Sign In

Vehicle 50839 / 53839

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: 30363
Diagram: 553

Allocations

4w/e 25/01/58	New to	88A (Cardiff Cathays)
Jan-61	Depot code change	88B
Mar-62	Depot code change	88M
Nov-64	Transferred to	86A (Cardiff Canton)
4w/e 06/05/72	Transferred to	81D (Reading)
18/06/72	Transferred to	66C (Hamilton)
May-73	Depot code change	HN
circa Aug-82	Transferred to	ED (Eastfield)
Nov-84	Transferred to	AY (Ayr)
27/03/86	Withdrawn from	AY (Ayr)
11/05/86	Reinstated	AY (Ayr)
20/02/87	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
11/10/87	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
18/09/88	Withdrawn from	NH (Newton Heath)

Notes

5th July 1985 - Seen with straight exhaust pipes (no silencers)
12th July 1989 - Seen withdrawn at Newton Heath depot

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50839 - original number
53839 - from Oct-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Disposal

Scrapped by Vic Berry, Leicester

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50839	59347	50892	As delivered to Cathays - 4w/e 25/01/58
CAT319	50839	59347	50892	Listed at Cathays - circa Sep-60
CAT319	50839	50892		Listed at CAT - Jul-62 - and centre car
	50839	59347	50892	Noted 06/11/70 - at Cardiff¹
CTN319	50839	59347	50892	Listed at Canton - circa Jan-71
	50839	59347	50892	Noted 26/08/1971 - at Newport²
	50839	59347	50892	Transfer to 81D - 4w/e 06/05/72
	50839	59547	51519	Noted 24/07/1973 - at Glasgow Central²
	50839	59347	50892	Noted 27/08/74 - on Hamilton depot³
159	50839			Noted 25/08/75 - on Hamilton depot, partners not recorded³
	50839	59347	50892	Noted 05/09/76 - on Hamilton depot³
	50839	59347	50892	Noted 09/04/1977 - On 16:00 Glasgow Central to East Kilbride⁴
166	50839	59347	50892	Listed at HN - mid-May-78 - gangwayed set
392	50839	59374	50892	Listed at HN - 01/02/81
116392	50839	59374	50892	Listed at HN - 13/06/82
	53839	59374	53882	Noted circa 12/1983⁵
116392	53839	59374	53892	Listed at ED - 17/06/84
116392	53839	59374	53892	Transfer to AY - circa Nov-84 - from ED
116392	53839	59374	53892	Listed at AY - 25/03/85
	53839	59344	53132	Noted 5th July 1985
	53839	59790	53132	Noted circa 02/1986⁵
116392	53839	59374	53892	Listed at Ayr - Summer 1986
392	53839	59121	53132	Listed at Ayr - August 1986
116392	53839	59121	53132	Noted 4th August 1986
	53839	59121	53132	Noted 9th August 1986
	53839	59121	53132	Noted 28th August 1986
	53839	59344	53132	Noted 17/01/1987⁵
	53839	59344	53132	Noted 21st January 1987
	53839	59725	53097	Noted 23/04/1987 - at Birmingham New Street⁶
TS356	53857	59433	53839	Noted circa 06/1987⁵
356	53839	59433	53857	Noted 13/06/87 - at Norwich³
T356	53839	59433	53857	Listed at TS - Jul-87
TS356	53839	59433	53857	Noted 15/08/87 - at Norwich - prefixes SC53839 + W59433 + M53857³
	53839	59433	53857	Noted October 1987
TS356	53839	59433	53857	Noted circa 01/1988⁵
N361	53839	53922		Listed at NH - May 1988
N361	53839	59433	53922	Listed at NH - May-88
N361	53839	59433	53922	Noted 13/05/88 - at Manchester Victoria
N359	53839	53922		Noted circa Jul-88
N359	53839	59114	53922	Noted circa Jul-88 - also marked 361

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Gerald Brown
4: Peter Wallwork
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Robert Chilton

Images:

24th January 1981

Set number: 166

The Proclaimers 'Letters from America' may have been a few years in the future but seems apt in reference to the near derelict condition of Paisley Canal station on a cold but sunny January day a couple of years prior to closure. Hamilton based Class 116 3 car unit led by DMBS Sc50839 with the 13:07 Glasgow Central to Kilmacolm is just about to depart. 24th January 1981. Bruce Galloway.

22nd January 1983

Set number: 116392

116 392 at Edinburgh Waverley forming the 1252 service to Glasgow Central. 50839 leading. Graham Johnston.

Unknown date

Set number: 116392

116 392 running through Princes Street Gardens. Date unknown, 53839 presumably closest. Andrew McConnell.

circa 1985

Set number: 116392

The DMBS from 116392, presumably 53839, hides behind a snowplough on Ayr depot. Thought to be taken in 1985. Stuart Mackay Collection.

circa summer 1986

Class 116/101 hybrid DMU set 116 392 led by 53839 arrives into Hartwood station (on the Shotts line) circa summer 1986. Brian Ward.

circa summer 1986

Set number: 116392

53839 leads set 116 392 seen in Hamilton West station circa summer 1986. The Met-Camm centre car is presumably 59121. Brian Ward.

1986

Set number: 116392

116 392 (53839 closest) has a 101 centre car - presumably 59121 - when seen at Kilwinning in late 1986. Andrew McConnell.

circa 1987

Set number: 116392

Trans-Clyde branded Derby suburban set 116392 in Edinburgh Waverley circa 1987, presumably with 53839 at the front. S Saunders.

25th April 1987

Complete with broken centre cab windscreen, 53839 arrives at Birmingham New Street on 25/04/87 with the 12.34 cross-city service to Blake Street. Steve Jones.

13th May 1988

Set number: N361

Class 116/119 hybrid set N361, M53839 + M59433 + M53922, at Manchester Victoria on May 13, 1988. John Carter.

15th September 1990

Withdrawn and damaged first generation DMU sets awaiting their fate, were stabled at the side of Newton Heath Depot on September 15th 1990. A pair of weary-looking Derby built Class 116 Suburban Driving Motor Brake Seconds 53842 & 53839 were keeping company with a fire-damaged BRCW Class 104 two-car set formed of cars 53532 & 53487. The adjacent sidings with diesel soaked trackwork have clearly been the resting place for other withdrawn units, the ground being strewn with various fittings and components including an wooden emergency evacuation ladder from a brake compartment. Martyn Hilbert.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: circa late 1986

Set number: 385

Class 116 set 385 is seen at Kilwinning with a Met-Camm center car, circa late 1986. 53132 leads, presumably with 59121 and 53839. Andrew McConnell.

Date: 4th June 1988

Set number: N359

With an incorrect destination blind and with Western Region 'W' prefixes on its numbers, a two-car Class 116 Suburban DMU formed of cars W53922 & W53839 was stood in platform 2 at Preston with a Preston to Colne service on June 4th 1988. As a three car set, the unit had previously worked from Cardiff Canton Depot, but was transferred to Newton Heath in 1988 to provide cover for the then troublesome new Class 142 fleet. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 15th September 1990

Golden light at Newton Heath Depot at dawn as the sun illuminated first generation DMU cars stabled on September 15th 1990. In the foreground are withdrawn Class 104s, M53421 & M53464, with out-of-service M53493 & M53444 on a parallel siding, the units being separated by a 20 Ton Brake Van. In the left background is a split 2-Car Class 101, the bodyside damage suggests the DMBS is 51227. Also present were two Class 116 Suburban DMU cars, 53839 & 53842. Martyn Hilbert.

➤