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Vehicle 51385

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: 30548
Diagram: 535

Allocations

Apr-60	New to	81D (Reading)
May 1973	Depot code change	RG
01/02/93	Transferred to	HQ (Headquarters) NWRX	- as L408
08/02/93	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters) NWRX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)
L406	50083	59495	51385		Noted 30/04/75 - at Royal Oak, set number L360 on 50083³
	51343	59495	51385		Noted 14/02/76 - on 13:15 Hereford - Oxford⁴
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 01/05/1976
	55031	59495	51385		Noted 08/09/76 - in Paddington³
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 05/1977 - Oxford Didcot Reading area⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 26/05/1977 - Oxford Station⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 07/10/1977 - Oxford to Didcot area⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 31st December 1977
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 17/02/1980 - At Didcot Station P5 0942⁵
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 03/03/80
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted circa 04/1982⁶
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 07/1985⁶
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at Reading - Summer 1986
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 21/06/1986 - at West Drayton⁷
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 21/06/1986 - at Slough⁷
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 21/06/1986⁶
	51343	59495	51385		Noted 04/06/87 - on 14:34 Paddington - Reading⁸
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - Aug-87
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted circa 10/1987⁶
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 16/04/1988⁶
L408	53477	59115	51385		Noted 07/08/1988 - At Moreton in Marsh on train to Oxford
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at - 15/05/89
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted circa 10/1990⁶
L408	51343	59495	51385		Listed at RG - 21/01/91
L408	51343	59495	51385		Noted 16/02/1991 - At London Paddington. ⁹
	53477	59115	51385		Noted 06/03/92 - on 11:40 Reading - Paddington¹⁰
	53477	59115	51385		Noted 09/04/92 - on 10:35 Reading - Newbury¹⁰
L408	53477	59115	51385		Listed at RG - 24/02/92 - NSE NWRX pool
L408	53477	59115	51385		Noted 20/05/1992 - 1735 Reading to Bicester Town
L408	53477	59115	51385		Noted circa 08/1992⁶
L408	53477	59115	51385		Listed at RG - 12/08/92
L408	53477	59115	51385		Listed at RG - November 1992 - Sector NWRX
	53477	59115	51385		Noted 09/11/92 - on 10:26 Gatwick - Reading¹⁰

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

Images:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 12th July 1980

Set number: L408

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

Date: 4th August 1981

Set number: L408

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

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: circa January 1990

Set number: L408

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

Date: 2nd October 1992

Set number: L408

A classic Paddington shot. Set L408 contains 53477 (104), 59115 (101) and 51385 (117). It has arrived on the 22:42 from Reading, 2/10/92. Gazza Prescott.

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