Birmingham New Street - Southern Approaches: mrbhm_sa2324

A three-car cross country DMU set on a Derby to New Street service is seen approaches Landor Street signal box on 3rd August 1969. Classified later by British Railways as a Class 120 Multiple Unit, these units were designed for cross country services in three-car formations and were primarily built at Swindon works. A total of 194 cars were built in three batches: forty-nine sets for the Western Region in 1958; seven sets for the Scottish Region in 19 59 and a further nine sets for the Western Region in 1961. British Railways placed the order with British United Traction in summer 1956 for the equipment required for the ninety-eight power cars and forty-seven trailers of the first batch. The order, along with equipment ordered by Cravens for sixty-six power cars and three parcels cars, was valued at £830,000. The first batch was ordered for the Western Region's West Country dieselisation scheme, which it hoped to complete by the end of 1959. The sets were expected to work between Bristol & South Devon.

Their general reliability and good braking characteristics made them popular with drivers. In February 1959, the British Transport Commission placed an order with British United Traction for the equipment for the seven Scottish Region sets, along with equipment for Class 108s and 127s being built at Derby. These 120s were to work mainly on the Aberdeen to Inverness line although appearances at Oban were not unknown. Otherwise the cars worked mainly in the Western and Midland Regions. Some cars had a trial refurbishment but this was found to be too expensive, meaning an early withdrawal for most of the class. Some of the London Midland Region's units were transferred to Scotland in the mid-1980s, mainly finding use on local services from Edinburgh (notably to North Berwick). The final vehicles survived until 1989 with one trailer car surviving at the Great Central Railway.

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