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
Holiday time - updates will resume at the end of the month!
September 5th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: Sheffield - Doncaster; Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton High Level; Leeds - Barnsley; Glasgow - Hamilton Circle; and Paignton - Exmouth.
August 29th
A look at the Rocket 150 DMU Shuttles for the 1980 event at Rainhill.
August 22nd
Added to the headcode pages are some of those used on the Western Region.
August 15th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: March - Wisbech - Kings Lynn; Liverpool - Gateacre; Leeds - Bradford Forster Square; Edinburgh - Dunbar; and West Drayton - Uxbridge.
August 8th
Added to the document archive is a 1964 Scottish Region Fault Finding booklet.
August 1st
Added to the headcode pages are three more summaries of those used on the Eastern Region from September 1962. Also a Leeds Neville Hill destination blind from circa mid-1960s.
July 25th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: Peterborough - Spalding; Nottingham - Sheffield; Darlington / Barnard Castle - Middleton-in-Teesdale; Fife Coast; and Brixham - Churston.
July 18th
New in the document archive are the Job Desciptions from Issue 3 of Standard Maintenance Instructions, the 1970s version of maintenance instructions.
July 11th
Added to the headcode pages are some of those used on the Eastern Region.
Latest Images:
Two Class 120 DMUs are seen at Manchester Victoria circa mid-1985. John Horne.
A Class 108 twin, M51424 closest, is seen at Manchester Victoria circa mid-1985. John Horne.
Class 120 DMBS M53739 in Manchester Victoria with a Blackpool service circa mid-1985. John Horne.
Class 120 centre car M59261 between M53695 and M53739 in Manchester Victoria on a Blackpool service circa mid-1985. John Horne.
Class 120 DMSL M53695 in Manchester Victoria with a Blackpool service circa mid-1985. Behind is M59261. John Horne.
On This Day:
Class 123 power car E52092 (along with E59820 + E52097) is seen in Garden Sidings, Doncaster, on 20 September 1977. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 120 Swindon Cross-Country set P557 heads away from the camera at St Dennis Junction on September 20, 1979. Steve Davies Collection.
British Rail class 114 diesel unit at Orton Mere, Nene Valley Railway 20 September 1980. Over the course of this "Eurosteam" weekend, a number of shuttle services were operated to the NVR at Orton Mere from Peterborough, the first time this had been done. The numbers of the DMU coaches are not recorded. Jeremy Chapter.
M50981 + M56253 in Chester station with the 12:43 to Manchester Victoria on 20/9/80. John Carter.
If only you could witness a line-up like this today. 45035, 31213, Metro-Vick D5705 and BRCW DMU set 'B472' (51315) in Bristol Bath Road depot yard on 20th September 1979. Gordon Edgar.