British Rail Class 105

British Rail Class 105
Inside Longsight Diesel TMD, Manchester, December 1983
In service	1959–1988
Manufacturer	Cravens
Constructed	1956–1959
Number built	DMBS: 142, DTCL: 108, DMCL: 33, TCL 19. Total: 302 cars
Number preserved	3 cars
Formation	2-cars sets: DMBS-DTCL or DMBS-DMCL, 3 cars sets:DMBS-TCL-DMCL
Operator(s)	British Rail
Specifications
Car length	57 ft 6 in (17.53 m)
Width	9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Height	12 ft 7 in (3.84 m)
Maximum speed	70 mph (113 km/h)
Weight	Power cars: 29.5 or 30.5 tonnes (29.0 or 30.0 long tons) Trailer cars: 23.5 or 24.5 tonnes (23.1 or 24.1 long tons)
Prime mover(s)	Two BUT
Power output	150 bhp (112 kW) each engine
Transmission	Mechanical: 4 speed epicyclic gearbox
UIC classification	Power cars: 1A′A1′ Trailer cars: 2′2′
Coupling system	Screw-link couplings , British Standard gangways
Multiple working	■ Blue Square
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

Class 105 set forming a charter at Fakenham East railway station, Norfolk.

Class 105 at Kings Cross York Rd station on the last day of diesel services to Moorgate in 1976.

The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment. The last passenger car was withdrawn from service in 1988.

Usage

1978 view towards Bures from Class 105 approaching Sudbury.

Norwich was the last depot to operate the Cravens units, with set 30 being returned to green livery, and gaining some celebrity status towards the end of its service life. The unit was, however, contaminated with asbestos and consequently scrapped.

Orders

Technical details

• Builder: Cravens
• Introduced: 1956
• Coupling Code: Blue Square
• Body: 57 ft 6 in x 9 ft 2 in
• Engines: Two BUT, 150 bhp
• Transmission: Standard mechanical

For coupling codes see British United Traction

Preservation

Due to the use of asbestos in their construction, and extended usage by BR, the class has fared very badly in preservation. 51485 and 56121 were preserved by the West Somerset Railway but moved to the East Lancashire Railway in 1997 where they are being restored after asbestos stripping. 56456 is based on the Llangollen Railway, working with a Class 127. The National Railway Museum had intended to preserve 53812 - which had been stripped of asbestos but a lack of space prevented this car and the Class 100 coupled to it from being moved to York and they were vandalised beyond repair at Crewe.

References

• Motive Power Recognition: 3 DMUs. Colin J. Marsden
• British Railway Pictorial: First Generation DMUs. Kevin Robertson
• British Rail Fleet Survey 8: Diesel Multiple Units- The First Generation. Brian Haresnape
• A Pictorial Record of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units. Brian Golding

External links

• History of the Class 105s

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