From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| British Rail Class 124 |
| In service |
1960- |
| Manufacturer |
BR Swindon Works |
| Number built |
1960 |
| Operator |
British Rail |
| Specifications |
| Car length |
64 ft 6 in |
| Width |
9 ft 3 in |
| Height |
12 ft 9 1/2 in |
| Maximum speed |
70 mph (112 km/h) |
| Weight |
41 tons |
| Engine |
Leyland Albion 230 hp |
The British Rail Class 124 was a class of initially six-car Diesel Multiple Units used and built specifically for the trans-pennine route. They were progressively shortened during their lifetime, finally finishing as three-car sets. They were all withdrawn by the late 1980s. There was a movement to preserve a set of this class, however it was unsuccessful and eventually all were lost.
The class was a sizable maintenance headache for British Rail for two reasons - firstly they were a totally unique class and secondly they featured wrap-round cab front windows which were expensive to build and replace.
