In service 1960-1994 Number preserved 1 car (DMS 51321) | Number built 15 sets (45 cars) | |
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Manufacturer Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Formation 3-car sets: DMBS-TCL-DMS Capacity DMBS: 65 second
TCL: 24 first, 50 second
DMS: 89 second | ||
The British Rail Class 118 diesel multiple units were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (BRCW) and introduced from 1960.
Originally allocated to the Western Region, the final vehicles were allocated to Tyseley depot in Birmingham, and were all withdrawn by 1994. Like most first generation DMUs they were originally BR Green, then plain blue, and finally blue and grey, with a few receiving Network SouthEast livery. One set was painted in all over yellow with advertisements for British Telecom.
A normal formation was three vehicles- a Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) which had two BUT engines (Later fitted with Leyland), a driving compartment(cab), 65 second class seats, guards accommodation and luggage/parcels space, a Trailer Composite Lavatory (TCL) which had no engines or driving compartment, but had 22 first class seats, 48 second class seats and a lavatory, and a Driving Motor Second (DMS), which like the DMBS had two engines and a driver's cab, and contained 89 second class seats. Having the 'blue square' multiple working system allowed them to run in formations containing up to 12 cars with most of BR's other DMUs.
Two vehicles were converted to sandite use.
Preservation
Only one Class 118, Number 51321, entered preservation and is at the Battlefield Line. This unit is working on the railway being paired with class 122 based on the railway.