#3152
British Rail Derby Lightweight
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Derby Litchurch Lane Works· from 1954· class of 97 two-car, 5 four-car and two single diesel multiple units
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Keswick 8 67459 1: Geoffrey Skelsey· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. Derby Lightweight 79018 at Bewdley: Our Phellap· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
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, four 4-car units, and two single car units.
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 72 years ago, in 1954.
- Weighs about as much as 5 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 17.4 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 15 years (1954–1969).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1954
- in service from
- 1954
- retired
- 1969
- status
- retired
- number built
- 217
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Derby Litchurch Lane Works
- operators
- British Rail, Eastern Region of British Railways, London Midland Region of British Railways
- top speed
- 100 km/h
- power
- 112 kW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- formation
- 1, 2 & 4 car formations
- length
- 17.4 m
- weight
- 27 t
- capacity
- 16 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4970927, Wikipedia: British Rail Derby Lightweight (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.