British Rail Class 101 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids British Rail Class 101
Class 101, no. 101692 (formed of vehicles 53170 + 53253) at Arley on the Severn Valley Railway on 15 October 2004, whilst taking part in the Railcar 50 event. This unit was specially repainted in Caledonian Blue livery in 1996 by ScotRail for the launch of a new Motherwell to Cumbernauld Line. In 2000, it transferred to Manchester, where it became one of the final six in service with First North Western. It was withdrawn in October 2003, and is now preserved at the Midland Railway Butterley.
In service	1956–2003
Manufacturer	BREL
Number built	1956–1959
Formation	2 cars per trainset
Operator(s)	British Rail
Specifications
Car length	17.37 m
Width	2.81 m
Height	3.77 m
Maximum speed	75 mph (121 km/h)
Weight	32.5 tonnes

Class 960 departmental unit no. 960001 at Norwich on 31 January 2004. This unit was rebuilt as an Ultrasonic Test Train in 1986, and is pictured here in Railtrack blue/lime green livery.

Class 101 DMU preserved in the blue-grey corporate livery at the Mid-Norfolk Railway

The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five units being withdrawn on 24 December 2003. The oldest set was, by then, just over 47 years old.

Images for kids

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  101680 in old Regional Railways livery at Sheffield in 1998

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  Class 101 in Strathclyde PTE livery at Glasgow Central.

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  A pair of Class 101s at Newcastle Central

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  Class 101 at Bradford Interchange alongside a Class 150

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  NSE 101 L832 Sarah at Reading

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  First North Western 101685 at Manchester Piccadilly on 24 December 2003, the last day of service