Which British Railways / British Rail diesel multiple unit class...........?

Question

..................is your personal favourite. I have many fond memories of the Class 123/124 hybrid sets that were retired in 1984.

Answer 1

I fondly remember the days of steam and was appalled at the appearance of the DMU, so I didn't like any of them.

Answer 2

mine would have to be a class 40. there's one at east lancs railway that does excursions.

Answer 3

I think it would have to be the "swindon" transpennine units.

Built to the same standard as main line stock....they even had compartments in 1st class.

Had a trip on the last weekend they were running to Sheffield...out via woodhead on a diverted service and back via Totley.

Answer 4

I agrees, the 'Inter-City' class 123 sets built in Swindon were far superior to the average commuter style DMUs. They were based on BR standard stock and the interior was finished in the same way as hauled stock. At one time I travelled regularly on these from Paddington on the line to Birmingham. They were great! (see http://www.railcar.co.uk/his120-129/123i... The class 124 TransPennine stock was also reputed to be pretty good and comfortable, although I can't speak personally, never having travelled on one. (http://www.railcar.co.uk/his120-129/124i...

And, of course, we must not forget the best of all the 1st generation DMUs, the Blue Pullmans, the forerunners of today's HSTs (http://www.railcar.co.uk/hisOthers/BPint...

Answer 5

The class 43 High Speed Train.

Check out this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWnPil_-i...

Answer 6

Mine would have to be the 2H and 3H sets that worked the Portsmouth-Southampton and Portsmouth - Eastleigh lines before electrification.

I travelled on these many times between 1965 and their eventual demise in c.1990 and have fond memories of their distinctive, chugging exhaust and of the driver exchanging tokens with the signalman at Knowle, on the single line section between Fareham and Eastleigh. Oh, yes, and the reek of diesel fumes which would sometimes make me feel queasy.

They were antiquated trains by modern standards, built in the mid-late 1950s but to much older design, adapted from BR Mk1 suburban coaches/EMUs of the early 50s which were themselves based on still older designs. They are now but a memory, apart from (I think) one or two which have been preserved.

Do I really miss them, or is it just rosy-eyed nostalgia?

I also like the class 108 DMUs which had a glass partition behind the cab so you could see ahead. A few of these have been preserved.