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Vehicle 51304

Class 118

Builder: BRC&W
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30543
Diagram: 534

Allocations

Apr-60	New to	83D (Laira)
by Jun-62	Transferred to	81D (Reading)
Sep-64	Transferred to	86A (Cardiff Canton)
by mid-Oct-65	Transferred to	84A (Laira)
Mar-66	Transferred to	81D (Reading)
May 1973	Depot code change	RG
w/e 06/03/76	Transferred to	BR (Bristol Bath Road)
16/05/82	Transferred to	LA (Laira)
08/07/85	Withdrawn from	LA (Laira)	- Collision damage

Modifications

4w/e 07/08/71 - Dual AWS fitted
p/e 09/08/75 - WR AWS removed

Disposal

Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51304	59471	51319		As delivered to Laira - April 1960
LA302	51304	59471	51319		Listed at Laira - Aug-60
469	51304	59471	51319		Listed at Reading - Apr-68 - was R329, non-gangwayed set
	51304	59471	51319		Noted 11/07/69 - at Royal Oak¹
	51304	59471	51319	56286	Noted 25/08/69 - at Paddington²
	51304	59471	51319		Noted 02/09/69 - at Paddington²
	51304	59471	51319		Noted 04/1971 - at Solihull³
	51304	59471	51319		Noted 28/08/73 - in Paddington²
B462	51304	59471	51319		Listed at BR - 01/05/1976
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 12/05/77 - on 2C44 1820 Bristol TM-Cardiff
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 30/07/77 - on 2C24 1540 Bristol TM-Cardiff
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 01/08/77 - on 2B50 1600 Cardiff-Bristol TM
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 07/10/77 - on 1A71 1355 Cardiff-Bristol TM with C500
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 22/10/77 - on 2C44 1820 Bristol TM-Cardiff
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 08/11/77 - on 2B36 1355 Cardiff-Weston Super Mare
B462	51304	59471	51319		Listed at BR - 31st December 1977
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 10/01/78 - on 2B24 0955 Cardiff-Bristol TM with C592
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 11/04/78 - on 2B70 1914 Worcester SH-Cheltenham
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 02/05/78 - on 2C19 1845 Cardiff-Hereford
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 19/05/1978 - Cardiff Central⁴
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 30/05/78 - on 1720 Cardiff-Bristol TM
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 30/09/78 - on 1619 Bristol TM-Cardiff
B462	51304	59471	51319		Noted 04/10/78 - on 2C19 1830 Cardiff-Hereford
B462	51304	59477	51319		Listed at BR - 03/03/80
B462	51304	59477	51319		Noted 15/03/1980 - M.R.S. / R.C.T.S. Caerwent Cannonball Railtour B462+B803
B462	51304	59477	51319		Noted 04/04/81 - Monmouthshire Railway Society Roath Dock Rumbler Railtour with B471
P462	51304	59477	51319		Listed at LA - 15/12/1982
P462	51304	59477	51319		Listed at LA - 01/01/85

Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Leonard Rogers
3: Peter Wallwork
4: Shayne Lewis

Images:

circa 1960

Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRC&W) class 118 dmu (DMBS W51304 nearest camera) at Saltash - c.1960. 53A Models of Hull Collection.

19th October 1974

Set number: L469

Suburban sets at Worcester Shrub Hill on 19th October 1974. I arrived from Hereford in car W51304 which was a BRC&W suburban set (later Class 118) on the left. Pete LG99.

circa late 1970s

Set number: B462

A suburban triple set in Cheltenham station, date unknown. The curved headcode box means it's a 118 or an early 117, the set number looks like if could be B462. From March 1976 this was formed 51304 + 59471 + 51319. W51304 being one of the 118s without marker lamps - these were fitted to it by March 1980 - so this was probably late 1970s. Phillip Malin.

15th March 1980

Set number: B462

The "Caerwent Cannonball" railtour was organised by the Monmouthshire Railway Society and RCTS on March 15, 1980. At Blaenavon in South Wales, this end of the six-car formation is a class 118 set, set B462 containing 51304/59477/51319. At the far end is Class 101 set B803 51450 + 59546 + 51522. Jeremy Chapter.

1982

Set number: B462

B462 (presumably 51304 59477 51319) enters Sroud station from the West over Brunel's viaduct on a Cheltenham - Swindon local service, circa 1982. fgrsimon.

Unknown date

Set number: P462

Class 118 DMU set P462 (presumably 51304 + 59477 + 51319) stabled at Westbury, date unknown - circa early/mid-1980s. Mike Bunker.

Unknown date

Set number: P462

Class 118 DMU set P462 (presumably 51304 + 59477 + 51319) in Exeter St Davids station. Date unknown, it was a Laira set from May 1982 until 51304 was withdrawn with accident damage in July 1985. At that time the DMS would move to Reading to become part of Class 119 set L579, the centre car would be stored then reinstated in August to Cardiff as part of Class 118 set C465. Stuart Mackay Collection.

May 1985

Set number: P462

Class 118 set P462 (presumably 51304 + 59477 + 51319) at Westbury in May 1985. My notes from the time say this was working a shuttle service to Taunton, presumably because of engineering works in the Exeter area. Robert28194.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 27th September 1978

Set number: B462

Class 118 DMU set B462 (presumably 51319 + 59471 + 51304) departing southbound from Bristol Temple Meads on 27 September 1978. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 1979

Set number: B462

BRC&W Class 118 set B462 (W51319 / W59471 / W51304) at Lawrence Hill in 1979. Robert Tarling.

Date: 15th March 1980

Set number: B803

The joint Monmouthshire Railway Society / RCTS 'The Caerwent Cannonball' railtour at Norchard on March 15, 1980. It was formed B803 51522 + 59546 + 51450 and B462 51304 + 59477 + 51319. Jeremy Chapter.

Date: 1981

Set number: B462

A Class 118 DMU (presumably 51319 59477 51304) on a Swindon to Cheltenham Spa service departs Stroud on a misty Winter's day in 1981. Stroud station, a typical GWR affair, has barely changed in the last 29 years. The railways have changed beyond imagination and mostly not for the better. fgrsimon.

Date: 21st October 1984

Set number: P462

Class 118 set P462 (51319 closest, presumably with 59477 + 51304) at Falmouth on October 21, 1984. An image that was originally in the Steve Davies Collection. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 29th January 1985

Set number: P462

Class 118 DMU set P462 (W51319 and presumably W59477 + W51304) passing Exeter Riverside yard on 29 January 1985. Keith Miller.

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