By Andy Flowers. An illustrated guide to the development of multiple unit vehicles on Britain’s railways. Multiple units are often the unsung heroes of the modern railway system. In the past they have perhaps been the saviour of many lightly used branch lines and today their high capacity and lower operating costs make them an ever more popular choice for modern, cost-conscious, railway operators.
British Multiple Units charts the history of the major unit types that have operated on Britain’s rail network, beginning with the earliest Victorian-era steam railcars and going right up to the modern hybrid-powered multiple units currently under development.
The story is told primarily through a selection of colour photographs, illustrating many of the different types built by a multitude of manufacturers. The illustrations are accompanied by a brief narrative and tabulated data listing each class of multiple unit built, with classification, builder, formation, year of build, maximum speed and other information.
The book is divided into sections covering early multiple units, first, second and third generation types of DMU and EMU, high speed units and departmental stock. Overhead and third rail electric multiple units are both covered. Contains over 180 photographs. 96 pages.