British Rail Class 105
Encyclopedia
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 105 diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s were built by Cravens Ltd.
Cravens
Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited was a railway rolling stock builder in the Darnall district of Sheffield, England. Cravens built many diagrams of coaching stock for the Pre-grouping Railway companies of Great Britain, the Grouped companies and for British Railways itself. They...
of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment. The last passenger car was withdrawn from service in 1988.
Usage
NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
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
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
and consequently scrapped.
A number of Class 106 cars were purchased and sectioned for use as store rooms on North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
gas platforms
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
. It is not known whether any of these sections survive.
Orders
| Lot No. | Car type | Qty | Fleet numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30280 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 14 | 50359–50372 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30281 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 14 | 56114–56127 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30282 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 17 | 50373–50389 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30283 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 17 | 56128–56144 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30284 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 5 | 50390–50394 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30285 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 5 | 56145–56149 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30352 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 33 | 50752–50784 | 3-car sets |
| 30353 | Driving Motor Composite with lavatory (DMCL) | 33 | 50785–50817 | 3-car sets |
| 30354 | Trailer Composite with lavatory (TCL) | 19 | 59307–59325 | 3-car sets |
| 30469 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 48 | 51254–51301 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30470 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 48 | 56412–56459 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30503 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 24 | 51471–51494 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30504 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 24 | 56460–56483 | Power-trailer 2-car sets |
| 30505 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 1 | 50249 | |
Technical details
- Builder: CravensCravensCravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited was a railway rolling stock builder in the Darnall district of Sheffield, England. Cravens built many diagrams of coaching stock for the Pre-grouping Railway companies of Great Britain, the Grouped companies and for British Railways itself. They...
- 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
British Rail British United Traction
British United Traction was a joint company owned by the Associated Equipment Company and Leyland Motors which produced railway equipment and trolleybuses. It was established in 1946.-Products:...
Preservation
The class has fared very badly in preservation. 51485 and 56121 were preserved by the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
but moved to the East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
in 1997 where they are being restored after asbestos stripping. 56456 is based on the Llangollen Railway
Llangollen Railway
The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of...
, working with a Class 127
British Rail Class 127
The British Rail Class 127 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby in 1959. Thirty 4-car units were built, formed of two outer driving motor vehicles, sandwiching two intermediate trailers which were classified class 186...
. The National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
had intended to preserve 53812 - which had been stripped of asbestos but a lack of space prevented this car and the Class 100
British Rail Class 100
The British Rail Class 100 diesel multiple units were built by Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited from 1956 to 1958, designed and built in collaboration with the Transport Sales Dept. of T.I. Ltd.-Introduction:...
coupled to it from being moved to York and they were vandalised beyond repair at Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
.
| Number | Vehicle type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51485 | DMBS | East Lancashire Railway East Lancashire Railway The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended... |
| 56121 | DTS | East Lancashire Railway East Lancashire Railway The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended... |
| 56456 | DTS | Llangollen Railway Llangollen Railway The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of... |