All units were delivered new to Stratford on the following dates according to Wickham's records:
E50415+E56170  8/8/1957
E50416+E56171  29/10/1957
E50417+E56172  29/11/1957
E50418+E56173  16/4/1958
E50419+E56174  25/8/1958

The units worked solely on the ER, mainly on branch lines and local services in East Anglia.

50415/56170 appeared on the Wickford - Southminster branch during the first week in September '57, working with Stratford Derby Lightweights. The services were altered to run hourly on weekdays and two-hourly on Sundays, all connecting with the fast trains from Liverpool Street and Southend instead of the slow trains as previously.

50416/56171 appeared at Southend on the 11th Dec. '57.

By Jan. '58 50415/6/7 with 56170/1/2 were regularly working the Upminster - Romford branch, and had the appropriate destination blinds.

In Dec '58/Jan '59 the Minister of Transport travelled on a set for a tour of the ER's London Area.

One lengthy service the cars operated at least in the Summer 1971 timetable was the 13:04 from Kings Cross to Harwich Town (arrive 16:51). The Saturdays only train (it terminated at Royston on weekdays) made 27 intermediate stops on the 124 ¾ mile journey.