BRITISH RAILWAYS MODERNISATION-ERA DMUs

FEW people know more about first generation BR diesel multiple units and railcars than Evan Green-Hughes. A prominent figure in the DMU preservation movement, he has been involved with the rescue and restoration of many DMU vehicles.

And while locomotives often take the headlines, it is old DMUs that tend to give us the biggest hit of nostalgia when we visit a heritage railway.

The author has tapped into that with a fascinating selection of monochrome images from the early years of the BR Modernisation era units. Organised as a photo album, with images reproduced at a decent size throughout, the book also features detailed captions, offering historical context and highlighting important details of this diverse family of trains.

Chapters are organised into broad topics, from the early prototype units and ‘Lightweight’ sets, through BR and contractor-built sets, Cross-Country, Suburban, Low Density units and single railcars, plus accidents and depot views.

Most images date from the BR green era, depicting a long-lost railway of steam-age infrastructure, locations and lines that closed decades ago, despite the success of DMUs in attracting passengers back in the postwar years.

With so many different classes to cover, each design only gets brief attention, but these build up to give a broader, overall picture of the diverse designs and the duties they worked. While many of the designs live on thanks to the efforts of preservationists, some have been lost forever and this album provides a welcome reminder of popular types such as the Swindon-built CrossCountry

and Inter-City units and Class 128/129 parcels railcars. BJ

Transport Treasury Publishing, www.TTpublishing.co.uk , 112 pages, black & white, softback, £14.50