What is your favourite British DMU of all time?

[dodger]

Mine is probably Class 121 Bubble car W55023.

I am positive (according to what remains of my trainspotting books) that this one was an occasional train on the route from Reading the whole 4 mile trip back to Tilehurst. 

For a number of years in the 70's single power cars were used on the Reading - Didcot stopping service and Reading - Newbury fast service.

I had plenty of rides on them with a portable ridemeter when the drivers complained, usually about the CWR between Theale and Newbury.

Dodger

[pape_timmo]

Mine is probably Class 121 Bubble car W55023.

I am positive (according to what remains of my trainspotting books) that this one was an occasional train on the route from Reading the whole 4 mile trip back to Tilehurst. 

For a number of years in the 70's single power cars were used on the Reading - Didcot stopping service and Reading - Newbury fast service.

I had plenty of rides on them with a portable ridemeter when the drivers complained, usually about the CWR between Theale and Newbury.

Dodger

Drivers, complain??? Never... 

[Mustermark]

Mine is probably Class 121 Bubble car W55023.

I am positive (according to what remains of my trainspotting books) that this one was an occasional train on the route from Reading the whole 4 mile trip back to Tilehurst. 

For a number of years in the 70's single power cars were used on the Reading - Didcot stopping service and Reading - Newbury fast service.

I had plenty of rides on them with a portable ridemeter when the drivers complained, usually about the CWR between Theale and Newbury.

Dodger

CWR?

[Karhedron]

CWR?

Cold wet rails? 

[pape_timmo]

CWR?

Cold wet rails? 

Continuous Welded Rail...

[dodger]

[
Drivers, complain??? Never... 

Well not very often, unless the cab is cold!

I must admit one particular vehicle, fresh from overhaul at Swindon, was lively. Just satisfatory on the jointed track from Reading to near Theale but dangerous on the high speed section to Newbury on welded track (CWR).

So back to Swindon for rectification. After several attempts, each followed by a test run to Didcot & back, it was finally accepted and returned to sevice.

dodger

[pape_timmo]

Those were the days, machines coming out of works for test runs and stuff. Today it's just sent back on a lorry and get on with it.

I must admit tho, train suspension has come a long way since the 80s. Saying that, there are some units out there that do ride rough at times, hunting and lurching quite a bit.

[EtchedPixels]

It may have moved on but the trains have not been scrapped. The 121 ride was way better than the still in service 142 vomit comets.

Alan

[pape_timmo]

It may have moved on but the trains have not been scrapped. The 121 ride was way better than the still in service 142 vomit comets.

Alan

Agreed, but then the 142 is a bus body on a wagon chassis basically. Wagons rattle and bang, so do buses, put them together and see what you get... A nodding donkey...

Now if you could put bogies under the chassis, I reckon it'd make a huge difference... Wouldn't happen tho...

[dodger]

I quite agree that suspensions have improved inthe last 30 years. Lear springs with inherant friction damping were not the best and with improving track standards were subject to frequent derailments, especially 10' wheelbase wagons. I was fortunate not to travel on the 14x DMU's but when did the were terrible on jointed track but satisfactory on 125 mph mainlines.

The only dmu that made me feel sick when stationary was a single power car (121) that was swaying in the wind whilst waiting at Reading station.

As for test runs I regularly had my own coach(es) on the back of the 1720(ish) Cardiff - Paddington ride test vehicles being returned to Old Oak Common follwing wheel turning at Canton. Happy days!

dodger

[Thorpe Parva]

Class 104 closely followed by Class 105. They were the mainstay of the Leicester to Nuneaton/Birmingham Line in the '60s which was my trainspotting era.

[Shaun Harvey]

[smg id=4705 type=preview align=center caption="nor3"]

So I think that's my answer and an old pic from my home city of Norwich and the inspiration for my layout.

Love them, and there's one up the road at the Mid Norfolk Railway.

[guest311]

the cl158 from Inverness up to Wick and back, beautifull scenery and a few wee drams, cause I'm not driving 

apart from that, got to be cl108

[5982]

  Have to suggest two x ex-GWR railcars running in tandem!!!   

With you there dch05 - are there any others worth considering?