First Generation British DMUs 1994-2000

By 1994 many of the types of first generation DMUs, that Britain had dieselised with in the late 1950s, had been retired and some were being purchased by preservation groups. This video shows class 101, 108 & 117 in action on both main line and preserved railways. Included is footage of the token exchange at Llanrwst, on the Conwy Valley line, seen from lineside, from the cab and in the signal box.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

very kind for the dmu driver to let you to do the drivers eye view of this dmu on Llangollen railway

[@vikingsmb]

the bit with the cab ride at llangollen, you can hear the 680s racing as she is slipping.

[@paulbennell3313]

Love to hear those Leyland 0.680's pulling away!

[@davidellis279]

A lot of the the early ones were fitted with AEC engines but they weren’t reliable so they moved on to Leyland,Rolls Royce and Gardner engines.

[@davidellis279]

I once went to Scarborough from Eccles in the late fifties on one of the DMUs. On certain parts of the journey it would reach 70mph but the way it rolled around at times I thought it was going to leave the track,it was so unstable some people were feeling sick. My dad worked on the railway all his life and had got these tickets for us as a special treat,it was one of the first journeys the DMUs did as steam was phased out,I’ll never forget that train ride with my dad and I’m 79 now.

[@nlo114]

Good to see the footage preserved. However, I had to commute to Reading on these things for 4 years and used to hate them! In winter the diesel-heaters rarely worked properly, so the coaches were either freezing cold, or full of smoke and smelled like a paraffin-heated domestic hallway. Sometimes coaches were locked-out because of unburnt fuel vapour from the heaters. Their only saving grace was opening windows, so that you didn't boil in summer. (Unlike the 166's where 90% of the aircon doesn't work)

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

2003 was the last time for the dmus like the class 101 on the Manchester route before they were all scrapped

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

these first generation dmus used to be operated on the cross city line until 1993 before the electric multiple units took over first the class 304 and now today the class 323 emus

[@acquiesce100]

Yeah and the class 323 is just horrible. They destroyed that wonderful line when they introduced those and started sabotaging the stations.

[@markcf83]

The Class 117 units were reliable trains-and having travelled on them from the age of 2 until they were replaced by the Class 165/166 units I am perfectly entitled to say that.

[@AndreiTupolev]

Very true, they were kept in good shape by Reading depot

[@eddherring4972]

NSE at Manchester, did it get lost?

[@Mike-kc8rl]

Had 115s on the Chiltern line! These were four car sets more powerful than the common 117s having Albion /Leyland 230bhp engines instead of the usual 150 bhp AEC or BUT Leylands ! Can remember they were used in 4/8/and 12 car configurations those were the day's ?

[@jimhowison2225]

Who else grew up in the 50's and 60's, and wondered if their train would be steam or diesel? On the Shotts Lanarkshire line, we used to have a mixture of side corridor carriages, some ex first class, and some with no corridor, on the steam trains, before they were all scrapped. Now 385's run on this once Beeching condemned for closure line!

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

I can just seen the festiniog loco behind you off camera just as the dmu was passing by

[@RailwayManUK]

Great video but who knew Pat Sharpe was a train driver on his days off!

[@stephenduncan3605]

He was driving it to the Fun House!

[@ulysses2162]

I miss these old DMU's. I grew up with them in the 1980's as a child. I remember my late mother taking me into town with her on them. My favourite DMU out of them all is probably the Class 118. I've been trying to find the class 117/118 train sets in the British Rail livery, but not having much luck, whether with Hornby or Bachmann.

[@limeyfox]

Lovely compilation. The shot at Reading; the first (stationary NSE) unit is a 108 but the unit then filmed departing is one of the cross-country 119 sets deployed on Gatwick Airport workings.

[@david-othen]

Thank you for your kind comments and for the correction. It is very difficult for someone from Canada to identify the DMUs without their numbers. So the unit at 10:08 is a 119 and I think is the only one I videoed!

[@limeyfox]

+David Othen I believe they were getting quite rare by the early 90s, class 101 units were gradually taking over as the asbestos-contaminated fleets (incl. 119) were withdrawn.

[@david-othen]

So the 101 survived not because of technical superiority but because they did not have asbestos.

[@limeyfox]

Pretty much. Although they were also a numerically superior class so I imagine finding vehicles that were still a reasonable quality in 1990 was easier than some of the other classes.

[@david-othen]

Thanks for the information - it is fascinating to see what makes one product triumph over a rival product!

[@chris-io1ki]

Loved the old DMU's.

[@sleepyrider]

Great memories, thanks!

[@stephenpowell5912]

Love the sound of these DMUs before the Ugly looking sprinters replaced them in the Early 1980s ,Prefer these and love the sound they made when departing growing up born in 1973 ,Great memories ❤️💕❣️💞

[@clarky2356]

Something Ive wanted to know what is the difference between 117s and 101 I know the 101s had 4 doors in each carriage but was there a power difference between the 2

[@Pmjs]

I worked the DMUs on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts line&around the Fife Circle.

[@joshuahalla.k.a.controlla6333]

Great video.☺️

[@professorjamesmoriarty5191]

So much nostalgia.

[@jazyandme]

very nice footage well done very in joyable

[@MKTTransportVideos]

The second 108 at Reading at 10:25 is actually a 119!

[@stephenduncan3605]

Exactly class 108s were all withdrawn in 1993 and this video is from 1994 onwards!

[@MrJimheeren]

What is the name of that first station. Is that Welsh or something

[@mittelfruh]

That Fish&Chips Special looks like a real hoot. I'd love to be on that run.

[@david-othen]

I don't think it still runs - there is no mention of it on their website.

[@390h8er]

I can confirm it still runs on most summer Saturday evenings. It's called the 'Evening Scenic Special'. There's even a bar in 59250 and usually a raffle. Food orders are taken at Kidderminster and phoned through to a chip shop in Bridgnorth who deliver it to the station upon arrival.

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hi There Again my real Name is Mr Cannadine T. Boxill-Harris, I have another interesting idea for most of you Class 507, Class 508, Class 313, and Class 314 and that also includes those interesting Class 315 Fans out there, rather than scrapping most of those Class 507, Class 508, Class 313's Class 314 including the Class 315's maybe you guys can convert them. Including the refurbishment into the Volvo TD102KF Engine Leyland 680 Engine, Volvo B10M Engine, Scania N112 Engine, Cummins M11 Engine, Gardner 6LXC Engine, Gardner 6LXB Engine, Gardner 8LXB Engine, Class 507, Class 508, Class 313's, Class 314's and the Class 315's and convert all of them into a 2 Carriages and Three Carriages of the Class 313's, Class 314's and that is including those Class 315's for most of us Class 314 and Class 315 Diesel Train Fans Pretty PLEASE. Are you still going to do this interesting type of Project for all of us out there Please?

[@acquiesce100]

Does anyone know any of the drivers? The chap with long hair seemed a nice chap allowing someone in the cab

[@supafuckinmingster]

@ 0:45 is that caption a typo or is it a Welsh train station? @ 6:22.............. what a mullet!!

[@wifisignalbooster]

for 0:45 that is a welsh station name it is famous for having the longest station name in the world...

[@Mitch-Hendren]

Officially Llanfair.p.g. for short