Vehicle 50782
Class 105
Builder: Cravens
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: AEC 150hp / Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30352
Diagram: 528
Allocations
| 3w/e 19/04/58 | New to | 26A (Newton Heath) | |
| May-58 | On loan to | 5B (Crewe South) | |
| Jun-58 | Ex-loan back to | 26A (Newton Heath) | |
| Sep-63 | Depot code change | 9D | |
| May-73 | Depot code change | NH | |
| Feb-81 | Transferred to | HA (Haymarket) | |
| 05/06/81 | Stored U. | HA (Haymarket) | |
| 29/06/81 | Withdrawn from | HA (Haymarket) |
Disposal
Scrapped by A King, Snailwell
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 50782 | 50815 | As delivered to 26A - April 1958 | |||||||
| 50782 | 50815 | Noted 31/12/69 - in Manchester Victoria1 | |||||||
| 50782 | 50815 | Noted 07/10/1973 - at Southport2 | |||||||
| 50782 | 50815 | Noted 17/07/76 - in Manchester Victoria3 | |||||||
| 50782 | 50815 | Noted circa 06/19804 | |||||||
| 105374 | 50782 | 59159 | 50789 | Noted March 1981 | |||||
| 50782 | 59159 | 50789 | Noted 15/03/81 - on Haymarket depot3 |
Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Leonard Rogers
4: Eddie Knorn
Images:
27th May 1972
A Cravens DMU calls at Stubbins on its way from Bury Bolton Street to Rawtenstall on 27 May 1972. M50782 is closest, the other car is thought to be M50815 labelled set NH135. These Newton Heath allocated twin power-car Class 105 sets were the mainstay of branch services for many years, sometimes substituted by Derby 108 units. The rails of the closed Accrington line can just be seen beyond the platform. This line climbed steeply alongside the Rawtenstall and Bacup line for some distance before swinging to the North West and away from the Irwell Valley towards Helmshore. View towards Ewood Bridge and Edenfield. Image courtesy of Mark Bartlett. WA Camwell Collection.
27th May 1972
The closure notices are posted and it is the last week of services on the Rawtenstall branch. A Newton Heath Cravens twin power-car DMU (M50782 and likely M50815 labelled set NH135) approaches Ewood Bridge and Edenfield from Rawtenstall on a Bury Bolton Street service on 27 May 1972. The distant signal (fixed) is for Townsend Fold level crossing just south of Rawtenstall. The line had been singled two years previously and the slew from Up to Down line can be seen behind the train. Image courtesy of Mark Bartlett. WA Camwell Collection.
27th May 1972
Set number: NH135
A Cravens DMU pulls into Ewood Bridge on 27 May 1972, one week before closure, on a Bury Bolton Street service with Alf Davenport in the driving seat. When the line between Bury and Rawtenstall was singled three signal boxes remained to control level crossings but the distant signals for these became fixed and Alf was not impressed. "If a man needs a fixed distant he shouldn't be on the railway" he would say. Fair point Alf - proud of his craft to the end, even on this very run down shadow of a former main line. DMBS M50782 is closest, the DMCL is thought to be M50815 labelled NH135. Image courtesy of Mark Bartlett. WA Camwell Collection.
3rd June 1972
Set number: NH135
Set NH135 led by M50782 with M50815 at Rawtenstall is on the 12:05 Rawtenstall to Bury, on the last day of services on the Rossendale line before it closed - 3/6/1972. Robert Chilton.
January 1982
Class 105s & 101 Millerhill Jan 1982. Withdrawn Cravens unit 50782 (formerly a Midland Region allocation) plus an SC one, thought to be 50770, and a Met Cam centre trailer await towing south for scrapping. Alistair Ness.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 27th May 1972
Set number: NH135
The tilted cap and beaming smile means that Alf Davenport is at the controls of the Cravens power-twin DMU (set NH135, thought to be M50815 + M50782) pulling into Summerseat after a 70mph run up from Bury Bolton St on 27 May 1972. Alf was one of five drivers in the Bury diesel link at the end of the Rawtenstall passenger services along with Paddy Delaney, Freddie Thomas, Tommy Unsworth and Harry Lofthouse and relief driver Gorton Joe Walker. There had been six but Arthur (Mad Mac) McCormack transferred to the Bury Leccie Link before the line closed and the other five drivers followed on 5th June 1972. These diesel drivers made the local teenage enthusiasts very welcome on the trains and I shall always be grateful to them for encouraging our hobby. Image courtesy of Mark Bartlett. WA Camwell Collection.
Date: 27th May 1972
Set number: NH135
A Cravens DMU (set NH135, thought to be M50815 + M50782) has just arrived in Ramsbottom from Rawtenstall on 27 May 1972, one week before closure. The Diesel Link drivers at Bury all remembered the days when the East Lancashire lines had an intensive freight and passenger service, including through trains to London. It must have been demoralising for them to shuttle back and forth to Rawtenstall through semi-derelict stations thinking of what had gone before. Ramsbottom had two footbridges, one either side of the crossing, but when it lost its buildings the bridge linking the platforms was demolished too. That bridge has now been restored by the ELR but the one from which this picture was taken, looking south, has gone. Image courtesy of Mark Bartlett. WA Camwell Collection.
Date: 3rd June 1972
Set number: NH135
Class 105 set NH135, believed to be DMCL M50815 closest, with DMBS M50782, taken at Bury Bolton St on the last day of services on the Rossendale line before it closed - 3/6/1972. This set had been a regular on the line during the final week. Robert Chilton.
Date: 15th March 1981
Class 105 sets at HA, 15th March 1981. Transferred to Haymarket from Newton Heath in February 1981 Sc50789 leads set 374, comprising 50782/59159 (a Class 104)/50789, at the west end of the depot. Its tenure here was short as it was withdrawn on 29th June of the same year. Note the Kilmarnock destination blind. Behind is 51477 in the blue/grey livery that was applied to a few of the cars. Bruce Galloway.
Date: 15th March 1981
At the west end of Haymarket depot on 15.3.81 sit two hybrid class 105 triples. On the left, freshly-outshopped from St Rollox in blue/grey and complete with ScR six-figure unit number (105 37x), is 51481/59567(cl.101)/51477, while further back, apparently on loan from Newton Heath, is 50782/59159(cl.104)/50789. See the comments in the caption to the photo of 55000 and others from the same occasion about the ScR's application of blue/grey to 105's. Notice too how the home-based unit contains two DMBS's : this was a result of the Region's policy in the 1970's of standardising on triples. Driving trailers from former two-car units of classes 101 and 105 were swapped with the Eastern Region for class 101 centre trailers and DMC's. However, this left the ScR with an excess of class 105 DMBS's which had to double up in triples for a while. Leonard Rogers.