British Rail Class 210
The British Rail Class 210 was a type of diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) passenger train designed and constructed by British Rail Engineering Limited's Derby Litchurch Lane Works. The Class 210 was developed during the early 1980s to be a modern replacement for the ageing 'first generation' DMUs in use on the Southern Region of British Railways, such as the Class 201 and Class 207. It was designed around a particularly ambitious set of requirements defined in a specification produced by British Rail (BR), construction of the first unit commenced during 1982. While several prototypes were built and subject to extensive testing during the 1980s, the process did not result in a production run for the type. It can be considered an alternative to, or spiritual precursor of, the highly successful Sprinter family of DMUs that were produced during the 1980s. The handful of Class 210s that were built were only operated for a few years before being withdrawn in the 1980s. Carriages from both units were used for the experimental Class 457/Class 316; a majority of the carriages have now been scrapped. Background By the beginning of the 1980s, British Rail (BR) operated a large fleet of first generation DMUs,