#3340
British Rail Class 201
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Ashford Works· from 1957· class of 7 six-car diesel-electric multiple units
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10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. BR SR Hastings DEMU trains (1976, 1986, 1987) 02: Lamberhurst· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. Hastings set 1004: Dave coxon at English Wikipedia· Public domain
- 3. Class 201 1001 at Norwich 23rd July 2016: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 4. Class 201 6S DMU: Samson Ng . D201@EAL· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. Class 201 units 1017 and 1032 on Hertfordshire Railtours, The Thames Piddle Executive at Fawley on 19 March 1983: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 6. Class 201 units 1017 and 1032 on Hertfordshire Railtours, The Thames Piddle Executive at Hamworthy Goods on 19 March 1983: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 7. Class 201 units 1017 and 1032 on Hertfordshire Railtours, The Thames Piddle Executive at Ludgershall on 19 March 1983 (1): The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 8. Class 201 units 1017 and 1032 on Hertfordshire Railtours, The Thames Piddle Executive at Ludgershall on 19 March 1983 (2): The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 9. Class 201 units 1017 and 1032 on Hertfordshire Railtours, The Thames Piddle Executive at Southampton Central on 19 March 1983: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 10. Class 201 units 1017 and 1032 on Hertfordshire Railtours, The Thames Piddle Executive on the Weymouth Quay Line on 19 March 1983 (1): The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
what is it?
The British Rail Class 201 (or 6S) six-car diesel-electric multiple units (DEMUs) were built in 1957–1958 at Eastleigh and underframes were built at Ashford. The Southern Region Class 201-207 DEMUs are nicknamed 'Thumpers' due to the noise they made while in motion, owing to the four cylinder engines. These units were built for the London-Hastings line, with a narrow body profile to accommodate the restricted tunnel loading gauge on that line.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 69 years ago, in 1957.
- 746 kW is about 9 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- 17.7 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 29 years (1957–1986).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1957
- in service from
- 1957
- retired
- 1986
- status
- retired
- number built
- 7
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Ashford Works, Eastleigh Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Works
- operators
- Southern Region of British Railways
- top speed
- 121 km/h
- power
- 746 kW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- formation
- DMBSO-TSOL-TSOL-TFK-TSOL-DMBSO
- length
- 17.7 m
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4970744, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 201 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.