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
May 11th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Harwich - Manningtree; Aylesbury - London; Hull - Withernsea; Glasgow - Paisley Canal; and Cardiff - Chepstow.
May 4th
Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 25 February to 2 May 1989. It is in two parts: 25 February - 30 March (10mb pdf); and 31 March - 2 May (10mb pdf).
April 27th
Self-Changing Gears has been added to the suppliers section, and the BUT Spare Parts catalogue for Self-Changing Gears added.
April 20th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: London - Welwyn Garden City; Newcastle - Darlington via Hartlepool; Glasgow - Barrhead; Lapworth - Wellington; and five new timetables added to Manchester - Buxton.
April 13th
Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 23 December 1988 to 24 February 1989. It is in two parts: 23 December - 24 January (10mb pdf); 25 January - 24 February (10mb pdf).
April 6th
Some pdfs of Western Region staff booklets have been added: two operating staff instructions, one for DMUs and one for the Diesel Pullmans; also for the Diesel Pullmans are instructions for the Auxiliary Power Units; and issues two and three of BUMF! (Better Understanding of Maintenance Facts, produced by Reading Depot) - can now be found on the Training Manual page.
March 30th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Cleethorpes - New Holland Pier; Shrewsbury - Wolverhampton; Edinburgh Inner Circle; and Plymouth - Gunnislake. Also four Working Timetables for May 1973 have been added to 1 - Darlington - Bishop Auckland; 2 - Darlington - Saltburn and Middlesburgh - Whitby; 3 - Newcastle - Hexham, Newcastle - Carlisle and the Alston Branch; 4 - Newcastle - South Shields and Newcastle - Sunderland.
March 23rd
Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 23 August to 22 December 1988. It is in four parts: 23 August - 22 September (11mb pdf); 23 September - 24 October (11mb pdf); 25 October - 24 November (11mb pdf); and 25 November - 22 December (11mb pdf).
March 16th
The remaining pages relating the asbestos content for vehicles circa 1984 have been added, these are for: Class 107s, Class 108s, Class 111s, Class 114s, Class 115s, Class 116s, Class 117s, Class 118s, Class 121s, Class 122s, and Class 127s.
Latest Images:
A Blue Square Derby Lightweight DMU in platform 4 of Penrith station with a service for Keswick on 19 December 1970. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A two-car Class 101 DMU at Alston on 3 May 1975. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Two Class 126 DMUs, the closest being SC51017 + 59406 + 51033, in the southbound through platform at Ayr on 26 May 1979. Another set, a leading car closest, can just be glimpsed to its right. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A Class 115 DMU in High Wycombe station one day in December 1982. Banbury is on the destination blind. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 108 DMU set S949 (presumably 53945 + 51563) descending Swansea Loop West Bank with the 15:04 from Carmarthen on 3 September 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
A Class 108 power twin with DMC 52063 leading at Stalybridge on 14/05/1979. Robert Chilton.
BX375 is a 3-car Buxton allocated Derby built Class 108 DMU with a Class 104 center car, comprising of M52065, M59137 and M51938, skirts round Combs with a Manchester Piccadilly - Buxton working on the 14th May 1988. Andrew J Crowther.
M50094 is at the front of Class 116 DMU set TY505 seen at Gravelly Hill working a Kidderminster service on 14 May 1975. The other two vehicles are presumably M59005 + M50065. Michael Mensing.
A three-car Class 101 DMU seen at Salkeld Street on the approach to Glasgow Central station on 14 May 1988. Brian Ward.
The 2.50pm Shrewsbury - Llanelly service heads away from Penybont Halt on 14 May 1966. The rear vehicle is DMSL W50649, the DMBC is presumably W50698. Michael Mensing.