Derby Lightweight 1,2 & 4-car sets

British Railways were a late starter in introducing diesel multiple units. They observed other countries experiences for several years before the Railway Executive announced a £500,000 programme in Nov. 52 to introduce eight lightweight units to the West Riding of Yorkshire.

They were designed by a team headed by R.A. Riddles, who at the time was the Member of the Railway Executive responsible for Mechanical & Electrical Engineering

The units were intended to undergo a testing period before being built en-mass as the standard for use throughout the country.

Long before the first vehicles were complete though it was announced in Sep '53 that the scheme would be extended to include the West Cumberland area, and to many other areas announced in Feb '54.

They were not without their technical problems at first, perhaps that could be expected. Allegedly some of the problems arose because Derby C&W dept. refused to consult with the Locomotive dept. during the construction.

In all 219 vehicles were built (including the two bodies that became the battery unit), in 1,2 and 4-car formations. The first cars entered service in June '54 in the West Riding.

The sets met with huge success, starting a trend of greatly increasing passenger figures which most first generation DMUs continued.

The Lightweights were non-standard they were destined for early retiral, with the last withdrawn from passenger use in 1969.

A single car and a 2-car went into departmental use, thankfully keeping them long enough to enter the DMU preservation era.