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Vehicle 51439 / 55941

Class 101

Builder: Met-Camm
Layout: Low-Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: AEC 150 hp / Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30500
Diagram: 523

Allocations

16/03/59	New to	53B (Hull Botanic Gardens)
Jan-60	Depot code change	50C
3w/e 19/03/60	Transferred to	55H (Neville Hill)
4w/e 31/07/60	Transferred to	South Gosforth
Feb-64	Depot code change	52J
May-73	Depot code change	GF
w/e 23/07/78	Transferred to	HT (Heaton)
2w/e 09/05/82	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill)
15/05/83	Transferred to	NR (Norwich)
Dec-83	Depot code change	NC
12/05/85	Transferred to	CA (Cambridge)
18/05/86	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill)
29/06/86	To Parcels Sector at	NL (Neville Hill)
27/07/86	Transferred to	CA (Cambridge)
14/12/86	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill)
18/01/87	Transferred to	CA (Cambridge)
circa Dec-88	Sector Change to	RPXN
19/07/89	Withdrawn from	CA (Cambridge) RPXX

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

51439 - original number
55941 - from Mar-87 (parcels conversion) - number allocated 3/87 but never carried

Refurbished

At Doncaster Works dated 12/12/1980 released in blue/grey livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51439	59531	59532	51509	As delivered to 53B - 16th March 1959
	51439	59531	59532	51509	Transfer to 55H - 3w/e 19/03/60
	51439	59531	59574	51509	Transfer to South Gosforth - 4w/e 31/07/60
	51439	59539	59573	50142	Noted 08/09/66 - at York¹
N304	51439	59539	50143		Noted 24/08/75 - on South Gosforth depot, set number only on 50143²
	51439	56136			Noted 22/01/78 - at Longbenton
	51439	56084			Noted circa 12/1981³
	51439	56084			Noted 16/01/1982³
	51439	56065			Noted circa 10/1982³
85	51439	54065			Noted 17/05/83 - at Norwich²
85	51439	54087			Noted circa 04/1985³
	51439	54087			Listed at Cambridge - circa Nov-85
	51439	54087			Noted circa 03/1986³
	51439	54087			Noted 28/03/1986 - at Ipswich⁴
	51439	53362			Noted circa 08/1986 - Parcels set³
	51439	53362			Noted 22/09/86 - at Leeds
	51439	53229			Noted 10/06/1987 - at Shenfield - parcels set - 53229 presumably 'borrowed' between transfer from Norwich to Botanic Gardens.⁴
	51439	53221			Noted 30/12/87 - at Leeds
	51439	53221			Noted 23/06/88 - at Norwich, parcel set²
	51439	53221			Noted 07/06/89 - at Norwich

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Gerald Brown
3: Eddie Knorn
4: Robert Chilton

Images:

22nd January 1978

Class 101 DMBS 51439 seen paired with Class 105 DTC 56136 at Longbenton, 22/1/78. They are heading in the South Gosforth direction, the chimney on the left is believed to be part of the Lucozade factory. Ian Francis.

8th June 1981

51439 in blue and grey is leading a blue and white DTCL as they make their Haltwhistle stop on 8th June 1981, the train is the 14.45 Newcastle - Carlisle. The large signal box is because this was the junction for the line to Alston, the stub of which is just behind the rear car. Meeting the train is a Ribble Bristol RELH/ECW coach, the replacement for the Alston service. Geoff Dowling.

22nd September 1986

In "Express Parcels" use, E51439 is seen at Leeds on 22/9/86 working with E53362. Malcolm Clements.

22nd September 1986

Class 101 Metro Cammell ex-DMBS E51439 in Express Parcels service, York 22-9-86 ish, with E53362. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

20th March 1987

Class 101 Met Camm car 51439 and Class 105 DMUs in Express Parcels service stabled next to Spillers, Cambridge 22-3-87. By marks on the cab the Cravens set may well be 53364+53373, photo of this set at Leeds in February 1987, no yellow stripe and Red Star logo beneath the number too, at this date anyway - by October it had the stripe. There were only 4 Met Camm Parcels sets and two of them are in this shot. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

30th December 1987

Parcels Class 101 51439 + 53221 with a 114 set at Leeds on 30/12/87. Rex Holt.

7th June 1989

51439 + 53221 at Norwich on 7/6/89. Sparegang.

8th August 1989

Condemned vehicles at Cambridge on 8/9/89. From left to right; the three 101 vehicles - thought to be 51439, 51441 + 51430, Class 105 53369 + 53367; the Cravens in the middle is 977123, and Class 100 975637. Mike Cooper.

14th April 1990

Class 101 parcels vehicle E51439 at Snailwell on April 14, 1990. Nicholas Youngman.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 31st August 1975

One of the DMU shuttles that ran from Darlington to Shildon for the Rail 150 Cavalcade on 31 August 1975. Helpfully, the November 1975 Railway Observer listed the formations of these shuttles and this one can be identified as, left to right, 59388 + 50644, 50141 + 59577 + 59081 + 50189 and 51439 + 59538 + 50143. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 22nd January 1978

A Cravens set, with 56136 at the rear (and 51439), is seen departing from Manors, 22/1/78. Ian Francis.

Date: 20th September 1986

Class 105 53362 in Express Parcels use at York 22-9-86 ish with 51439. The silver cab roof shows the car is ex-Stratford. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Date: 22nd September 1986

E53362 and E51439 in "Express Parcels" use at Leeds on 22/9/86. Malcolm Clements.

Date: 10th April 1987

37135 with parcels sets (53365 + 53362) and (53221 + 51439) seen at Queen Adelaide near Ely approaching from Peterborough direction on 10th April 1987. Nicholas Youngman.

Date: 8th October 1988

53221 with presumably 51439 seen at Leeds. 08/10/88 Nicholas Youngman Collection.

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