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Gloucester RC&W Class 122 DMU - by Hywel Thomas
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Once I’d got the railcar actually running successfully I moved on to the other end of the
interior. The floor on the Dapol model is around 5mm higher than it should be to clear the
mechanism. In the route learning conversion the three rows of remaining sets were slightly
tiered so that the drivers could see the route ahead. As I wasn’t going to use the interior
lighting I didn’t have to put too much detail into the seating and, again, used salvaged
seating parts from the earlier conversion. The gaps left after removing the other seats were
filled with plastic sheet.
Showing the saloon from the other end with even more surgery apparent on the poor station
staff we see here. These characters will be barely visible in the former guard’s compartment.
Two fire extinguishers were prominently visible through a window and are
made of some carved sprue. Two lockers occupy the centre compartment and some
tables in the other. A few ModelU orange hi-vis jackets add a splash of colour.
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One project that has spent a few years sat in its original box in the cupboard was a Dapol
class 122 single car DMU. The only example of a DMU likely to turn up at an obscure outpost
like Morfa Bank in 1972 was the WR route learning car, DB975023. At that time it had not
long been renumbered from DB975073, a number it carried in error for a few years. Starting
life as W55001, and entering the departmental fleet in 1969, the route learner was a common
sight around the WR for a number of years before moving further afield. The body of the Dapol
model was a good representation of the real thing but the interior needed some work, starting
with the removal of most of the seating.
As I use DC control, the speaker cabinet in the guard’s compartment wasn’t needed and so it was
removed and replaced with a simple cover over the resulting hole. This also involved some surgery
to the metal casting attached to the chassis, again with the redundant metal removed. Here we can
see new seating (salvaged parts from the inspection saloon conversion a few months ago) fitted
in the guard’s section for its new route learning role. I was disappointed with the engineering
on the drive mechanism and had to dismantle the unused chassis and solidly fix the too-sloppy
drive parts to the cardan shaft just to get it to move, something you really shouldn’t have to
do on a modern day RTR item.
The figures were modified from the Bachmann 1970s station staff set, taking on a new lease
of life after some major surgery. The two partitions have been fitted further down the saloon.
As the completed unit rolls past the photographer before stopping short of the Morfa Bank
headshunt we can see a few drivers admiring the forward view of the line ahead.
The unit, carrying the set number B101, correct for the 1972-era, has slowed to a halt at
Morfa Bank before reversing and heading further west on its tour of obscure freight lines.
The bent handrail, only spotted on the photograph, has now been put right!
Whilst out and about at Shenston Road with camera in hand, the following snaps were recorded.
Gloucester RCW Class 122 single car DMU heads south past the freight loops. This Dapol model
has recently had the interior painted to match the era, rather than the bright blue and fawn
colours it sported when it came out of the box.
