Vehicle 51389
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
| May-60 | New to | 81C (Southall) | |
| Mar-67 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
| Jan-68 | Transferred to | 84A (Laira) | |
| 4w/e 04/05/68 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
| May 1973 | Depot code change | RG | |
| 18/09/92 | Transferred to | OO (Old Oak Common) NWRX | |
| 03/12/93 | Transferred to | HQ (Headquarters) NWRX | |
| 07/12/93 | Withdrawn from | HQ (Headquarters) NWRX |
Modifications
8w/e 01/01/72 - Dual AWS fitted
Jun-75 - WR AWS removed
Refurbished
At Swindon Works dated 06/10/1978 released in white/blue stripe liveryDisposal
Scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | As delivered to Southall - May 1960 | ||||||
| SHL306 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at Southall - Aug-60 | |||||
| RDG340 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted circa Jan-68 - in plain blue with small yellow panels, became LA314 | |||||
| 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted circa May-68 | ||||||
| 51347 | 59409 | 51389 | Noted 07/03/70 - at Royal Oak1 | ||||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 01/05/1976 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 16/05/1977 - Oxford Station2 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 27/10/1977 - Oxford Station2 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 31st December 1977 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 11/02/1980 - At Oxford2 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 03/03/80 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 15/12/1982 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted circa 01/19843 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 01/01/85 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 25/11/1985 - Hertfordshire Rail Tours The Anglian Vibrator Railtour L411+55021+L412 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 05/04/19863 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at Reading - Summer 1986 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 12/07/1986 - Hertfordshire Railtours and Southern Electric Group The Fen Tiger L412+L424 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59478 | 51389 | Formation change - circa Dec-86 - 59478 replaced fire damaged 59499 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59478 | 51389 | Noted circa 01/19873 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59478 | 51389 | Noted 24th January 1987 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 24/01/19873 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted circa 08/19873 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - Aug-87 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 15/05/89 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 21/01/91 | |||||
| 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 09/04/92 - on 14:17 Paddington - Reading4 | ||||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 24/02/92 - NSE NWRX pool | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 17/06/92 - at Royal Oak1 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at RG - 12/08/92 | |||||
| L412 | 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Listed at OO - November 1992 - Sector NWRX | |||||
| 51347 | 59499 | 51389 | Noted 09/11/92 - on 11:26 Gatwick - Reading4 | ||||||
| Spare | 51389 | Listed at RG - November 1993 - Sector NWRX |
Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Shayne Lewis
3: Eddie Knorn
4: David Bellamy
Images:
March 1964
Two Pressed Steel suburban 3-car DMUs are seen at Radley with an Oxford service in May 1964. DMS W51389 leads. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Unknown date
Set number: L412
Class 117 DMU set L412 (51389 and presumably 59499 + 51347) at Reading (General), date unknown. Paul Redmond.
circa late 1970s
Set number: L412
Class 117 DMU set L412 (51389 and presumably 59499 + 51347) in London Paddington. Circa late 1970s - it was refurbished in October 1978. Paul Redmond.
15th January 1980
Set number: L412
Class 117 DMU set L412 (presumably 51389 + 59499 + 51347) at Kennington with an Oxford service on 15 January 1980. Brian Daniels.
14th April 1980
Set number: L412
Pressed Steel set L412 (51389 + 59499 + 51347) in the original white refurbished livery leaves the dead end Platform 6 at Reading and heads towards Paddington. Note that the destination blind still reads Reading (General). Tony Watson.
June 1980
Set number: L412
With an oval buffer and a 'cut' buffer, W51389 leads Class 117 set L412 (presumably with 59499 + 51347) through Sonning Cutting in June 1980. Karel 1999.
11th April 1981
Set number: L412
W51389 leads Class 117 set L412 (presumably with 59499 + 51347) at Kings Sutton on April 11, 1981. It is displaying Banbury (General) on the destination blind. Steve Davies Collection.
Unknown date
Set number: L412
Class 117 set L412 (presumably 51389 + 59499 + 51347) just arrived at Reading, date unknown. Walter Burt.
August 1984
Set number: L412
Pressed Steel Class 117 3-car Suburban dmu No.L412 (presumably W51389 + W59499 visible) in Rail Blue & Grey livery with all-yellow front ends arriving at Paddington on a service from Reading, 08/84. Hugh Llewelyn.
23rd November 1985
Set number: L412
L412 (51389 + 59499 + 51347) at the end of The Anglian Vibrator railtour seen at Wisbech, 23/11/85. Chris Lings.
23rd November 1985
Set number: L412
51389 at the rear of the Anglian Vibrator railtour, seen at North Elmham on the 23rd November 1985. Chris Lings.
23rd November 1985
Set number: L412
Set L412, 51389/59499/51347, at head of Set L121, 55021, and Set L411, 51388/59498/51346, at Wisbech with ‘The East Anglian Vibrator’ on 23 November 1985. Rob Paterson.
12th July 1986
Set number: L412
51389 (+ 59499 + 51347) at the head of the 'Fen Tiger' railtour seen at Kings Lynn on the 12th July 1986. Chris Lings.
6th September 1991
Set number: L412
NSE-liveried Class 117 set L412 (51389 and presumably 59499 + 51347) at Slough on the 15:45 London Paddington-Reading. John Carter.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 2nd April 1977
Set number: L412
W51347 is at the head of Class 117 set L412 (presumably with 59499 + 51389) approaching Slough station with a Paddington service on April 2nd, 1977. Rex Holt.
Date: unknown
Set number: L412
Class 117 DMU set L412 (51347 and presumably 59499 + 51389) arriving into London Paddington. Circa late 1970s - it was refurbished in October 1978. Paul Redmond.
Date: unknown
Set number: L412
Class 117 DMU set L412 (51347 and presumably 59499 + 51389) at Reading. Circa late 1970s - it was refurbished in October 1978. Paul Redmond.
Date: 14th September 1979
Set number: L412
Class 117 DMUs at Oxford on 14 September 1979. On the left L412 (presumably 51347 + 59499 + 51389) is having mail loaded or unloaded and on the right L429 (presumably 51409 + 59519 + 51367) is arriving. Brian Daniels.
Date: 23rd November 1985
Set number: L411
Set L411, 51346/59498/51388, at rear of Set L412, 51389/59499/51347 and Set L121, 55021, at Hardingham, Norfolk, with ‘The East Anglian Vibrator’ railtour on 23 November 1985. Rob Paterson.
Date: 23rd November 1985
Set number: L411
Set L411, 51346/59498/51388 with Set L121, 55021, and Set L412, 51347/59499/51389 out of sight, at North Elmham, Norfolk, with ‘The East Anglian Vibrator’ on 23 November 1985. Rob Paterson.
Date: 23rd November 1985
Set number: L411
Hertfordshire Railtours 1G30 King`s Cross to Wisbech, Dereham and North Elmham `Anglian Vibrator` charter leaving the Wisbech branch at March Whitemoor Junction on 23 November 1985. Six Bells Junction lists the vehciles as W51346 + 59498 + 51388 / 55021 / 51347 + 59499 + 51389. Phil Bevan.
Date: 23rd November 1985
Set number: L411
In rapidly fading light the Hertfordshire Railtours 'Anglian Vibrator' railtour is seen during a photostop at what was once Dereham station on the Mid Norfolk line. This DMU tour on November 23, 1985, was a seven car formation comprising Western Region sets L411 (51346 + 59498 + 51388) + L121 (55021) + L412 (51347 + 59499 + 51389) and ran as train 1G30 07.35 London Kings Cross to London Kings Cross covering primarily the Wisbech and North Elmham freight branches. The 16 mile North Elmham branch from Wymondham taking 3hrs 10mins to cover out and back because of the multitude of manual crossings operated by the traincrew. Adrian Nicholls.
Date: 12th July 1986
Set number: L425
Wisbech on the 12th of July 1986. Class 117 DMU sets L424 (51404 + 59514 + 51362) and L412 (presumably 51347 + 59499 + 51389) are on the Fen Tiger Railtour run jointly by Hertfordshire Railtours and the South Electric Group. The tour set out from Reading and travelled via Victoria, Kensington, the North London Line, Stratford, Finsbury Park and Peterborough. It went on to Kings Lynn and then back via Cambridge, Stratford, the North London line and Victoria. The KDH Archive.
Date: 19th May 1987
Set number: L412
Class 117 DMU set L412 (presumably 51347 + 59499 + 51389) in Bicester Town station on 19 May 1987. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Date: circa August 1989
Set number: L409
Class 117 DMU set L409 (51389 + 59496 + 51346) at Reading with Oxford on the destination blind. The driver is at this end as are red marker lamps and with no sign of passengers if could be changing platforms? Date unknown, the slide process date was August 1989. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Date: 17th August 1989
Set number: L412
Class 117 set L412 (51347 and presumably 59499 + 51389) departs from Reading with the 12:08 (SO) to Bedwyn on 17 August 1989. Robert Thomas.
Date: circa February 1991
Set number: L412
An unusual visitor to Tyseley in about February 1991 as class 117 L412 (51347 + 59499 + 51389) called at the station with a train either from Shirley or Stratford-upon-Avon. The unit was allocated to Reading depot at the time and as far as I can establish was never one of Tyseley's sets. The Midlands depot was well-known at the time for getting hold of "foreign" units to fill in gaps in their own increasingly unreliable trains. Peter Tandy.
Date: 31st March 1992
Set number: L596
With the position of the sun 'wrong' for an approaching shot, this view was taken from the rear. The front set is number L412 and that nearest the camera is L596. Taken at 17:14, a late afternoon Up service for Paddington on the Relief Line at West Ealing station. 31st March 1992. Presumably Class 119 L596 is formed of 51099 + 59416 + 51076 and Class 117 L412 51347 + 59499 + 51389. Alistair Fyffe.