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
October 3rd
Added to the headcode pages are four more sections from Western Region working timetables.
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:
A 3 car 101 heads off from Drem to North Berwick with a train from Edinburgh on an unrecorded date in 1978. John Clark.
101 188 pauses for a photostop at Renfrew Fulbar Street station ( closed June 1967 ) on 27/08/1977 with the BLS Forth and Clyde Wanderer railtour. John Clark.
101 686 leaves Whifflet on an unrecorded date in 1995 with a working to Glasgow Central. The line was electrified in 2014. John Clark.
E51115 + E56448 on a special running into Leiston sometime in 1977. This is thought to be the un-named East Suffolk Travellers' Association railtour that ran on 25 June from Felixstowe. Stuart Mackay Collection.
E51115 + E56448 on a special at Sizewell Siding in 1977. This is thought to be the un-named East Suffolk Travellers' Association railtour that ran on 25 June from Felixstowe. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
107433 enters Curriehill on October 3, 1987, with the 14:18 Edinburgh - Glasgow Central service. The closest vehicle is presumably 52012, with 59790 and 51993 behind. Hamish Stevenson.
The 3.15pm ex-Muirkirk runs into Lanark Racecourse station on the last day of this service, 3/10/64. Hamish Stevenson.
In its SPT 'Caledonian Blue' livery that was applied whilst in service in Scotland in 1996, Metropolitan Cammell Class 101 (101692) formed of cars 53170 & 53253, was awaiting departure from Romiley with the 13.25 Manchester Piccadilly to Marple service on October 3rd 2002. 101692 had been transferred to Longsight Depot in July 2000 and retained its unique livery until withdrawal in 2003. Martyn Hilbert.
Two unidentified Class 101 sets flank 508 111 at Hooton, 3/10/85. Anthony Griffiths.
Class 117 set L411 (51346 + 59498 + 51388) heads away from Horley, the station seen in the background, on 3 October 1990. Rex Holt.