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
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.
July 4th
Some new operation/timetable pages have been started: Firsby - Skegness; Crewe - Chester; Middlesbrough - Guisborough; Edinburgh - Bathgate; and Maerdy - Porth.
June 27th
New in the document archive are the Examination Schedules from Issue 3 of Standard Maintenance Instructions, the 1970s version of maintenance instructions.
Latest Images:
A two-car Class 120 unit at Terras Bridge, between Looe and Sandplace, with the 18:25 Liskeard to Looe service on 2 July 1977. Roger Geach.
The 13:10 Looe - Liskeard service is seen near Sandplace on 20 December 1977 formed of a Class 121 single car DMU. Roger Geach.
A Class 121 on the Looe branch between Causeland and St Keyne on the Looe branch, 28 September 1977. Roger Geach.
Allerton allocated M51932 leads a Class 108 power twin and a Class 115 on a Rocket 150 shuttle at Rainhill on Sunday 25 May 1980. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Longsight allocated M50986 leads four Class 108 twins through empty grandstands on a Rocket 150 shuttle at Rainhill on Sunday 25 May 1980. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
The Sheffield to Huddersfield service via Penistone was a BR backwater which was perhaps lucky to survive Beeching. Here a "Metro Train" branded two-car Class 110 Birmingham RC&W unit calls at Honley with 52080 leading the way to Huddersfield on the 30th August 1986. Mike Dean.
With 45040 safely shut into the siding at Appley Bridge, a 2-car Class 110 DMU passes working the 15.20 Southport to York, a service taking 3 hours and 58 minutes. 30th August 1985. S Gaskell.
Class 126 Newton-on-Ayr 30 August 1981. Just an everyday scene at that time on the Glasgow to Ayr line. Alistair Ness.
A Class 108 two-car DMU with DMBS M50944 leading, accelerates away from Midge Hall with an Ormskirk to Preston service on August 30th 1979. The brick structure visible to the right of the DMU is the gable-end of the former Goods Shed at the long-closed Midge Hall station. The station closed in 1960 and there have been long-running campaigns to have... Martyn Hilbert.
Class 117 Set T313 (presumably 51382 + 59492 + 51339) and Set T342 with a Llandudno - Birmingham New Steet service arrived at Prestatyn (at 15XX) on Wednesday 30th August 1989. Colin Brooks.