Building a DMU

Part Seven: Adding Underframe Components Part Two

Images sixty-five to seventy-two in the booklet show further views of the underframe mechanical and electrical components. All were taken in Swindon Works on March 6, 1956.

"Battery Box Slings"

Negative 5C97

These are the two metal frames to the left of the image, into which will sit the wooden battery box. Looking through the frame, mounted on the engine on the very left is the radiator fan drive, the vertical tube is the oil filter. To the right of the engine flywheel is the exhauster, belt driven from the gearbox to the right.

"Battery Box and Fuel Gauge Box"

Negative 5C98

Not sure what the 'fuel gauge box' is. On the Swindon Inter-City 51xxx power cars the fuel gauge was a mechanical device visible on the fuel tank, this suggests these earlier vehicles may have had an electrical version, possibly the black box with the white label to the left of the two thicker wires.

"Smiths Heater and Battery Box Slings"

Negative 5C99

The Smiths heater is on the right, the silver vertical tube.

"Smiths Heater"

Negative 5C100

The fan and intake for the air to be heater is on the left. On the later Class 126 vehicles the intake could either reheat air from the interior of the vehicle or draw fresh air.

"Air Filters & Anti Freezers"

Negative 5C101

The large gap on the left half would be filled by a vacuum reservoir. The air filters are the two silver cylinders to the left of the radiator, and will go to the two engine mounted compressors. Air is drawn in through the black part, a gauze and felt filter, and across the venturi tube at the top where the air will pick up a small amount of anti freeze from the container below.

"Voltage Regulator"

Negative 5C102

The cover is marked 'J. Stone & Co Ltd., Deptford, London", a firm that supplied the majority of the lighting equipment for first generation DMUs. The box below, is marked 'BR Train Lighting Distribution Fuse Box' and the box was identical to that used on Mark I coaches. The 'Diesel' painted on no doubt refers to the different fuse arrangement inside.

"Radiators & Vacuum Reservoir Supports"

Negative 5C103

One curved bracket is seen on the left for the vacuum tank.

"Vacuum Reservoir Supports"

Negative 5C104

Both brakets can be seen in this view, as can the two brake cylinders.