hi. we used to have these 121s on the Henley to Twyford line in the 60s. as teenagers we loved riding in them and sit behind the driver,all had 2 engines. either AEC or LEYLAND .great memories. i think we were the first railway children !
Remember riding on one when in operation on Chiltern Railways, wasn't the blue one but was in the same livery as in the video 121034 from Aylesbury to Princes Risborough, Brilliant experience, great video.
Yes, I remember them on Twyford-Henley,and also they were the staple (with the DTS) on the "Marlow Donkey" branch between Maidenhead, Bourne End and Marlow.
Thanks! I'm starting on a few other occasional series that will venture outside Hull, keep your eyes peeled for a few short videos where I visit historical sites around Yorkshire as well!
Not wanting to drop a bombshell but... The Class 121s were designed for out of London suberban services out of Paddington to locations such as Greenford. Whereas the Class 122s were designed with the idea of rural branches on the Western Region in Devon/Cornwall and South Wales as well as various localities in between. Many former Western Region 122s including W55000 (Preserved at the SDR) that worked over the Bude branch in Cornwall on its last day of operation (1st Oct 1966) but when transfered to the Dundee area (becoming SC55000) worked the last passenger service along the Brechin branch in 1981. This being one of the only 122s to be transferred to Scotland. Differences: 121s - different seating layout, different destination blind and a Headcode box. 122s - different seating layout, thinner destination blind and NO Headcode box.
Many ran from Paddington, but there were also 121s in Cornwall and running from Bristol, later they were found in South Wales. More were shifted to Bristol in the 1970s for work on more rural branch lines,a task they were perfectly suited for.
Cheers for your reply, from what evidence I’ve found through video records, notes and various other sources from there later BR career many were under NSE working the Greenford branch and various branches such as Henley-on-Thames whilst some where transferred to South Wales still under BR ownership for Valley services out of Cardiff a large proportion remained in the London area for by the the time the early 90s had come around the South West was an array of Class 150s and Class 101s (from Norwich) that had replaced the Class 142s in the late 80s following complaints and reliability issues, this all being under Regional Railways who also enlisted a large number of Class 155s for local services in the South West and South Wales. A proportion of Class 122s remained in the South West under RR for services in Cornwall such as the Looe and St Ives branches however with the introduction of Class 153s, the Looe branch fell under them and St Ives mainly fell to 150s. 121s we’re always very rare out of there home turf of the South Eastern areas of the Western Region, largely due to there designed purpose however it is a well known fact that they have made there way to the South West in the BR period as a substitute. In the Post-BR era of course like you’ve said 2 121s were used between Aylesbury and Princess Risborough. Both are now preserved 55034 (BR Green) at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and the other (Chiltern Blue) funnily enough being preserved at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway in deepest darkest Cornwall. Arriva Trains Wales also like you’ve stated in your video used Class 121s (although only a few) on the shuttle between Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Queen St. Apart from that the Class 121s haven’t really done anything else apart from work on heritage railways but as I say and supported by the records of people from the time period. The Class 122s were largely the dominant bubble car in the South West and in some parts West Wales however the 121s were a more likely presence (as you’ve stated) around the Bristol area and the GWML. However of course the presence of Class 108s/117/118 units etc… made a large pro-founding response on there usage.
I do sincerely apologise for the whole bloody documentation I’ve written about them but sometimes it’s easier to write out the facts in large quantity paragraphs than bullet points.
@@BritishRailProductions In fairness, I do make a point about them being a very small class in the video, and I didn't claim that they were the only bubblecar, just that they were a bubblecar, that many worked small, rural lines, and that bubblecars were designed in response to cutting costs on smaller branch lines. This particular video was about the 121 in particular, so it focusses solely on these models. If and when I ever get to do an episode on the class 122, I'll certainly be describing their operational history too!
Fantastic video really fascinating though I never recall seeing the class 121 bubble car in action in the north east a great design of DMU and it's a good tribute that out of the 16 built that 14 survive in preservation 😃
ahh now that you've explained..'leaves on the rails..' I used to live beside a railway line and grass fires were common on the embankment. I remember these bubble cars at Greenford, such an infrequent service to West Ealing? and around Paddington.
Yeah, the newspapers always like to make the railways look bad, so they really went to town on the "leaves on the rail" story without also explaining that it was a serious engineering issue for locomotives and track infrastructure. Without the RHTTs trains would be out of service having flats repaired and areas of the network would be closed to repair damage done to the track by the hammer blow effect of those flats.
Never a great lover of diesels, but it's one of yours, so worth a watch. We had them here in Western Australia, (narrow gauge here) but they've all been swapped out for modern super dooper electrics. I always saw diesels as frauds, usurping steam traction, but the little DMU's seemed harmless enough, so maybe it wss good thing...
Ah, I'm a later generation; to me, the big growly diesels were the memories of my youth, steam engines were history at that point. I love steam locos, but they don't really have nostalgia for me because of that. But if I hear a 60 year old diesel roar past pulling a rail treatment train, I'm like a little kid again!
@@hullhistorynerd Yes, I see your point. I was a train spotter as a kid, but collecting Bo-Bo numbers didn't have quite the same feeling so I lost interest. Part of the attraction of steam traction is that it seems alive, and all the mechanical voodoo is on display. Captivating...
The original prototype for the Pacer! We saw that when we were there. It even has indicators and a 'have correct fare ready' light up sign by the door!
That's a very good question; I didn't find any mention of such in my reading, but that's certainly not to say that it didn't happen! As you say, it's certainly possible.
Been spending a long time out of commission through lockdown and a house move that's involved lots of extra work, but I'm actually editing a new video to hopefully go out later today!
hi. we used to have these 121s on the Henley to Twyford line in the 60s. as teenagers we loved riding in them and sit behind the driver,all had 2 engines. either AEC or LEYLAND .great memories. i think we were the first railway children !
Remember riding on one when in operation on Chiltern Railways, wasn't the blue one but was in the same livery as in the video 121034 from Aylesbury to Princes Risborough, Brilliant experience, great video.
Ace! The music at the end sounds like the fizzyness I get from trains!
I loved the bass, it reminds me of diesel engines!
Yes, I remember them on Twyford-Henley,and also they were the staple (with the DTS) on the "Marlow Donkey" branch between Maidenhead, Bourne End and Marlow.
Love the 121s have had on that very one featured at the railway. Well put together once again HHN!
Thankyou! Looking forward to doing more of these as and when I can!
Another well presented railway video and not Hull. Glad you are doing other topics too,
Thanks! I'm starting on a few other occasional series that will venture outside Hull, keep your eyes peeled for a few short videos where I visit historical sites around Yorkshire as well!
Not wanting to drop a bombshell but...
The Class 121s were designed for out of London suberban services out of Paddington to locations such as Greenford. Whereas the Class 122s were designed with the idea of rural branches on the Western Region in Devon/Cornwall and South Wales as well as various localities in between. Many former Western Region 122s including W55000 (Preserved at the SDR) that worked over the Bude branch in Cornwall on its last day of operation (1st Oct 1966) but when transfered to the Dundee area (becoming SC55000) worked the last passenger service along the Brechin branch in 1981. This being one of the only 122s to be transferred to Scotland.
Differences: 121s - different seating layout, different destination blind and a Headcode box. 122s - different seating layout, thinner destination blind and NO Headcode box.
Many ran from Paddington, but there were also 121s in Cornwall and running from Bristol, later they were found in South Wales. More were shifted to Bristol in the 1970s for work on more rural branch lines,a task they were perfectly suited for.
Cheers for your reply, from what evidence I’ve found through video records, notes and various other sources from there later BR career many were under NSE working the Greenford branch and various branches such as Henley-on-Thames whilst some where transferred to South Wales still under BR ownership for Valley services out of Cardiff a large proportion remained in the London area for by the the time the early 90s had come around the South West was an array of Class 150s and Class 101s (from Norwich) that had replaced the Class 142s in the late 80s following complaints and reliability issues, this all being under Regional Railways who also enlisted a large number of Class 155s for local services in the South West and South Wales. A proportion of Class 122s remained in the South West under RR for services in Cornwall such as the Looe and St Ives branches however with the introduction of Class 153s, the Looe branch fell under them and St Ives mainly fell to 150s. 121s we’re always very rare out of there home turf of the South Eastern areas of the Western Region, largely due to there designed purpose however it is a well known fact that they have made there way to the South West in the BR period as a substitute.
In the Post-BR era of course like you’ve said 2 121s were used between Aylesbury and Princess Risborough. Both are now preserved 55034 (BR Green) at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and the other (Chiltern Blue) funnily enough being preserved at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway in deepest darkest Cornwall. Arriva Trains Wales also like you’ve stated in your video used Class 121s (although only a few) on the shuttle between Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Queen St.
Apart from that the Class 121s haven’t really done anything else apart from work on heritage railways but as I say and supported by the records of people from the time period. The Class 122s were largely the dominant bubble car in the South West and in some parts West Wales however the 121s were a more likely presence (as you’ve stated) around the Bristol area and the GWML. However of course the presence of Class 108s/117/118 units etc… made a large pro-founding response on there usage.
I do sincerely apologise for the whole bloody documentation I’ve written about them but sometimes it’s easier to write out the facts in large quantity paragraphs than bullet points.
@@BritishRailProductions In fairness, I do make a point about them being a very small class in the video, and I didn't claim that they were the only bubblecar, just that they were a bubblecar, that many worked small, rural lines, and that bubblecars were designed in response to cutting costs on smaller branch lines. This particular video was about the 121 in particular, so it focusses solely on these models. If and when I ever get to do an episode on the class 122, I'll certainly be describing their operational history too!
Sounds like a cunning plan doing a 122 video, I’m sure my local railway (South Devon Railway) would love you to come down and film W55000.
121032 was used by ATW for the Cardiff bay line just like the two chiltern.units 2008/2009 that was withdrawn
The class 121 were built by the Pressed steel company at Linwood . Formerly Beardmores. Not far from Glasgow.
Fantastic video really fascinating though I never recall seeing the class 121 bubble car in action in the north east a great design of DMU and it's a good tribute that out of the 16 built that 14 survive in preservation 😃
Glad you enjoyed it, the DMUs never get as much love as their bigger, louder siblings, but they're just as interesting in many ways!
ahh now that you've explained..'leaves on the rails..' I used to live beside a railway line and grass fires were common on the embankment. I remember these bubble cars at Greenford, such an infrequent service to West Ealing? and around Paddington.
Yeah, the newspapers always like to make the railways look bad, so they really went to town on the "leaves on the rail" story without also explaining that it was a serious engineering issue for locomotives and track infrastructure. Without the RHTTs trains would be out of service having flats repaired and areas of the network would be closed to repair damage done to the track by the hammer blow effect of those flats.
Never a great lover of diesels, but it's one of yours, so worth a watch. We had them here in Western Australia, (narrow gauge here) but they've all been swapped out for modern super dooper electrics. I always saw diesels as frauds, usurping steam traction, but the little DMU's seemed harmless enough, so maybe it wss good thing...
Ah, I'm a later generation; to me, the big growly diesels were the memories of my youth, steam engines were history at that point. I love steam locos, but they don't really have nostalgia for me because of that. But if I hear a 60 year old diesel roar past pulling a rail treatment train, I'm like a little kid again!
@@hullhistorynerd Yes, I see your point. I was a train spotter as a kid, but collecting Bo-Bo numbers didn't have quite the same feeling so I lost interest. Part of the attraction of steam traction is that it seems alive, and all the mechanical voodoo is on display. Captivating...
Interior looks like a pacer
Like the end music too.
Cheers! Higgins Brown will be overjoyed when I pass it on to him.
Last time I was on that line it was in an experimental development DMU that was basically a yellow double cabbed Layland bus
The original prototype for the Pacer! We saw that when we were there. It even has indicators and a 'have correct fare ready' light up sign by the door!
Did they ever haul mail wagons/milk tankers as well as carrying passengers? They have the buffers & switch gear to do so.
That's a very good question; I didn't find any mention of such in my reading, but that's certainly not to say that it didn't happen! As you say, it's certainly possible.
Hey, HHN where are you?????
Been spending a long time out of commission through lockdown and a house move that's involved lots of extra work, but I'm actually editing a new video to hopefully go out later today!