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Vehicle 51343

Class 117

Builder: Pressed Steel
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30546
Diagram: 534

Allocations

Apr-60	New to	81D (Reading)
May 1973	Depot code change	RG
03/12/93	Transferred to	HQ (Headquarters) NWRX
07/12/93	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters) NWRX

Modifications

6w/e 10/07/71 - Dual AWS fitted
p/e 06/09/75 - WR AWS removed

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 17/11/1978 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51343	59495	51385		As delivered to Reading - April 1960
RDG306	51343	59495	51385		Listed at Reading - Aug-60
406	51343	59528	51385		Noted circa Dec-67 - in plain blue with full yellow ends. Formerly RDG306, vestibule set
406	51343	59495	51385		Listed at Reading - Apr-68 - was R306, gangwayed set
	51343	59495	51385		Noted 25/08/69 - at Paddington¹
	51343	59495	51385		Noted 02/10/1971 - at Birmingham New Street²
	51343	59495	51385		Noted 25/10/1971 - at Paddington²
	51343	59538	59495	51385	Noted 28/08/73 - in Paddington¹
	51343	59495	51385		Noted 29/10/1973 - at Reading²
L406	51343	59495	51385		Noted 04/05/1974 - BR Western Region Outer Circle Railtour (L471+L403+L406)
	51343	59495	51385		Noted 14/02/76 - on 13:15 Hereford - Oxford³
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 01/05/1976
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 05/1977 - Oxford Didcot Reading area⁴
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 26/05/1977 - Oxford Station⁴
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 07/10/1977 - Oxford to Didcot area⁴
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 31st December 1977
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 17/02/1980 - At Didcot Station P5 0942⁴
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 03/03/80
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted circa 04/1982⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 15/12/1982
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 01/01/85
	51343	51385	54280		Noted circa 07/1985⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at Reading - Summer 1986
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 21/06/1986 - at West Drayton⁶
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 21/06/1986 - at Slough⁶
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 21/06/1986⁵
	51343	59495	51385		Noted 04/06/87 - on 14:34 Paddington - Reading⁷
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - Aug-87
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted circa 10/1987⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 16/04/1988⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at - 15/05/89
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted circa 10/1990⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 21/01/91
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 16/02/1991 - At London Paddington. ⁸
	51343	51571	53455		Listed at RG - 24/02/92 - NSE NWRX pool
L213	51343	54223			Noted 6th June 1992
L213	51343	54223			Listed at RG - 12/08/92
L213	51343	54223			Listed at RG - November 1992 - Sector NWRX
Spare	51343				Listed at RG - November 1993 - Sector NWRX

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Phil Shatford
4: Shayne Lewis
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Robert Chilton
7: Martin Baumann
8: Dave Warby

Images:

24th October 1960

W51343 was six months old when seen in Reading depot, 24th October 1960. Adrian Vaughan.

Unknown date

Set number: L408

A Refurbished Pressed Steel built Class 117 set at Southall, date unknown. The DMBS is W51343, which spent its whole career allocated to Reading depot. Behind is presumably 59495. Stuart Mackay Collection.

12th July 1980

Set number: L408

Class 117 DMU set L408 (presumably 51343 + 59495 + 51385) at Slough on 12 July 1980. Brian Daniels.

4th August 1981

Set number: L408

Class 117 DMU L408 (presumably 51343 59495 51385) approaches Maidenhead station, 4th August 1981. Paul James.

Unknown date

Set number: L408

Class 117 set L408 (W51343 closest) working as a two-car set in Bourne End station, date unknown. Glyn Weigh.

18th January 1987

Set number: L408

W51343 in Colchester station on Sunday 18/1/87. It had been sent from Reading to work the Sudbury branch, to where it had returned by the Tuesday when the usual Norwich was back on the branch. AndrewHA.

April 1988

Set number: L408

Class 117 unit L408 at Reading in April 1988. Curly42.

circa January 1990

Set number: L408

Class 117 DMU set L408 (51343 and presumably 59495 + 51385) approaches Southall circa January 1990. Stuart Mackay Collection.

12th August 1991

Set number: L408

With 51343 closest Class 117 DMU set L408 departs from Reading with the 11:00 local to Didcot on 12 August 1991. Stuart Mackay Collection.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 4th August 1981

Set number: L408

As L408 (presumably 51385 59495 51343) departs Maidenhead an unidentified HST approaches heading for London Paddington. 4th August 1981. Paul James.

Date: 23rd February 1983

Set number: L408

Class 117 DMU set L408 (presumably 51385 + 59495 + 51343) at Didcot North Junction on 23 February 1983. Brian Daniels.

Date: 28th April 1984

Set number: L408

Class 117 DMU L408 (presumably 51385 + 59495 + 51343) is seen from a Cross Country train in Reading station as its Class 47 locomotive (seen in the distance) runs round. The date is 28th April 1984. Bob Belcher.

Date: July 1985

Set number: L408

Class 117 DMU set L408 (W51385 and presumably W59495 + W51343) looking very clean when seen with an Oxford - Reading local at Lower Basildon, Thames Valley, in July 1985. Roger Geach.

Date: unknown

L408 (presumably 51385 + 59495 + 51343) with a second Class 117 DMU arrives at Taplow on 5 May 1990. Taken by John Vaughan. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 18th January 1987

Set number: L408

Over the weekend of 15th-18th January 1987 a large amount of snow fell in the Eastern Counties. So much so that for one reason or another Norwich Crown Point Depot could not supply a Unit to NSE to work on the Sudbury Branch from Colchester as from Monday 19th. January. The previous weeks had gone back for maintenance on the Saturday night. Network South East's DMU depot at Reading were asked to help out with a 2 car set and early on the Sunday afternoon Class 117 set L408 W51385 + W51343 turned up. It is seen in platform 6 of Colchester North Station on a bitterly cold Sunday 18th January. AndrewHA.

Date: 17th December 1990

Set number: L408

Class 117 DMU set L408 - presumably 51385 + 59495 + 51343 - in Iver station with the 13.15 Paddington - Reading service on 17 December 1990. Dave Warby.

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