Class 114 Derby 2-car DMUs

Description

The vehicles were the first type to be built at Derby with the longer 63 1/2ft underframe, and the first Derby vehicles to be built from steel. There were worries that there could be delays with the delivery of the huge quantities of steel required (see this letter) that could compromise the scheduled date of laying down the frames on 30th April, 1956. Yet the first vehicles 50001/56001 were delivered in October 1956 so the delays, if any, were minimal. The letter also shows that the order was originally for 50 identical sets all to lot 30209/10.

The ER were duly notified about the potential delay, bringing a response that demonstrated that even before building began there was concern about the weight of the vehicles and the low power / weight ratio, the ER even asking for them to be built as 57ft vehicles instead. They continued to be built as 63 1/2ft vehicles.

The image shows the bogies and underframes under construction at Derby Works.

A cutaway drawing of a vehicle appeared in the April 4th 1958 issue of Eagle comic.

Asbestos

The vehicles were built with blue asbestos insulation in the cabs and saloon walls and ceiling. The pages below are from a vehicle log kept by the RTC at Derby dated circa 1984 which included the asbestos status for each vehicle.

The codes for the asbestos columns are: / not built with blue asbestos; B - blue asbestos; and C - removed. In the remarks column OV means open van (no cage).

53001 - 53020

53021 - 53043

53044 - 53049

54001 - 54021

54022 - 54042

54043 - 54049