In this review, we take a look at Colin J. Howat’s Class 126 DMU book, which has been kindly sent over by our friends at Amberley Publishing.

This book provides an account of the operation of Class 126 diesel multiple units (DMUs) in Scotland, from their introduction in 1956 until their withdrawal in 1983.

A four-page introduction provides a background to the services they operated, including between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street, and Glasgow St. Enoch to Ayr and Stranraer Harbour.

The author explains where they were based, why some units were known as Inter City units, and their use on other routes.

A collection of personal anecdotes by the author supplements the introduction. The rest of the book is devoted to photographs of the class in various guises.

The book is not divided into chapters, but the pages are numbered to help readers navigate their way through the book’s 180 photographs.

Published in September 2025 by Amberley Publishing and written by Colin J. Howat, this soft-cover book measures around 23.4 cm x 16.5 cm, has 96 pages and 180 illustrations.

It has a published price of £15.99, but at the time of writing, it can be purchased for £14.39 from Amberley Publishing and for £12.39 from Amazon.

At first sight, the two units on the left are of two different classes, but they are both Class 126s with different front ends.

Unfortunately, other than the Introduction referring to two different front-end designs, there is no explanation as to when or why they evolved.

The Introduction also notes “…the added attraction to passengers of a great view of the line ahead, behind the driver.” That may apply to the design in the upper photograph, but certainly doesn’t in the lower one.

As seen in the photos below, there were variations in the headcode panels, with some units having a single panel and others having two. The unit at the bottom right appears to have what could be a route marker mounted over the headcode panel. It would be useful if a description of the reason for such variations were included.

The top left photo below is typical of many where the caption provides insufficient information; in this case, it refers to the slow lines, but does not make clear which lines are being referred to.

The lower photo depicts a collection of tickets, but other than being for routes travelled by 126s, there seems to be no reason for its inclusion.

Instead, it would have been useful to have a map showing which lines the 126s operated over. Also, the caption says they are no longer available to the travelling public, but doesn’t explain why, presumably because the lines have since closed.

The caption to the top left photo below says “Note the old AA bus in the background” At first sight, I thought it was a misprint and searched for an AA box. I then presumed it referred to the bus on the bridge, even though it doesn’t appear to be any different seen throughout the country today. Unless the reader had local knowledge, they wouldn’t realise that AA was the name of the bus operator.

Many images in the book are not up to a good reproduction standard, none more so than the one at the bottom left below, which has a pronounced yellow cast. The top right photo clearly contradicts the view in the Introduction that ‘the 126s offered a good view from behind the driver’.

My main comment about this book is its lack of an organised structure. The Introduction talks about their use between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street, and Glasgow St. Enoch to Ayr and Stranraer Harbour, therefore the book would have benefited from being subdivided into sections covering each of these routes and other lines where Class 126s were to be seen.

Some photos show units with Trans-Clyde livery while others have the BR double-arrow logo, but there is no mention of which units received each livery.

The Introduction provides a useful insight into the history and operation of the class in Scotland, while personal anecdotes are a useful adjunct to the more detailed descriptions.

The last few pages have images which reveal that some of the class were reprieved after withdrawal from British Rail service. It would have added to the book’s value if a short description had been added to supplement the images.

While many of the photographs are a useful historical record, many of them are poor, either in their composition or clarity, and often lack contrast or show a coloured tint.

Overall, the book gives a fair appreciation of the operation of Class 126s in Scotland, but lacks details of why there were variations in their appearance.

For anyone who remembers travelling on or seeing these units in operation, the book will provide a trip down memory lane. Taking into account the comments above, it merits a rating of 4/5.

The book is available to purchase from Amazon and from Amberley Publishing.

We would like to thank Amberley Publishing for providing us with a copy of the book for review.