The History of First Generation DMUs
The Railcar website provides information on the British Railways first generation DMUs (a.k.a. diesel multiple units / railcars) introduced in the 1950s.
The content of this website
The six key sections of the website are:
- Types - looks at each type of DMU in detail
- Topics - features articles on different aspects of the vehicles and personal recollections
- Technology - describes the technical details of how they work
- Data - various lists of numerical details
- Images - galleries featuring DMUs
- In Print - details the books and other printed materials made available over the years that have relevance
Details of railcars in preservation can be found on The Railcar Association website.
Date on DMUs
Vehicle / Set Data
To view details of a particular vehicle or set enter the number below:
DMU Images Wanted!
Do you have photos of First Generation DMUs? The more images we have the better we can tell the DMU story and make it more useful to visitors. Images can be loaded directly onto the site - just register as a user and upload! Alternatively if you have images on flickr or another website I can do the uploads for you - just let me know.
Scope
This website contains details about the First Generation DMUs. This includes the 4-wheel diesel railbuses, ACV / BUT railcars, the Battery Multiple Unit (BMU) and Blue Pullmans. It covers the period from their introduction to British Railways in the 1950s till their withdrawal and disposal from main-line use, but NOT preservation.
Because of the vast amount of data that this covers and the amount of information I have still to process I cannot include the DEMUs introduced on the Southern Region in the same era, nor Second Generation or later types.
Updates
Holiday time - updates will resume at the end of the month!
September 5th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: Sheffield - Doncaster; Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton High Level; Leeds - Barnsley; Glasgow - Hamilton Circle; and Paignton - Exmouth.
August 29th
A look at the Rocket 150 DMU Shuttles for the 1980 event at Rainhill.
August 22nd
Added to the headcode pages are some of those used on the Western Region.
August 15th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: March - Wisbech - Kings Lynn; Liverpool - Gateacre; Leeds - Bradford Forster Square; Edinburgh - Dunbar; and West Drayton - Uxbridge.
August 8th
Added to the document archive is a 1964 Scottish Region Fault Finding booklet.
August 1st
Added to the headcode pages are three more summaries of those used on the Eastern Region from September 1962. Also a Leeds Neville Hill destination blind from circa mid-1960s.
July 25th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: Peterborough - Spalding; Nottingham - Sheffield; Darlington / Barnard Castle - Middleton-in-Teesdale; Fife Coast; and Brixham - Churston.
July 18th
New in the document archive are the Job Desciptions from Issue 3 of Standard Maintenance Instructions, the 1970s version of maintenance instructions.
July 11th
Added to the headcode pages are some of those used on the Eastern Region.
Latest Images:
Class 118 set B472 on arrival at Severn Beach on 03/04/1982. John Clark.
Seen from the top of the Forth Bridge Jubilee Pier, the stone arch at the south end of the bridge where you pass from the viaduct part into the high girders. Class 101 set No 330 formed 51456, 59555 and 51520 with the 1406hrs Cowdenbeath to Edinburgh Waverley. Keith Long.
Three-Car Class 110 formed of 51815, 59703 and 51829 passing the site of West Silkstone Junction with a Huddersfield to Sheffield train, the route of the closed Worsborough Incline is to the right and the single overhead support on the Barnsley line is for the siding for stabling the incline banking locos. Keith Long.
Two-Car Class 101 passing the site of West Silkstone Junction with a Huddersfield to Sheffield train, the route of the closed Worsborough Incline is to the right. Keith Long.
One of the Trans-Pennine Express Class 124 vehicles that was modified towards the end of their lives, built in 1960 as MBSK No 51975 and modified to a TBSK No 59839 in 1981 by removing the diesel engines is seen here at Sheffield station on a train from Manchester to Hull coupled next to it on the rear of the train is Class 123 No 52093. Keith Long.
On This Day:
During a Steamport/BR Open Day on 28th September 1985 a shuttle service was run between Southport Station and the museum in the former MPD at Derby Road. A Class 104 DMU formed of cars 53469 & 54175 was used on the frequent shuttle and is seen here heading towards St Lukes, prior to reversing onto the Steamport running line. Martyn Hilbert.
Two BRC&W triple sets in Newchapel and Goldenhill station with the 4.18pm Macclesfield - Wolverhampton (High Level) service on 28 September 1963. M50428 is closest, M50514 is at the far end. The station was on the Potteries Loop Line which closed in 1964. Michael Mensing.
Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 44804 (17A) heads homeward with an unfitted coal train, whilst heading in the opposite (south-westerly) direction at Burton-on-Trent is Wickham's "Elliot Track Recording Coach" DB999507 - 28/09/1964. The 5MT was withdrawn from BR service in March 1968 and was scrappred by Draper's of Hull in June that... 53A Models of Hull Collection.
An image from the November 1959 British Railways London Midland Region staff magazine, captioned as "The inaugural train running into Bedford station". It shows two Derby quad sets (Class 127s), the closest with Special on the blind, tail lamp and driver. This was on 28 September 1959 and this first train would carry David Blee and other... British Railways.
Two Class 110s cab be seen in Neville Hill on the 28th September 1970 shortly before the shed was demolished. They are in the company of stored steam locomotives, left to right are 3442 The Great Marquess, 62005, 69621, 60019 Bittern. Keith Long.