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
November 7th
A Training / Fault Finding booklet has been added from the London Midland Region dated April 1967.
October 31st
Added to the headcode pages are the Scottish Region pages from June 1965.
October 24th
Two new operation/timetable pages have been started: Walsall - Dudley; and Glasgow - Ardrossan.
October 10th
Two documents on electrical systems have been added to the Training Manual section, one on Auxiliary Circuits (1.5mb PDF), and one on Alternators (3.3mb PDF).
October 3rd
Added to the headcode pages are four more sections from Western Region working timetables.
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.
Latest Images:
Lunch break at Bathgate Upper for participants on the BLS Forth Clyde rail tour on 27/08/1977. John Clark.
A Met-Camm DMU on an excursion in Rothbury station in Northumberland on 25 June 1961. The station had closed to passengers in 1952 but remained open for freight until 1963. Image taken by DC Sanderson. Stuart Mackay Collection.
No details came with this slide, showing Stratford allocated Class 104 DMCL E50543 attached to a Class 101 DMU at an unknown location.. The destination blind displays Excursion, circa early/mid-1970s. Stuart Mackay Collection.
B800 at Carne Point, Fowey, with the Lea Valley Railway Club 'The Royal Duchy' railtour on 30 April 1977. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 107 DMU set 139 (recorded on the slide as 51993 59801 52024) in Kilmacolm station in May 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
A BRC&W class 104 dmu M53469 & M54175 with Kirkham on the blind, which is in the other direction, rushes through the delightful station of Moses Gate heading towards Manchester Victoria on 9th November 1985, whilst my Dad and I wait hopefully for another train to stop. Andrew J Crowther.
A Scottish Region publicity image (negative 11390) showing Wickham railbus Sc79969 at Arrochar & Tarbet station on 9 November 1959. It had started working the Arrochar - Craigendoran service the week before on the 2nd. Image courtesy of the AA MacLean collection. British Railways.
A Scottish Region publicity image (negative 11392) thought to show 79969 on 9 November 1959. The caption reads "DIESEL RAILBUS CRAIGENDORAN - ARROCHAR AND TARBET SERVICE Diesel railbus above Loch Long. This railbus, which seats 48 passengers, replaced the 'Push and Pull' steam trains on this service from 2nd November 1959. Railbus... British Railways.
On Saturday 9th November 1985 a Blackpool North service awaits departure from Manchester Victoria. Rob's notes record this as 53463+53530+51575+59581+51584, however I'm not too sure about 53530 as that seems never to have been parted from its original partner 53478. Photo by the late Rob Simpson. Ian Hazlehurst.
The 1.25pm Birmingham New Street - Rugby Midland is seen East of Humber Road Junction, Coventry, where masts have been fitted in preparation for electrification. The train on 9 November 1963 is formed of a GRC&W twin and a Met-Camm triple, freshly painted M56103 leads. Michael Mensing.