Thanks to Mike Cooper for his photographic contributions which inspired this article. He has asked to dedicate this page to his late friend Norman Smart. After a decade commuting between Aberdeen and Elgin Norman loved and loathed the Swindon units in equal measure!

After trials with a Western Region set the ScR ordered seven sets for this line. These took over services on the 1st July 1960.  For detailed information on these services, see the operations page.

Click on thumbnails for bigger images. 

An ScR official photo. 8th June 1960. Location unknown. AA McLean collection

The 08:45 Aberdeen - Inverness is seen leaving Keith on the 31st March 1961. Hamish Stevenson

At the time when there were other routes in the area, the sets sometimes strayed. Here the 1.55pm Aberdeen - Ballater is seen at Dess. The ScR sets were easily identified by their 'clipped' buffers. Hamish Stevenson

Despite their Cross-Country classification the ScR 120s were painted blue rather than blue / grey. Here a set sits in Inverness station. Stuart Rankin

Set 305 sits at Aberdeen on 29/4/78. The driver obviously has a sense of humour judging by the blind! Click here for the likely contents of the blind. Mike Cooper

Another shot in Aberdeen in 1978. Mike Cooper

A set that has just left Inverness. The line on the bridge behind is the Highland main line down to Perth. Stuart Rankin

A bubble cab stuck on the end was not an uncommon site on the services. Here set 305 leaves Aberdeen past the site of Schoolhill station...

...with a Gloucester bubble stuck on the rear, 'giving it at least an evens chance of getting to Inverness!' June 1978. Mike Cooper

April 1978, and a set sits beside 25 091 in Aberbeen Ferryhill depot. Mike Cooper

A set enters Elgin in 1970. Norman Smart.

Set 301 at Keith Junction, 20/5/78. An SRPS special was held waiting to come off the branch to Dufftown while this service passed. 20/5/78. Mike Cooper.

Insch saw three sets on the 6th April 1978. The photo was taken from the window of a set as a 6-car approaches. Mike Cooper.

Set 305, Aberdeen, 29/4/78. Mike Cooper.

This is a historic shot of set 302 at Huntly, as 254 002 is the first HST to travel the line, on the 6th April 1978. Mike Cooper.

The 20th May 1978, and a SRPS special to Dufftown headed by 40 173 is looped at Dyce to allow set 303 to pass. Mike Cooper.

By the time this was taken on the 10th March 1979 set 301 has a 101 centre car. Its on the 15:50 from Aberdeen at Insch. Hamish Stevenson.

Aberdeen Ferryhill again in April 1978, and a set is in the company of 25 033 (left), unknown 47 and 25 065. Mike Cooper.

A set in the snow at Inverness in 1979. John Law.

The 25th July 1978 and set 300 leaves Huntly for Aberdeen. Taken from a Class 40 on the 'grain'. Norman Smart can be seen hanging from the window of the 120. Mike Cooper.

Huntly, 6th April 1978. Mike Cooper.

Set 302 leads a 6-car set out of Elgin in the late '70s. Norman Smart.

Set 304 was involved in an accident at Oyne on the 12/5/78. DMBF 51784 was withdrawn and sat in Glasgow Works for a while before scrapping. It is seen there on the 6th October 1984. Bill Hamilton.

This shown one of the modified vehicles with the centre passenger section replaced by extra van space. More interesting though is that despite modification and refurbishment, the tablet catcher is still fitted. Also note the mismatched buffers and the '1' on the passenger door. Hamish Stevenson.

A close up of the tablet catcher fitted to 51783 in the opposite picture. Taken at Inverness on the 16th August 1979.

After the sets were replaced by loco-hauled stock in 1980 they moved south to Wales. However later in the '80s some Class 120 sets moved to Ayr, including some of the former ScR vehicles. Here one of them, 51782 is seen at Ayr. Bill Hamilton.

Some Class 120 vehicles were sent to Aberdeen Ferryhill depot for component stripping. Here W51781 makes a return to its old home after a period in Wales, but sadly now devoid of many mechanical components. 26/4/87. Hamish Stevenson. 

Two sets depart from Aberdeen bound for Inverness in October 1972. John McIntyre

A set heads to Ferryhill MPD from Aberdeen past Ferryhill SB in May 1975. Note the tablet catcher recess on the leading vehicle, which is one of the DMF conversions. John McIntyre

The modified vehicles made ideal parcels vehicles in later life! 51786 is paired with Class116 53051heading for the Red Star Parcels depot at Manchester Victoria, 22/3/86. Paul Moxon.

A Swindon Cross Country unit passes the disused Kittybrewster South Signalbox (Kittybrewster station and loco shed were behind and to the right) heading for Aberdeen with a train from Inverness in late 1972. John McIntyre

A set departs from Aberdeen with a train to Inverness in June 1974. Interestingly, the buffet centre car carries a full length red stripe, unusual for DMUs. John McIntyre

This 120 on an Aberdeen to Elgin service is seen just north of Kittybrewster in the autumn of 1972. The destination blind apparently reads "Elgin via Mulben" although by this time that was the only way you could get from Aberdeen to Elgin by rail! Note also the unusual tail lamp. John McIntyre

A train for Inverness waits in Platform 6 at Aberdeen. Platforms 10 & 11 can be seen on the right without track. John McIntyre

Another shot of the train on the left. Believed to be taken in spring 1973 because the platform canopies have been removed from this end of the station and building work has not yet started. John McIntyre

Two 3-car units arrive at Aberdeen with the 8:40am from Inverness but are unusually having to use Platform 8 due to a special for Kyle of Lochalsh waiting to depart north in Platform 6. The pillars that once supported the canopies still stand but not for much longer. There is a sprinkling of snow on the ground on 17 February 1973. John McIntyre

An Aberdeen bound 3-car set is seen passing the long closed Persley station on the northern outskirts of Aberdeen in 1973. John McIntyre

A Swindon 3 car Cross Country unit departs for Inverness from Aberdeen during the demolition of the platform canopies and north footbridge in February 1973. John McIntyre

A Class 120 passes through the closed Kittybrewster station with a train to Aberdeen in late 1972. John McIntyre

Two views of a Cross-Country 3-car unit leaving Aberdeen via Platform 9 in the summer of 1973 when Inverness services were moved from Platform 6 due to construction work for a new building being built above the platforms. John McIntyre

A Class 120 leaves Ferryhill MPD and heads back to Aberdeen Station in 1974. John McIntyre

A Swindon Cross-Country set departs from platform 8 at Aberdeen and crosses to platform 9 with a service to Inverness in 1973. John McIntyre

A Class 120 approaches Kittybrewster with a train for Inverness in May 1975. John McIntyre

A Class 120 unit at Aberdeen Ferryhill MPD in Jan 73. John McIntyre