Vehicle 51578
Class 120
Builder: BR Swindon Works
Layout: Cross Country
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: BR Standard
Engines: AEC 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30515
Diagram: 636
Allocations
| Feb-61 | New to | 84E (Tyseley) | |
| by end of 1962 | Transferred to | 83D (Laira) | |
| Sep-63 | Depot code change | 84A | |
| May-73 | Depot code change | LA | |
| 30/06/74 | Transferred to | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
| 3w/e 07/05/77 | Transferred to | BR (Bristol Bath Road) | |
| w/e 21/05/77 | Transferred to | LA (Laira) | |
| 2w/e 29/12/79 | Transferred to | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
| Mar-80 | Transferred to | LA (Laira) | |
| w/e 03/05/80 | Transferred to | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
| 04/01/82 | Transferred to | NH (Newton Heath) | |
| 20/04/86 | Transferred to | AY (Ayr) | |
| Feb-87 | Stored U. | HA (Haymarket) | |
| Mar-87 | Withdrawn from | AY (Ayr) |
Notes
19th June 1986 - Seen with oval buffers at cab end only
Modifications
Feb-73 - Dual AWS fitted
p/e 08/10/77 - WR AWS removed
Disposal
Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted circa Sep-67 - in blue /grey | ||||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted circa Dec-67 - in blue grey with full yellow ends | ||||||
| LA501 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted March 1971 | |||||
| LA501 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Listed at Laira - circa May-71 | |||||
| P557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 04/07/1973 - at Exeter1 | |||||
| P557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 07/09/73 - at Par2 | |||||
| P558 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 16/07/74 - on 1620 Cardiff-Weymouth with B579 51065 + 59424 + 51093 and C552 51573 + 59285 + 51582 | |||||
| P557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 20/11/74 - on 2C38 1621 Weston SM-Cardiff | |||||
| C557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 04/03/75 - on 2C09 1430 Swansea-Newport with C560 | |||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 26/08/75 - On Cardiff Canton depot2 | ||||||
| C557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 05/02/76 - on 2C08 0735 Chepstow-Cardiff | |||||
| C557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 17/02/76 - on 2C40 0710 Cardiff-Swansea | |||||
| C557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Listed at CF - 01/05/1976 | |||||
| 51573 | 59278 | 51578 | Noted 04/09/76 - at Bristol (two DMBSs)3 | ||||||
| C557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 10/11/76 - on 2C38 1630 Weston Super Mare-Cardiff | |||||
| C557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 20/02/77 - on 2B17 1405 Cardiff-Cheltenham | |||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Transfer to BR - 3w/e 07/05/77 | ||||||
| C557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 09/05/77 - on 2C30 1305 Bristol TM-Cardiff with B802 | |||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Transfer to LA - w/e 21/05/77 | ||||||
| P557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Listed at LA - 31st December 1977 | |||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 17th May 1979 | ||||||
| 557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Transfer to CF - 2w/e 29/12/79 | |||||
| 557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Transfer to LA - Mar-80 | |||||
| P557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Listed at LA - 03/03/80 | |||||
| 557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Transfer to CF - w/e 03/05/80 | |||||
| C557 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 27/01/1981 - Worked 1748 Barry Island to Treherbert4 | |||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 30/08/1981 - Lea Valley Railway Club Churnet Charger Railtour 56359-51200 + 51197-56339 + 51578-59580-51587 | ||||||
| NH464 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 19/07/1982 - Manchester Victoria5 | |||||
| NH464 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted circa 10/1982 - operating from Newton Heath, previously C557 set.5 | |||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 07/07/1984 - Brian Isherwood's Eastgate Explorer Railtour 53666-59286-53712 + 51587-59580-51578 | ||||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted circa 06/19855 | ||||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Listed at NH - circa Jan-86 | ||||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Transfer to AY - Apr-86 | ||||||
| 530 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | New set number at AY - 2w/e 15/05/86 | |||||
| 530 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Listed at Ayr - Summer 1986 | |||||
| 530 | 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 5th June 1986 | |||||
| 51578 | 59580 | 51587 | Noted 19th June 1986 | ||||||
| 530 | 51578 | Listed at Ayr - August 1986 | |||||||
| 51578 | 59571 | 53654 | Noted 28th August 1986 | ||||||
| 530 | 51578 | 59571 | 51788 | Formation change - AY - circa Oct-86 | |||||
| 51578 | 59571 | Noted 11/10/1986 - at Ayr Depot5 | |||||||
| 51578 | 59571 | 53525 | Noted 07/11/19865 | ||||||
| 51578 | 59571 | 53525 | Noted 15th November 1986 |
Formation Sources
1: Jeremy Goodyear
2: Gerald Brown
3: Leonard Rogers
4: Shayne Lewis
5: Eddie Knorn
Images:
24th July 1979
Set number: P557
A Swindon Cross-Country 3-Car Class 120 DMU formed of cars W51578, W59580 & W51587 was stood at Teignmouth with a Paignton to Exeter St Davids 'all stations' service on July 24th 1979. When this image was recorded the set was allocated to Plymouth Laira depot. The unit would move briefly to Cardiff Canton in 1980, but by 1982 was working in the North West working from Newton Heath. It remained there until 1986, when the set was transferred North of the Border to Ayr for its final stint of operation. The unit was scrapped in 1988. Martyn Hilbert.
20th September 1979
Set number: P557
Class 120 Swindon Cross-Country set P557 heads away from the camera at St Dennis Junction on September 20, 1979. Steve Davies Collection.
5th September 1981
Set number: 557
Complete with its first class saloon, Swindon Class 120 Driving Motor Brake Composite (DMBC) W51578 was leading a Worcester to Birmingham New Street service at Blackwell, grinding its way up the last few yards of the Lickey Incline at almost walking pace on September 5th 1981. Martyn Hilbert.
3rd September 1984
At Ormskirk on 3/9/84 are M51578 + M59580 + M51587 waiting to leave Ormskirk with the 18:32 to Preston. Hamish Stevenson.
28th July 1985
A three-car Swindon Cross-Country DMU with Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) M51578 leading (and centre car 59580), was arriving at Rufford with a Preston to Ormskirk service on July 25th 1985. These were the days when during the evening peak, the passing loop at Rufford enabled two units to pass. There used to be three different DMU's that worked to Ormskirk in that late afternoon/early evening period. The first, in the late afternoon would be a West Yorkshire set (101 or 110) that had worked to Preston from Leeds, whilst the second would be the regular unit that had been running back and forth all day, the third being a Class 120 off a Manchester - Blackpool working, bringing the non- too common sight of a Swindon Cross-Country DMU to the Ormskirk line. Martyn Hilbert.
28th December 1985
A grimy-looking three-car Swindon 'Cross-Country' DMU formed of cars M51578, M59580 & M51587, was stood on the Up Slow at Leyland station with a Blackpool North to Manchester Victoria service on December 28th 1985. Martyn Hilbert.
4th September 1988
Set number: 530
Class 120 51578 at Snailwell on 4 September 1988. Nicholas Youngman.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 28th October 1972
I believe this pair to be 51578 and 51587 minus their regular centre trailer car. They are seen having just crossed the roadbridge over the former A30 between Roche and St. Columb Major and are working the 11.38 from Par to Newquay (NB this is a Sunday). Anthony Williams.
Date: 1983
A Class 120 repaint at Swindon Works in the summer of 1983. The BR logo and number are applied before painting (as was the white lines), these vinyl stickers are supplied with a masking layer which is removed after painting. The number appears to be M51578 or M51573 - although both of these were oval buffered vehicles? fgrsimon.
Date: 3rd September 1984
Class 120 Cross-Country set M51587 + M59580 + M51578 at Ormskirk waiting to leave with the 18:32 to Preston, 3/9/84. Hamish Stevenson.
Date: 30th September 1984
Swindon Class 120 3-car DMU 51587 + 59580 + 51578 stabled on Chester depot on 30-9-84. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.