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Vehicle 51566

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

28/11/59	New to	6G (Llandudno Junction)
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
19/01/86	Transferred to	BX (Buxton)
22/03/87	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
25/10/87	Transferred to	ED (Eastfield)
11/07/88	Transferred to	HA (Haymarket)
01/10/89	Transferred to	CH (Chester) PCHX
30/09/90	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley) PTSX
11/12/92	Withdrawn from	TS (Tyseley) RFXX

Modifications

circa May-86 - Headlamp fitted - remains at KD

Disposal

Preserved - more details.

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50929	51566		As delivered to 6G - 28th November 1959
	50929	51566		Noted 22/06/74 - at Chester¹
	50929	59131	51566	Noted 19/12/1977 - Chester²
	50925	51566		Noted circa 03/1981²
	50933	51566		Noted circa 05/1982²
	53933	51566		Noted 12/05/83 - on Chester depot
	53933	51566		Noted circa 01/1985²
	53933	51566		Noted circa 01/1986²
	53933	51566		Transfer to BX - 19/01/86 - from CH
	53933	59183	51566	Formation change - BX - circa Mar-86
	53933	59183	51566	Listed at Buxton - Summer 1986
	53933	59183	51566	Noted 18/02/1987²
T902	53933	59387	51566	Noted circa 06/1987²
T902	53933	59387	51566	Listed at TS - Jul-87
T902	53933	59387	51566	Noted 11/07/87 - at Norwich, headlights on both power cars¹
902	53953	59387	51566	Noted 12/09/87 - at Norwich¹
	53933	59387	51566	Transfer to ED - 25/10/87 - from TS
108383	53933	59387	51566	Listed at ED - Jan-88
383	53933	59387	51566	Noted circa 05/1988²
108383	53933	59387	51566	Listed at HA - circa August 1988
383	53933	59387	51566	Noted 15th February 1989
	53933	51566		Noted 24th July 1989
383	53933	51566		Noted 04/08/89 - on 06:27 Edinburgh Circle via Kirkcaldy
CH634	53933	51566		Listed at CH - 14/10/89
CH634	53933	51566		Listed at CH - mid May-90
T072	53933	51566		Noted circa 10/1990²
T072	53933	51566		Listed at TS - Jul-91
T072	53933	51566		Listed at TS - Aug-91
T072	53933	51566		Listed at TS - Dec-91
T072	53933	51566		Listed at TS - 02/07/92
T072	53933	51566		Listed at TS - 24/09/92
T072	53933	51566		Listed at TS - November 1992
spare	51566			Listed at TS - 10/12/92

Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Eddie Knorn

Images:

3rd June 1979

Class 108 DMCL M51566 on Chester depot, 3 June 1979. Brian Daniels.

12th May 1983

Class 108 Derby 2-car DMU 51566 + 53933 in all over blue and with a Central Wales line headlight, Chester depot on 12-5-83. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

29th November 1986

Set number: T072

A misty morning at Cosford on 29 November 1986 made the use of black & white film a better bet than Kodachrome 64. The subject is class 108 DMU T072 (51566 + 53933) complete with headlight and a red dragon emblem on the cab front. The train is about to stop at Cosford station with a Wolverhampton to Chester service stopping at all stations at least as far at Shrewsbury. Peter Tandy.

29th March 1987

Set number: T902

Class 108 DMS 51566, set number T902, is seen at Tyseley on 29.03.1987. This had recently been transferred in from Buxton. Andy Cole.

circa 1988

Set number: 383

A tatty 51566 in Haymarket station circa late 1988. Mike Bunker.

April 1988

Set number: 383

3-car Class 108 set 383 led by M51566 (presumably with 59387 and 53933) awaits departure from Waverley for Dunblane in April 1988. Alan Rintoul.

26th January 1990

Set number: CH634

Having called at Shifnal station, CH634 (53933 + 51566) on a Birmingham New Street-Shrewsbury working, burbles away across the town’s viaduct on Friday 26/1/90. Mel Holley.

March 1990

Set number: CH634

A Class 108 DMU on an Up service in the Conwy Valley at Cwmlanerch and seen from the B5106, March 1990. Probably set set CH634 (51566 + 53933). On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

September 1990

Set number: CH634

Class 108 DMU set CH634 (cars M51566 and M53933) waits at Blaneau Ffestiniog in May, 1990. Glen Batten.

circa 1991

Set number: T072

T072 (51566 presumably with 53933) proudly displaying it's Welsh Dragon while at Matlock in the heart of Derbyshire circa 1991. Roy Lambeth.

14th April 1991

Set number: T072

Tyseley's class 108 set T072 didn't work only in the Birmingham and Chester areas. On 14 April 1991 51566 + 53933 were approaching Nottingham station when I photographed them a short way to the east of Lenton Junctions. Peter Tandy.

14th September 1991

Set number: T072

The sunshine didn't last long at Cosford on 14 September 1991 and by the time that class 108 T072 (51566 + 53933) returned from Wolverhampton towards Chester the cloud and murk had returned allowing a shot from the north side of line thus giving a better view of the signals and other infrastructure. The wind sleeve in the background marks the site as being part of RAF Cosford, a training establishment and museum of many things aeronautical including an unfortunately static TSR2 experimental strike and reconnaissance aircraft, a victim of Governmental dogma. Peter Tandy.

26th November 1991

Set number: T032

Class 108 DMU set T072 (51566 and 53933) arrives into Long Eaton with the 14.20 Nottingham - Crewe service on 26 November 1991. Dave Warby.

26th November 1991

Set number: T072

Class 108 DMU set T072 (51566 and 53933) sits in Long Eaton station with the 14.20 Nottingham - Crewe service on 26 November 1991. Dave Warby.

17th July 1992

Set number: T072

51566 with 53933 as Tyseley's set T072 stands at a busy Derby station on 17/Jul/1992. The set number is somewhat cobbled together with numerals of differing colours and 51566 still retains it's Welsh Dragon and headlight from it's time on the Central Wales Line. This set is one of several class 108s which entered preservation as a complete set, initially in this case at Peak Rail. Robert Chilton.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: circa 1983

A Chester-allocated Class 108 power twin, 53933 and presumably 51566, circa 1983, at Wrexham Central. Stuart Pearce.

Date: 1987

Set number: T902

In platform 3 at Stratford-upon-Avon sometime in 1987 a 3 car Class 108 numbered T902 (presumably 53933 + 59387 + 51566) is on the front of the Midline Bubble which is conveniently positioned on the platform's curve so that its unique colour scheme is visible. Peter Tandy.

Date: 13th December 1987

Set number: 383

Class 108 set 383 (M53933 + 59387 + M51566) captured in Haymarket depot on December 13, 1987. Hamish Stevenson.

Date: April 1988

Set number: 383

Three-car Class 108 set departs from Edinburgh Waverley for Dunblane in April 1988 with M53933 on the rear (and presumably 59387 + 51566). Graeme Phillips Collection.

Date: 1st July 1989

Set number: 383

In pre-electrification days, 108383 (presumably 53933 + 51566) departs from Edinburgh Waverley with the 10.15 train to Bathgate on 01-07-1989. Gordon Thomson.

Date: 5th July 1989

An unusual view of the west end of Waverley station, Edinburgh, on the morning of 5/7/89. No trains were moving this day - it was the day of one of the weekly strikes staged by the NUR that summer. Almost every platform is filled with stabled stock. From left to right there are : an HST in plat.19, 52053 coupled to 59248 and 52059 (108 380) in plat.18, a Mk.2 DVT (9709) in plat.17, 53260 coupled to 59042 and 51241 (101 315) in plat.16, nothing visible in plat.15, 150 244 in plat.14, 53933 (coupled to 51566) in plat.13, 53164(cl.101) coupled to 59800(cl.107) and 53733, forming 120 535, in plat.12 and another HST in plat.11. Leonard Rogers.

Date: March 1990

Set number: CH634

A Class 108 DMU arrived at Blaenau Ffestiniog, set CH634 (53933 + 51566) in March 1990. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Date: 14th September 1991

Set number: T072

I often had a drive over to Cosford in 1991 because of 1) the MGR traffic to and from Ironbridge Power Station still sometimes with class 20s in charge and 2) for the first generation DMUs on the Chester services. On 14 September 1991 class 108 T072 (53933 + 51566) was photographed in a lucky patch of sunshine on a largely cloudy morning as it slowed for the stop at the nearby station while working a Chester to Wolverhampton service. The bracket signal was the obvious attraction of this location and without it the shot would have been much less photogenic. Peter Tandy.

Date: 26th November 1991

Set number: T072

Class 108 DMU set T072 (53933 and 51566) departs from Long Eaton station with the 14.20 Nottingham - Crewe service on 26 November 1991. Dave Warby.

Date: 27th June 1992

Set number: T072

The Stratford-upon-Avon to Leamington Spa services saw many different classes of DMU but I didn't see many 108s. This set, T072 (53933 + 51566), was climbing Hatton Bank on 27 June 1992 as it went towards a red signal protecting the 15mph junction for the Stratford branch. Peter Tandy.

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