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Vehicle 50071 / 53071

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

Aug-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
18/08/83	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
11/01/93	Transferred to	LA (Laira) RELA
13/05/93	Transferred to	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX
21/05/93	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX
20/07/93	Reinstated	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX
17/08/93	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50071 - original number
53071 - from Mar-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

circa Mar-85 - Gangway(s) fitted

Disposal

Scrapped by MC Metal Processing, Springburn

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50071	59021	50113		As delivered to WR - August 1957
TYS319	50071	59019	50102		Listed at - circa Oct-60
	50071	59008	50106		Noted 03/07/64
TY509	50071	59009	50101		Noted 20/07/74 - on 1707 Lichfield City-Kidderminster
	50060	59017	50071	50923	Noted 05/04/79 - on 19.15 Luton – St. Pancras¹
	50071	59610	50114	50903	Noted 22/12/80 - on 18.19 Cricklewood – St. Albans and 17.58 Moorgate LT - St. Albans (116/127 hybrid)¹
	50071	59610	50114	50903	Noted 23/12/80 - on 18.19 Cricklewood – St. Albans (116/127 hybrid)¹
	50071	59610	50114	50903	Noted 23/12/80 - on 17.58 Moorgate LT - St. Albans (116/127 hybrid)¹
	50071	59629	50923		Noted 12/02/81 - on 05.31 Cricklewood – Barking via Carlton Jn ECS, 06.40 Barking – Gospel Oak, 07.25 Gospel Oak – Barking amd 08.10 Barking – Gospel Oak (116/127 hybrid)¹
	50071	59646	50101		Noted 20/06/81 - on 10.55 Gospel Oak – Barking, 11.40 Barking – Gospel Oak, 12.25 Gospel Oak – Barking and 13.10 Barking – Gospel Oak (all 2J96, 116/127 hybrid)¹
TS563	53071	59616	53101		Noted circa 09/1983²
TS563	53071	59616	53101		Noted circa 11/1983²
TS563	53071	59616	53101		Noted circa 06/1984²
TS520	53071	59616	53101		Noted circa 09/1984²
TS520	53071	59616	53101		Noted 21/09/84 - at Norwich³
TS622	53071	59616	53101		Noted circa 02/1985²
TS622	53071	59616	53101		Listed at TS - May-85
TS622	53071	59616	53101		Noted 07/09/85 - at Norwich³
TS622	53071	59616	53880		Formation change - TS - Jan-86 - 53880 from TS609 replaced 53101 now in TS609.
TS622	53071	59616	53880		Noted circa 02/1986²
TS622	53071	59616	53880		Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986
	53071	59616	53880		Noted 15/06/86 - on a Ealing Broadway (20.08) – Aylesbury (21.10) (Via Greenford Loop and Princes Risborough) and Aylesbury (21.15) – Princes Risborough (21.30) move with 51308 + 59475 + 51323 and 53890 + 59054 + 5310¹
TS622	53071	59616	53880		Noted 12/07/86 - at Norwich³
TS622	53071	59114	53880		Formation change - TS - circa Aug-86 - 59114 (ex-TS625) replaces 59616 (to TS625)
T322	53071	59114	53880		Noted 23/04/1987 - at Birmingham New Street⁴
T322	53071	59114	53880		Noted circa 06/1987²
T322	53071	59114	53880		Listed at TS - Jul-87
	53071	59760	53880		Noted 13/12/87 - on 12:26 Lichfield City - Barnt Green⁵
T322	53071	59760	53880		Listed at Tyseley - 7th April 1988
T322	53071	59760	53880		Noted 07/05/1988²
	53071	59760	53880		Noted 02/08/88 - on 16:30 Doncaster-Skegness
T322	53071	59760	53880		Noted 13/08/1989 - Special Train Birmingham New Street-Ironbridge and return
T322	53071	59760	53880		Listed at TS - 01/09/89
T322	53071	59760	53880		Listed at TS - 01/12/89
T322	53071	59760	53880		Noted 28/12/89 - in Nottingham Midland³
	53071	59611	53880		Noted 06/05/1990 - at Tyseley depot⁶
T322	53071	59611	53880		Listed at TS - mid May-90
T322	53071	59751	53132		Noted circa 12/1990²
T322	53071	59751	53132		Noted circa 03/1991²
T322	53071	59751	53132		Listed at TS - Jul-91
T322	53071	59751	53132		Listed at TS - Aug-91
T322	53071	59751	53132		Listed at TS - Dec-91
T322	53071	59751	53132		Listed at TS - 02/07/92
T322	53071	59751	53132		Noted 01/08/92
T322	53071	59751	53132		Noted 10/08/92 - at Skegness⁷
T408	53071	59751	53132	53902	Listed at TS - 24/09/92
	53071	59751	53902		Noted 30/10/92 - on 18:53 Redditch - Lichfield TV⁸
T408	53071	59751	53902		Noted circa 11/1992²
T408	53902	53071	59751	53132	Listed at TS - November 1992
T408	53071	59751	51868	53902	Listed at TS - 10/12/92

Formation Sources
1: Phil Shatford
2: Eddie Knorn
3: Gerald Brown
4: Robert Chilton
5: Martin Baumann
6: Jeremy Goodyear
7: Graeme Phillips
8: David Bellamy

Images:

circa September 1957

Gleaming in fresh B.R. DMU green W50071 stands at Birmingham Snow Hill. This Derby Motor Brake Second was delivered new to Tyseley in 1957, later renumbered 53071 and designated Class 116 it was to spend roughly the next 30 years trundling about the West Midlands. A GWR AEC railcar sulks in the background, it would be working a Dudley service. In the cab of W50071 a very mature driver in full steam age uniform of overalls and grease-top cap sorts out the controls of his new charge. Note the face drawn on the buffer. Image taken by Peter Shoesmith. Geoff Dowling and John Whitehouse Collection.

10th September 1961

The 9.30am Leamington Spa General - Wellington service is seen near Lapworth on 10 September 1961. It is formed of a Derby suburban triple set led by W50071 and an extra vehicle attached to the rear - possibly a GRC&W DTS. Michael Mensing.

early June 1962

Set number: 308

A Derby suburban triple set at Acocks Green during early June 1962. The DMBS W50071 is carrying set number 308 in the cab window so the other vehicles are presumably 59008 and 50106. Michael Mensing.

Unknown date

A Class 116 DMU with DMBS M50071 closest seen at Barking. Date unknown, but before moving from Cricklewood to Tyseley in August 1983. Paul Redmond.

28th August 1986

Set number: TS622

This was for many years one of my favourite locations for northbound trains on the GWR line between Leamington Spa and Birmingham. It was somewhere around half way up Hatton Bank and was a very pleasant and quiet location for an afternoon's photography. There was plenty of freight traffic interspersed with regular DMMUs between Leamington, Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham along with ECS moves such as this one formed of a class 116 (TS622 with a Met-Camm centre car, presumably 53071 + 59114 + 53880) coupled to a class 108 Derby Lightweight which I took on 28 August 1986. Around 10 or 12 years after this view young trees were planted along the fenceline and have now completely obscured the line so much so that one can walk along the permissive footpath and not know that there is railway line alongside. Peter Tandy.

18th July 1987

Set number: T322

M53071 of T322 (which has a 101 centre car, presumably 59114) trails out of Cardiff Central on the 11:32 to Birmingham New Street, 18/7/87. PJ Evans.

24th September 1987

Set number: T322

Class 116 set T322 waits to leave Birmingham Moor Street for Shirley on the evening of 24/9/87. Stephen Burdett.

24th September 1987

Set number: T322

On September 24, 1987, two days before closure of the terminal platforms, T322 waits to leave Birmingham Moor Street with a service for Shirley. Stephen Burdett.

26th November 1987

Set number: T322

Birmingham Snow Hill was reopened as a terminus station on 5 October 1987. On 26 November of that year I took this picture of class 116 T322 (53071 + presumably 59760 + 53880) standing in the platform that was later taken over by the tram system. I don't know why it was at the buffers so far along the platform nor why there is a tail-lamp on it; the engines were clearly working but there may have been a problem with the transmission which caused a failure. Peter Tandy.

23rd December 1987

Set number: T322

Tyseley set T322 (M53071/M59760/M53880) at Sutton Coldfield with a cross-city service to Longbridge via Birmingham New Street on 23/12/87. This is a Class 116 set with a Class 115 TS(L) in the middle. Steve Jones.

23rd December 1987

Set number: T322

Class 116 DMBS M53071 at Sutton Coldfield on 23/12/87. Steve Jones.

23rd April 1988

Set number: T322

Class 116 DMU set T322 (53071 + 59760 + 53880) lays over at Keighley prior to working a return excursion to the Severn Valley Railway on April 23rd, 1988. Rex Holt.

2nd July 1988

Set number: T322

Class 116 3-car DMU with set number T322 at Selly Oak on 2 July 1988, presumably formed of 53071 + 59760 + 53880. Lewis Bevan.

16th December 1989

Set number: T322

DMU set T322 (Class 116 DMBS 53071 closest) at Cardiff Central with the 13:10 to Birmingham New Street on 16 December 1989. Robert Thomas.

22nd December 1990

Set number: T322

Class 116 DMBS 53071 from set T322 on the rear of the 15.38 to Leamington Spa in Stratfor-upon-Avon station on 22 December 1990. Dave Warby.

22nd December 1990

Set number: T322

Class 116 53071 arrives into Stratford-upon-Avon with the 13.20 ex-Leamington. 47568 is with the ECS for the Shakespeare Limited excursion, 22 December 1990. Dave Warby.

29th June 1991

Set number: T322

116 Set T322 (presumably 53071 leading) on 07XX Nottingham - Skegness arrives at Grantham on Saturday 29th June 1991. Colin Brooks.

14th November 1992

Set number: T408

53071 + 59751 + 53902 (T408) at Longbridge with the 17:58 to Lichfield Trent Valley, 14/11/92. Gazza Prescott.

1993

53071 + 55006 at Par waiting departure time with a Newquay service. 53071 was locked out of use to passengers being there due to a ban on the bubble cars working solo. nathan stockman.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 8th May 1987

Set number: T322

Class 116 set T322 (53880 + 59114 + 53071) about to enter Worcester Shrub Hill on May 8th, 1987. Steve Jones.

Date: 23rd December 1987

Set number: T322

Tyseley set T322 (M53880/M59760/M53071) leaves Sutton Coldfield with a cross-city service to Longbridge via Birmingham New Street on 23/12/87. This is a Class 116 set with a Class 115 TS(L) in the middle. Steve Jones.

Date: 23rd April 1988

Set number: T322

Class 116 set T322 (53880 + 59760 + 53071) passes through Bingley station with a return excursion from the Severn Valley to the Worth Valley on April 23rd, 1988. Rex Holt.

Date: 10th August 1992

Set number: T322

Tyseley set no. T322 consisting of cars 53132 59751 53071 seen at Skegness on 10/08/1992. Graeme Phillips Collection.

Date: 14th May 1993

Towards the end of their careers, DMU sets were thrown together with whatever was available. Class 116 DMS number W51141 is nearest the camera, but the centre car was a class 108 and the DMBS was M53071 (again class 116) when seen at Temple Meads on 14th May 1993. Sean Lancastle.

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