Class 101 DMU
Contents
BR Class 101 General Information
The BR Class 101 diesel multiple units (DMU) were built by Metro-Cammell at Saltley, Birmingham between 1956 and 1959. The body is steel with aluminium roof panels. Typically they were operated in 2, 3, or 4 car sets and were allocated to depots in all Regions, excluding the Southern. From 1958 the London Midland Region in Birmingham received an allocation of sets, and the class is appropriate to the West Midlands.[1] Although the Severn Valley branch was until 1963 part of the Western Region, Class 101s did at least operate on the branch after that date. On 2 March 1968 a Birmingham University Transport Society railtour operated Hartlebury to Alveley Colliery, returning via Bewdley and Kidderminster.[2] BR Bank Holiday shuttles in the preservation era from Kidderminster to Bewdley also featured the class.[3]
The Metro-Cammell first generation units were an updated version of the earlier 79xxx series ‘Met-Camm Lightweights’. Three variants of engine were deployed: AEC (became the TOPS Class 101), Leyland (Class 102) and a more powerful Rolls-Royce (Class 111). A total of 760 Met-Camm vehicles were built, including 527 Class 101 cars comprising[4]:
Car type | Description | Number built | SVR Examples |
---|---|---|---|
Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | Powered driving car | 217 | 50253 |
Driving Motor Composite with lavatory (DMCL) | Powered driving car | 97 | 50170 |
Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | Unpowered driving car | 120 | |
Trailer Second with lavatory (TSL) | Unpowered centre car | 41 | 59303 |
Trailer Second Buffet with lavatory (TSLRB) | Unpowered centre car | 6 | |
Trailer Composite with lavatory (TCL) | Unpowered centre car | 18 | |
Trailer Brake Second with lavatory (TBSL) | Unpowered centre car | 28 |
Later the Classes 101 and 102 were rationalised, with all becoming Class 101s and carrying Leyland engines. The Class was first refurbished in the 1970s to give a life-extension, with a later facelift.
In 1983 the powered vehicles originally numbered in the 50xxx and 56xxx series were renumbered in the 53xxx and 54xxx series respectively (to avoid a conflict of TOPS numbers with the Class 50 locomotives). Towards the end of their life, most of the 3-car Class 101 units were converted to 2-car units so that they could run on lighter routes, with all but three centre cars being scrapped. They became one of the last Classes to be phased out of traffic, in 2003.
Some vehicles saw further use in parcels and departmental service.
DMU Group vehicles
The Class 101 and 108 DMUs on the SVR are owned and operated by the SVR-based DMU Group (West Midlands). Both Classes are fitted with Blue Star electro-pneumatic control, and so are inter-operable.
In September 2024 the SVR announced that the permanent home fleet was to increase with the addition of a three-carriage Class 101 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU), formerly based at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. The Class 101 DMU was acquired by the DMU Group (West Midlands) with the purchase made possible thanks to a generous donation.[5]
The Class 101 DMU comprises:
- DMCL 50170 (previously appeared at the SVR during the Railcar50 event in 2004)
- DMBS 50253 (previously appeared at Railcar50 in 2004)
- TSL 59303
DMCL 50170
E50170 is a Driving Motor Composite with lavatory (DMCL) powered driving car, providing seating for 12 first class and 52 second class passengers. It was built by Metro-Cammell in 1957 as part of Lot 30255. It was initially outshopped in early British Railways lined green and allocated to BR's North Eastern region where it spent most of its working life. It later moved to the Norwich area where it was fitted with Radio Electric Token Block instrumentation for single line working. It was also renumbered into the 53xxx series as 53170 under TOPS.[6]
During the 1980s it formed part of BR Set 103 with DMCL 50149 and TBSL 59077.[7] At some time during its working life, the First Class seating was removed and converted into Standard Class accommodation. In 1996 it was transferred to the Scottish region and paired with DMBS 53253 as BR set number 101692. Both were painted by Scotrail in a unique Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive blue livery to celebrate the launch of a new Motherwell to Cumbernauld service. A final transfer to the First North Western franchise followed, with set 101692 based at Longsight where it worked services in the Manchester area and was fitted with modern TPWS equipment to allow it to operate on major main lines.[6]
50170 and 53253 were part of a final batch of six Class 101 vehicles to be withdrawn on Wednesday 31 December 2003, the last day of operation of the class. Both entered preservation at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley. In May 2004 they took part in the SVR's Railcar50 in 'as-withdrawn' condition, still carrying the Strathclyde PTE livery.[6] In 2005 they briefly ran as a 3-unit set with 59303. 50253 was withdrawn for repairs in 2009, with 50170 remaining in service with an alternative DMBS from a visiting set (50164) .[8]
Agreement was reached in 2010 to loan 50170 to the SVR as a spare power car while several of the railway's own Class 108 DMU units were out of service. In anticipation, 50170 underwent a significant restoration. The first-class saloon was reinstated, while external corrosion was dealt with and the vehicle repainted in original BR green livery. Other changes to return the vehicle to 'as-built' condition were also carried out, including shortening the gutters were to cover only the doorways, and reinstating the original cab front arrangement with four marker lights. Unfortunately, the loan deal did not go ahead.[8]
Agreement was reached in March 2011 for the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Association to operate and maintain the vehicle. At the EVR it initially operated in a number of different sets until restoration of 50253 was completed in September 2015. Thereafter it became part of a fixed formation green liveried Class 101 set comprising 50170 with 59303 and 50253.[8]
DMBS 50253
E50253 is a Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) powered driving car, providing seating for 52 second class passengers. It was built by Metro-Cammell in 1957 as part of Lot 30266 and allocated to BR's Eastern Region as part of a power twin set. The set was allocated to 51A Darlington in September 1957 where it operated around the Middlesborough area. Over time it carried various liveries including BR early lined green, BR Blue with full yellow end, and BR Blue and Grey. It was also renumbered into the 53xxx series as 53253 under TOPS.[9] By the late 1980s it was part of BR set CH348 with TSL 59696 and DMBS 51210.[10] It was transferred into Set 101692 in 1996, with a subsequent history as detailed above.
TSL 59303
E59303 is a Trailer Second with lavatory (TSL), an unpowered centre car originally seating 71 second class passengers but reduced to 66 with a buggy area having been created in preservation. It was built by Metropolitan-Cammell in 1957 as part of Lot 30273 and delivered to Darlington in November of that year. It was initially classified as a Class 162 under the original TOPS system, later changed to Class 101 to match the power cars of the same type.[11]
59303 was originally part of a three-car set with 50746 and 50291, in BR early green livery.[11] In the late 1990s it was part of Set 302 with DMBS 50290 and DMCL 50197.[12] The set was unofficially retired in the summer 1997. With the move to 2-car sets, BR opted to retain only three centre cars (including 59303) to be stored and used to strengthen sets in the summer months if high passenger loads were expected. The idea proved impractical, and in the end the vehicles were left unused.[11]
59303 was dumped in Blackpool Carriage Sidings for seven years before being preserved by the 101692 Group and moved to the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley. There it was repainted in the Strathclyde PTE livery and briefly entered service in 2005 as detailed above.[13] It was then stored between 2006 and 2007 before being restored to original condition between 2008 and 2011 at the MRC and the EVR. It re-entered service in April 2011, appearing in several formations before becoming part of the fixed formation green liveried Class 101 set in September 2015.
59303 is unique, being the only surviving example of a Metro-Cammell Class 101 TSL, the other 2 surviving centre cars being TCL.
See also
References
- ↑ Railways in Worcestershire (Retrieved 10 September 2024)
- ↑ Six Bells Junction
- ↑ 47s and other Classic Power at Southampton website (Retrieved 10 September 2024)
- ↑ BR Class 101 on Wikipedia
- ↑ SVR Website (Retrieved 9 September 2024)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 50170 on the EVR DMU Association website
- ↑ brdatabase.info
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 preserved.railcar.co.uk
- ↑ 50253 on the EVR DMU Association website
- ↑ brdatabase.info
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 59303 on the EVR DMU Association website
- ↑ brdatabase.info
- ↑ 59303 on preserved.railcar.co.uk
Links
- 50170 on preserved.railcar.co.uk
- 50253 on preserved.railcar.co.uk
- 59303 on preserved.railcar.co.uk
- British Rail Classes 101 and 102 on Wikipedia