British Rail Class 110

The Class 110 diesel multiple units were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company in conjunction with the Drewry Car Co. to operate services on the former Lancashire and Yorkshire main line. They originally entered service uniquely in this region, which earned them the name of the 'Calder Valley' sets. They were an updated version of the Class 104, with more powerful engines, a revised cab design and raised bodyside window frames. Description The fact that they were primarily intended for services on the arduous Calder Valley route meant that Class 110 needed more power than other first generation DMUs, so they were fitted with Rolls-Royce C6NFLH engines, and when delivered they had the highest hp/ton of any of the first generation DMUs, including the lightweights. With a set weighing 87½ tons (tare), this gave a power-to-weight ratio of 8.3 hp / ton, which was appreciably higher than any other DMU in use at the time using normally aspirated engines. Performance tests included a standing start against a ruling gradient of 1 in 261 and a set in tare condition achieved a speed of in 45 seconds, in 2 minutes 4 seconds, and in 4 minutes 6 seconds. From a standing start on a 1 in 45 gradient a speed of in third gear was reached in 42 seconds. Each set had 24 first class and 159 second class seats. Timeline The first twenty sets, for the NER, were ordered in March 1959 and were allocated to Bradford Hammerton Street depot. The second batch were allocated to the LMR in January 1961, based at Newton Heath in Manchester. Deliveries of the two batches was concurrent, starting in 1961, and these were the penultimate class of first generation sets to be built.