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
April 27th
Self-Changing Gears has been added to the suppliers section, and the BUT Spare Parts catalogue for Self-Changing Gears added.
April 20th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: London - Welwyn Garden City; Newcastle - Darlington via Hartlepool; Glasgow - Barrhead; Lapworth - Wellington; and five new timetables added to Manchester - Buxton.
April 13th
Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 23 December 1988 to 24 February 1989. It is in two parts: 23 December - 24 January (10mb pdf); 25 January - 24 February (10mb pdf).
April 6th
Some pdfs of Western Region staff booklets have been added: two operating staff instructions, one for DMUs and one for the Diesel Pullmans; also for the Diesel Pullmans are instructions for the Auxiliary Power Units; and issues two and three of BUMF! (Better Understanding of Maintenance Facts, produced by Reading Depot) - can now be found on the Training Manual page.
March 30th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Cleethorpes - New Holland Pier; Shrewsbury - Wolverhampton; Edinburgh Inner Circle; and Plymouth - Gunnislake. Also four Working Timetables for May 1973 have been added to 1 - Darlington - Bishop Auckland; 2 - Darlington - Saltburn and Middlesburgh - Whitby; 3 - Newcastle - Hexham, Newcastle - Carlisle and the Alston Branch; 4 - Newcastle - South Shields and Newcastle - Sunderland.
March 23rd
Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 23 August to 22 December 1988. It is in four parts: 23 August - 22 September (11mb pdf); 23 September - 24 October (11mb pdf); 25 October - 24 November (11mb pdf); and 25 November - 22 December (11mb pdf).
March 16th
The remaining pages relating the asbestos content for vehicles circa 1984 have been added, these are for: Class 107s, Class 108s, Class 111s, Class 114s, Class 115s, Class 116s, Class 117s, Class 118s, Class 121s, Class 122s, and Class 127s.
March 9th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Ipswich - Lowestoft; Birmingham - Four Oaks; Leeds - Harrogate; Cumbernauld - Springburn; and Swansea - Carmarthen.
March 2nd
Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 13 May to 22 August 1988. It is in three parts: 13 May - 13 June (12mb pdf); 14 June - 16 July (11mb pdf); and 17 July - 22 August (12mb pdf). Also BR maintenance records for 50619 and 56492 courtesy of the Dean Forest DMU Group.
Latest Images:
A Class 110 forms the 15:42 Sheffield to Huddersfield at Penistone on 28 July 1984. Harvey Scowcroft / Nigel Valentine Collection.
The Rossendale Farewell Railtour at Rawtenstall on 14 February 1981, formed of M50505 + M59161 + M50453 and M50761 + 59207 + M50794. Harvey Scowcroft / Nigel Valentine Collection.
Billed as the last BR train to run from Bury to Rawtenstall, curious locals have come out to witness the passage of the six-car DMU awaiting to proceed past Ramsbottom on February 14th 1981. With Class 104 Driving Motor Composite M50505 leading, the train crew are heading for the still extant signalbox to open the level crossing gates on Bridge... Harvey Scowcroft / Nigel Valentine Collection.
M50505 at the front of the Rossendale Farewell railtour in Bury Bolton Street station on 14 February 1981. Harvey Scowcroft / Nigel Valentine Collection.
The Rossendale Farewell Railtour passing through Bury Knowsley Street on 14 February 1981, formed of M50505 + M59161 + M50453 and M50761 + 59207 + M50794. Harvey Scowcroft / Nigel Valentine Collection.
On This Day:
51668 + 59651 + 59674 + 51898 pictured at Quainton Road on the Quaintonian shuttle to Aylesbury, 3/5/82. Robert Frise.
According to the photographer's notes (Michael Brown), this Cravens DMU at Nottingham Arkwright Street is forming the last southbound service over the GC, which then terminated at Rugby, on 3 May 1969. A few enthusiasts appear to be about, including one with a cine camera on the train itself. No wreaths or a headboard are in evidence, however.... Kevin Lane Collection.
Class 120 at Pembroke Dock on 3 May 1979 What a dump. And my pic isn't much better either, taken straight into the light, but I wanted to capture the dereliction. It's noteworthy that the train has stopped short of the wreckage of the station buildings yet it was perfectly OK for us passengers to walk under the canopy! It wouldn't... Alistair Ness.
Taken from the signal box at Manchester Central on 3rd May 1969 a 3x2-car DMU formation is captured leaving the station heading west. At least the two closest sets are Class 108/104 hybrids, the Class 104 DMBS in the centre set has yellow cab doors. Manchester Central would close two days after this picture was taken, today Metrolink trams run where the dmu is. Andrew J Crowther.
The rare appearance of a Class 114 'Derby Heavyweight' two-car DMU, formed of cars E54027 & E53019, stabled in Croft Street Sidings at Preston on May 3rd 1987. The following day it worked a Blackpool North - Manchester Victoria service. This was the period when faults on relatively new Class 142's were causing the cobbling... Martyn Hilbert.