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
May-60 | New to | 81C (Southall) | |
Apr-68 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
May 1973 | Depot code change | RG | |
2w/e 10/04/76 | Transferred to | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
16/05/82 | Transferred to | BR (Bristol Bath Road) | |
21/06/87 | Transferred to | LA (Laira) | |
20/01/88 | Transferred to | TS (Tyseley) | |
p/e 27/04/91 | Sector Change to | TS (Tyseley) PXXZ | |
13/02/92 | Withdrawn from | TS (Tyseley) PXXZ |
Jan-72 - Dual AWS fitted
p/e 09/08/75 - WR AWS removed
Scrapped by Booth Roe Metals, Rotherham
51348 | 59500 | 51390 | As delivered to Southall - May 1960 | ||||||
SHL307 | 51348 | 59500 | 51390 | Listed at Southall - Aug-60 | |||||
456 | 51348 | 59500 | 51390 | Listed at Southall - Apr-68 - was S307, non-gangwayed set | |||||
51348 | 59500 | 51390 | Noted 29/10/1973 - at Reading1 | ||||||
51348 | 59528 | 59500 | 51390 | Noted 21/08/742 | |||||
L456 | 51348 | 59500 | 51390 | Noted 30/04/75 - at Royal Oak3 | |||||
L456 | 51348 | 59500 | 51390 | Noted 23/08/75 - in Birmingham New Street3 | |||||
51348 | 59500 | 51390 | Noted 22/03/76 - in Paddington2 | ||||||
C453 | 51348 | 59340 | 51390 | Listed at CF - 01/05/1976 | |||||
51348 | 59340 | 51390 | Noted 04/09/76 - at Cardiff2 | ||||||
C453 | 51348 | 59340 | 51390 | Listed at CF - 31st December 1977 | |||||
C453 | 51348 | 59340 | 51390 | Noted 02/01/1978 - Cardiff Central4 | |||||
C453 | 51348 | 59340 | 51390 | Listed at CF - 03/03/80 | |||||
B439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Listed at BR - 15/12/1982 | |||||
B439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Noted circa 07/19835 | |||||
B439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Noted 05/11/1983 - Hertfordshire Railtours The Glamorgan Freighter B439+L406+55020 | |||||
B439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Listed at BR - 01/01/85 | |||||
B439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Noted circa 11/19855 | |||||
B439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Noted 19/02/19865 | |||||
B439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Listed at Bristol (Bath Road) - Summer 1986 | |||||
B439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Noted 05/03/19875 | |||||
51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Noted 09/06/87 | ||||||
51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Transfer to LA - 21/06/87 - from BR | ||||||
P439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Listed at LA - Aug-87 | |||||
P439 | 51348 | 59479 | 51390 | Noted 13/09/1987 - BLS Cornish Clayliner Railtour | |||||
P439 | 51348 | 51390 | Formation change - LA - circa 10/87 - 59479 removed | ||||||
TS314 | 51348 | 59478 | 51390 | Formation change - TS - 2w/e 13/03/88 - 59478 added | |||||
T314 | 51348 | 59478 | 51390 | Listed at Tyseley - 7th April 1988 | |||||
51348 | 59478 | 51390 | Noted 28/05/88 - at Newcastle with charter6 | ||||||
T314 | 51348 | 59478 | 51390 | Noted 13/08/88 - at Norwich3 | |||||
T314 | 51348 | 59677 | 51390 | Noted circa 12/19885 | |||||
T314 | 51348 | 59677 | 51390 | Listed at TS - 01/09/89 | |||||
T314 | 51348 | 59677 | 51390 | Listed at TS - 01/12/89 | |||||
51348 | 59677 | 51390 | Noted 06/05/1990 - at Tyseley depot1 | ||||||
T314 | 51348 | 59677 | 51390 | Listed at TS - mid May-90 | |||||
T314 | 51348 | 59677 | 51390 | Noted circa 12/19905 | |||||
T314 | 51348 | 59677 | 51390 | Noted 16/03/1991 - At Crewe.7 |
Formation Sources
1: Jeremy Goodyear
2: Leonard Rogers
3: Gerald Brown
4: Shayne Lewis
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Graeme Phillips
7: Dave Warby
An image from the Swindon Works Accident series. This is Pressed Steel DMS 51390, which has sustained some damage to the cab side. Negative 5AA 1561, taken 15/4/64. Note part of the set number can be seen on the solebar to the right, showing it was a Southall vehicle at the time. British Railways.
An image from the Swindon Works Accident series. A close of of cab side damage to Pressed Steel DMS 51390. Negative 5AA 1562, taken 15/4/64. British Railways.
Pressed Steel DMUs on Southall depot, 27 March 1966. Closest appears to be W51390 which was allocated there from new until April 1968 when it, and the rest of the allocation, moved to Reading. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 117 DMU set C453 (51390 and presumably 59340 + 51348) at Treherbert after arriving from Barry Island on 15 May 1979. Robert Thomas.
Set B439 approaches Freshford station on July 31, 1982, presumably 51390 + 59479 + 51348. Steve Davies Collection.
Set B439 enters Freshford station on July 31, 1982, presumably 51390 + 59479 + 51348. Steve Davies Collection.
Class 117/118 set B439 (DMS W51390 + class 118 TC W59479 + DMBS W51348) at Weymouth waiting to work its service to Bristol, Saturday 21st August 1982 Iain Reid.
The 'Glamorgan Freighter' railtour at Onllwyn on 5 November 1983. The visible vehicles from left to right are 51341, 51390, 59479 and 51348. Chris Lings.
Class 117 DMU set B439 (51390 + 59479 + 51348) passing Severn Tunnel Junction depot on 30 May 1985. Keith Miller.
Class 117 DMU set B439 (presumably DMS 51390 + TCL 59749 + DMBS 51348) set arriving at Didcot on 28 August 1985. A bubble can just be seen on the left in the loop, thought to be W55031. Nicholas T Smith.
Class 117 set B439 (presumably 51390 + 59479 + 51348) at Abergevenny in April 1987. Mike Cooper.
Class 117 DMU set B439 (presumably 51390 + 59479 + 51348) at Bugle with the Branch Line Society Cornish Clayliner railtour on 13 September 1987. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 117 power cars 51390 and 51348 stabled on Laira depot on 17 January 1988. They were transferred to Tyselely a few days later. Behind is Class 121 sandite TDB977486. Keith Miller.
A Coalville-Leicester DMU shuttle, run in connection with Coalville Open Day, passes Bagworth and Ellistown on 5 June 1988. Closest is Class 117 set T314, presumably 51390 + 59478 + 51348. Lewis Bevan.
An image from the Swindon Works Accident series. This is Pressed Steel TC 59515, which has sustained some side swipe damage. Negative 5AA 1563, taken 15/4/64. Taken the same day as the damage to 51390, which would be from a different set, did the two vehicles hit one another? British Railways.
'C453 at Cardiff, August 1974'. However this is too early to contain a refurbished liveried set. C453 (51348 + 59340 + 51390) moved to Cardiff in April 1976 and was refurbished in July 1977. Is C453 the blue or the refurbished set in the image? Steve Davies Collection.
The 'Glamorgan Freighter' railtour during its stop at Swansea East Depot on 5 November 1983. It was formed of B439 (51348 / 59479 / 51390), L406 (51341 / 59493 / 51383) & L120 (55020) Chris Lings.
Stopped at Onllwyn on 5 November 1983 is the 'Glamorgan Freighter' railtour (51348 / 59479 / 51390 + 51341 / 59493 / 51383 + 55020). Chris Lings.
The 'Glamorgan Freighter' railtour during its stop at Onllwyn on 5 November 1983. The vehicles visible are 51348, 59479 and 51390. Chris Lings.
Class 117 DMU set B439 (51348 + 59479 + 51390) passing Severn Tunnel Junction on 30 May 1985. Keith Miller.
Bristol Bath Road allocated DMU set B439 (presumably 51348 + 59479 + 51390) is seen approaching Standish Jct off the 'Golden Valley' line from Swindon in August 1985. The mainline towards Bristol is on the right. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 121 'bubble car' 55031 at Didcot on 28 August 1985. The Class 117 in the platform is thought to be B439 with 51390 visible. Nicholas T Smith.
Class 117 DMBS 51348, set number B439, is seen stabled at Tyseley on 26.12.1985, presumably with 59479 and 51390 behind. Andy Cole.
The set number on this 117 appears to read B439, which is presumably formed 51348 + 59479 + 51390. Seen at Stroud on the 25th April 1987. 54A South Dock.
Class 117 DMU set B439 (51348 + 59479 + 51390) at Nanpean with the Branch Line Society Cornish Clayliner railtour on 13 September 1987. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A picture from 9 September 1990 with class 117 T314 formed of 51348 + 59677 + 51390 working on the Birmingham Cross City line but only between Lichfield City and New Street. The unit is leaving the station to cross over and run back into the Birmingham departure platform, a move necessary before the line was electrified and equipped with bi-directional signalling. For those liking the sun on the front of their trains it seems that I timed both this and the above shot wrongly! Peter Tandy.
On Sunday 9 September 1990 inter-regional trains ran via Lichfield City on the Cross City line in the West Midlands. The usual DMUs were also running and as these terminated here a shunt between up and down platforms was required. In the picture class 117 T314 (51348 + 59677 + 51390), transferred to Tyseley from the Western region in 1988, is and passing the signal box as it entered the station from Birmingham before going out towards Alrewas for its reversal. Peter Tandy.