Based at the depot for four months, the author was involved in the commissioning, trial running and introduction of these units. It was four years after the APT-P days and the staff on the depot had changed. We were in the company of engineers from Brush Traction of Loughborough, who supplied the traction package for the units and a few curries in the evening. Once more we stayed at the Sherbrooke Castle Hotel where the food was second to none, porridge and kippers for breakfast and 5-course dinners on a daily basis.

We did find a decent ale house in the Bon Accord on North Street which sold a lot of good beers and had a small Bistro type restaurant. A far cry from the old days in Scotland when the only beer available was Younger's Tartan bitter, and the pubs shut at 10pm. Yuck!

Following delivery from York Works the trains underwent several days of static commissioning at the depot and then went on a trial run usually to Carlisle and back for a shakedown.

The electric services to Ayr started in September 1986 and thanks to Steve Barnett I now include a few photos of the opening day and services at that time. Ironically I never got to Ayr during the whole time I was involved.