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 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.
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.
Latest Images:
With just over a month remaining in Scotland a Met-Cam Class 101 3-Car DMU set 101322, formed of SC53159 + SC59069 + SC51250 in TransClyde branded Blue and Grey livery heads away from Markinch station on 19th August 1987. Nigel Mack.
As far as i know DMBS 53540 was one of only two Class 104 vehicles in the London area to carry Blue and Grey livery, 53477 being the other. Here, relatively fresh from works, it leads Class 117 vehicles W59497 + W51387 past Poplar Jn, just to the east of Acton Main Line, as the 0841 Reading - Paddington service whilst standing in for a non... Nigel Mack.
2J16, the 1050 Norwich - Lowestoft service formed of Norwich Crown Point allocated 2-Car Class 101 Met-Cam DMU Set 66 E51192 + E54354, runs past Reedham Jn on 17th June 1989. Nigel Mack.
A 2 Car Class 101 Metro-Cammell DMU, running as (NC) set 67, trundles past the signal box at Reedham Jn whilst working the 1450 Norwich - Lowestoft service, formed of 51187 + 54332 on 17th June 1989. Apparently Chester sets were easily identifiable by their painted window frames and small logos ...? Nigel Mack.
The 0945 Sheffield - Cleethorpes service runs passed Wrawby Jn, on the approach to the station stop at Barnetby, formed of a NL allocated 2 Car Class 101 Met-Cam DMU formed of E53198 + E53244 on 24th April 1987. Nigel Mack.
On This Day:
A Western Pullman Kitchen car, taken at Cardiff on 2 August 1967. Tony Lambert.
50768 has Barrow on its blind, Lancaster Castle, 2/8/79. It had just worked in on the late afternoon from Windemere. Note the handrail in the inside of the cab door, used for climbing up from track level. Robert Frise.
Met-Camm set 101 333 (presumably 51805 + 59541 + 51459) departs from Glasgow Queen Street station on August 2, 1984. Graeme Phillips Collection.
Norwich based Metro-Cammell built class 101 DMU set 64 (51191 + 54340) stands at Cromer, where the train reverses, whilst working a Norwich-Sheringham service on 2nd August 1987. Andrew J Crowther.
A view along the District Civil Engineers sidings at Kirkham North Junction through the cast-iron span of bridge 26, as a 2-Car Class 104 DMU formed of cars M50449 & M50535 comes off the Ribby Curve and the end of the Coast Line with the 12.01 Blackpool South to Kirkham & Wesham on August 2nd 1980. These were the days when the core daytime service... Martyn Hilbert.