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:
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.
Class 100 Inspection Unit 975349 / Presumed 975539 pauses at Sheffield station in 1985. John Clark.
Class 121 W55025 is seen in Bodmin Road alongside Western 1013 working 1A09, the 1610 Penzance - Paddington service which was running five minutes late on 1 May 1975. Despite Ferndale being on the destination blind, the DMU would be on 2B22, the 1640 Plymouth - St Austell service. Roger Geach.
Jarrow station on 20/05/1981 with a class 105 arriving on a Newcastle bound service. John Clark.
On This Day:
With peeling paint and corrosion erupting around the cab windows, a well-worn looking Class 104 Driving Motor Brake Second M53451 was coupled to Driving Open Second Lavatory M53518, stood at a run-down Squires Gate with a Blackpool South to Colne service on October 15th 1988. The Coast Line from Blackpool South to Kirkham had fallen on hard times,... Martyn Hilbert.
Class 101/110/101 DMU set 986 (presumably 51511 + 59709 + 51462) in Bristol Temple Meads station after arriving with the 10:00 from Weymouth on 15 October 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Aylesbury, 15th October 2003. Chiltern class 121 121020 waiting to depart for Princes Risborough. Bob Belcher.
On October 15th, 1966 a three-car Cravens set leaves Birmingham New Street with a Derby service, M50796 at the front. Michael Mensing.
53200 + 51530 at Newquay on 15/10/92 with the 11:30 to Par. Sparegang.