Park Royal built GWR railcar 4 is pictured in the sadly missed original Great Western Museum at Swindon on 15 July 1989 in the company of 'Dean Goods'  2516 & 94xx 0-6-0PT 9400. This railcar was built in 1934 and was withdrawn in the mid 1950s, after much useful information was gained and incorporated into later builds of DMUs. It can now be found just around the corner in the new GWR Museum, which as everything nowadays has to have an image is called 'Steam'. This earlier museum was in a former church in Faringdon Road.

Completely dwarfed by the mountain scenery, Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus M79964 passes Ty Newydd with the 11:20 Llangollen to Carrog service on 26 June 2010. This little visitor was the highlight of the Llangollen Railway's Railcar Gala, not having left its native Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for over forty years! For such a little vehicle it makes a lot of noise, not from its 150hp AEC engine (a replacement for the Buessing original), but from the surprisingly loud warning device, courtesy of three different size roof mounted horns.

I couldn't resist this second picture of the diminutive Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus M79964 as it passed Ty Newydd with the 11:20 Llangollen to Carrog service on 26 June 2010, during the railway's Railcar Gala. After taking the 'train in the landscape' picture, this close side view gives a good view of the construction of this unusual little vehicle.

Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus M79964 arrives at Glyndyfrdwy station on 26 June 2010 with the 12:40 Carrog to Llangollen service. This was the star attraction at the Llangollen Railway's Railcar Gala, and was on its first ever trip away from the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, where it has been since 1968. There is certainly plenty of rural branch line atmosphere in this picture. The signal box (non operational) was rescued from Barmouth.

A close up view of Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus M79964 at Glyndyfrdwy station on 26 June 2010. It is working the 12:40 Carrog to Llangollen service, and is waiting to cross the 12:25 train from Llangollen. This archetypal branch line vehicle was on loan to the Llangollen Railway for their Railcar Gala. Apart from a little rust on the corner near the buffer, this little German built railcar is in fine condition, especially on the inside (note the curtains)!

An interesting comparison of front end designs at Carrog on 26 June 2010, during the Llangollen Railway's Railcar Gala. On the left, Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus M79964 waits to depart with the 14:40 service to Llangollen, while on the right Wickham DMBS 56171 has just arrived (with its partner 50416) with the 14:00 train from Llangollen.

I am not old enough to remember the original Derby Lightweight units in revenue earning service, and only ever saw this one unit on the mainline when it was in use as the Ultrasonic Test Train. TDB975008 & TD975007 (formerly 79018 & 79612) head west at South Moreton on 12 September 1985 with an unidentified (apart from the fact that it is 6Z08!) working. I don't often bother with going away shots, but of course with DMUs there is little visual difference, in this case just the barely perceptible red tail lights and the fact that it is on the down relief line.

Although various Class 107 vehicles have been preserved, only one centre trailer now exists, so this scene can only be seen at one location at any one time. A full three car Class 107 set (52031, 59791 & 52006) arrives at Holywell Halt on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway on 3 August 2002 with the 14:20 Embsay to Bolton Abbey service. The unit has since left the line, and the rear vehicle (52006) has been replaced by 52005. Currently it is at the Nene Valley Railway.

The unique Wickham & Co Class 109 DMU 56171 & 50416 round the curve at Ty Newydd on the Llangollen Railway with the 11:15 Carrog to Llangollen service on 26 June 2010, during the line's Railcar Gala. A completely non-standard design, the Wickham units were very well built and had an unusual Art Deco style high quality interior finish. Only five twin car sets were built, and apart from this unit, which survived in BR departmental service, the rest of the class were amazingly sold to the Trinidad & Tobago Railway Company!

The sole surviving Wickham & Co Class 109 DMU (50416 & 56171) arrives at Glyndyfrdwy station with the 12:00 Llangollen to Carrog service on 26 June 2010, during the line's Railcar Gala. It is running with Class 108 twin car set 51907 & 54490. In true DMU tradition, the Manchester destination is wildly optimistic!

Class 109 DMU 56171 & 50416 passes Garthydwr, on the Llangollen Railway with the 15:40 Carrog to Llangollen service, during the line's Railcar Gala on 26 June 2010. Built by Wickham & Co in 1957, only five two car sets were built, of which is this is the only surviving example.

The unique 1957 built Wickham & Co Class 109 DMU (50416 & 56171) pulls away from Berwyn station on 26 June 2010 with the 16:50 Llangollen to Carrog service, during the Llangollen Railway's Railcar Gala. The station occupies a very restricted site, next to the main Llangollen to Corwen road, and perched high above the River Dee.

This is the only picture I have of a Class 110 'Calder Valley' DMU in BR service. 51818 leads a two car set plus an unidentified Class 101 unit on the 13:45 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull service on 30 October 1983. The ensemble is making a smoky ascent of the gradient near Chinley station. Rolls Royce may make top quality cars and aircraft engines, but certainly in the 1960s their record in railway applications was very poor. Although the 180hp Rolls Royce engines fitted to this class gave a much higher power to weight ratio than other contemporary units, their reliability was very poor. This wasn't helped by the bizarre arrangement of having the cylinder heads facing inwards, making maintenance much more difficult.

Class 114 Tyseley set T227 (53019 & 54027) passes Portway (near Tamworth) on 15 March 1989 with the 15:46 Birmingham New Street to Nottingham train, one of the few services in the area that hadn't succumbed to the Sprinter revolution at the time. This was one of the last Class 114s in traffic, and in fact it seemed to follow me about, as I photographed it again two years later at Droitwich (admittedly the other way round) and then the leading vehicle here was photographed three years after that in preservation at Butterley!

The driver of Class 114 50019 exchanges the token with the signalman at Butterley during the Midland Railway Centre's Diesel Gala on 23 July 1994. 50019 is coupled to 56006, both of which have reverted to their original numbers in preservation. The numbers having been changed in BR days as obviously 50019 could be confused with Class 50 Ramillies and 56006 with Class 56 Ferrybridge C Power Station! The Midland Railway Centre may have bold plans but I think Kings Lynn as a destination is a bit optimistic!

Tyseley' s Class 114 set T027 (54027 & 53019) calls at Droitwich on 27 April 1991 with the 09:09 Hereford to Birmingham New Street Midline service. This became the final Class 114 unit in traffic and when in January 1992 54027 became due for overhaul it was taken into departmental service as 977770, but scrapped shortly afterwards at MC Metals, Glasgow. 53019 worked its final weeks in service coupled to Class 105 DTCL 54484, before being preserved at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley.

Swindon Works built Class 120 C616 (51782, 59681 & 51790) ironically heads back to its birthplace as it leaves Kemble on 7 July 1984 with the 09:25 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon service. By this date Class 120s were quite rare in the Cotswolds. Other Cardiff allocated units appeared, but the 120s tended to be used on the Central Wales Line, which is why this unit is fitted with a large central headlight

Unfortunately I have only got a few pictures of the stylish Swindon built Class 124 'Trans Pennine' units. Here we see 51952 leading the 10:10 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull service past New Mills South Junction on 27 April 1984, just a couple of weeks before the entire class was withdrawn. Although by DMU standards of the time they were a quality product, they were expensive to maintain, not only due to their non-standard nature, but also because of their unique (and expensive to repair) wrap around windscreens.

51953 leads the 09:15 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull service past Chinley on 20 October 1983. These Class 124 'Trans Pennine' units were arguably the most stylish of the first generation units, with their unusual wrap around windscreens and smooth rounded front ends. As they hardly ever strayed from their intended route, and this was in the days before I started travelling the length and breadth of the country on a regular basis, I did not get the chance to photograph them very often.

Parry People Mover's unusual Class 139 railcar is one answer to economical operation of short branch lines, and has been adopted by London Midland for its ten minute interval service between Stourbridge Town and Stourbridge Junction (0.8 miles). Powered by a 2.3 litre Ford LPG engine, the railcar uses energy stored in a large flywheel for its short trips along the branch. 139002 is seen departing from the diminutive Stourbridge Town station on 29 January 2011 with the 11:54 trip to Stourbridge Junction.

139002 arrives at Stourbridge Town station on 29 January 2011 with the 12:09 London Midland service from Stourbridge Junction. One of two units, these railcars have proved to be amazingly reliable, even considering all they do is shuttle backwards and forwards along this short branch line - over a hundred trips in each directions on weekdays!

141119 runs alongside the Stainforth & Keadby Canal at Crowle on 31 May 1997 with the 10:03 Doncaster to Scunthorpe Regional Railways North East service. This class, the first of the production Pacer series, had a troubled life, initially being noted for chronic unreliability. The situation improved after rebuilding by Hunslet Barclay in the late 1980s, but the class was still deemed non standard and so was slated for early withdrawal. This unit, like most of the class was exported to Iran in 1998.

The unusual Class 151 unit was to be Metro Cammell's bid for the lucrative DMU replacement programme of the 1980s. Unfortunately the design was beset with various problems and in the end it lost out to British Rail Engineering's Class 150. Only two 151s were built and due to their non-standard nature they spent long periods out of traffic during their short life (1985 - 1989). 151001 is pictured passing Wetmore with a Derby to Burton-on-Trent test run on 18 October 1987. Not technically a brilliant picture due to the combination of very poor light and Kodachrome 200, but this together with the return working (in even worse light!) is the only record I have of these unique units, which after many years in open storage were both scrapped in 2004.

175009 arrives at Newton-le-Willows station on 3 December 2000 with the 09:20 Chester to Manchester Piccadilly First North Western service. 175009 was just five months old when this picture was taken, but obviously the class was not popular with enthusiasts as they ousted the popular Class 37s from the North Wales line. They are also arguably one of the ugliest class of modern units. No mean feat considering they do not have a front end gangway connection!

There hasn't been regular 'tractor' haulage on the North Wales coast line since 2000, but on 4 June 2005 the line's replacement motive power gets some competition from another kind of tractor as 175101 passes Llangaffo with the 13:15 Crewe to Holyhead service. Unsurprisingly, given how close they are to the line the cottages in the background are named 'Railway Cottages'

175102 pulls away from Hereford station with the 13:10 Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly Arriva Trains Wales service on 2 June 2009. Hereford retains a lot of old railway infrastructure, with the imposing station building and goods shed visible in this view. Plenty of trackwork too, but unfortunately no longer any originating freight traffic.

The final production Class 175 and one of the few still in the original livery (albeit now branded Arriva), 175116 emerges from Dinmore Tunnel with the 10:33 Holyhead to Cardiff Central Arriva Trains Wales service on 2 June 2009. I had not visited this location for two decades, and although I shouldn't really have been surprised, the growth of the surrounding vegetation has virtually obscured the view. The general view of both single line bores (the other tunnel is just to the left of the PW hut) is impossible and a long lens is needed to squeeze through a gap in the trees.

185102 rounds the curve past Kirkham Abbey with the 14:45 Scarborough to Liverpool Lime Street Trans Pennine service on 26 July 2008. No doubt the passengers on board will be glad of the air conditioning (assuming it was working!), on what was one of the hottest days of the year.

185106 passes Brock on 6 May 2008 with the 16:21 Barrow-in-Furness to Manchester Airport TransPennine service, a train that doesn't actually cross the Pennines at all! Although apparently a rural location, the M6 motorway is just behind the trees.

185146 approaches Maud's Bridge (between Stainforth and Scunthorpe) with the 10:52 Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes Trans Pennine Express service on 1 January 2007. I started off the new year with a new class of DMU, 185s not being particularly common in my native Oxfordshire! New Year's Day had started sunny, but by this time thick black clouds were rolling in from the west, which gives a superb background to this picture. Note the tower of St. Nicholas church, Thorne on the extreme right.

The Class 210 DEMU was intended to be a replacement for the plethora of DMU types which were reaching the end of their economic life in the early 1980s. However, its extravagant specification led to its downfall, as it would have been far too expensive to produce in the quantity required. On 23 April 1983 passengers on the Cotswold Line got their first taste of what they assumed would be the future traction on the line. In the event they had to wait nearly a decade before the heritage units were displaced! 210001 arrives at Kingham with the 08:10 Oxford to Moreton-in-Marsh service, while the order departs in the background. This is something you don't often see - ladies of the 'Country Set' taking an interest in modern developments on the railways!

210001 made its first foray over the Cotswold Line on 23 April 1983 in what was thought at the time to be heralding a new era of high quality trains on the line. In miserably dull weather conditions this pioneer unit is seen passing Shipton station with the 09:55 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford service. The flour mill in the background is still a thriving business, but otherwise this view has changed considerably, with trees now obscuring the view. In 1983 Shipton station still retained its quaint GWR waiting shelter on the down platform, but that was to disappear within a couple of years.

I don't normally take going away shots of DMUs, despite the red tail light generally being the only giveaway (apart from which track they're on, of course!). However, I've got so few pictures of the prototype 210001, that I have included this view taken on 12 September 1985. It shows the unit passing South Moreton with the 2A18 11:01 Paddington to Oxford 'all stations' service.

The ill fated prototype second generation DMU, 210001 passes Hinksey Yard on 22 October 1985 with the 14:06 Oxford to Paddington local service. Obviously unaccustomed luxury travel for the passengers (if there were any!) at Radley, Culham and Appleford, who at the time were more used to the rattling Class 117 units. The Paxman 6RP200L 1,125 bhp engine is at the far end of the unit, its position in the non-passenger part of the vehicle indicated by the all over blue livery at that end of the formation.

With Didcot Power Station dominating the background, Network Rail's unique 950001 passes Foxhall Junction and slows down for the approach to Didcot Parkway station on 8 October 2010. It is working the 2Q08 08:25 Didcot to Banbury via just about everywhere test train. It is seen here returning from Severn Tunnel Junction, and will shortly be heading back to Foxhall Junction (in the background), before taking the west curve (disappearing through the bushes behind the unit) to Oxford. It will be then head back to Didcot, and then back through Oxford to Claydon Junction, followed by Oxford again, and then finally Banbury!

As a First Great Western HST speeds non-stop through Didcot Parkway station, Network Rail's 950001 approaches Foxhall Junction with the 2Q08 08:25 Didcot to Banbury test train. It had already visited South Wales, and would now head towards Oxford by way of Didcot's West Curve. It would shortly be back, before heading off to Oxford once again.

Hardly ideal lighting, but you don't get many trains traversing Didcot's West Curve. On 8 October 2010, 950001 rounds the curve between Foxhall Junction and Didcot West Curve Junction with the 2Q08 08:25 Didcot to Banbury Network Rail measurement train. Although essentially built using a Class 150 bodyshell, this was purpose built as a test vehicle, rather than being converted from a former passenger unit.

Network Rail's 950001 passes Didcot North Junction on 8 October 2010 with the 2Q08 08:25 Didcot to Banbury test train. You might think that it's going the wrong way for a Didcot to Banbury train, but as with all test trains the route is somewhat convoluted. Didcot to Severn Tunnel Junction and return, followed by a trip to Oxford via Didcot's West Curve. Back to Didcot (as seen here), then off via Oxford again, this time to Claydon Junction. Finally on to Banbury via a reversal at Oxford!