The first vehicle, 79558, was on show at Marylebone on Thursday 14th Aug '58 for members of the technical press.
Demonstration
It then moved to Aviemore. From Elgin at the end of September 1958,
the vehicle did a
demonstration run for invited guests.
Mr DH Cameron of Locheil, Deputy Chairman of the Scottish
Area Board of the BTC and Mr GW Stewart, Assistant
General manager of the Region, welcomed Brigadier HW
Houldsworth, Lord Lieutenant of Moray; Mr James Stewart,
MP for Moray and Nairn; Col Nail MacLean, MP for
Inverness-shire; Major Robert Bruce, Scottish Council
(Development and Industry) and Member, Advisory Panel on
Highlands & Islands; Mr Francis W Walker, Convenor of
Inverness County Council; also dignitaries and
representatives of local commerce and industry. Later,
the railbus travelled to Aviemore where it was on display
during the afternoon to the public.
 |
The special guests for the inspection at Elgin |
It was officially introduced to the 51 mile Speyside route between Elgin, Granton-on-Spey and Aviemore, starting on the 3rd November '58, involving a diagramed daily mileage of nearly 300.
There were three services each way, and an extra train on a Saturday. One return journey was extended to Keith Junction and one to Elgin, the vehicle covering 300 miles per day. The two vehicles were switched on Dec. '58, 79559 taking over and lasting until early April '59 when it was replaced by Park Royal 79970, and it headed south to Hamilton.
79558 was introduced to the Lugton - Beith branch in Ayrshire, beginning on the 6th April '59. After one month, not devoid of failure, it was replaced by AC Cars vehicle 79979. It then joined 79959 at Hamilton (both arriving in mid-May), and after a period of crew training started on 6/7/59 on workings to Holytown, Strathaven and on the Coalburn line. Their appearance and riding was noted as being not unlike the LMS cars 29950-2 which operated from Hamilton for many years - and became a by-word for unreliability (!!!). On the same day, Class 105s started from Hamilton shed, on various other routes.
On Nov. '59 the failures at Hamilton continued. 79958 failed between Braidhurst and Jeviston Jct on the 15:59 Motherwell to Law Jct. Non-fitted Jumbo 57237 took the railbus in tow, arriving just over an hour late.
By mid-'60 Hamilton shed had given four roads over to DMU maintenance and stabling. At the time it had three railbuses allocated, 79558/9 and Park Royal 79972.
| 79958 at Hurlford 8/3/59. Bill Hamilton |  |