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
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.
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.
Latest Images:
55994 stabled in the Wall Siding at Leeds station while in an empty stock movement from Neville Hill Depot to Leeds PCD where it would be loaded and work an overnight mail train. Keith Long.
55931 and 54901 stabled in the Wall Siding at Leeds station while leading an empty stock movement from Neville Hill Depot to Leeds PCD where they would be loaded with mail and work overnight trains. Keith Long.
Stabled in the Wall Siding at Leeds station are 55931, 54901, 55994, 55930 and 54900 they were working an empty stock move from Neville Hill depot to the Leeds PCD where they would be loaded with mail for overnight trains. Keith Long.
Nigel Spencer.
A class 100 unit working the 17.00 Ipswich - Lowestoft sets off from Darsham on an unrecorded date in July 1975. John Clark.
On This Day:
Arriving at Apsley Guise class 117 set 117702 (51356 and presumably 51398) on 15th October 1998. Ian Buck.
In BR blue/grey livery but still fitted with head code panels Class 126 DMSL SC50936 looks recently ex overhaul as it sits in the sunshine of Ayr MPD, it’s home from delivery in 1959 to withdrawal in 1982, on the 15th October 1978. Later towed to East Anglia 50936 went through the firing tunnel in Mayer Newman’s scrapyard at Snailwell in October 1982. Bob Woolnough.
On loan from Tyseley for Severn Valley Railway open day 15th October 1989, Class 114 set T022 passes through Arley station. Consisting of 53002 (nearest camera) and 54047. Andrew Slack.
A glimpse inside Chiltern's Aylesbury depot on 15th October 2003 reveals one cab of the Chiltern water jetting train - former class 117 unit 960301, 977987 or 977988. Bob Belcher.
53200 + 51530 at Newquay on 15/10/92 with the 11:30 to Par. Sparegang.