| British Rail BEMU | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Battery Multiple Unit at Milton of Crathes | |
| In service | 1958–1966 |
| Built at | Derby Works - converted to battery at Cowlairs |
| Family name | Derby Lightweight |
| Replaced | Steam locomotives and carriages |
| Constructed | 1956 - converted 1958 |
| Number built | 1 set (2 cars) |
| Number preserved | 1 set (2 cars) |
| Formation | DMBS-DTC |
| Capacity | 12 first 105 second (initially 31 + 86) |
| Operators | British Railways |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel |
| Car length | 57 ft 6 in (17.53 m) |
| Doors | 2 on each side |
| Maximum speed | 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) |
| Weight | DMBS: 37 long tons 10 cwt (84,000 lb or 38.1 t) DTC: 32 long tons 10 cwt (72,800 lb or 33 t) |
| Prime mover(s) | 2 x 100 kilowatts (130 hp) nose-suspended motors |
| Power supply | Chloride Batteries Ltd |
| Electric system(s) | 216 lead-acid cells, 440 V, 1070 A·hr |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The British Rail BEMU was an experimental two-car battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), converted from the prototype Derby Lightweight Diesel multiple units. The train was powered by many lead-acid batteries, and was used on the Deeside Railway from Aberdeen to Ballater in Scotland from April 1958 until it was finally withdrawn in December 1966. The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board initiated the design and was a joint sponsor. The board promised to supply power at three farthings per unit for a fixed two-year period.[1] It provided an 11kV supply to a charger at Aberdeen's platform 1 and a 6.6kV supply to a charger at Ballater.[2]