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Vehicle 50931 / 53931

Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30460
Diagram: 543

Allocations

19/12/59	New to	6G (Llandudno Junction)
w/e 02/01/60	Transferred to	6D (Chester Northgate)
Jan-60	Transferred to	6A (Chester)	- Northgate closed
06/05/73	Depot code change	CH
14/05/90	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) PLOX
25/11/90	Transferred to	BR (Bristol Bath Road) PBRX
09/01/92	Withdrawn from	BR (Bristol Bath Road) PBRX

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50931 - original number
53931 - from 1983 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

circa early 1975 - AWS fitted

Disposal

Scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50931	51568		As delivered to 6G - 19th December 1959
	50931	51568		Noted 19/09/71 - on Chester depot¹
	50931	51565		Noted 13/04/1977 - 2D87, 14.17 Llandudno Junction to Llandudno²
	50931	59414	51565	Noted 30/08/1977 - Worked 17.25 Crewe - Llandudno service, seen at Prestatyn.²
	50931	59414	51565	Noted 09/09/77 - at Aberystwyth³
	50931	50189		Noted 19/12/1977 - 2J80, 11.28 Birkenhead North to Wrexham Central²
	50931	51562		Noted 28/08/1979 - on 04:15 Shrewsbury to Machynlleth with 50628, 56214, 51174 and 56273⁴
	50931	51562		Noted circa 03/1981²
	50931	51562		Noted circa 05/1982²
	50931	51562		Noted circa 10/1982²
	50931	51562		Noted 02/04/1983 - LNER Society Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog and return section of Conway Valley Express Railtour 56175-50535 + 53228-54055 + 50358-56113 + 50931-51562
	53931	51562		Noted circa 06/1983²
	53931	51562		Noted 12/09/85 - at Machynlleth
	53931	51562		Listed at Chester - Summer 1986 - Relief set
	53931	54350		Noted 12/12/1987²
CH271	53931	54278		Listed at CH - May 1988
CH261	53931	54260		Noted circa May-88
CH271	53931	54260		Noted circa May-88
CH271	53931	54260		Noted circa Jul-88
CH271	53931	54260		Noted circa 11/1988²
CH271	53931	54260		Listed at CH - 14/10/89
	53931	54260		Noted 28/10/89 - on 10:02 Warrington Central - Chester⁵
LO271	53931	54260		Listed at LO - mid May-90
B979	53931	54260		Listed at BR - Jul-91
B979	53931	54260		Listed at BR - Aug-91
B979	53931	54260		Listed at BR - Dec-91

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Eddie Knorn
3: Gerald Brown
4: Peter Wallwork
5: Graeme Phillips

Images:

22nd April 1979

Two Class 108 DMUs (the closest being Chester-allocated 50931 + 51562) in Wrexham General station on 22 April 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.

28th September 1979

Class 108 DMU 50931 at Wolverhampton on 28/09/79, on the right is 47 147. Steve Jones.

4th April 1985

A Class 108 set with 53931 closest seen in Blaenau Festiniog station on the 4th April 1985. Chris Lings.

25th February 1987

This image was taken at Bescot on 25 February 1987 and shows a 2 coach class 108 comprising vehicles 53931 + 51562. I was told on the day that the unit was being used as a route learning special covering various lines in this part of the world. DMUs were not especially common here at the time as all local trains to Walsall were in the hands of EMUs so I'm glad that I used a frame of colour transparency film on it. Peter Tandy.

6th July 1988

Set number: 271

Set (CH)271 at Machynlleth on 6 July 1988. The DMBS is 53931, presumably paired with 54260. Nigel Menzies.

10th April 1989

Set number: CH271

Class 108 DMU set CH271 (53931 + 54260) at Hunts Cross, 10/4/89. Sparegang.

10th April 1989

Set number: CH271

Class 108 DMU set CH271 (53931 + 54260) at Manchester Oxford Road, 10/4/89. Sparegang.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 12th September 1985

In this shot at Machynlleth on 12/9/85, 51562 is paired with 53931. Hamish Stevenson.

Date: 6th December 1986

A DMU formation containing 54355 + 51180 / 51562 + 53931 arrives into Crewe station on 6 December 1986. All were allocated to Chester depot. Keith Miller.

Date: 6th July 1988

Set number: T332

Suburban set T332 (presumably 53073 + 59598 + 53865) with a Class 108 (53931 + presumably 54260) behind at Machynlleth on 6th July 1988. Nigel Menzies.

Date: 6th July 1988

Set number: T332

Suburban set T332 (presumably 53073 + 59598 + 53865) with a Class 108 (53931 + presumably 54260) behind at Machynlleth on 6th July 1988. Nigel Menzies.

Date: 10th April 1989

Set number: CH271

Class 108 DMU set CH271 (54260 + 53931) at Hunts Cross, 10/4/89. Sparegang.

Date: 14th April 1991

Set number: B962

A depot full of Class 108s. Bristol Bath Road on Sunday 14 April 1991 - closest to the right is set B962 with DMBS 53619, working left B961 (presumably 54208 + 53608) is in the distance, looking freshly painted with the black mask is B979 (presumably 54260 + 53931), side by side with B966 (possibly 54191 visible). The DMBS partially seen on the left is 53614, withdrawn in January that year and in a few months it would arrive at Snailwell for disposal. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: April 1992

Set number: B979

Mistimed. Of course in retrospect, I should have waited a couple of moments for these alighting passengers to pass before releasing the shutter. It's evening one day in April 1992, and a first generation dmu (set B979, presumably 54260 + 53931) is about to get away from Bedminster station, Bristol. Most likely this is a service for Weston-super-Mare but the destination blind has not been set. That's my Raleigh "Royal" touring cycle leaning against the lamp post when it was brand new. It's still going strong today, but sadly those panniers, which gave many years of sterling service, do not survive. Tom Harper.

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