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Vehicle 51562

Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30461
Diagram: 609

Allocations

26/12/59	New to	6G (Llandudno Junction)	- stored pending allocation
w/e 02/01/60	Transferred to	6D (Chester Northgate)
Jan-60	Transferred to	6A (Chester)	- Northgate closed
06/05/73	Depot code change	CH
10/05/87	Transferred to	CF (Cardiff Canton)
04/10/87	Transferred to	LE (Swansea Landore)
15/03/92	Transferred to	CF (Cardiff Canton) PCFX
11/06/92	Sector Change to	CF (Cardiff Canton) RFXT
19/06/92	Withdrawn from	CF (Cardiff Canton) RFXT

Modifications

Sep-87 - Headlamp fitted

Disposal

Preserved - moved to NRM under own power - more details.

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50925	51562		As delivered to Llandudno Junction - 26th December 1959 - stored pending allocation
	50930	51562		Noted 19/09/71 - on Chester depot¹
	50930	51562		Noted 19/05/72 - at Chester¹
CR106	50930	51562		Noted 09/09/73 - on Chester depot²
	50930	51562		Noted 08/04/1976 - at Llandudno Junction ³
	50930	59414	51562	Noted 16/07/1978 - on 17:00 Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton with 50980 and 56263³
	50931	51562		Noted 28/08/1979 - on 04:15 Shrewsbury to Machynlleth with 50628, 56214, 51174 and 56273³
	50926	51562		Noted 24/10/1980 - At Chester Station⁴
	50931	51562		Noted circa 03/1981⁵
	50931	51562		Noted circa 05/1982⁵
	50931	51562		Noted circa 10/1982⁵
	50931	51562		Noted 02/04/1983 - LNER Society Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog and return section of Conway Valley Express Railtour 56175-50535 + 53228-54055 + 50358-56113 + 50931-51562
	53931	51562		Noted circa 06/1983⁵
	53931	51562		Noted 12/09/85 - at Machynlleth
	53931	51562		Listed at Chester - Summer 1986 - Relief set
C941	51922	59381	51562	Listed at CF - Jun-87
C941	51922	59694	51562	Listed at CF - Aug-87
C941	51922	59694	51562	Noted 15/08/1987 - 1634 Severn Beach to Bristol TM
C941	51922	59130	51562	Formation change - CF - Sep-87 - 59130 replaced 59694
S941	51922	51562		Formed at LE circa 10/87
S941	51922	51562		Listed at LE - Oct-87 - Headlight fitted
S941	51922	51562		Listed at LE - 15/05/89
	51922	51562		Noted 08/03/90 - on 10:21 Swansea - Portsmouth Harbour⁶
spare	51562			Listed at LE - Jul-91
spare	51562			Listed at LE - Aug-91
	51922	51562		Noted 23/10/1991 - 1705 Swansea Crewe, travelled throughout. ⁷
S941	51922	51562		Listed at LE - Dec-91
941	51922	51562		Noted 28/03/92 - on 06:53 Gloucester - Penzance

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Gerald Brown
3: Peter Wallwork
4: Shayne Lewis
5: Eddie Knorn
6: David Bellamy
7: MidlandDeltic

Images:

4th January 1960

Adorned as the 1,000 railcar built (by Derby), M51562 is seen here on its first day of passenger service - 4 January 1960 working a New Brighton service at Blacon on the day DMUs took over the line. David Faircloth.

4th January 1960

M51562, the 1000th diesel railcar built by Derby Works, seen in Chester Northgate on 4 January 1960. It was an a New Brighton train, this was the first day of DMUs on the services, and unusually it sits in platform 1 at Northgate normally only used by services over the CLC to Manchester Central. David Faircloth.

Unknown date

Class 108 DMC M51562 in Chester Northgate in the mid-1960s, still carrying the sideboard proclaiming it was the 1000th diesel railcar built at Derby. David Faircloth.

17th August 1966

M51562 carried this sideboard for some time, this was taken Welshpool on the 17th August 1966. Hamish Stevenson.

19th July 1967

A Derby Lightweight (Blue Square) DMU at Bidston Station on 19 July 1967. The leading car - DMCL M51562 - still carries its 1000th vehicle roofboard. George Woods.

22nd May 1979

Having arrived from Wrexham, a class 108 2-Car DMU stands in the Liverpool bound platform at Bidston awaiting turnaround on May 22nd 1979. The guard is walking up the platform with the tail lamp. The leading car is M51562, a Driving Motor Composite Lavatory, it was the 1,000th vehicle to be constructed at Derby Works, emerging new in 1959. After withdrawal it was claimed for the National Collection by the NRM. Martyn Hilbert.

12th September 1985

In this shot at Machynlleth on 12/9/85, 51562 is paired with 53931. Hamish Stevenson.

1987

Set number: C941

Class 108/101 hybrid set C941 (possibly 51562 + 59130 + 51922) leaving Pontypridd in 1987. John Law.

5th July 1988

Set number: S941

Class 108 (presumably 51562 + 51922) at Swansea on 5 July 1988. Nigel Menzies.

16th August 1989

Set number: S941

Class 108 set S941 (presumably 51562 + 51922) with the 12:04 Shrewsbury - Swansea (via Central Wales line & reversal at Llanelli) approaches Morlais Junction, just north of Llangennech. Taken from Class 108 set S946 on the 2M39 1528 Swansea - Crewe waiting for road to clear. Colin Brooks.

16th August 1989

Set number: S941

Class 108 Set S941 (presumably 51562 + 51922) with the 12:04 Shrewsbury - Swansea (via Central Wales line) taken from Class 108 set S946 on 2M39 1528 Swansea - Crewe (via Central Wales) at Morlais Junction, just north of Llangennech at 16:03 on Wednesday 16th August 1989. Colin Brooks.

15th May 1990

Set number: S941

Class 108 set S941 (51562 + 51922) at Longford with the 06:27 (SX) Chepstow-Carmarthen service on 15 May 1990. Robert Thomas.

28th March 1992

Set number: 941

51562 and 51922 are seen in Bristol Temple Meads station on 28/3/92 with the 06:53 Gloucester - Penzance service. Stuart Mackay Collection.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 22nd April 1979

Two Class 108 DMUs (the closest being Chester-allocated 50931 + 51562) in Wrexham General station on 22 April 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 26th July 1982

Class 108 DMSL 51562 stabled in the bay at Shrewsbury alongside 140001 which had arrived on the 05:44 from Swansea. 26 July 1982. I had left Neath at 05.06 to catch the 05.44 to Shrewsbury in order to ride on the experimental unit. My verdict on the ride was that this experiment was a failure and nothing would come of it. Wrong again! Robert Thomas.

Date: 6th December 1986

A DMU formation containing 54355 + 51180 / 51562 + 53931 arrives into Crewe station on 6 December 1986. All were allocated to Chester depot. Keith Miller.

Date: 25th February 1987

This image was taken at Bescot on 25 February 1987 and shows a 2 coach class 108 comprising vehicles 53931 + 51562. I was told on the day that the unit was being used as a route learning special covering various lines in this part of the world. DMUs were not especially common here at the time as all local trains to Walsall were in the hands of EMUs so I'm glad that I used a frame of colour transparency film on it. Peter Tandy.

Date: 2nd January 1988

Set number: S947

Seen at Swansea on 2 January 1988 are Class 108s S947 (53942 + 51567) on the 15:22 to Llandeilo and S941 (51562 + 51922) on the 14:05 to Milford Haven. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 1st July 1989

Set number: S941

Class 108 set S941 at Newport on 1st July 1989. The vehicle closest is DMBS 51922, the DMS is presumably 51562. John Carter.

Date: August 1989

Set number: S941

Carrying a Heart of Wales Rambler headboard Class 108 DMU set S941 - 51922 + 51562 - is seen at Llanelli with the 09:43 Swansea - Shrewsbury service one day in August 1989. Stuart Mackay Collection.

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