British Rail Class 100

Infobox DMU
name = British Rail Class 100

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imagesize = 300px
background = #0033cc
caption = Class 100, no. 56301 at County School Station on the Mid-Norfolk Railway on 17th December 2001. This unit was the first heritage DMU vehicle to enter preservation.
Manufacturer = BREL
Operator = British Rail
Formation = 1 cars per trainset
Built = 1956-1958
LinesServed =
InService = 1956-1988
CarLength =
CarWidth = 9 ft 3 in
CarHeight = 12 ft 8 1/2in
Weight = 38 tons 5 cwt
Capacity =
MaxSpeed = 70 mph (112 km/h)
Gauge =
Traction =
Engine =
SafetySystem= |

The British Rail Class 100 diesel multiple units were built by Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited from 1956 to 1958, designed and built in collaboration with the Transport Sales Dept. of T.I. (Group Services) Ltd.

Introduction

The class were designed to be lightweight to allow for good acceleration. None were selected for refurbishment and withdrawals started in 1969. The last passenger car was withdrawn from service in 1988.

56111 was used as a training aid by the Ministry of Defence until 1985. The Class gained a small amount of "fame" through the use of 51122 and 56300 as the "Stourton Saloon" - the Eastern Region General Managers saloon. These were scrapped in 1990. 51116 and 56101 were used as the Eastern Region inspection saloon, until being scrapped in 1993. 56106 survived the longest time on the national network, being scrapped in 2000.

Trailer car 56301 was the first diesel multiple unit car to enter preservation in 1969, originally being used at the Chasewater Railway.

Preservation

The Class has not fared well in preservation. 7 cars entered preservation of which only 4 now exist. 50341 and 56099 were preserved by the West Somerset Railway, but were scrapped & dismantled in 1991. The National Railway Museum had intended to preserve 53355, but a lack of space prevented this car, and the Class 105 coupled to it from being moved to York and they were vandalised beyond repair at Crewe.

References

*Motive Power Recognition: 3 DMUs. Colin J. Marsden
*British Railway Pictorial: First Generation DMUs. Kevin Robertson
*British Rail Fleet Survey 8: Diesel Multiple Units- The First Generation. Brian Haresnape
*A Pictorial Record of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units. Brian Golding

External links

* [http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/rj.cullen/56301.htm E56301's Web Page]
* [http://railcar.co.uk/his100-109/100intro.htm History of the Class 100s]