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 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 Park Royal railbus in Olney station on 13 September 1958 with a Northampton - Bedford Midland Road service. The KDH Archive.
A Met-Camm Lightweight DMU with a van in tow at Haughley Junction circa mid-1960s. E79074 leads, presumably with E79290, the pair were allocated to Stratford at the time. The KDH Archive.
Brackley on the 31st of May 1957 and Standard Class 2 Tank 84002 is on the Auto Train to Bletchley whilst Derbyshire Single Car light unit M79900 is on the service from Banbury. Passenger Interchange between the two is taking place. Image taken by T Rounthwaite. The KDH Archive.
A Class 101 DMU for Darlington in Stockton station, circa early 1980s, alongside a diverted HST. The KDH Archive.
Class 104 sandite car ADB977554 stabled at Buxton on April 1991. The KDH Archive.
On This Day:
Class 116 units were by far the most common to be seen at Leamington Spa and on 10 August 1985 TS526 (53070 + 59626 (class 127 trailer) + 53095) had just arrived from Birmingham Moor Street looking as if it had recently been repainted in the standard blue and grey. Peter Tandy.
DMU set T415 (presumably 53921 + 59353 + 59589 + 51870) waits to leave Worcester Foregate Street at 11.40 on the 10th August 1989 with the 11.43 to Birmingham New Street and 150 275 waits with the 11.53 to Swindon. In 1989 Worcester Foregate Street made an effort to brighten up the station with at least 2 bedding plant containers!! Dave Gommersall.
Class 108 DMSL 53645 is seen in Crewe station on 10 August 1991. Note the blue paint peeling off the yellow first class stripe. Dave Warby.
W55022 at West Ealing on 10th August 1973. Philip W Marshall.
E50227 + E56070 with Class 108 E56197 + E50619 at Morecambe on the 12th August 1977 on a Leeds working. Robert Frise.