#3391
British Rail BEMU
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Unknown builder· from 1958· experimental battery-electric multiple unit
what is it?
The British Rail BEMU was an experimental two-car battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), converted from the prototype Derby Lightweight Diesel multiple units. The train was powered by many lead-acid batteries, and was used on the Deeside Railway from Aberdeen to Ballater in Scotland from April 1958 until it was finally withdrawn in December 1966. The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board initiated the design and was a joint sponsor.
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 68 years ago, in 1958.
- Weighs about as much as 6 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 17.4 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Seats 117: 2 full city buses (~50 seats each).
- Served for 8 years (1958–1966).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1958
- in service from
- 1958
- retired
- 1966
- status
- retired
- number built
- 1
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- battery
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Unknown builder
- operators
- British Rail
- top speed
- 97 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- 216 lead-acid cells, 440 V, 1070 A·hr
- formation
- DMBS, Driving Motor Brake Second-DTC, Driving Trailer Composite
- length
- 17.4 m
- weight
- 37.6 t
- capacity
- 117 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4970677, Wikipedia: British Rail BEMU (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.