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 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.
July 11th
Added to the headcode pages are some of those used on the Eastern Region.
Latest Images:
A Cravens, Mat-Camm and Gloucester formation passing through Hillington West on 9 April 1966. Stuart Mackay Collection.
The Great Western Society (Bristol Branch) / Wirral Railway Circle Tintern Rambler Railtour at Barry Pier on 15 May 1971. The vehicles were 51088 + 59419 + 51060. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 101 DMSL E50139 in Darlington depot in May 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 121 DTS L285 / W56285 and partner in Windsor and Eton Central in early 1981. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 116 DMU set C319 (presumably 53868 + 59371 + 53918) in Cardiff Bute Road station. The slide process date was August 1984. Stuart Mackay Collection.
On This Day:
The SPS "Ayrshire Wanderer" railtour at Ardrossan Harbour on 9 October 1982. It was formed of 51026 + 59404 + 51043 / 51036 + 59411 + 51017. John Horne.
Class 126 Hunterston 9 Oct 1982. The 'Ayrshire Wanderer' tour was organised by the Swindon Preservation Society and used the same name as the previous year's BLS tour doing exactly what it said on the headboard. The class also remained in service for a bit longer than planned after the tour which had meant to see them being... Alistair Ness.
With DMUs being virtually extinct from Kings Cross since the mid 1970s a short comeback occurred around 1986 with the conversion of class 114 and 105 vehicles to carry parcels only. This is a class 114 Parcels set formed of E53040+E54041 leaving Gasworks Tunnel as they trundle into Platform 1 at Kings Cross with 4R33 parcels service from Hitchin on 9 October 1986. Nigel Mack.
Class 126 Hunterston 9 Oct 1982. This tour ("Ayrshire Wanderer") was organised by the Swindon Preservation Society and used the same name as the previous year's BLS tour doing exactly what it said on the headboard. The class also remained in service for a bit longer than planned after the tour which had meant to see them being... Alistair Ness.
Class 107 centre car SC59783 in Largs station on 9 October 1982. John Horne.