Vehicle 50068 / 53068
Class 116
Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30211
Diagram: 553
Allocations
| Jun-57 | New to | 84E (Tyseley) | |
| 01/01/63 | Boundary change | 84E | transferred from WR to LMR stock |
| Sep-63 | Depot code change | 2A | |
| w/e 03/08/68 | Transferred to | 14A (Cricklewood) | |
| 06/05/73 | Depot code change | CW | |
| p/e 04/09/82 | Transferred to | TS (Tyseley) | |
| Mar-87 | Withdrawn from | TS (Tyseley) |
The vehicle carried the following numbers:
50068 - original number
53068 - from Jul-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
Disposal
Scrapped by Vic Berry, Leicester
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 50068 | 59018 | 50110 | As delivered to WR - June 1957 | ||||||
| 50068 | 50114 | 50106 | Noted 28/09/74 - on 1527 Barking-Kentish Town | ||||||
| 50068 | 50870 | 59376 | 50838 | Noted 03/07/1977 - on 09:12 Kentish Town to Barking | |||||
| 50068 | 59011 | 50111 | 50838 | Noted 06/11/79 - on 19.15 Luton - St. Pancras1 | |||||
| 50068 | 59608 | 50106 | 50903 | Noted 17/09/80 - on 18.07 St. Pancras – Cricklewood (116/127 hybrid)1 | |||||
| 50068 | 59610 | 50903 | Noted 28/11/80 - on 21.15 Luton – Cricklewood (116/127 hybrid)1 | ||||||
| 50060 | 59021 | 50068 | Noted 30/04/81 - on 21.25 Gospel Oak – Barking, 22.10 Barking – Gospel Oak and 22.53 Gospel Oak – Cricklewood ECS1 | ||||||
| 50068 | 59596 | 50114 | Noted 17/08/81 - on 18.55 Gospel Oak – Barking, 19.40 Barking – Gospel Oak, 20.25 Gospel Oak – Barking and 21.10 Barking – Gospel Oak, all 2J96 (116/127 hybrid)1 | ||||||
| 50068 | 59632 | 50114 | Noted 25/01/82 - on 16.25 Gospel Oak – Barking and 17.10 Barking – Gospel Oak (116/127 hybrid)1 | ||||||
| 50068 | 59632 | 50114 | Noted 26/01/82 - on 16.25 Gospel Oak – Barking and 17.10 Barking – Gospel Oak (116/127 hybrid)1 | ||||||
| 50068 | 59632 | 50114 | Noted 30/01/82 - on 11.55 Gospel Oak – Barking and 12.40 Barking – Gospel Oak (116/127 hybrid)1 | ||||||
| 50068 | 59626 | 50114 | Noted circa 04/19822 | ||||||
| TS524 | 50068 | 59009 | 50103 | Noted circa 09/19822 | |||||
| TS524 | 50068 | 59005 | 50103 | Listed at TS - Jan-83 | |||||
| TS524 | 53068 | 59005 | 53103 | Listed at TS - 14/07/83 | |||||
| TS524 | 53068 | 59607 | 53103 | Noted circa 09/19832 | |||||
| TS524 | 53068 | 59607 | 53103 | Noted circa 12/19832 | |||||
| TS524 | 53068 | 59607 | 53112 | Noted circa 04/19842 | |||||
| TS524 | 53068 | 59622 | 53112 | Noted circa 01/19852 | |||||
| TS524 | 53068 | 59622 | 53112 | Noted circa 09/19852 | |||||
| TS524 | 53068 | 59622 | 53112 | Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986 |
Formation Sources
1: Phil Shatford
2: Eddie Knorn
Images:
May 1962
Two Derby suburban triple sets (from different batches) at Leamington Spa in late May 1962. W50068 on the right - with Birmingham (Moor St) on the destination blind - is from the first batch with four marker lamps, the set on the left - with Leamington on the blind - is from the second batch (508xx series) with two marker lamps and two character route indicator. Michael Mensing.
5th October 1963
Set number: 317
Derby suburban set 317 seen near Suckley on October 5th, 1963, led by DMBS W50068. Michael Mensing.
1966
Set number: 317
Class 116 set 317 with W50068 at the front pulls away from The Lakes station in late 1966. Michael Mensing.
30th August 1975
M50068 leads a three-car Class 116 with an extra DMS attached to the rear approaching Upper Holloway on 30 August 1975. Phillip Malin.
29th January 1987
Set number: TS524
On 29 January 1987 T524 (presumably 53068 + 59622 (a 127) + 53112) was in Birmingham Moor Street station having arrived from Stratford-upon-Avon and was being prepared to return to the same town. I don't know what the two vehicles to the left of the DMU were doing in the siding but assume that they had been left there after some sort of engineering work over the previous weekend. Freight traffic to the yard here had ceased from 1972; before I started railway photography or even owned a camera other than a plastic Kodak Brownie 127. Peter Tandy.
7th February 1987
Set number: TS524
Until 1987, the GWR's Moor Street station was the terminus for trains both from the Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon lines. When Snow Hill was reopened a two platform through station was constructed adjacent to the terminus, which then became redundant and was closed. On 7 February 1987 the 12.10 to Stratford departs from Moor Street in the capable hands of driver Geoff Davies, the set being TS524, presumably 53068 + 59622 (a 127) + 53112. Moor Street lay derelict for many years, but now has been restored and is now used again by trains to relieve pressure on Snow Hill and to provide shoppers with a more direct route to their destinations. The car park is now part of the new Moor Street station with its own terminus platforms used by many of Chiltern Railways' Marylebone services including those using class 68 power in push-pull mode. Peter Tandy.