British Rail Class 126

British Rail Class 126

In service	1957–1983
Manufacturer	BR Swindon Works
Operator(s)	British Rail
Specifications
Car length	64 ft 6 in (19.66 m)
Width	9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Height	12 ft 9 ¹⁄₂ in (3.899 m)
Maximum speed	70 mph (113 km/h)
Weight	38 long tons (39 t; 43 short tons)
Prime mover(s)	150-horsepower (110 kW) BUT (AEC), 2 per power car
Power output	300 hp (220 kW)
Multiple working	White Circle
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm)

The British Rail Class 126 diesel multiple unit was built by BR Swindon Works in 1959/60 to work services from Glasgow to Ayrshire and comprised 22 Motor Second vehicles ( Sc51008-29), 22 Motor Brake Second ( Sc51030-51), 10 Kitchen Trailer First (59391-400) and 11 Trailer Composite (59402-59412) vehicles formed into 22 3-car sets formed Motor Second + Trailer + Motor Brake Second. These trainsets were based on the earlier Swindon-built trainsets that had been introduced in 1955 to work the Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Queen St services with vehicles numbered in the 79xxx series which formed the first Inter City service to be operated by diesel units in Great Britain. The introduction of these early diesel multiple units originated in a British Transport Commission report of 1952 that suggested the trial use of diesel railcars. BR's Swindon Works were chosen to design and build express units for the ex-North British Railway Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street route. There is much confusion with these early sets as the Class number (126) was allocated in the early 1970s when TOPS was introduced by British Railways but the imminent withdrawal of 79xxx numbered units meant that they were not reclassified thus Class 126 officially refers to only the 5xxxx series vehicles.

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. Initially termed "Inter-urban", this was soon changed to "Inter-City" long before that branding was used for mainline express services.

These trains 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. Neither end featured any destination blinds or marker lights, only a box holding a stencil indicating the train classification (A, B or C; later changed to 1, 2 or 3). Power car seating was of the "open" saloon arrangement with compartment seating in the trailers. A unique multiple working control system (coded White Circle) was employed. Unlike other classes, each power car produced its own control air supply and was thus incompatible with any other.

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