List of British Rail diesel multiple unit classes

This is a list of British Rail diesel multiple-unit train classes.

For a historical overview of diesel multiple-unit train development in Great Britain, see British railcars and diesel multiple units.

Pre-nationalisation designs [edit]

• GWR railcars
• LMS railcars

Early BR DMUs (79xxx series) [edit]

Manufacturer	Engines (per motor car)	Transmission	Type	Image
BR Derby 'Lightweight'	2 x Leyland 125 bhp (93 kW) or 2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	hydraulic (2 car) or mechanical (single car)	low density
Metro-Cammell 'Lightweight'	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
AC Cars Railbuses	1 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	railbus
Bristol-ECW Railbuses	1 x Gardner 112 bhp (84 kW)	mechanical	railbus	[1]
Park Royal Railbuses	1 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	railbus	[2]
Waggon und Maschinenbau Railbuses	1 x Buessing 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	railbus
Wickham Railbuses	1 x Meadows 105 bhp (78 kW)	mechanical	railbus

First generation [edit]

TOPS classes

Class	Manufacturer	Engines (per motor car)	Transmission	Type	Image
Class 100	Gloucester RC&W	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 101	Metro-Cammell	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 102	Metro-Cammell	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 103	Park Royal	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	[3]
Class 104	Birmingham RC&W	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 105	Cravens	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 106	Cravens	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 107	BR Derby 'Heavyweight'	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 108	BR Derby 'Lightweight'	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 109	Wickham	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 110	Birmingham RC&W 'Calder Valley'	2 x Rolls Royce 180 bhp (134 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 111	Metro-Cammell	2 x Rolls Royce 180 bhp (134 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 112	Cravens	1 x Rolls Royce 238 bhp (177 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 113	Cravens	1 x Rolls Royce 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic	low density	[4]
Class 114	BR Derby 'Heavyweight'	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 115	BR Derby 'Suburban'	2 x Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 116	BR Derby 'Suburban'	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 117	Pressed Steel 'Suburban'	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 118	Birmingham RC&W 'Suburban'	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 119	Gloucester RC&W 'Cross-Country'	2 x Leyland 180 bhp (134 kW)	mechanical	cross country
Class 120	BR Swindon 'Cross-Country'	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	cross country
Class 121	Pressed Steel 'Bubble Car'	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 122	Gloucester RC&W 'Bubble Car'	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 123	BR Swindon 'Intercity'	2 x Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	intercity
Class 124	BR Swindon 'Trans-Pennine'	2 x Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	intercity
Class 125	BR Derby 'Lea Valley'	2 x Rolls Royce 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic	high density	[5]
Class 126	BR Swindon 'Intercity'	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	intercity
Class 127	BR Derby 'Bed-Pan'	2 x Rolls Royce 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic	high density
Class 128	Gloucester RC&W 'Parcels'	2 x Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	parcels
Class 129	Cravens 'Parcels'	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	parcels	[6]
Class 130	Parcels conversion from Class 116	2 x Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	parcels	[7]
Class 131	Parcels conversion from Class 122	2 x AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	parcels	[8]

Second generation [edit]

Lightweight railcars [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image
Class 139	Parry People Movers	2008	2 x single cars	still in use

Pacers [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image
Leyland Railbus Prototypes	BREL-Leyland	1978-84	4 x single cars	1980s
Class 140	BREL-Leyland	1980	1 x 2-car set	1981
Class 141	BREL-Leyland	1984	20 x 2-car sets	1997
Class 142	BREL-Leyland	1985-87	96 x 2-car sets	still in use
Class 143	Barclay-Alexander	1985-86	25 x 2-car sets	still in use
Class 144	BREL-Alexander	1986-87	13 x 2-car and 10 x 3-car sets	still in use

Sprinters [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image
Class 150	BREL Sprinter	1984-87	135 x 2-car and 2 x 3-car sets	still in use
Class 151	Metro-Cammell prototypes	1985	2 x 3-car units	1989
Class 152	Proposed single car conversion of Class 156[1]	Never built	0	Never Built
Class 153	BREL-Leyland Super-Sprinter (rebuilt from Class 155)	1991-92	70 single cars	still in use
Class 154	BREL Sprinter	1985	3 car unit converted from class 150	Converted back to class 150
Class 155	BREL-Leyland Super-Sprinter	1987-88[2]	42 x 2-car sets, 7 still in original form	still in use
Class 156	Metro-Cammell Super-Sprinter	1987-89[3]	114 x 2-car sets[3]	still in use
Class 157	Proposed Strathclyde PTE Sprinter	Never Built	0	Never Built
Class 158	BREL Express	1989-92	165 2-car and 17 3-car sets	still in use
Class 159	BREL Express	1992-93	22 3-car sets	still in use

Turbos [edit]

Networker [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 165	BREL Network Turbo	1990-92	48 x 2-car and 28 x 3-car sets
Class 166	BREL Network Express Turbo	1992-93	21 x 3-car sets

Turbostar [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 168	Adtranz/Bombardier Clubman	1998–2004	9 3-car and 10 4-car sets
Class 170	Adtranz/Bombardier Turbostar	1998–2005	44 2-car and 89 3-car sets (to date)
Class 171	Bombardier Turbostar	2003-2004	9 x 2-car and 6 x 4-car sets
Class 172	Bombardier Turbostar	2010-2011	24 x 2-car and 15 x 3-car

Coradias [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 175	Alstom Coradia 1000	1999–2001	11 x 2-car and 16 x 3-car sets
Class 180	Alstom Coradia Adelante	2000–2001	14 x 5-car sets

Desiro [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 185	Siemens Desiro UK	2005-06	51 x 3-car sets

Diesel-electric multiple units (DEMUs) [edit]

Southern Region DEMUs [edit]

Class	SR code	Built	Quantity (sets)	Withdrawn	Image
Class 201	6S	1957-58	7 x 6-car sets	1986
Class 202	6L	1957-58	9 x 6-car sets	1986-87
Class 203	6B	1958	7 x 6-car sets	1990	[9]
Class 204	2H/3T	1979 (formed using class 205 and 206 cars)	4 x 3-car sets	1980s
Class 205	2H/3H	1957-62	4 x 2-car and 29 3-car sets	1992–2004
Class 206	3R	1964	6 x 3-car sets (formed using class 201 and 416 cars)	1979
Class 207	3D	1962	19 x 3-car sets	1990–2004
Class 210		1981	1 x 3-car and 1 x 4-car set

Voyager-style express DEMUs [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 220	Bombardier Voyager	2000-01	34 x 4-car sets
Class 221	Bombardier Super Voyager	2001-02	4 x 4-car and 40 x 5-car sets
Class 222	Bombardier Meridian/Pioneer	2003–05	4 x 4-car, 17 x 5-car and 6 x 7-car sets

High-speed trains [edit]

Class	Manufacturer	Information	Date Built	Number Built (driving motor cars)	Withdrawn	Image
Class 251/261	Metro-Cammell	Blue Pullman	1959-60	10	1973
Class 252	BREL	Prototype HST	1972	2	1980s
Class 253 & 254	BREL	HST / InterCity 125 (driving motors reclassified as Class 43 and trailers as Mk.3 hauled stock)	1976–1982	197	still in use
Class 255	BREL	HST Challenger	Never built	0	Never built

See also [edit]

• British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification
• British Rail coach designations

References [edit]

1. ^ The all-time guide to the UK Traction Classification System Part 3: Diesel Multiple Units - the Railway Centre
2. ^ Class 155 Super Sprinters
3. ^ ^{a b} Fleet Survey - 156 Super-Sprinter

External links [edit]

• The Railway Centre
• departmentals.com

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