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
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.
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.
Latest Images:
Back in 1986 Class 108 DMB 53973 leads a power trailer set at Preston with an evening service to Whitehaven These sets were the preserve of this line at the time due to bars on the windows because of restricted clearance between Maryport & Carlisle Steve Robinson.
Tyseley Met-Camm set 400, M50303 visible, in Honeybourne station with the SLS 'Farewell to the Honeybourne Cheltenham Line' tour on 23 March 1968. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 103 DMU set P201 (presumably presume 50414 + 56169) departs from Paignton with a Kingswear service. The slide process date was October 1972. Stuart Mackay Collection.
E50609 is the lead car on the 17:18 service to Wakefield Westgate, via Healey Mills, waiting to depart from Huddersfield on 10 October 1980. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 118 DMU set P466, W51308 + W59475 + W51323, arrives at Newton Abbot where it will terminate with the 09:25 from Exeter on 8 August 1982. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
Class 116 DMBS 53090 sits next to 303 081 in Milngavie station with the Branch Line Society "The Clyde Forth" railtour on 23 August 1986. Brian Ward.
The Branch Line Society "Lothian and Fife" Railtour is seen at Dunfermline Upper station (closed to passengers in 1968) on 23 August 1980. Nearest the camera is car 50243, new in 1957. It would survive until 1992. The other cars were 59067 and 51224. Jeremy Chapter.
Very much the daily routine at the time, a Cravens Class 105 2-Car Power-Twin DMU with DMBS M50771 trailing, departs from Bamber Bridge with a Preston to Colne service on August 23rd 1980. Martyn Hilbert.
A view of Accrington depot on 23 August 1970. In the foreground are the grounded bodies of withdrawn 56255 + 50984, on the left is a Cravens twin and a loose Class 108 composite. The locos are 5286 (diesel) and 44806 (steam). Harvey Scowcroft / Nigel Valentine Collection.
Unidentified class 110 unit leads a 2-car class 101 (or 111) unit as they approach Clapham station (Nth. Yorks.) on a Morecambe to Leeds service, Thursday 23rd August 1984 Iain Reid.