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Vehicle 50534 / 53534

Class 104

Builder: BRC&W
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30296
Diagram: 556

Allocations

3w/e 19/04/58	New to	5D (Cockshute)
4w/e 01/07/61	Transferred to	21F (Ryecroft)
Sep-63	Depot code change	2G
08/08/64	Transferred to	6G (Llandudno Junction)
3w/e 02/10/65	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
4w/e 06/11/65	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
May 1973	Depot code change	LO
May-80	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
circa Feb-82	Transferred to	BY (Bletchley)
07/12/86	Transferred to	CW (Cricklewood)
10/05/87	Transferred to	OO (Old Oak Common)
28/06/87	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
14/05/89	Transferred to	CH (Chester) PCHX
14/05/90	Stored	CH (Chester) PXXZ
11/06/90	Withdrawn from	CH (Chester) PZQZ

Notes

1st January 1988 - Repainted into blue & grey livery at Derby Litchurch Lane on 27th May 1987
22/04/91 - withdrawn vehicles noted at Chester: 53431, 53442, 53494, 53512, 53516, 53517, 53534, 53536, 59065, 59137, 59525; also soon to be W SC59049 and SC59074

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50534 - original number
53534 - from Mar-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Disposal

Scrapped by Mayer Parry, Snailwell

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50534	56177	As delivered to 5D - 3w/e 19/04/58
	50534	56177	Noted 23/11/69 - at Manchester Piccadilly¹
LT304	50534	56177	Listed at Longsight - circa Dec-69
LT304	50534	56177	Listed at 9A - circa Jul-70
	50534	56177	Noted 04/06/71 - at Manchester Piccadilly¹
	50534	56177	Noted 07/09/73 - at Stockport²
	50534	56177	Noted 17/04/74 - at Stalybridge¹
	50534	56177	Noted 28/08/75 - on Longsight depot²
	50534	56177	Noted 10/04/76 - in Manchester Piccadilly¹
	50534	56177	Noted 26/06/76 - on 12.00 Manchester Pic - Marple³
	50534	56177	Noted 17/07/76 - in Manchester Piccadilly¹
	50534	56177	Noted circa 11/1981⁴
	53534	54177	Noted circa 07/1983⁴
	53534	54177	Noted 26/05/84 - at Norwich with 53658 +59306 + 53699 on 09:15 Birmingham New St – Gt Yarmouth²
	53534	54177	Noted 21/07/84 - at Norwich - possibly on loan to Tyseley²
	53534	54177	Noted 17/08/1985 - at Bletchley⁵
	53534	54177	Noted 05/09/85
	53534	54177	Noted 22/03/86 - on 19.35 Bletchley – Bedford³
	53534	54177	Noted circa 04/1986⁴
	53534	54177	Noted 28/06/86 - on 06.00 Bedford - Bletchley³
	53534	54177	Noted circa 08/1986⁴
	53534	54177	Noted 21/11/86 - at Watford Junction²
	53534	53507	Listed at NH - 1st January 1988
	53534	53507	Noted 05/04/1988⁴
N677	53534	53507	Listed at NH - May 1988
N677	53534	53507	Listed at NH - May-88
N677	53534	53507	Noted circa Jul-88
N677	53534	53507	Listed at NH - 16th July 1988
	53534	53507	Noted 27th August 1988
N667	53534	53507	Noted 7th September 1988
N667	53534	53507	Noted 19th April 1989 - Failed at Manchester Vic. with defective brakes
CH615	53534	53507	Listed at CH - 1st July 1989
	53534	53507	Noted 09/08/89⁶
CH615	53534	53507	Noted 4th September 1989
CH615	53534	51505	Listed at CH - 14/10/89
CH615	53534	51505	Noted 26th February 1990
CH615	53534	51505	Noted 27th February 1990
CH615	53534	51505	Noted 30th April 1990
CH615	53534	51505	Noted 2nd May 1990
CH615	53534	51505	Noted 3rd May 1990
CH615	53534	51505	Noted 4th May 1990 - last known working of 104 on Buxton line
CH615	53534	51505	Noted 5th May 1990

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Gerald Brown
3: Phil Shatford
4: Eddie Knorn
5: Robert Chilton
6: Graeme Phillips

Images:

3rd March 1962

On March 3rd 1962 a BRC&W set (DMBS M50534 and presumably DTC M56177) and Met-Camm set are seen at Stechford working the 12.50pm Birmingham New Street - Coventry service. The vehicles would be allocated to Ryecroft depot at this time. Michael Mensing.

4th August 1962

A BRC&W DMU with M50534 leading departs from platform 11 of Birmingham New Street with the 1.40pm to Redditch on 4 August 1962. Michael Mensing.

July 1964

BRC&W and Met-Camm DMUs seen west of Stechford in July 1964. The BRC&W set leading is a power-trailer set, the number on the DMBS cannot be completely made out but it ends in a 4. As there were only ten of these sets on the LMR, it should be 50534, which was allocated to Ryecroft at the time but would move to Llandudno Junction within a few weeks. Michael Mensing.

13th May 1981

With the token exchange underway, Ormskirk services were passing at Rufford at tea-time on May 13th 1981. Cravens Class 105 Power-Twin formed of cars M50804 & M50765 were working a Preston to Ormskirk service whilst Class 104 M50534 & M56177 was heading in the opposite direction with an Ormskirk to Preston service. These were the days when additional services ran at the morning and evening peak and necessitated the use of the passing loop at Rufford. Martyn Hilbert.

1st August 1981

A two-car Class 104 DMU formed of DMBS M50534 & DMS (ex-composite downgraded) M50507 was coming off the Coast Line at Kirkham North Junction whilst forming the 12.01 Blackpool South to Kirkham & Wesham on August 1st 1981. Martyn Hilbert.

Unknown date

Blue/Grey Class 104 DMBS M53534 in Manchester Victoria circa 1987/8. Mike Bunker.

10th June 1982

M50534 and M56177 stand at Bedford St Johns after their trip from Bletchley on 10 June 1982. Services were diverted to Bedford Midland in 1984. Both cars were built by BRCW and were new to Stoke depot in April 1958. Jeremy Chapter.

23rd May 1984

BRC&W Class 104 DMBS 53534 with a St Albans Abbey train at Watford Junction on 23 May 1984. Dave Warby.

Unknown date

53534 is seen in Derby Works. It carries Network South East branding. Undated. Ian Francis.

20th June 1987

Class 104 53534 is seen solo outside the factory at Tyseley on 20.06.1987. This was one of a handful of Class 104's to receive blue and grey livery. Andy Cole.

6th February 1988

Blue & Grey livered Class 104 DMBS M53534 with blue M53507 brings up the rear of a formation also containing a Class 108/104 hybrid set on a Manchester Victoria to Blackpool North service at Preston on February 6th 1988. M53534 was the only Class 104 working locally that carried this livery. Martyn Hilbert.

21st July 1988

Class 104 twin set in contrasting liveries M53534+M53507, the latter in all blue livery with the 13.26 Chesterfield-Sheffield at Tapton Junction, Chesterfield on the 21st July 1988. Kevin Law.

6th September 1988

Set number: N677

The blue and grey liveried Newton Heath-allocated (N677) Class 104 53534, paired with plain blue 53507, was a unique combination in the North West at this time. It had been transferred from Bletchley depot, and was moved again to Chester depot in May 1989 until its withdrawal came in June 1990. It was photographed leaving Manchester Victoria on 6th September 1988, for once a dry day for my visit to this station. Sprinter units by this time were ousting the older first generation DMUs, and 150 201 was at the same platform forming a service to Blackburn. Gordon Edgar.

29th June 1989

Set number: CH615

Class 104 set CH615 (DMBS 53534, presumably with DMS 53507) at Chester on June 29, 1989. John Carter.

1990

Set number: CH615

Class 104 DMBS 53534 in the bay platform at Wolverhampton waiting to form an evening train towards Shrewsbury one evening peak in 1990. Part of unit CH615 at this time. 53534 was based at Chester from May 1989 until withdrawn in June 1990. Tony Walmsley.

Class 104 DMU at New Mills South Junction

24th April 1990

Set number: CH615

CH615 M53534 (rear vehicle) + M51505 on 2E46, the 14:40 Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield at New Mills South Junction, 24-4-90. Kevin Dowd.

3rd May 1990

Set number: CH615

CH615 M53534 + M51505 on 2H60, 11:00 ex-Manchester Piccadilly at New Mills Central, 3-5-90. Kevin Dowd.

5th May 1990

Set number: CH615

CH615 M53534 + M51505 on 2E40, 11:40 Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield at New Mills, 5-5-90. Kevin Dowd.

10th May 1990

Set number: CH615

M53534 sits inside Chester depot, having been withdrawn from service early that morning, 10-5-90. Kevin Dowd.

17th March 1991

Condemned Class 104 DMBS 53534 at Chester on 17 March 1991. Matthew Lovelock Collection.

15th June 1991

Set number: CH615

Class 104 DMBS M53534 at Snailwell on 15th June 1991. Nicholas Youngman.

15th June 1991

Class 104 DMBS M53534 at Snailwell on 15th June 1991. Nicholas Youngman.

15th June 1991

Set number: CH615

Class 104 M53534 awaiting disposal at Snailwell on June 15th 1991. Nicholas Youngman.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: October 1963

A BRC&W driver trailer set departs from Sutton Park in October 1963. M56177 leads, presumably with long-term (and original) partner M50534. "2G" is painted on the bufferbeam the code for Ryecroft depot, a new code issued the previous month replacing 21F. Another recent change was the moving of the electrification warning flash from the lower cab to the window (instruction issued in September 1962). Note the roof colour, a much lighter colour than the cab dome. This image appeared in the 1970 DMU ABC. Michael Mensing.

Date: 10th June 1982

Bedford St Johns was once on the Oxford to Cambridge line. By 10 June 1982 it was clearly underused and hardly providing a service to passengers, being a distance from the town centre. Two years later, passenger services from Bletchley were diverted to Bedford Midland permitting interchange with the Midland Main Line. The BRCW class 104 dmu is formed 56177/50534. Jeremy Chapter.

Date: 5th September 1985

A 2 car Birmingham RCW Class 104, 54177 leading 53534, saunters out of Wellingborough on an autumn evening. Spotters on this Bletchley to Kettering service are just putting 58027, recessed on the Tarmac empties, into their notebooks. Taken on September 5, 1985 Mike Dean.

Date: 28th August 1988

Set number: T309

DMU's new & old were stood in Croft Street Sidings adjacent to Preston Power Box on August 28th 1988. Left to right, a shiny new Metro-Cammell built Class 156 Sprinter 156430, with Blue/Grey liveried BRCW Class 104 M53534 stood alongside, and on the right, a Pressed Steel built Class 117, with DMBS M51372 nearest the camera. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 29th October 1988

Set number: N677

A seemingly well-filled Class 104 two-car DMU formed of DMSL M53507 & DMBS M53534, was departing from Burscough Bridge with a Southport to Manchester Victoria service on October 29th 1988. M53534 was one of the very few Class 104 vehicles to carry blue/grey livery. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 2nd September 1989

Set number: CH615

CH615 M53507 + M53534, stand in the old goods depot sidings at Warrington Central, at 16:35 on 2-9-89. Robert Simpson.

Date: 22nd September 1989

Set number: CH615

A Metro-Cammell 101 and a BRC&W 104 pairing here in the shape of 51505 + 53534 working their way past Gaerwen Junction on the Isle of Anglesey, with a local service bound for Holyhead, 22nd September 1989. Andrew J Crowther.

Date: circa 1990

Set number: CH615

Hybrid 101/104 set CH615 (51505 + 53534). Circa 1990, seen east of Padgate on the ex Cheshire Lines Committee Liverpool to Manchester line. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 15th June 1991

Class 115 TC M59748 at Snailwell on 15th June 1991. Class 104 DMBS M53534 is on the left. Nicholas Youngman.

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