FGDMUs - Part 1 - Swindon Inter City & Class 126 sets

First Generation Diesel Multiple Units - Part 1

Basic Facts for Pre-TOPS Swindon Inter City and TOPS Class 126

This is Part 1 of an occasional series of basic facts for my uploaded FG DMU repaints for MSTS.

This part covers the Swindon Inter City sets that can be found here, and the Class 126 sets that can be found here both uploaded by Rufuskins. The make-up of the sets is defined in the Consists section of the UKTS uploads, and these represent the typical formation of 3 and 6 car sets. It should of course be pointed out that no formation was ever “cast in tablets of stone”!

The Swindon Inter City (SIC) sets were introduced in January 1957 on the Edinburgh-Glasgow services, and were based at Leith Central Depot. However the first six 3 car sets were used on the Western Region for Birmingham-South Wales services for some 3 years before transfer to Scotland.

The Class 126s were introduced in August 1959 on the Glasgow-Ayr services and ran in 3 or 6 car sets and were allocated to Ayr Depot. The 126s differed from the SICs in having their guard’s compartment in the more traditional location. The SICs had this compartment behind the driver and led to numerous complaints from the public vis-a-vis the external view or lack thereof!

The Edinburgh-Glasgow services were eventually superseded by loco hauled sets, and many of the SICs were withdrawn. The Glasgow-Ayr services continued into the early 1980s.

It is worth noting that these sets were used on a number of different routes out of Glasgow towards the end of their life, and even occasionally ran through to Carlisle.

These sets could be run on  the Glasgow-Carlisle and Scottish Central Plus routes.