British Rail Class 103
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 103 diesel multiple unit
s were built by Park Royal Vehicles
with diesel engine
s by British United Traction (BUT). Ordered in the first half of 1955, 20 of these sets were built by Park Royal at the Crossley Motors
works in Stockport
of the ACV Group. They consisted of a power car
and a driving trailer. Standard BUT equipment was fitted, with 'A' type engines.
A two-car set with 16 first class and 100 second class seats weighed just under 60 long ton
s, representing 1,150 lb (520 kg) a seat and had 5 hp per ton of empty weight or 4.35 hp per ton when full.
, spending most of their time at Chester
. The first deliveries went to traffic in the Llandudno
area, allocated to Llandudno Junction
in early 1958. This is believed to be an indirect consequence of unit shortages as a result of bogie problems with the BRCW units [Trains Illustrated 1958]. By the end of the same year they were all allocated to Ryecroft for the routes radiating from Walsall. These services were dieselised on 17th November that year [Trains Illustrated Jan 1959 p53]. The last four sets were transferred to the Western Region of British Railways
, and worked in the Cardiff
and Reading
areas. Although considered non-standard, owing to their bodywork construction, their use of standard BUT equipment and blue square coupling code
allowed them to operate with other classes.
They spent some time in the Watford
area, working the St Albans
and Belmont branches after the demise of the ACV/BUT "flying brick" railcars. Three units were transferred for this service in December 1958, according to Trains Illustrated [Feb 1959 p110].
On 8 May 1972 an oil train 'ran away' and crashed in Chester General station
. M50407 and M56154 were in an adjacent platform and damaged beyond repair.
A further three vehicles were preserved but have been scrapped. 50414 & 56168 were a similar operating set to surviving 50413 & 56169 but were scrapped at the West Somerset Railway in 1993 due to asbestos fears. 50397 was another powered vehicle (which was hoped to partner 56160) but was scrapped in 2009 after a prolonged period of deterioration.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 103 diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s were built by Park Royal Vehicles
Park Royal Vehicles
Dating its origins back to 1889, Park Royal Vehicles along with its Leeds-based subsidiary Charles H. Roe was one of Britain's leading coachbuilders and bus manufacturers based at Park Royal, west London, UK.-Associated Commercial Vehicles:...
with diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s by British United Traction (BUT). Ordered in the first half of 1955, 20 of these sets were built by Park Royal at the Crossley Motors
Crossley Motors
Crossley Motors was a British motor vehicle manufacturer based in Manchester, England. They produced approximately 19,000 high quality cars from 1904 until 1938, 5,500 buses from 1926 until 1958 and 21,000 goods and military vehicles from 1914 to 1945.Crossley Brothers, originally...
works in Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
of the ACV Group. They consisted of a power car
Power car
A power car is a railroad vehicle that is closely related to the locomotive. What differentiates the two is their construction or their use. A true locomotive can be physically separated from its train and does nothing but provide propulsion . A power car, on the other hand, is frequently an...
and a driving trailer. Standard BUT equipment was fitted, with 'A' type engines.
A two-car set with 16 first class and 100 second class seats weighed just under 60 long ton
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
s, representing 1,150 lb (520 kg) a seat and had 5 hp per ton of empty weight or 4.35 hp per ton when full.
Orders
| Lot No. | Car type | Quantity | Fleet numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30286 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 20 | 50395–50414 | |
| 30287 | Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL) | 20 | 56150–15169 | |
Operations
They were allocated new to the London Midland Region of British RailwaysLondon Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
, spending most of their time at Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. The first deliveries went to traffic in the Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
area, allocated to Llandudno Junction
Llandudno Junction
Llandudno Junction , once known as Tremarl, is a small town in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. It is part of the ancient parish of Llangystennin, and it is located south of Llandudno. It adjoins Deganwy and is to the east of the walled town of Conwy, which is on the opposite side of the River...
in early 1958. This is believed to be an indirect consequence of unit shortages as a result of bogie problems with the BRCW units [Trains Illustrated 1958]. By the end of the same year they were all allocated to Ryecroft for the routes radiating from Walsall. These services were dieselised on 17th November that year [Trains Illustrated Jan 1959 p53]. The last four sets were transferred to the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
, and worked in the Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
areas. Although considered non-standard, owing to their bodywork construction, their use of standard BUT equipment and blue square coupling code
Multiple working
Multiple working is a term used on the UK rail network to describe the practice of having more than one diesel or electric locomotive hauling a train under the control of one driver.-Terminology:...
allowed them to operate with other classes.
They spent some time in the Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
area, working the St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
and Belmont branches after the demise of the ACV/BUT "flying brick" railcars. Three units were transferred for this service in December 1958, according to Trains Illustrated [Feb 1959 p110].
On 8 May 1972 an oil train 'ran away' and crashed in Chester General station
Chester railway station
Chester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
. M50407 and M56154 were in an adjacent platform and damaged beyond repair.
Liveries
They were delivered in Brunswick green with cream lining, red bufferbeam and pale grey roof. The first sets were delivered without "speed whiskers" (a decorative device on the front). Plain blue with yellow ends was later applied, initially with just a small yellow panel.Decline
The bodywork became troublesome in service, seeing many withdrawn early. By the end of 1972 there were only 12 power and 14 trailers left in service. The last power car was withdrawn in December 1982, and the last trailer in February 1983.Preservation
Only three Class 103 vehicles survive in preservation. 50413 and 56169 are currently being restored by the Helston Railway Diesel Group for use on the Helston branch line. 56160 is privately preserved| Number | Type | Location | Owner | Condition | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50413 | DMBS | Trevarno Gardens Helston Railway Preservation Company The Helston Railway Preservation Company is a heritage railway that aims to rebuild the Helston branch line that linked Gwinear Road on the Cornish Main Line to Helston, Cornwall, England.- Overview :... |
HRDG | Restoration further underway, engines being looked at. | |
| 56160 | DTCL | Private site | Stored | ||
| 56169 | DTCL | Trevarno Gardens Helston Railway Preservation Company The Helston Railway Preservation Company is a heritage railway that aims to rebuild the Helston branch line that linked Gwinear Road on the Cornish Main Line to Helston, Cornwall, England.- Overview :... |
HRDG | In process of restoration, near complete |
A further three vehicles were preserved but have been scrapped. 50414 & 56168 were a similar operating set to surviving 50413 & 56169 but were scrapped at the West Somerset Railway in 1993 due to asbestos fears. 50397 was another powered vehicle (which was hoped to partner 56160) but was scrapped in 2009 after a prolonged period of deterioration.