British Rail Class 110
Encyclopedia
The Class 110 diesel multiple unit
s were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
in conjunction with the Drewry Car Co.
to operate services on the former Lancashire and Yorkshire
main line, and spent their entire careers based around this same area. This earned them the name of the 'Calder Valley'
sets. They were an updated version of the Class 104
, with a revised cab design and raised bodyside window frames.
engines, and when delivered they had the highest hp/ton of any of the DMUs
, including the lightweights
. With a set weighing 87½ tons (tare), this gave a power-to-weight ratio of 8.3 hp
/ ton
, which was appreciably higher than any other all-diesel sets in use at the time using normally aspirated engines. Performance tests included a standing start against a ruling gradient of 1 in 261 and a set in tare condition achieved a speed of 30 mi/h in 45 seconds, 50 mi/h in 2 minutes 4 seconds, and 70 mi/h in 4 minutes 6 seconds. From a standing start on a 1 in 45 gradient a speed of 25 mi/h in third gear was reached in 42 seconds. Each set had 24 first class and 159 second class seats.
, were ordered in March 1959 and were allocated to Bradford Hammerton Street depot. The second batch were allocated to the LMR
in January 1961, based at Newton Heath in Manchester. Deliveries of the two batches was concurrent, starting in 1961, and these were the penultimate class of first generation sets to be built.
All sets were concentrated at Hammerton Street by 1976.
Refurbishment of the class took place in 1979 - 1980, with fluorescent lighting, new seat covers, new internal panelling and mechanical modifications to reduce the occurrence of the fires in the exhaust system which were common on many classes of first generation DMU.
During refurbishment the class was repainted, first in the white livery with a blue stripe below the windows that was standard for refurbished DMUs and later in the standard British Rail blue and Grey livery. All sets that were turned out in the white livery were later repainted in blue and Grey.
The TSLs were removed from most sets and scrapped in 1982 to reduce maintenance costs and to allow a higher performance for an accelerated timetable on the Calder Valley line. At 11.2 hp/ton these sets now had by far the highest power/weight ratio of any first generation DMU, but with a significantly reduced capacity of just 111 seats.
At the same time all First Class seats were declassified to Second although the seats were not replaced.
The reduced capacity was a problem with the upturn in traffic of the mid 1980s and some sets were supplemented in 1984-85 with centre cars from withdrawn class 111(?) units.
Hammerton Street depot closed in 1984, and all remaining class 110 were transferred to Neville Hill in Leeds.
The small fleet size together with maintenance costs of the non-standard Rolls Royce engines ensured their early withdrawal. The engines were mounted with cylinder heads facing inwards, unlike all other DMU classes, and this required specialised facilities for engine removal which were only available at their home depot. Class 150/2 'Sprinters' were introduced on the Calder Valley route in 1986.
Some displaced units continued in traffic until May 1988, but were no longer common in the Calder Valley.
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 the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was a railway locomotive and carriage builder, founded in Birmingham, England and, for most of its existence, located at nearby Smethwick, with the factory was divided by the boundary between the two places...
in conjunction with the Drewry Car Co.
Drewry Car Co.
Drewry Car Co, strictly speaking, was a railway locomotive and railcar sales organisation for most of its life. Only at the start and the end of its life did it build its own products, relying on sub-contractors for the rest of its time...
to operate services on the former Lancashire and Yorkshire
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
main line, and spent their entire careers based around this same area. This earned them the name of the 'Calder Valley'
River Calder, West Yorkshire
The River Calder is a river in West Yorkshire, in Northern England.The Calder rises on the green eastern slopes of the Pennines flows through alternating green countryside, former woollen-mill villages, and large and small towns before joining the River Aire near Castleford.The river's valley is...
sets. They were an updated version of the Class 104
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.The first units ordered were for the London Midland Region, with the majority of the class for use in North West of England with sets also in Tyneside...
, with a revised cab design and raised bodyside window frames.
Description
The arduous Calder Valley route meant they needed more power than most sets, so they were fitted with 180 hp Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
engines, and when delivered they had the highest hp/ton of any of the DMUs
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:...
, including the lightweights
British Rail Derby Lightweight
The British Rail Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units, were the first such trains to be built en-masse for British Railways. The units were built at BR's Derby Works from 1954 to 1955. The units were built in various formations, including 12 power-twin 2-car units, 84 power-trailer 2-car units,...
. With a set weighing 87½ tons (tare), this gave a power-to-weight ratio of 8.3 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
/ ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
, which was appreciably higher than any other all-diesel sets in use at the time using normally aspirated engines. Performance tests included a standing start against a ruling gradient of 1 in 261 and a set in tare condition achieved a speed of 30 mi/h in 45 seconds, 50 mi/h in 2 minutes 4 seconds, and 70 mi/h in 4 minutes 6 seconds. From a standing start on a 1 in 45 gradient a speed of 25 mi/h in third gear was reached in 42 seconds. Each set had 24 first class and 159 second class seats.
Timeline
The first twenty sets, for the NEREastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
, were ordered in March 1959 and were allocated to Bradford Hammerton Street depot. The second batch were allocated to the LMR
London Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
in January 1961, based at Newton Heath in Manchester. Deliveries of the two batches was concurrent, starting in 1961, and these were the penultimate class of first generation sets to be built.
All sets were concentrated at Hammerton Street by 1976.
Refurbishment of the class took place in 1979 - 1980, with fluorescent lighting, new seat covers, new internal panelling and mechanical modifications to reduce the occurrence of the fires in the exhaust system which were common on many classes of first generation DMU.
During refurbishment the class was repainted, first in the white livery with a blue stripe below the windows that was standard for refurbished DMUs and later in the standard British Rail blue and Grey livery. All sets that were turned out in the white livery were later repainted in blue and Grey.
The TSLs were removed from most sets and scrapped in 1982 to reduce maintenance costs and to allow a higher performance for an accelerated timetable on the Calder Valley line. At 11.2 hp/ton these sets now had by far the highest power/weight ratio of any first generation DMU, but with a significantly reduced capacity of just 111 seats.
At the same time all First Class seats were declassified to Second although the seats were not replaced.
The reduced capacity was a problem with the upturn in traffic of the mid 1980s and some sets were supplemented in 1984-85 with centre cars from withdrawn class 111(?) units.
Hammerton Street depot closed in 1984, and all remaining class 110 were transferred to Neville Hill in Leeds.
The small fleet size together with maintenance costs of the non-standard Rolls Royce engines ensured their early withdrawal. The engines were mounted with cylinder heads facing inwards, unlike all other DMU classes, and this required specialised facilities for engine removal which were only available at their home depot. Class 150/2 'Sprinters' were introduced on the Calder Valley route in 1986.
Some displaced units continued in traffic until May 1988, but were no longer common in the Calder Valley.
Orders
| Lot No. | Diagram | Car type | Qty | Fleet number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30592 | 564 | Driving Motor Brake Composite (DMBC) | 20 | 51809–51828 | |
| 30593 | 563 | Drving Motor Composite with lavatory (DMCL) | 20 | 51829–51848 | |
| 30594 | 648 | Trailer Second with lavatory (TSL) | 20 | 59693–59712 | |
| 30691 | 564 | Driving Motor Brake Composite (DMBC) | 10 | 52066–52075 | |
| 30692 | 563 | Drving Motor Composite with lavatory (DMCL) | 10 | 52076–52085 | |
| 30693 | 648 | Trailer Second with lavatory (TSL) | 10 | 59808–59817 | |
Preservation
Five vehicles are preserved:- Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway two-car set (52071 & 52077)
- Wensleydale RailwayWensleydale RailwayThe Wensleydale Railway is a railway line in Wensleydale and Lower Swaledale in North Yorkshire, England and the name of the company that operates services on the line....
three-car set (51813, 59701 & 51842)