British Rail Derby Lightweight

British Rail Derby Lightweight
Derby Lightweight power car no. 79018 at Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway
The refurbished seating in the 2nd class saloons of the Trailer Car 79612 - 2021
In service1954-1969
ManufacturerBR Derby Works
ReplacedSteam locomotives and carriages
Constructed1954-1959
Number built217 vehicles
Number preserved2 sets
Formation1, 2 & 4 car formations
Capacity16 1st + 53 3rd class (motor composite), 61 3rd class (motor third brake)
OperatorsBritish Rail
Specifications
Car length57 ft 6 in (17.53 m)
Doors2 on each side
Maximum speed62 mph (100 km/h)
Weight27 tonnes (26.6 long tons; 29.8 short tons) power car
Prime mover(s)Two BUT
Power output(AEC) 125 bhp (93 kW) except BUT (AEC) 150 bhp (110 kW) for single units
Multiple working◆ Yellow Diamond
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Derby Lightweight trailer no. 975008 (79612) outside EVR maintenance shed, Wirksworth, 2021. This vehicle has been restored to original condition, and will be able to enter traffic after cab wiring has been completed and its power car, after standing idle for 19 years, has been refurbished to run with it. The twin unit is preserved at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway - Wirksworth.

The British Rail Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units, were the first such trains to be built en-masse for British Railways. The units were built at BR's Derby Works from 1954 to 1955. The units were built in various formations, including 12 power-twin 2-car units, 84 power-trailer 2-car units, four 4-car units, and two single car units.

Body framing was extruded and riveted together. Panelling was welded into continuous sheets and riveted to the frame. Luggage racks were light alloy. The floors had 2 layers of flameproof hardboard, covered with linoleum. To reduce noise and condensation, the inside structure and undersides were sprayed with asbestos. Lighting was by 60-watt, 24-volt lamps charged by belt driven dynamos. Heating was oil fired. Standard mild steel bogies ran on Timken roller bearings.[1]

Contemporaneous with these units was the unique Battery Electric Multiple Unit.

  1. ^ Cooke, B.W.C., ed. (July 1954). "Lightweight Diesel Trains for British Railways". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 100, no. 639. Westminster: Tothill Press. p. 461.