Class 170/6 diesel multiple units

CLASS 170/6 DIESEL HYDRAULIC MULTIPLE UNITS

During 1999/2000, Central Trains took delivery of ten three-car diesel hydraulic diesel multiple units of class 170/6 (Nos.170630 to 170639). Running numbers being 50630 to 50639 and 79630 to 79639 for the driving cab ends and 56630 to 56639 for the centre cars. The units were based at Tyseley Depot and passed to the London Midland franchise (Nos.170631 to 170636) and Cross Country Trains (No.170637 to 170640) when the Central Trains franchise expired in November 2007. These units have similar mechanical characteristics to other sub-class 170s.

Three-car class 170/6 diesel multiple unit No.170638 on a train from Birmingham New Street to Hereford passes class 66 No.66058 waiting to bank a northbound coal train up the Lickey Incline on 24th September 2007. Photograph by Andrew Smith.

On 19th January 2011 class 170/6 diesel multiple unit No.176030 was at Great Malvern Station on the 14:40 service from Hereford to Birmingham New Street. Photograph taken by Andrew Smith.

The rather nice orange coloured vinyls of West Midland Railway as applied to three-car diesel multiple unit No.170639 seen to good effect at Great Malvern on No.170634 on 9th April 2019. The use of the class 170 units on the hourly Birmingham New Street to Hereford services is due to end as new units are delivered to this operator. The train is the 13.49 Birmingham New Street to Hereford which in 2018 was made into a five-car train with a class 170/6 and a class 170/5 with no corridor connection between the units. Signal MW40 (Malvern Wells loop outer home) would have been better had it been a red light signal as, following the closure of the boxes at Newland East, Malvern Link and Great Malvern this has created an awkwardly long section between Newland's starter signal and the home signal at Malvern Wells loop.

In 2019 the county is not exactly awash with things to photograph or record but one enthusiast at least was active on Great Malvern Station and is seen on 4th August 2019. In the background is class 170/6 three-car diesel multiple unit No.170631 in charge of the 20.00 Herford to Birmingham New Street, despite the clock suggesting a different time (train code No.1M20).