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:
107 428 stands at Hunterston Low Level Sidings on 29/08/1981 with the BLS Ayrshire Wanderer railtour which visited a number of interesting locations that day. John Clark.
The 14:35 Glasgow - Ayr service arrives into Kilwinning station on 23 February 1981 formed of a Class 126 DMU with vehicles SC51049 + SC59403 + SC51027. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A Met-Camm DMBS in Doncaster works. The slide process date was March 1986. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A Swindon Cross-Country DMU at Malvern Wells, Ledbury on blind, in July 1961. Stuart Mackay Collection.
The two former Midland Pullman sets are seen at Waltham circa 1970. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
A smart 11 year old with bad haircut seen at Lincoln on the 23rd of October 1971 before boarding the 1G06 BLS Wellbeck excursion around various branches and collieries. In view is E50237. The KDH Archive.
With several Class 115 DMU sets ticking-over under the overall roof, Driving Motor Brake Second M51671 was stood at the former Great Central terminus at Marylebone with a service to Aylesbury on October 23rd 1979. These Derby built 'Suburban' high-density Class 115 4-Car DMU's with doors to every seating bay, were commonplace on... Martyn Hilbert.
Manchester Piccadilly, a Class 506, Class 100 DMU 50353, Swindon Class 123 DMU car 52100 23-10-82. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.
E56035 and E50030 approaching Postland GN & GE Joint line with a Cambridge to Doncaster service on 23 October 1976. Phil Bevan.
I saw this 5 coach set arrive at Stratford upon Avon from my nearby home on the afternoon of 23 October 1986. I picked up a camera and went to the line, after speaking to the signalman, to take this shot of the return working showing a 4 car class 101 set coupled to single unit 55002 forming the 16.30 to Birmingham Moor Street. Stratford's... Peter Tandy.