Vehicle 51403

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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

Jul-60	New to	WR Stock
circa early Sep-60	Transferred to	81C (Southall)
Apr-66	Transferred to	81D (Reading)
May 1973	Depot code change	RG
Apr-82	Withdrawn from	RG (Reading)

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

51403 was involved in the following incidents:

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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.

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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 The scene was attended to the next day by the Old Oak Common breakdown train which rerailed the unit. 51403 would be withdrawn.

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Disposal

Scrapped by BR, Reading Depot

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	51403						Noted 27/10/73 - at Reading1
	51361	59513	59543	51403					Noted 29/10/1973 - at Reading2
	51361	59513	51403						Noted 08/04/1974 - at Reading2
	51361	59513	51403						Noted 22/03/76 - in Paddington3
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 30/04/78 - at Reading1
L423	51361	59513	51403						Noted 05/06/1978 - Oxford Station4
L423	51361	59513	51403						Noted 16/07/1978 - Reading Station4
L423	51361	59513	51403						Listed at RG - 03/03/80
L423	51361	59513	51403						Noted 02/09/1980 - at Tilehurst 1
L423	51361	59513	51403						Noted 24/01/1981 - Farewell to Staines West Branch special train L403+L422+L423
L423	51361	59513	51403						Listed at RG - 01/03/81
L423	51361	59513	51403						Listed at RG - 28/11/81
L423	51361	59513	51403						Noted 20/04/1983 - on Reading depot 1
L423	51361	59513	51403						Noted 22/03/1986 - in Old Oak Common CS 1

Formation Sources
1: Martin Lumley
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Leonard Rogers
4: Shayne Lewis

Images:

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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.

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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.

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circa February 1980

Set number: L423

Class 117 DMU set L423 (W51403 and presumably W59513 + W51361) on Reading depot. The slide process date was February 1980. A Class 119 is on the right. Stuart Mackay Collection.

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circa 1982

Set number: L423

Heavily stripped and missing the cab end buffer beam, Class 117 DMS W51403 is seen circa early 1982. The vehicle has been involved in an incident while working a Henley - Twyford service late on 18 December 1981, failing to stop and demolished the buffer stop at Twyford. It was withdrawn from Reading depot in April 1982 and cut up there around that time, presumably where this was taken. Stuart Mackay Collection.