamp bracket - the units were one of the very first types introduced and did not carry such modern fripperies as electric tail lights. Technical Information Introduced 1956 / 1959 Coupling Code White Circle Engines 4 x BUT (AEC) 150hp Speed change gearbox     4-speed epicyclic Reversing gearbox Two per (power) car, driving inner bogie wheels only  Body 64ft 1/2 in x 9ft 3in Transmission Standard mechanical The introduction of the Class 126 diesel multiple units originated in a British Transport Commission report of 1952. BR's works at Swindon were chosen to design and build express units for the ex-North British Railway Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street route. These were the first DMUs to be built on the 64'6" underframe. Swindon built a second batch in 1959/60 for use on services to Ayrshire. The second batch was closely based on the 1956 stock, one big improvement was that the guard's van was moved to the rear of the coach giving passengers a forward view. Originally designated inter-urban, (quickly changed to inter-city, long before this name became more widely used), the class 126 is one of the earliest types of Diesel Multiple Units to have operated in Scotland. The cars were of steel construction and featured Pullman gangways and buckeye couplings. Each power car was fitted with two AEC 150 hp. underfloor engines with mechanical transmission giving a maximum speed of 70 mph. The power characteristics of the AEC engines was such that the units were ideally suited to long fast runs. The units had two front-end designs: either a full-width cab or a half-cab with central gangway connection. The latter intermediate driving car allowed through access within a six-car set. Power car seating was in open saloons with compartment seating in the trailers. A unique multiple-working control system (coded White Circle) was employed. History of the Class 126 intercity DMUs in service with British Railways Preservation : The story of our unit after BR service Further Information : How to become involved / FAQ Appeal Back to main Heritage DMU Page

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