CROSSRAIL ST PANCRAS150 DELAY Celebrating acentury and ahalf of No trains under London this Midland masterpiece untilautumn2019 Essential reading fortoday’s rail enthusiast NRMDIESELS &ELECTRICS What future for themuseum's non-steam collection? FREE SUPPLEMENT £4.40 2018 BER TO MODELLING OC SECTION 269 No. ■ HELJAN 'GRID' SOUTHERN '56' to join 'O' gaugerange ■ BACHMANN '24' ‘WESTERN’ EXPRESS First look at headcode 'Rat' ■ D&E FILES The rare visitof RAIL Freightliner container types D1073 to Brighton FLEET SURVEY SABR’sVIOUR RELUCTANT Despite progress by the ‘Big Four’ constituent companies, British Railways initially had no interest in DMU development until its hand was forced, a move that ultimately helped save many rural lines. FTER the North Eastern Railway’s BR’S DMU DEVELOPMENT A contemporary description of the but thereafter mechanical drive was Aearly 20th century trials with petrol There was no encouragement from the design described the care taken to reduce used. They did not remain in passenger power (see previous pages), the Government either, who did not want to weight wherever possible, with the use of service beyond 1969, however, and so next big steps in multiple unit history pay for the cost of imported oil when the light aluminium alloy for the underframe did not receive a TOPS class allocation came in the 1930s, with the development UK produced plentiful amounts of coal. and panelling, with the result that when – the extensive use of asbestos in of diesel engines powerful enough for rail The only discordant view came fully fuelled the two-car unit weighed just their construction being a factor in the use. from the British Transport Commission, 54 tonnes. The strategy was to minimise relatively short service life. The potential for diesel-powered which was responsible for the strategic the size of the engine required and The popularity of the initial trains, railcars was recognised by three of the direction of all modes of transport, and therefore fuel consumption. and a critical shortage of footplate ‘Big Four’ private rail companies that were it established the Harrington Committee The initial power twins equipped staff, led to a decision as part of the formed in 1923, and in the period leading to consider future with 125hp engines 1955 Modernisation Plan that 4,600 up to the Second World War a variety of traction policy. “Lady Hamilton ran had 16 First and railcars would be introduced for use on prototypes and production run vehicles Although from King’s Cross to 114 Third Class local services. It was judged there was were constructed. The exception was starting work seats and, as insufficient time to issue a standard the Southern Railway, which instead in 1948, the Newcastle in July 1932, expected, the trains specification so, not unlike the pilot pushed forward investment in third-rail committee’s findings recording an average reduced costs programme for diesel locomotives, electrification that was installed on a were not published on branch lines. individual manufacturers were asked to significant number of its routes. until 1951, but it was speed of 47.6mph” They also brought submit designs they could quickly build. After the war, however, the wider to result in the first increased revenue Although production continued introduction of railcars was not resumed BR designed diesel multiple units. The on routes where they were allocated, of the Derby Lightweight cars, it was with the formation of the Railway report confirmed the benefits of providing such as Leeds-Bradford-Harrogate (first decided that the design was expensive Executive (which became British Railways) diesel-powered multiple units on lines introduced on June 14, 1954), services and production switched to vehicles in 1948. Robert Riddles, appointed with lower traffic density, allowing the ‘no in West Cumbria, the Llandudno-Blaenau constructed from steel. Other builders, Member for Mechanical and Electrical diesel’ policy to be reversed. Ffestiniog branch, and the Manchester- such as Metropolitan-Cammell, Engineering, lacked enthusiasm for diesel As a result, a £2 million project Buxton commuter route. Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon, traction – believing that greater efficiency was launched in advance of the 1955 Ultimately 213 cars were Cravens of Sheffield, Pressed Steel, and could be obtained from improving steam Modernisation Plan to develop lightweight constructed during 1954 and 1955, made Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon power until such time as the cost of rail cars, which were built at Derby and up of 11 separate batches. The first received significant orders as well as electrification could be justified. introduced in 1954. eight units had hydraulic transmission, the BR works at Swindon. There were ❯ 16 RAIL EXPRESS December 2018 016 F2 Early DMUs_DEC.indd 16 06/11/2018 10:31:35 FLEET SURVEY Met-Camm’s One of the first Modernisation Plan DMUs was Gloucester RCW’s Class 100, of Class 101 fleet which 40 two-car sets were built. A green and blue-liveried pairing is captured at was one of the Corstorphine on December 30, 1967 with a working to North Berwick. Corstorphine most widely was the end of a short branch in Edinburgh’s western suburbs, but was officially used and longest closed two days after this shot on January 1, 1968. surviving first generation DMUs, being in service from 1956 to the end of 2003. A five-car set headed by Nos. 51429+51499 is pictured at the former Bradford Exchange station on September 6, 1964, forming the RCTS’ ‘West Riding Rail Tour’. BR DMU COUPLING CODES ■ Blue Square Standard engines and transmission ★ Orange Star Higher Powered Class 125 Lea Valley units ▲ Red Triangle Derby Lightweight 125hp and Class 127 Midland suburban types ◆ Yellow Diamond Derby Lightweight and Met Camm 150hp with Wilson gearbox ● White Circle Swindon main line units for Scottish Region ‘BIG FOUR’ DIESEL RAILCARS: GWR Sleek GWR diesel railcar No. W8 leaves Old Hill (West Midlands) with the 6.32pm to Dudley via Windmill End in the 1950s. J N Faulkner THE diesel multiple unit, initially and six further railcars were ordered described as a railcar, was made in the same year with a higher possible by the development of specification and fitted with two engines of sufficient output to power 130hp engines. a rail vehicle capable of achieving The higher spec enabled the point-to-point timings compatible railcars to operate at a maximum with other train movements. speed of 80mph, resulting in the That moment arrived in 1933, 117-mile Birmingham to Cardiff when engines were produced by route being scheduled in 2hours Associated Equipment Company 20minutes. Tickets had to be booked (AEC) for use by London Transport in in advance to prevent overcrowding, its bus fleet. as capacity was limited to 44 seats, AEC had a number of but these were charged at the subsidiaries, including Hardy Rail normal Third Class price. Motors and Park Royal Coachworks, The Great Western Railway went and with the cooperation of the on to order 38 further examples London Transport Passenger Board of the type, although the class it finalised the design of a prototype members varied considerably in their lightweight railcar that was bought appearance. Fourteen examples were by the Great Western Railway built by the Gloucester RCW company, and allocated to Slough depot in and the final 20 were built during Park Royal built a small batch of 20 two-car units that were later designated December 1933. wartime by the GWR at Swindon. Class 103. These were successful enough to survive 26 years in service from 1957, This 63-seater ran a total of The final four vehicles were although no further orders were received. One set is pictured stabled at Bangor in 60,000 miles in 1934, which is a power twins: the more familiar two- 1976 with Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory No. 56165 nearest the camera. A three- tribute to the success of the design, car diesel unit. car Class 104 arrives in the background. December 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 17 016 F2 Early DMUs_DEC.indd 17 06/11/2018 10:31:45 FLEET SURVEY “The Harrington Committee report confirmed the benefits of providing diesel-powered multiple units on lines with lower traffic density” Birmingham RCW’s Class 104 sets saw widespread use across the London Midland Region, but January 3, 1970 saw two-three car sets unusually appear at Penistone while forming LCGB’s ‘Pennine Venturer’ railtour from Manchester to Goole. A more powerful version of the Class 104 sets appeared in 1961 for use in Lancashire and Yorkshire on the testing Calder Valley route. On an unknown date in the mid- 1960s, one three-car set descends from Halifax towards Sowerby Bridge at Milner Royd Junction, the lines in the foreground being those from Brighouse and Mirfield/ Huddersfield. ❮ also smaller scale suppliers who built These were followed in 1958 by 81 were built in 1958 for the London Midland Class 101 (AEC engines) and Class 102 prototypes where fleet orders did not Class 119 vehicles for the Western Region, Region, with nine additional trailers (Leyland engines), but later numbering result. which had a similar cab design to units that had only a single cab. The closure was simplified with all carrying the The power equipment was provided being built at Derby. They were formed of secondary routes and branch lines Class 101 prefix. They were allocated by 150hp AEC or Leyland engines into 25 three-car units, with the use of an resulted in the transfer of some examples throughout the network and, being marketed by BUT, with Rolls-Royce and intermediate buffet vehicle, leaving three to Scotland, where three of the single chosen for mid-life refurbishment, Leyland also supplying higher powered sets formed as just two-car power twins.