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 10th
Two documents on electrical systems have been added to the Training Manual section, one on Auxiliary Circuits (1.5mb PDF), and one on Alternators (3.3mb PDF).
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.
Latest Images:
55994 stabled in the Wall Siding at Leeds station while in an empty stock movement from Neville Hill Depot to Leeds PCD where it would be loaded and work an overnight mail train. Keith Long.
55931 and 54901 stabled in the Wall Siding at Leeds station while leading an empty stock movement from Neville Hill Depot to Leeds PCD where they would be loaded with mail and work overnight trains. Keith Long.
Stabled in the Wall Siding at Leeds station are 55931, 54901, 55994, 55930 and 54900 they were working an empty stock move from Neville Hill depot to the Leeds PCD where they would be loaded with mail for overnight trains. Keith Long.
Nigel Spencer.
A class 100 unit working the 17.00 Ipswich - Lowestoft sets off from Darsham on an unrecorded date in July 1975. John Clark.
On This Day:
The 1.35pm Stourport-on-Severn Junction - Birmingham Snow Hill service on October 15th, 1966 is formed of two 3-car Class 116 sets led by M51129 with DMPV 55996 on the rear. Seen at Galton Bridge, Smethwick. Michael Mensing.
DMPV 55996 is on the rear of the 1.35pm Stourport-on-Severn Junction - Birmingham Snow Hill service on October 15th, 1966. It is attached to the rear of two 3-car Class 116 sets and seen at Galton Bridge, Smethwick. Note the damaged gangway cover, not unusual on these vehicles. It carries set number P4 in the cab window. Michael Mensing.
Set C852, recorded as 51533 + 59812 + 51463, a 101/110/101 set, is seen in platform 14 of Manchester Victoria station on 15 October 1988. On the right 150 243 was on the 10:50 to Blackpool North. Stuart Mackay Collection.
The Institute of Mining Engineers North Yorkshire Railtour from Sheffield to Cottam Power station about to enter Clarborough Tunnel on its way to Manton Pit on 15 October 1989. Class 117 T304 (51365 + 59517 + 51407) is closest, in the middle should be T309 (51414 + 59490 + 51372) and Class 114 T027 (54027 + 53019) is at the far end. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 128 55994 is seen in Royal Mail red livery outside the factory at Tyseley on 15.10.1988. Andy Cole.