DMU Operations: London Midland Region
With by far the largest quantity of new DMUs it is not surprising that the London Midland Region also received the largest variety of types. The majority were low density sets with suburban quads for two routes from London and two types of parcel cars. More than half (657 vehicles) were built at its own workshops at Derby.
The planning and introduction of the London Midland Region DMU services from the management perspective is extensively covered in the minutes of the Lightweight Trains Committee.
| Type | Code | Formation | Sets | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derby Lightweights |  |
1-car | 2 | 2 |
| 2-car | 59 | 119 | ||
| Met-Camm Lightweights | |
2-car | 7 | 14 |
| Class 100 |  |
2-car | 11 | 22 |
| Class 101 | |
2-car | 30 | 60 |
| 3-car | 18 | 54 | ||
| Class 103 | |
2-car | 20 | 40 |
| Class 104 | |
2-car | 10 | 20 |
| 3-car | 56 | 168 | ||
| Class 105 | |
2-car | 19 | 38 |
| 3-car | 19 | 57 | ||
| Class 108 | |
2-car | 126 | 252 |
| Class 110 | |
3-car | 10 | 30 |
| Class 111 | |
2-car | 4 | 8 |
| Class 112/3 | |
2-car | 50 | 100 |
| Class 115 | |
4-car | 41 | 164 |
| Class 127 | |
4-car | 30 | 120 |
| Class 128 | |
1-car | 4 | 4 |
| Class 129 | |
1-car | 3 | 3 |
| Totals: | 519 | 1275 |
First deliveries and introductions were Derby Lightweights for West Cumberland, these thirteen sets being introduced in late 1954.
Publicity brochures were created for many of the lines to introduce the new trains to the public.
Introduction Dates
Some significant DMU introduction dates, from notes compiled by John Thomlinson:
1954
29/11/54 Carlisle - Silloth (Derby Lighweights)
1955
3/1/55 Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith (Derby Lighweights)
7/2/55 Carlisle - Maryport - Workington - Whitehaven (Derby Lighweights)
25/7/55 Watford - St Albans (ACV railbus)
1956
6/2/56 Bury - Bacup (Met-Camm Lightweights)
5/3/56 Birmingham New Street - Lichfield (Derby Lightweights)
28/5/56 North Wales (Derby Lighweights)
13/8/56 Bletchley - Buckingham - Banbury (79900/1)
8/10/56 Manchester - Buxton (Derby Lightweights)
1957
6/8/57 Harrow & W - Belmont (ACV railbus)
16/9/57 Crewe - Stoke - Derby (Class 104s)
1958
14/4/58 Derby - Nottingham - Lincoln (Class 101, 104, 105s)
" " Leicester - Nuneaton - Birmingham (" ")
" " Leicester - Nottingham (" ")
" " Leicester - Burton (" ")
17/11/58 Birmingham New Street - Coventry - Rugby (Class 100, 103s)
" " Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - Stafford (" ")
" " Birmingham New Street - Walsall - Rugeley (" ")
" " Birmingham New Street - Sutton Park - Walsall (" ")
" " Wolverhampton - Walsall - Lichfield - Burton (" ")
" " Dudley - Walsall (" ")
" " Leamington Spa - Coventry - Nuneaton (" ")
" " Rugby - Nuneaton - Stafford (" ")
1959
15/6/59 Blackpool - Fleetwood / Rochdale / Manchester (Class 101s)
2/11/59 Oxford - Bletchley - Cambridge (Class 108s)
Late 1959 Manchester Central - Chester (108s)
1960
4/1/60 Colne - Blackburn - Preston (Class 105 power twins)
" " Blackburn - Bolton (" ")
" " Colne - Accrington - Manchester (" ")
" " Accrington - Todmorden
" " Wrexham - Chester - New Brighton (Class 108s)
11/1/60 St Pancras - Bedford etc (Class 127s), soft introduction 28/9/59
4/4/60 Manchester Central - Liverpool Central (Class 115s)
25/4/60 Birmingham New Street - Barnt Green - Redditch
Late 1960 / early 1961 Manchester - Wigan - Southport
" " Manchester - Wigan - Liverpool Exchange
" " Rochdale - Bolton - Wigan
1960/1961 Cambrian Coast
1961
Summer 1961 Chester - Birkenhead Woodside
" " Chester - Helsby
1962
Jun-62 Marylebone - Aylesbury / High Wycombe etc (Class 115s), soft introduction on 23/1/61