Railcar50 - a celebration of 50 years of British Railways' First Generation DMUs.

Railcar50 Displays

This wasn't just a run-of-the mill 'gala', we wanted there to be more than just riding on trains. We wanted to tell the story of the units, and to demonstrate the hard work that's involved in restoration.

Bewdley Station Displays
There were static displays in platform 3. The order of vehicles was altered in the Sunday morning (to allow quick movement back to Kidderminster after the end of services).
M79018 Derby Lightweight power car. Just having completed a HLF funded restoration, this vehicle is the oldest surviving.
M79612 Derby Lightweight trailer car, the partner for above. As a stripped out shell, it represented 'before restoration' condition and showed the construction of these vehicles.
Sc59404 Swindon Inter-City Class 126 centre car. Another HLF funded restoration nearing completion, this vehicle demonstrated the higher end of the DMU range, with it's compartment accommodation.
M55976/M51625 Derby Class 127 power car was presented as a 'tapered restoration'. Inside one end was left in it's parcels car condition, and then in stages towards the front it was converted back into passenger use. The exterior was similarly treated, being painted step-by-step to demonstrate the painting process.

"Diesel Instruction Train" This was to demonstrate some of the mechanical parts of DMUs, and presented in a way to represent the trains that used to travel the maintenance depots in the '50s to educate the staff on this new technology.

Display Boards - these twelve panels told a cut down version of the history of DMUs, and DMU preservation.

On-board displays
We asked groups to provide displays on their vehicles demonstrating their restoration activities, and promoting their home railways, which they did a very good job of.