Vehicle 50737 / 53737
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: 30335
Diagram: 587
Allocations
| 4w/e 27/12/58 | New to | BL (Bristol Marsh Junction) | |
| circa Jun-64 | Transferred to | 82A (Bristol Bath Road) | |
| 4w/e 31/05/69 | Transferred to | 16C (Derby Etches Park) | |
| May-73 | Depot code change | DY | |
| 02/02/86 | Transferred to | TS (Tyseley) | |
| 09/03/86 | Transferred to | AY (Ayr) | |
| 3w/e 21/12/86 | Transferred to | HA (Haymarket) | |
| Feb-87 | Stored U. | HA (Haymarket) | |
| Mar-87 | Withdrawn from | HA (Haymarket) | - also noted as 04/11/87 |
The vehicle carried the following numbers:
50737 - original number
53737 - from Aug-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
Disposal
Scrapped by Vic Berry, Leicester
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 50687 | 59295 | 50737 | Noted 01/04/69 - in Birmingham New Street1 | ||||||
| EP478 | 50737 | 59255 | 50687 | Noted circa Jun-69 - ex-BL516 | |||||
| 50737 | 59295 | 50687 | Noted 27/09/69 - at Leicester2 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59300 | 50692 | Noted 05/11/70 - at Birmingham New Street1 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59301 | 50692 | Noted 16/01/71 - at Ipswich with 50677 + 59300 + 50730 on a Derby - Ipswich footex3 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59259 | 50687 | Noted 20/11/71 - in Birmingham New Street1 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59259 | 50671 | Noted 08/07/72 - at Thetford2 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59301 | 50677 | Noted 24/03/73 - at Derby1 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59280 | 50667 | Noted 14/07/1973 - at Birmingham New Street4 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59280 | 50667 | Noted 28/07/73 - at Thetford2 | ||||||
| EP585 | 50737 | 59255 | 50667 | Noted 30/08/74 - at Derby2 | |||||
| EP585 | 50737 | 59255 | 50667 | Noted 05/09/74 - in Birmingham New Street2 | |||||
| 50737 | 59293 | 50671 | Noted 04/09/76 - on 1220 Crewe-Lincoln St Marks | ||||||
| 50737 | 59267 | 50652 | Noted 16/04/77 - on 1M67 1251 Norwich-Birmingham New Street with 50346 + 56142 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59257 | 50651 | Noted 02/07/77 - on 1715 Nottingham-Derby | ||||||
| 50737 | 59295 | 50651 | Noted 20/12/77 - at Nottingham2 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59276 | 50657 | Noted 22/03/80 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59274 | 50688 | Noted 29/08/81 - at Norwich2 | ||||||
| 50737 | 59274 | 50688 | Noted 20/09/81 | ||||||
| EP518 | 50737 | 59274 | 50688 | Listed at DY - circa Jun-82 | |||||
| EP518 | 50737 | 59274 | 50688 | Noted circa 01/19835 | |||||
| EP518 | 53737 | 59274 | 53688 | Noted circa 06/19835 | |||||
| 53737 | 59274 | 53688 | Noted circa 12/19835 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59126 | 53688 | Noted 22/03/19855 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59571 | 53688 | Noted 01/06/85 - at Norwich2 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59571 | 53688 | Noted circa 07/19855 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59571 | 53688 | Noted 20/11/85 - on 08:35 Lincoln - Crewe service6 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59527 | 53688 | Noted 06/12/85 - on 16:30 Crewe - Lincoln Central service6 | ||||||
| TS408 | 53737 | 59571 | 53688 | New set number at TS - Jan-86 - number never carried | |||||
| 53737 | 59527 | 53688 | Noted 10/01/86 - on 09:22 Derby - Crewe service6 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59527 | 53688 | Noted 12/01/86 - on 21:10 Crewe - Grantham service6 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59571 | 53688 | Noted 13/02/1986 - operating from Tyseley in connection with additional services resulting from Proof House Bridge renewal.5 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59571 | 53688 | Noted 2nd April 1986 | ||||||
| 519 | 53737 | 59571 | 53688 | Noted 1st May 1986 | |||||
| 519 | 53737 | 59571 | 53688 | Listed at Ayr - Summer 1986 | |||||
| 53737 | 59531 | 53693 | Noted 3rd July 1986 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59531 | 53693 | Noted 7th July 1986 | ||||||
| 53737 | 59531 | 53693 | Noted 8th August 1986 | ||||||
| 519 | 53737 | 59531 | 53693 | Noted 9th August 1986 | |||||
| 519 | 53737 | 59531 | 53693 | Noted 6th September 1986 | |||||
| spare | 53737 | Formation change - circa Oct-86 | |||||||
| 53737 | 59374 | 53679 | Noted circa 11/19865 | ||||||
| 519 | 53737 | 59289 | 53679 | Formation change - circa Dec-86 | |||||
| 53737 | 59374 | 53679 | Noted 4th December 1986 |
Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Gerald Brown
3: Ipswich Transport Society
4: Jeremy Goodyear
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Martin Baumann
Images:
23rd April 1974
Set number: EP585
Picture quality isn't very good but this has rarity value. It's the first and only time I ever saw a Swindon cross country DMU (power cars 50737 + 50667, seems to be EP585) at Reading which according to the destination blind was on a special, as expected (possibly a 'Explore Britain' adex). Also the discarded GWR ATC ramp between the down main and the through line and the up main and through line. At this time there were very few of them left as they were being replaced by the standard BR AWS, a brand new one can be seen on the through line. 23rd April 1974. 54A South Dock.
22nd March 1980
A Class 120 set formed of 50737/59276/50657 is seen at Derby on 22/3/80. Chris Lings.
Unknown date
A Class 120 DMU with DMBC M50737 closest at Nottingham, date unknown. Paul Redmond.
12th October 1985
Class 120 hybrid set M53737 + E59571 + M53688 at Lincoln Central, 12th October 1985. Hamish Stevenson.
6th September 1986
Set number: 519
Hybrid Class 120 set 519 (probably 53737 closest) departs from Troon station coupled to set 101324 on September 6th, 1986. Andrew McConnell.
26th April 1987
Withdrawn 53737 + 53679 at Aberdeen Ferryhill depot for component recovery on the 26th April 1987. Hamish Stevenson.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 20th September 1981
This Swindon Class 120 cross-country set (M50688, M59274, M50737) is seen at Derby waiting to work the 17.18 to Lincoln, doors open in welcoming fashion. 20/9/81. Gerard Fletcher.
Date: 7th May 1983
The gradual decline in status of the venerable Swindon built Class 120 cross-country dmus was a sad spectacle to witness. Quite probably the most comfortable classic dmus still in service in the 1980s, it was still a pleasure to travel in them. How sad that they should all perish in the scrapyard without a complete set being preserved. Originally a Western Region car as W50688, it was one of the large batch transferred to Derby Etches Park in May 1969 to improve the quality of service on the Birmingham to Norwich/Cambridge and Crewe - Derby - Lincoln routes. At this time they had micro buffets in the centre cars and after a brief period of service, these were soon disused. Renumbered from M50688 the previous month, M53688 is seen on May 7th 1983 along with M59274 & M53737 having arrived at Peterborough on the 14.08 stopping service from Birmingham and loading to work the 17.25 return to Leicester. Gerard Fletcher.
Date: 17th December 1985
Two cars of a Swindon Cross-Country Class 120 unit Nos.53688-53737, reformed with a class 101 intermediate trailer No.59571 forming a Nottingham to Crewe service with Prototype class 150 unit No.151 001 on the Matlock shuttle service at the same platform face on a wet 17th December 1985. Gordon Edgar.
Date: 28th December 1985
A Swindon class 120 'Cross-Country' unit nos.53688 - 59571 - 53737 rattles away at Derby station during the early evening of 28th December 1985 forming a Crewe to Lincoln service. Gordon Edgar.