British Rail Class 104

The British Rail Class 104 diesel multiple units were built by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company from 1957 to 1959.

British Rail Class 104
Class 104 formed from vehicles M50564, M59182, M50594 at Tottenham Hale in March 1976
In service1957–1993
ManufacturerBirmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
Family nameFirst generation
ReplacedSteam locomotives and carriages
Constructed1957–1959
Number built71 DMBS, 108 DMCL, 15 DTCL, 56 TCL, 26 TBSL, 26 TSL. Total: 302 cars
Formation2 car sets: DMBS-DTCL
3 car sets: DMBS-TCL-DMCL
4 cars sets:DMCL-TSL-TBSL-DMCL
CapacityDMBS: 52, DMCL/DTCL: 12F 51S, TCL: 12F 54, TBSL: 51, TSL: 69
Operator(s)British Rail
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Car length57 ft 6 in (17.53 m)
Width9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Maximum speed70 mph (110 km/h)
WeightDMCL/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 output300 bhp (220 kW)
TransmissionMechanical: 4 speed epicyclic gearbox
Braking system(s)Vacuum
Safety system(s)Automatic Warning System
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

A product of British Rail's Modernisation Plan of 1954,[1] the 104s were designed for general branch line and commuter routes.[2] 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.[3]

Operations

Greater Manchester

The 104 was introduced on 17 June, 1957. The type was seen regularly on services from Manchester to Buxton, Marple, New Mills and Blackpool.[4] The 104 was ideal for these routes as the lightweight chassis were well suited to the hilly lines in the northwest of England. A regular sight in the Greater Manchester area for over 30 years, the 104s were replaced by Sprinters by 1990, with the last running on May 4, 1990.[5]

Tyneside

Sets were also used in Tyneside, replacing the former LNER Tyneside electric units following the de-electrification of the North Tyneside Loop line in 1967, but were themselves made redundant by the opening of the Tyne & Wear Metro. The last day of operation was 10 August, 1980.[6]

Scotland

In early 1984 a few units reallocated to Scotland to replace Class 107s. A fire at Ayr depot had destroyed several trains and the 104s were called in to replace them.[7] One unit was repainted in a unique maroon and white livery for services to Oban – it became known as the "Mexican Bean".[8] The 104s were withdrawn from Scotland in April 1989.[9]

London Region

Other vehicles spent time in London and the last vehicles could be found there in the early 1990s, notably on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line. Several were painted in Network Southeast livery.[10] They were replaced with EMUs on 18 January 1992, with the remaining trains moved to the Thames Line.[11] The Thames Line services were themselves slowly replaced with DMUs dubbed Thames Turbo, and the 104s were superseded by British Rail Class 165/1s by October 1993.[12]

The class was gradually taken out of service from the early 1980s, although the surviving vehicles still managed to work as far afield as Birmingham New Street, Derby, Holyhead, Leicester, Rugby, Sheffield, Skegness and Stafford.

Orders
Lot
No.		Car typeQtyFleet
numbers		Service
30290Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS)450420–50423L.M.R. three car sets
30291Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DMCL)450424–50427L.M.R. three car sets
30292Trailer Lavatory Composite (TCL)459132–59135L.M.R. three car sets
30293Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS)5250428–50479L.M.R. three car sets
30294Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DMCL)5250480–50531L.M.R. three car sets
30295Trailer Lavatory Composite (TCL)5259136–59187L.M.R. three car sets
30296Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS)1050532–50541L.M.R. two car sets
30297Driving Trailer Lavatory Composite (DTCL)1056175–56784L.M.R. two car sets
30298Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DMCL)4250542–50583N.E.R. four car sets
30299Trailer Second Lavatory (TSL)2159188–59208N.E.R. four car sets
30300Trailer Brake Second Lavatory (TBSL)2159209–59299N.E.R. four car sets
30301Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DMCL)1050584–50593L.M.R. three car sets
30302Trailer Second Lavatory (TSL)559230–59234N.E.R. four car sets
30303Trailer Brake Second Lavatory (TBSL)559240–59244N.E.R. four car sets
30404Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS)550594–50598N.E.R. two car sets
30405Driving Trailer Lavatory Composite (DTCL)556185–56189N.E.R. two car sets
  • BR Blue-liveried Class 104 in the snow, Buxton (Derbyshire) 24 December 1978
  • Class 104 at Castleton station
    29 September 1982
  • Unit EXP.DM.352. at its home depot of Longsight Diesel TMD, Manchester, 15 January 1984

Accidents and incidents
  • On 18 January 1986, a Class 104 unit (vehicles 53433 & 53482) suffered a brake failure, ran past three signals at danger and collided with Class 47 locomotive 47 111 near Preston. Forty-four people were injured.[13]

Departmental Use

A number of Class 104s were used following their withdrawal from passenger services.

The last two London Midland DTCL vehicles to survive, M54182 & M54183, were converted in 1987/1988 into loco hauled Sandite cars and renumbered ADB977554/ADB977555 respectively.[14] Used until 1994, M54183 was scrapped in February 1994[15] while M54182 was stored at Buxton until June 2000 and was saved for preservation.[16]

Other Sandite cars included 53472, 53478 & 53530 which were used in Scotland until April 1989.[17]

Derby RTC, known for their railway testing, used 53475, 53506 & 53422 (renumbered 977342, 977343 & 977344 respectively) as carriage washing test coaches. They also used 53451 & 53529 as part of DMU auto-gear experiments until February 1991.[18]

M54182 was the only vehicle converted for non-passenger use to survive into preservation.[19] In 2008 after several years in storage, the vehicle was restored externally, retaining its departmental condition and run in a demonstration capacity with Class 37 37075 for a gala weekend at the Churnet Valley Railway.[20] It was believed by the organisers to be the first and only time that departmental DMU Sandite operations had been recreated in a heritage setting.

Preservation

13 Class 104 vehicles are preserved, all owned privately by two individuals.[21] 12 vehicles were preserved in 1992 in a bulk tender from British Rail who at the time were reluctant to sell individual vehicles or sets.[22] The thirteenth was saved in 2000 after protracted storage after departmental use.[23]

Set number Vehicle numbers Livery Location Notes
DMBS TCL DMCL
- 50437 - 50494 NSE/BR Blue East Lancashire Railway Stored
- 50447 - - BR Green/BR Blue Llangollen Railway Stored
- 50454 - 50528 BR Blue Llangollen Railway Operational
- 50455 - 50517 BR Blue East Lancashire Railway Operational
- 50479 - 50531 BR Green Telford Steam Railway Stored
- - 59228(TBSL) 50556 (Due to be scrapped) BR Blue Telford Steam Railway Stored
- - - 56182(DTCL) BR Blue/BR Green North Norfolk Railway Under Restoration
- - 59137 - BR Green East Lancashire Railway Stored Next for restoration

East Lancs Railway

The East Lancs Railway is now the main location for Class 104 preservation, with a number of vehicles based there.[24] The line is geographically appropriate to the Class, being close to Manchester, and lines that the Class 104's served for most of their lives.[25] During their time at the Churnet Valley Railway a small restoration team returned a 2-car set to service between 1997 & 2004.[26] Between 2005 & 2010 attention turned to the rebuild of unique Trailer Composite Lavatory (TCL) M59137 to strengthen the 2-car set to 3 cars, however limited resources put the restoration on hold.[27] Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL) ADB977554 was also cosmetically restored into BR Blue livery in 2008 and performed demonstration sandite trains that year with Class 37 Diesel 37075.

Llangollen Railway

The Llangollen Railway received three vehicles in 1994 on a long term loan basis.[28] A 2-car set (M50454/M50528) was quickly returned to service in 1994 and has operated in service every season bar one since.[29] The railway also have a "spare" power car (M50447) which was used as a mess-coach and workshop between 1994 & 2011 before being selected itself for a restoration to operating condition, which is currently ongoing.[30]

Telford Steam Railway

The Telford Steam Railway is home to the remaining four vehicles (also on long term loan), which arrived between 1999 and 2001 from Oswestry, Crewe and Meadowhall.[31] Between 1999 & 2004 the railway operated a 2-car set formed of M50479/M50531 but it was later downgraded to coaching stock use only and by 2010 only M50479 was used.[32] The other two vehicles, 59228 & 53556, are long term projects in poor condition and have not run in preservation.[33]

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References
External image
"Mexican Bean" liveried Class 104 DMU, (units SC53434 & SC53424) at Glasgow Queen Street
  1. https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=23
  2. https://books.google.com/books?id=PK6IDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT25&lpg=PT25&dq=br+class+104+birmingham&source=bl&ots=iaQO-dhD9D&sig=ACfU3U30ZYVcUdwrF0sLm0iXNQPISAD5aw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjM4r-N5Z3qAhWKKs0KHReSAv44ChDoATAEegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=br%20class%20104%20birmingham&f=false
  3. http://www.elrdiesel.info/fleet-dmu.php
  4. https://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/slam-door-trains-we-have-known-and-loved-the-not-so-perfect-ten/
  5. https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/class-104/
  6. https://www.flickr.com/photos/66289212@N07/33737244556
  7. https://books.google.com/books?id=b1epDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT10&lpg=PT10&dq=br+class+104&source=bl&ots=ED-_UG6vL1&sig=ACfU3U23Hx3Tv5UZq3jYLzabuMeQa4EYBQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2287v0vzpAhURRDABHV6VCno4ChDoATARegQICxAB#v=onepage&q=br%20class%20104&f=false
  8. See 'External images' box for photograph of the "Mexican Bean" unit.
  9. http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+104
  10. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johannes-j-smit/3162224951/
  11. https://internationalmagazinecentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Rail-Express.pdf
  12. https://internationalmagazinecentre.com/rail-express/
  13. Department of Transport (29 May 1987). "Report on the Collision that occurred on 18 January 1986 at Preston" (PDF). Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  14. The Railcar Association. Available at: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. Butlin, Ashley. DMUs and DEMUs.
  16. BRCW Group. Available at: http://www.brcw.co.uk/#/m56182/4524743112
  17. The Railcar Association. Available at: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. The Railcar Association. Available at: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. Butlin, Ashley. DMUs and DEMUs.
  20. BRCW Group. Available at: http://www.brcw.co.uk/#/m56182/4524743112
  21. The Railcar Association. Available at: http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/Class104.html
  22. The Railcar Association. Available at: http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/Class104.html
  23. BRCW Group. Available at: http://www.brcw.co.uk/#/m56182/4524743112
  24. BRCW Group. Available at: http://brcw.co.uk
  25. The Railcar Association. Available at: http://preserved.railcar.co.uk
  26. BRCW Group. Available at: http://www.brcw.co.uk/#/m50517/4524743110
  27. BRCW Group. Available at: http://www.brcw.co.uk/#/m59137/4535742639
  28. The Railcar Association. Available at: http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/50454.html
  29. Llangollen Railcars. Available at: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  30. Llangollen Railcars. Available at: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. The Railcar Association. Available at: http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/Class104.html
  32. The Railcar Association. Available at: http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/50531.html
  33. The Railcar Association. Available at: http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/Telford.html
  • Fox, Peter; Webster, Neil (July 1982). Multiple Unit Pocket Book. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publications. ISBN 0-906579-26-0.
  • Golding, Brian. A Pictorial Record of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units.
  • Haresnape, Brian. British Rail Fleet Survey 8: Diesel Multiple Units – The First Generation.
  • Marsden, Colin J. Motive Power Recognition: 3 DMUs.
  • Robertson, Kevin. British Railway Pictorial: First Generation DMUs.
  • The ABC of British Railways Locomotives combined volume (1990s reprint ed.). Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited. 1959. ISBN 0-7110-0726-8.
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