Staff Training
The DMUs introduced diesel traction (and electric control systems) to many staff members for the first time. The biggest changes would affect drivers and maintenance staff, many of those had spent their career working only on steam. These staff members had to be taught new skills before they could be signed off to work with these new machines.
Each Region would set up diesel training schools, the first opening on the London Midland Region at Derby in 1955.
In 1957 the all Region Staff Training College at Derby began running courses for more senior personnel. The same year two regions (London Midland and Eastern) began using a mobile instruction train which toured depots.
Manufacturers
As well as in-house training, some of the manufacturers of the mechanical components would also provide training to maintenance staff.
Pictured is a certificate issued by Self-Changing Gears to a fitter based at Workington depot. The British United Traction certificate is noted as being for a "B.U.T.—A.E.C. Diesel engine course at Southall".
There was also a British United Traction training school at Leyland, for which British Railways had booked for a considerable period.
The two images are from the Leyland school, circa October 1957, where the instructor and trainees are at a mock-up of part of a diesel railcar underframe. In the first they are looking inside one of the electrical boxes, probably a relay box, in the left foreground is a radiator.
In the second image the driving controls mock-up can be seen.
The Leyland course lasted three days, and towards the end the trainees were shown the various stages of construction of railcar engines in the Leyland factories.[1]
British Transport Films
In the 1950s British Transport Films produced a series of films about driving DMUs, and also about fault finding.
These films can be found on YouTube:
The Diesel Train Driver - An Introduction To The Diesel Train
The Diesel Train Driver - Driving The Train
The Diesel Train Driver - Dealing With Faults
The Diesel Train Driver - Operational Requirements
Some of the films were made by third parties. The March 1957 edition of the British Railway Staff Magazine[2] reports:
Films are playing an increasingly important part in making new techniques in railway working both widely and quickly known throughout the railway system. Many training films have been made by the British Transport Films service and are being shown in all Regions in mobile cinema coaches, at staff training schools and colleges, at educational classes, and so on.
Two new films have recently been added to those available. One, called Diesel on Rail, made by Shell-Mex & B P Ltd, explains the importance of fuel and lubricants to the diesel-powere locomotive and multiple-unit train and how those responsible for servicing them can help to keep the diesel engines at the peak of their efficiency. The lesson which the film drives home is: "Keep the fuel and lubricants clean."
Southern Region
Motive Power Training School Southern Region, February 1963
Although not generally associated with mechanical DMUs, there was DMMU workings onto the Region from outside, and this booklet shows that some of their staff were obviously trained on them. It's a great booklet for covering all the basic technical details about how they work.
PDF (size 4.8 Mb)
Western Region
Here are a couple of examples of the material produced by the Western Region, who had their diesel training school at Swindon:
References
- ⋏ "B.U.T. Training for British Railways Diesel Staff", p520 1st November 1957 Railway Gazette
- ⋏ p35 March 1957 "British Railways Magazine", - all Region editions, British Railways