British Rail Class 101
| British Rail Class 101 | |
|---|---|
 London-based Class 101 no. 54405 (from set L220) in Network SouthEast livery |
|
| In service | 1956–2003 |
| Manufacturer | Metropolitan Cammell |
| Constructed | 1956–1960 |
| Number built | Class 101: 527 (DMCL: 97, DMBS: 217, DTCL: 120, TSL: 41, TSLRB: 6, TCL: 18, TBSL: 28) Class 102: 106 (DMCL: 53, TCL: 53) |
| Number preserved | 41 cars |
| Formation | 2-, 3-, or 4-car sets |
| Operator | British Rail |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 57 ft 0 in (17.37 m) |
| Width | 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) |
| Height | 3.77 m (12 ft 4 in) |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Weight | 32.5 tonnes (32.0 long tons; 35.8 short tons) (powered), 25 tonnes (25 long tons; 28 short tons) (unpowered)[1] |
| Engine(s) | Two BUT (AEC or Leyland) |
| Power output | 150 bhp (112 kW) each engine |
| Transmission | Mechanical: 4-speed epicyclic gearbox |
| Coupling system | Screw-link couplings, British Standard gangways |
| Multiple working | ■ Blue Square |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| British Rail Class 101 | |
|---|---|
| Engine type | diesels |
| Cylinders | 6-cylinder |
The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be one of the most successful and longest-lived of BR's First Generation DMUs, second in age only to the Class 121, with the final five units being withdrawn on 24 December 2003. The oldest set was, by then, just over 47 years old.
Contents |
Original TOPS classes
When TOPS was originally introduced only the Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) and the Driving Motor Composite (with Lavatory) (DMCL) were classified as Class 101 (AEC engines) or Class 102 (Leyland engines). The Driving Trailer Composite (with Lavatory) (DTCL) were either Class 144 or Class 147. The Trailer Seconds (with Lavatory) (TSL) were Class 162, the Trailer Brake Second (with Lavatory) (TBSL) were Class 168 and the Trailer Composite (with Lavatory) (TCL) were Class 171. Later all the cars were reclassified, becoming Class 101.
In fiction
In The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry, the character Daisy the Diesel Rail-Car was introduced to assist on the Branch Line when Thomas was away for repair.
Daisy is undoubtedly based on the Metro-Cammell DMUs, but is a one-off, being a single railcar (akin to the Class 121 'bubble cars'). Although normally considered to be a Class 101, Daisy is always depicted with the distinctive valances around the buffer beams that distinguishes the lightweight prototype units.
Preservation
The Class 101 was one of the largest classes of first-generation DMUs and, partly thanks to their relatively late withdrawal from revenue-earning service, numerous vehicles have been preserved on heritage railways, for example the Great Central Railway and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. There are only 2 centre cars preserved. One is at Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and the another is at Mid-Norfolk Railway.
References
- The Railcar Association
- Fox, Peter; Webster, Neil (July 1982). Multiple Unit Pocket Book. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publications. ISBN 0-906579-26-0 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].
- Golding, Brian. A Pictorial Record of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units.
- Haresnape, Brian. British Rail Fleet Survey 8: Diesel Multiple Units—The First Generation.
- Marsden, Colin J. Motive Power Recognition: 3 DMUs.
- Robertson, Kevin. British Railway Pictorial: First Generation DMUs.
External links
Media related to British Rail Class 101 at Wikimedia Commons