Tag: Class 101

From the Archives – ‘Daisy’ at the Midland Railway-Butterley

Is it really over four months since I posted anything here? 😬

Clearly, one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2023 must be to post more often!

Class 101 DMBS 50164-20100101 (Midland Railway-Butterley)
Class 101 DMBS 50164 Daisy
Midland Railway-Butterley, 1 January 2010

These two class 101 diesel multiple unit (DMU) vehicles formed set no.101685 and were amongst the last five class 101 sets to be withdrawn from service by First North Western in December 2003.

Built by Metro-Cammell in 1956, 101685 had regained its early British Railways livery in 1994 and was named Daisy (unofficially) after the diesel railcar in The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry.

Class 101 DMCL 53160-20100101 (Midland Railway-Butterley)
Class 101 DMCL 53160 Daisy
Midland Railway-Butterley, 1 January 2010

Both vehicles are now preserved at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

On This Day… A couple of oddities at Ruddington

Nine years ago I visited the Great Central Railway – Nottingham (GCRN) at Ruddington and was intrigued by a couple of strange railway vehicles…

Laboratory 1, RDB 975000-20120715bLaboratory 1, RDB 975000
Ruddington, Great Central Railway – Nottingham, 15 July 2012

RDB 975000 (Laboratory 1) was converted from a British Railways Mk.1 Restaurant Second Open (RSO) in 1970 by the Research & Development Department at the Railway Technical Centre (RTC) at Derby for use as a high speed dynamics laboratory.

The lowered section of roof could be fitted with a pantograph (used to collect power from overhead lines) which could then be observed in operation through the windows in the roof visible in the image below.

Laboratory 1, RDB 975000-20120715aLaboratory 1, RDB 975000
Ruddington, Great Central Railway – Nottingham, 15 July 2012

After lying out of use at Derby for many years RDB 975000 entered preservation at Ruddington in May 2011 but was scrapped in November 2013.

Observation Saloon 6300 HEBRIDEAN-20120715Observation Saloon 6300 HEBRIDEAN
Ruddington, Great Central Railway – Nottingham, 15 July 2012

6300 HEBRIDEAN was built as Class 101 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL) 56356 in 1958 but converted in 1987 for use as a locomotive-hauled observation saloon on the Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh ‘Hebridean’ services.

Withdrawn in 1994, 6300 was initially preserved at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway before moving to Ruddington but has since moved again, to the Barry Tourist Railway.