British Rail Class 100

The British Rail Class 100 diesel multiple units were built by Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited from 1956 to 1958, designed and built in collaboration with the Transport Sales Dept. of T.I. (Group Services) Ltd.

Introduction
The class were designed to be lightweight to allow for good acceleration. None were selected for refurbishment and withdrawals started in 1969. The last passenger car was withdrawn from service in 1988.

Under initial classification 1973, the DTCs became 143s, but were later reclassified as 100s.

56111 was used as a training aid by the Ministry of Defence until 1985. The Class gained a small amount of "fame" through the use of 51122 and 56300 as the "Stourton Saloon" - the Eastern Region General Managers saloon. These were scrapped in 1990. 51116 and 56101 were used as the Eastern Region inspection saloon, until being scrapped in 1993. 56106 survived the longest time on the national network, being scrapped in 2000.

Preservation
Trailer car 56301 was the first diesel multiple unit car to enter preservation in 1969, originally being used at the Chasewater Railway.

The Class has not fared well in preservation. 7 cars entered preservation of which only 4 now exist. 50341 and 56099 were preserved by the West Somerset Railway, but were scrapped & dismantled in 1991. The National Railway Museum had intended to preserve 53355, but a lack of space prevented this car, and the Class 105 coupled to it from being moved to York and they were vandalised beyond repair at Crewe.