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Vehicle 51361

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

Jul-60	New to	81C (Southall)
Apr-66	Transferred to	81D (Reading)
May 1973	Depot code change	RG
p/e 30/03/91	Transferred to	OO (Old Oak Common) NWRX
p/e 09/11/91	Transferred to	RG (Reading) NWRX
14/12/92	Sector Change to	RG (Reading) NWXX
07/06/93	Transferred to	BY (Bletchley) NGBX
09/02/94	Sector Change to	BY (Bletchley) NXXX
26/05/94	Transferred to	PZ (Penzance) RELV
Mar-97	Transferred to	HQ (Headquarters) SCXH
Apr-99	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters)

Modifications

p/e 12/08/72 - Dual AWS fitted
Jun-75 - WR AWS removed

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 23/02/1979 released in white/blue stripe livery

51361 was involved in the following incidents:

5/11/74 - Cropredy

Derailment involving Class 117

Info from Peter Mullen

The 6:54 Leamington Spa to Oxford derailed at Cropredy, after a length of rail had fractured under a preceding freight train. More Details.

18th December 1981 - Twyford

Collision involving Class 117

Class 117 set L423 led by 51403 on the 23:13 Henley - Twyfordran through the buffers at Twyford after a brake failure. It demolished the bufferstops at the end of the bay platform and landed partly in the station approach on top of a parked car. The scene was attended to the next day by the Old Oak Common breakdown train which rerailed the unit. 51403 would be withdrawn.

Disposal

Scrapped by MC Metal Processing, Springburn

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51361	59513	51403		As delivered to 81C - July 1960
SHL314	51361	59513	51403		Listed at Southall - circa Oct-60
416	51361	59513	51403		Listed at Reading - Apr-68 - was R335, gangwayed set
L416	51361	59543	59513	51403	Noted 30/09/1973 - 51370-59522-51412 + 51341-59493-51383 + 51361-59453-59513-51403 (L466-L454-L416) BR Merrymaker excursion Oxford to Brighton
	51361	59513	59543	51403	Noted 29/10/1973 - at Reading¹
	51361	59513	51403		Noted 08/04/1974 - at Reading¹
	51361	59513	51403		Noted 22/03/76 - in Paddington²
L423	51361	59513	51403		Listed at RG - 01/05/1976
L423	51361	59513	51403		Listed at RG - 31st December 1977
L423	51361	59513	51403		Noted 05/06/1978 - Oxford Station³
L423	51361	59513	51403		Noted 16/07/1978 - Reading Station³
L423	51361	59513	51403		Listed at RG - 03/03/80
L423	51361	59513	51403		Noted 24/01/1981 - Farewell to Staines West Branch special train L403+L422+L423
	51361	59480	51091		Noted circa 04/1982⁴
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted 19/06/1982 - Hertfordshire Railtours Witchfinder General L423+L410+L405
L423	51361	59513	51399		Listed at RG - circa Jan-83
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted 01/03/1983 - At Reading West on Bedwyn service
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted circa 01/1984⁴
L423	51361	59513	51399		Listed at RG - 01/01/85
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted 23/11/1985 - at Paddington⁵
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted circa 02/1986⁴
L423	51361	51399			Noted circa 04/1986⁴
L423	51361	59513	51399		Listed at Reading - Summer 1986
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted 13/09/1986⁴
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted 24/01/1987⁴
L423	51361	59513	51399		Listed at RG - Aug-87
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted 17/10/1987 - Ripple Lane Depot open day shuttle from Barking; at least one run was made coupled to DPU 53218-53230 which carried standing passengers!
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted circa 04/1988⁴
L423	51361	59513	51399		Listed at RG - 15/05/89
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted 17/06/1989 - L423+L428 Oxford to Poole and return special train
L423	51361	59513	51399		Listed at RG - 21/01/91
L423	51361	59513	51399		Noted circa 03/1991⁴
L423	51361	59513	55028		Noted 01/04/91 - at Royal Oak, 55028 set number L128⁶
L423	51361	59513	51399		Listed at RG - 12/08/92
L423	51361	59513	51399		Listed at RG - November 1992 - Sector NWRX
L723	51361	51399			Listed at BY - November 1993 - Sector NGBX
117305	51361	51368			Listed at PZ - 02/12/96

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

Images:

Unknown date

Set number: L423

51361 heads L423 through Iver, presumably with 59513. Date unknown. Robert Frise Collection.

19th June 1982

Set number: L423

The Hertfordshire Railtours 'Witchfinder General' at Ipswich Lower Yard on June 19th 1982. It was formed of Class 117 sets L423 + L410 (with a Met-Camm centre car) + L405 (51361 + 59513 + 51399 / 51345 + 59549 + 51387 / 51381 + 59491 + 51340). Image by Richard Huggins. John Law Collection.

19th June 1982

Set number: L423

19th June 1982

Set number: L423

The Hertfordshire Railtours 'Witchfinder General' at Thames Haven Yard on June 19th 1982. It was formed of Class 117 sets L405 + L410 (with a Met-Camm centre car) + L423 (51340 + 59491 + 51381 / 51387 + 59549 + 51345 / 51399 + 59513 + 51361). John Law.

19th June 1982

Set number: L423

51361 leads the Hertfordshire Railtours 'Witchfinder General' into Stratford on June 19th 1982. John Law.

19th June 1982

Set number: L423

The Hertfordshire Railtours 'Witchfinder General' at Fenchurch Street on June 19th 1982. 51361 / L423 is closest. Image by Richard Huggins. John Law Collection.

1st March 1983

Set number: L423

Class 117 DMU set L423 (presumably 51361 + 59513 + 51399) at Reading West on 1-3-83. Reading depot can be seen in the distance containing many DMUs. Brian Daniels.

29th June 1985

Set number: L423

L423, Reading, 29 June 1985. W51399 leads (furthest), presumably with 59513 and 51361. Nigel Menzies.

early 1989

Set number: L423

Class 117 set L423 at Southall early in 1989 with 51361 and presumably 59513 + 51399. Stuart Mackay Collection.

18th March 1990

Set number: L423

Pressed Steel Class 117 DMU set L423 departs from Slough with 51361 on the rear of the Paddington-Reading train on 18 March 1990. Dave Warby.

Circa September 1994

Set number: L723

Set L723 is formed with two DMBSs (presumably 51361 + 51344), and it's NSE livery must have been an unusual sight in Cardiff Queen Street. Undated, circa September 1994 when the pair were loaned to Cardiff for driver training. Tom Clift.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 7th July 1978

Set number: L423

Class 117 DMU set L423 (presumably 51403 + 59513 + 51361) arriving at Moreton-in-Marsh on 7 July 1978. Michael Mensing.

Date: 21st March 1979

Set number: L423

Class 117 DMU set L423 (presumably 51403 + 59513 + 51361) at Oxford with a service for Banbury on 21 March 1979. Brian Daniels.

Date: 19th June 1982

Set number: L405

The Hertfordshire Railtours 'Witchfinder General' at Sizewell sidings on June 19th 1982. It was formed of Class 117 sets L405 + L410 (with a Met-Camm centre car) + L423 (51340 + 59491 + 51381 / 51387 + 59549 + 51345 / 51399 + 59513 + 51361). Image by Richard Huggins. John Law Collection.

Date: 19th June 1982

Set number: L405

Date: 19th June 1982

Set number: L405

The Hertfordshire Railtours 'Witchfinder General' at Ipswich Griffin Wharf on June 19th 1982. It was formed of Class 117 sets L405 + L410 (with a Met-Camm centre car) + L423 (51340 + 59491 + 51381 / 51387 + 59549 + 51345 / 51399 + 59513 + 51361). Image by Richard Huggins. John Law Collection.

Date: 19th June 1982

Set number: L405

The Hertfordshire Railtours 'Witchfinder General' at Ipswich Lower Yard on June 19th 1982. It was formed of Class 117 sets L405 + L410 (with a Met-Camm centre car) + L423 (51340 + 59491 + 51381 / 51387 + 59549 + 51345 / 51399 + 59513 + 51361). Image by Richard Huggins. John Law Collection.

Date: 19th June 1982

Set number: L423

Taken from 59513 and looking towards 51361 leading the Hertfordshire Railtours 'Witchfinder General' at Harwich Town Quay on June 19th 1982. Image by Richard Huggins. John Law Collection.

Date: 11th February 1984

Set number: L423

Class 117 DMU set L423 (presumably 51399 + 59513 + 51361) at Bourne End on 11 February 1984. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 29th April 1985

Set number: L423

Class 117 Set L423 (presumably 51399 + 59513 + 51361) on a Worcester Shrub Hill - Birmingham New St service arrives at Stourbridge Junction beside a Class 116 on Monday 29th April 1985. Colin Brooks.

Date: 29th June 1985

Set number: L423

L423, Reading, 29 June 1985. W51399 leads, presumably with 59513 and 51361. Nigel Menzies.

Date: 11th June 1986

Set number: L423

Class 117 DMU set L423 (51361 + 59513 + 51399) at Oxford on 11-6-86. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Date: 17th June 1989

Set number: L423

Two Class 117 DMU sets at Poole on 17 June 1989. Closest is L423 with DMS 51399 and presumably 59513 and 51361. The destination blind displays 'Special'. David Mant.

Date: circa July 1997

Set number: 709

Class 117s at Exeter St Davids. Closest is 51344, presumably with 51386. Behind is possibly 51361, with GWR-liveried 51368 at the far end. The slide process date was July 1997. Stuart Mackay Collection.

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