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
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.
July 4th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: Firsby - Skegness; Crewe - Chester; Middlesbrough - Guisborough; Edinburgh - Bathgate; and Maerdy - Porth.
June 27th
New in the document archive are the Examination Schedules from Issue 3 of Standard Maintenance Instructions, the 1970s version of maintenance instructions.
June 6th
Added to the headcode pages are five more summaries of those used on the London Midland Region from the Western, Central, and North Western Lines.
May 30th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: Long Melford - Bury St Edmunds; Liverpool - Wigan North Western; Monkseaton-Blyth / Newbiggin; Stirling - Dollar - Kinross; and Cardiff - Crewe.
Latest Images:
ACV car M79742 at Watford Junction on 14 April 1958. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A BRC&W DMU (Crewe on the destination blind), and two Derby suburban sets, in Birmingham New Street, circa early 1966 judging by the construction. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Met-Camm set 101365, presumably 53245 closest, circa Spring 1987. Dundee is on the destination blind, and it was likely taken in the north Fife / Dundee area. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A Class 101 twin (E50209 closest) and a Class 101/105 twin depart from Durham with the 18:33 Newcastle - Darlington service on 29 June 1978. Stuart Mackay Collection.
No details came with this slide, showing a two-car Swindon Cross-Country set, likely on the Central Wales Line. It is headlamp fitted, these began to appear in 1967. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
Class 118 set P466, cars 51308 + 59475 + 51323 in BR blue & grey livery, with Class 121 55025 on the rear at Carbis Bay, St. Ives branch line, on 31-07-1983. Doug Pritchard Collection.
DMBS 51175 heads the 11:18 Stockport - Heysham at Lancaster on 31/7/93, formed of 101658 (with 54091) and 101659. Gazza Prescott.
Passengers approach a Class 122 (set TY053, and so presumably 55008) in Birmingham Snow Hill station on 31st July 1971. Steve Davies Collection.
Class 117 DMBS W51356 leads W59508 & W51398 (set L419) as they approach Reading's country end bay platform completing a stopping service from Oxford, Sunday 31st July 1983 Iain Reid.
E53156 at the stops at Darlington on the 31st July 1983. Stuart Mackay.