| British Rail Class 104 | |
|---|---|
 Class 104 formed from vehicles M50564, M59182, M50594 at Tottenham Hale in March 1976 | |
| In service | 1957–1993 |
| Manufacturer | Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company |
| Family name | First generation |
| Replaced | Steam locomotives and carriages |
| Constructed | 1957–1959 |
| Number built | 71 DMBS, 108 DMCL, 15 DTCL, 56 TCL, 26 TBSL, 26 TSL. Total: 302 cars |
| Number preserved | 13[1] |
| Formation | 2 car sets: DMBS-DTCL 3 car sets: DMBS-TCL-DMCL 4 cars sets:DMCL-TSL-TBSL-DMCL |
| Capacity | DMBS: 52, DMCL/DTCL: 12F 51S, TCL: 12F 54, TBSL: 51, TSL: 69 |
| Operators | British Rail |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel |
| Car length | 57 ft 6 in (17.53 m) |
| Width | 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) |
| Maximum speed | 70 mph (110 km/h) |
| Weight | DMCL/DMBS: 31 long tons (31.5 t), TBSL: 25 long tons (25.4 t), DTCL/TCL/TSL: 24 long tons (24.4 t) |
| Prime mover(s) | Two B.U.T. (Leyland) 6-cylinder diesels of 150 bhp each |
| Power output | 300 bhp (220 kW) |
| Transmission | Mechanical: 4 speed epicyclic gearbox |
| Braking system(s) | Vacuum |
| Safety system(s) | AWS |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The British Rail Class 104 diesel multiple units were built by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company from 1957 to 1959.
A product of British Rail's Modernisation Plan of 1954,[2] the 104s were designed for general branch line and commuter routes.[3] The first units ordered were for the London Midland Region, with the majority of the class for use in North West of England. The Class 110 was a re-engineered version of the 104 with more powerful engines, but did not last as long in service. The 104s had asbestos insulation removed during the 1970s.[4]
- ^ "Class 104 DMU".
- ^ "Modernisation and Re-Equipment of British Railways :: The Railways Archive". railwaysarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ Inman, Mark Lee (15 June 2018). Fifty Years Since the End of Steam: Britain's Railways 1968-2018. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445676753.
- ^ "ELR Diesel Group - Fleet Information, DMU Diesel Multiple Units". Archived from the original on 18 January 2014.