Favourite DMU Sound

[Ayman Ilham]

Which British DMU do you think has the best engine sound when accelerating? Feel free to discuss your opinions on how each one sounds and also post your answer here if they are not listed on the poll!

Personally, my favourites are:
1. Turbostar (170)
2. Coradia (175)
3. Desiro (185)

 

[Rich McLean]

165/166 and the perkins powered 158s (both share the same engine but the lions share of 158s and all 159s are fitted with Cummins engines).

 

[RichmondCommu]

Why have you not included a class 120 DMU in your poll?

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Why have you not included a class 120 DMU in your poll?

I like to focus on DMU's currently in mainline service

 

[RichmondCommu]

I like to focus on DMU's currently in mainline service

Okay that's a pity. Nevermind.

 

[507021]

It's the Sprinters for me, especially the 156s.

 

[duffers2324]

Cant beat the roar of a 156

 

[AndrewE]

I too would go for a "Blue square" DMU of some sort. I went on one on the Churnet Valley last year and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It took me back to commuting on the Severn Beach branch a bit more than 40 years ago!

A more recent trip the Ecclesbourne valley railway was equally enjoyable.
A

 

[antharro]

159/159 here. But a very close second is the Network Turbo; there's something about the sound of them that screams "GOING NOW GET OUT OF THE WAY" to me. I must admit I don't mind the sound of Voyagers, tho I do hate travelling on them in standard. And all this reflects the classes I've had experience with, given where I live!

 

[Polarbear]

Why have you not included a class 120 DMU in your poll?

Yep - it'd be my number 1 choice too from the 1st generation era.

 

[ash39]

The turbo whistle of a 185 being driven enthusiastically sounds great, unfortunately they're quite well powered for a 3-car set so they don't tend to need to do it very often.

 

[cf111]

A 158 starting off and accelerating for me.

 

[randyrippley]

forget the modern stuff: its a straight choice between the MAN engines of a Blue Pullman or the EE cacophony of a Thumper

 

[61653 HTAFC]

For me it's the 155s (though you'd probably get a similar thrash from a pair of 153s). If you get a set that isn't sickly going through the Heaton Lodge dive-under, it's quite something...

And I tend not to "fetishise" to that level, as a rule!

 

[Firesprite]

Hastings Unit climbing a bank

 

[Strathclyder]

It's tied between a 156 idling away under Glasgow Central's roof (evocative of many childhood memories at Central) or a 170 climbing the Cowlairs Incline away from Queen St (very loud at times and often comes with a tendency to rattle the windows of my passing 156!) for me.

Special mention goes to the rumble of a 185 accelerating; lovely and gutsy. A shame (from a aural perspective, at least lol) they've more or less been ousted from Glasgow - Manchester services in recent years by the 350/4s...

 

[iantherev]

Why have you not included a class 120 DMU in your poll?

Yes - the farting rasp of a 120 lingers long in the memory well over 30 years since I last heard one. Otherwise 158s/159s - the current soundtrack of my Railway experience.

 

[Bantamzen]

For me it has to be that sound of a 185 charging up the incline towards Standedge, especially when the snow is falling. There's something very reassuring about all that excess power people complain about.....

 

[samuelmorris]

185 from the outside, 158/159 from the inside.

 

[317666]

Has to be a clapped out 150, especially a /2 with their wailing sound!

 

[Johnnie2Sheds]

Well I voted for Class 185, cause I dont think you can beat a big, fat Hydraulic. However, the Class 127 units lifting off under Pancras roof took some beating....Oh bugger me, they were hydraulic too.
<off topic>
I remember seeing the pile of Rolls Royce engines in a heap in Derby works all with the same failure, the conrod of the piston nearest the flywheel poking out of the side. Happy days.
</off topic>

 

[route:oxford]

185 from the outside, 158/159 from the inside.

It's not the accelerating sound of the 158, it's the noise it makes when it's reached line speed and switches to pottering along happily.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Well I voted for Class 185, cause I dont think you can beat a big, fat Hydraulic. However, the Class 127 units lifting off under Pancras roof took some beating....Oh bugger me, they were hydraulic too.
<off topic>
I remember seeing the pile of Rolls Royce engines in a heap in Derby works all with the same failure, the conrod of the piston nearest the flywheel poking out of the side. Happy days.
</off topic>

Did the 127s have a tendency to produce a lot of smoke?

 

[D6975]

The sound of a Transpennine unit climbing from Huddersfield up to Standedge Tunnel was definitely the best DMU sound IMHO.

ps did have a soft spot for thumpers too though.

 

[Mordac]

Definitely the 185 from the outside! Voyager from the inside, as long as it's speeding down the Clyde Valley rather than pottering along Yorkshire.

 

[RichmondCommu]

The sound of a Transpennine unit climbing from Huddersfield up to Standedge Tunnel was definitely the best DMU sound IMHO.

ps did have a soft spot for thumpers too though.

I never traveled on those. What were they like comfort wise? Traveled a fair bit through the Hope Valley but always on a 'stopper until I started Uni in Manchester and by then it was class 31s.

 

[Great_Western]

158's for me. More than just DMU, I'd probably have them down as the best sounding trains currently in service other than perhaps the 68's and 37's

 

[Uzair]

153. Joy.

 

[Willr2094]

My personal favourites are as follows

• Class 185 - they make a surprisingly good sound for a modern DMU - especially whilst stationary and also whilst slowing down for stations.
• Class 150 - The growl of one of those accelerating from a standing start is another personal favourite of mine. Example - the noise of one departing Knaresborough on the Harrogate loop and accelerating into the tunnel immediately on departure from the station is impressive.
• Class 158s, mainly due to the soft whistling they make when they are running at a slow speed.

 

[The Ham]

How about the sound of a pacer in a few years time as it gets scrapped?!?