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
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:
An AC Cars railbus waits in Tetbury station for its next journey to Kemble. Circa early 1960s. Image taken by Harry Hodgkinson. Stuart Mackay Collection.
The RCTS 'Thames and Cherwell' railtour with Tyseley set TY406 (50309 in view) at Chinnor on 11 April 1970. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Norwich based Class 101 set 95, circa early or mid-1980s. Special is on the destination blind, and the track does not look used, it is thought to be on the Aldeburgh Branch just before Saxmundham Junction - possibly shunted on to the branch (which was little used at the time) to clear the East Suffolk Line for a service train. See also image 33999... Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 116 set C315 (presumably 53908 + 59363 + 53855) near Ystrad Mynach South with the 13:07 Rhymney - Penarth service on 15 August 1986. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A Whitby service in Sleights station on 4 August 1968. The driver has already changed the blind for the return journey. E50162 is closest in a four-car set still in green livery, on the rear is a two-car Met-Camm in blue with yellow ends and the BR logo on the cab doors. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
The 11:06 Llandudno Jct - Holyhead arrives into Bodorgan station on the 9th September 1994, formed of 101679 (51224 + 51533). Hamish Stevenson.
Class 101 DMU set 101678 (51210 + 53746) in Llandudno station on 9 September 1992. Stuart Parkinson.
Class 115 DMUs at Marylebone on 9th September 1985 including TCL M59761 on the right. Jonathan Hazan.
Just one patch of blue and grey paint remains on the body of Swindon Inter-City DMBSL SC79092 after being ravaged by fire caused by D5122 striking it when stationary at Castlecary on 9/9/68. Image courtesy of the AA MacLean Collection. British Railways.
Class 122s M55002 and what is thought to be M55004 are seen on 9 September 1985 with a test train for Leamington Spa's SSI commissioning, the UK's first computer interlocking. Nicholas T Smith.