Sign In

Class 105/6 Cravens 2 & 3-car DMUs

Works Photographs

Cravens

I haven't yet come across any original prints taken by Cravens of these vehicles, these images are taken from advertisements and promotional brochures and so are lesser quality.

Batch One

Exterior view of new two-car Cravens Class 105 DMU, DTC closest

E56114 and M50359, which were delivered to Hull Springhead in August 1956. This was a commonly used publicity image distributed by Cravens, and this is taken from one of their advertisements.

Exterior view of new two-car Cravens Class 105 DMU, DMBS closest

M50359 and E56114, the reverse shot of the first image.

xterior view of new two-car Cravens Class 105 DMU, DMBS closest, matted background

A matted version of the previous image.

Looking into drivers compartment from front saloon of Class 105 DMU

The front saloon of a DMBS, assumed to be E50359. Note the hinged door into the cab is slightly off-centre, later batches had a sliding door. Note also the small air-axle panel containing displays for just four power cars, this would later be altered to six.

First class seating in a new Class 105 DMU

The front saloon (first class) of a DTCL, assumed to be E56114.

Centre and rear saloons of a new Class 105 DMU DTCL vehicle

The centre/rear saloon (second class) of a DTCL, assumed to be E56114.

Batch Two

Unpainted Cravens DMU bodyshell without doors or windows

Strain guage testing underway on the bodyshell of a DMBS. Inside are 25 tons of weights representing double the normal passenger load, while a buffing load of 80 tons was applied to the vehicle ends. The van layout shows that this would be from a batch two or batch three vehicle.

Structural testing underway on the bodyshell of a DMBS. The 25 tons of weights represent a 200% vertical overload (double a normal passenger load).

A three-car set with 50752 and presumably 59307 + 50785. They were delivered new to Longsight depot in September 1957. This was taken from a Cravens advertisement, hence the cropping.

New three-car Cravens DMU with a matted background

A three-car set with 50753 and presumably 59308 + 50786. They were delivered also new to Longsight depot in September 1957, and also taken from a Cravens advertisement.

Derby Works

These four images were part of the Derby Works Collection and were taken in 1958 (or at least the numbering system implies this). Derby would often take its own photographs of vehicles buily by private contractors for use on the London Midland Region.

They feature a three-car set (batch two), the DMC being 50800 and the other two vehicles are presumably 59322 (a TSL) and 50767. They were new to Crewe South in January 1958.

Exterior view of a new three-car Cravens DMU

Negative 58-231
Exterior view. A Met-Camm set can be seen in the distance to the left.

Negative 58-232
The centre car interior, taken from the toilet end looking towards the DMC.

First class seating in a new Class 105 Cravens DMU

Negative 58-233
The first class saloon in the DMCL.

Guard's van in a new Cravens Class 105 DMU

Negative 58-234
The guard's van in the DMBS.

Driving Instructions

BR. 33003/45

This was a booklet from the 33003 series, specific to these vehicles.

This version is identified as a revision from August 1957, does anyone have the earlier version?

PDF (1.2mb)

Replacements

In 1961 a new version was issued covering all Blue Square vehicles - BR 33003-92. A companion to this was a "Preparation and Disposal" booklet BR 33003/211.

In 1968 the booklets were replaced by a three part set for Blue Square vehicles Mechanical Transmission):
BR 33003/247 1 - General Data And Equipment
BR 33003/248 2 - Driving Instructions Including Standard Preparation and Disposal Duties
BR 33003/249 3 - Fault Finding Data and Charts

In the early seventies the 33003 series was replaced by the more generic 33056 series of drivers manuals, no longer specific to any coupling code.

Details about preserved Class 105s can be found here.

➤