Vehicle 51573 / 55934
Class 120
Builder: BR Swindon Works
Layout: Cross Country
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: BR Standard
Engines: AEC 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30515
Diagram: 636
Allocations
| Jan-61 | New to | 84E (Tyseley) | |
| by Jun-62 | Transferred to | 83D (Laira) | |
| Sep-63 | Depot code change | 84A | |
| 4w/e 04/05/68 | Transferred to | 82A (Bristol Bath Road) | |
| Aug-68 | Transferred to | 84A (Laira) | |
| 4w/e 22/02/69 | On loan to | 81D (Reading) | |
| May-69 | Transferred to | 82A (Bristol Bath Road) | |
| 06/05/73 | Depot code change | BR | |
| 30/06/74 | Transferred to | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
| 3w/e 09/10/76 | Transferred to | LA (Laira) | |
| w/e 03/05/80 | Transferred to | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
| 29/11/81 | Transferred to | NH (Newton Heath) | |
| by Jun-82 | Transferred to | DY (Derby Etches Park) | |
| circa early 1984 | Transferred to | NH (Newton Heath) | |
| 13/04/86 | To Parcels Sector at | CA (Cambridge) | |
| 18/05/86 | Transferred to | NL (Neville Hill) | |
| 27/07/86 | Transferred to | CA (Cambridge) | |
| 02/11/86 | Stored U. | CA (Cambridge) | |
| 03/05/87 | Withdrawn from | CA (Cambridge) |
Notes
27th December 1987 - Seen in Tinsley Yard
The vehicle carried the following numbers:
51573 - original number
55934 - from 04/04/87 (parcels conversion)
Modifications
circa Jul-70 - Dual AWS fitted
p/e 25/06/77 - WR AWS removed
Disposal
Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 51582 | 51573 | 56292 | Noted circa Sep-67 - in blue with yellow panel (120) 56292 blue full yellow end | ||||||
| 51573 | 51582 | Noted circa Dec-67 - in plain blue with small yellow panel | |||||||
| 51573 | 59296 | 51582 | Transfer to 81D - 4w/e 22/02/69 - on loan | ||||||
| 51573 | 59296 | 51582 | Noted 30/07/69 - at Bristol Temple Meads1 | ||||||
| 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 23/08/1971 - at Newport2 | ||||||
| 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 12/10/71 - at Church Road, Edgbaston3 | ||||||
| 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 01/07/1973 - at Exeter2 | ||||||
| 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 07/09/73 - in Bristol Temple Meads1 | ||||||
| 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 30/05/1974 - at Great Malvern2 | ||||||
| C552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 16/07/74 - on 1620 Cardiff-Weymouth between B579 51065 + 59424 + 51093 and P557 51578 + 59580 + 51587 | |||||
| B552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 29/08/74 - on 2C06 0650 Chepstow-Milford Haven with C505 50665 + 59588 + 50715 | |||||
| 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 30/08/1974 - at Newport, with 562892 | ||||||
| C552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 05/09/74 - at Severn Tunnel Junction1 | |||||
| C552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 08/02/76 - on 1069 1140 Cardiff-Salisbury with B900 | |||||
| C552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Listed at CF - 01/05/1976 | |||||
| C552 | 50723 | 59278 | 51573 | Noted 06/08/1976 - at Cardiff Central - 2 DMBCs4 | |||||
| 51573 | 59278 | 51578 | Noted 04/09/76 - at Bristol (two DMBSs)3 | ||||||
| 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Transfer to LA - 3w/e 09/10/76 | ||||||
| P552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Listed at LA - 31st December 1977 | |||||
| P552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted 06/08/79 | |||||
| P552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Listed at LA - 03/03/80 | |||||
| 51573 | 51582 | Noted 15th April 1980 | |||||||
| 552 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Transfer to CF - w/e 03/05/80 | |||||
| EP503 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Listed at DY - circa Jun-82 | |||||
| 51573 | 59108 | 51582 | Noted 1983 | ||||||
| EP503 | 51573 | 59285 | 51582 | Noted circa 01/19835 | |||||
| EP503 | 51573 | 59108 | 51582 | Noted circa 01/19845 | |||||
| EP503 | 51573 | 59108 | 51582 | Noted 13/09/85 - at Blaenau Ffestiniog, NH set carrying number EP503 | |||||
| 51573 | 59108 | 51582 | Noted 13/11/1985 - 13:21 Chester-Man Vic6 | ||||||
| 51573 | 59108 | 51582 | Listed at NH - circa Jan-86 | ||||||
| 51573 | 51581 | Formation change - CA - 2w/e 14/05/86 - Parcels | |||||||
| 51573 | 51582 | Noted circa 08/1986 - Parcels set.5 |
Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Leonard Rogers
4: Peter Wallwork
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Chris Moxon
Images:
circa 1977
Set number: 552
Class 120 DMU set 552 (W51573 leading) arrives into Par station. The slide process date was July 1977. Stuart Mackay Collection.
5th June 1979
Set number: P552
Class 120 DMU set P552 (W51573 and presumably 59285 + 51582) at Aller Junction with the 11:21 Paignton - Newton Abbot service on 5 June 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.
September 1979
Set number: P552
Swindon Cross-Country set P552 (presumably 51573 + 59285 + 51582) at Exeter in September 1979. Michael Mensing.
September 1979
Set number: P552
Class 120 set P552 seen in Exeter St Davids during September 1979. Visible vehicles are presumably 51573 and 59285. Michael Mensing.
13th March 1982
A Class 120 Swindon Cross-Country set, with M51573 closest, seen at Preston on the 13th March 1982. Chris Lings.
25th June 1985
Set number: EP503
A Class 120 hybrid set drifts through the West Lancashire countryside at Cocker Bar between Midge Hall and Ulnes Walton with the 17.55 Preston to Ormskirk service on June 25th 1985. The former Derby Etches Park set EP503 was formed of two Class 120 Swindon built driving cars and a Class 101 centre trailer car. This particular out and back service on the Ormskirk line was regularly diagrammed for a Class 120 during this period. The sets were normally used on Manchester to Blackpool North services. Martyn Hilbert.
2nd August 1985
Set number: EP503
A hybrid Swindon Cross-Country 3-Car DMU set (Formerly Derby Etches Park Depot set EP503) with W51573 leading, departs from Kirkham with Manchester Victoria to Blackpool South tea-time through service on August 2nd 1985. Sandwiched between the two Class 120 driving cars was a Metro-Cammell Class 101 trailer car. This viewpoint including the semaphore signal has now gone, a six-foot palisade fence now segregates the running lines from the cobbled road to the former goods yard. Martyn Hilbert.
27th June 1986
Set number: EP503
51573 at Leeds, 27th June 1986, with Express Parcels branding on the bodyside. Malcolm Clements.
28th June 1986
About to cross New Mills viaduct on 28th June 1986 is a Swindon Cross-Country class 120 dmu set, including 51573 + 51582 which has been converted to parcels use, the Red Star parcels branding can be seen down the side. These units were rare along here, this is the only time I think I saw one, it's possibly the only photograph I have of one along here! Andrew J Crowther.
Unknown date
An Express Parcels branded Class 120 set is seen at Leeds with 51573 closest. Malcolm Clements.
July 1986
Set number: EP503
A Express Parcels Class 120 Swindon Cross-Country set at Leeds circa 1986. The vehicles (M51573 + M51582) still carry set number EP503 from their time at Etches Park depot. Ian Charles.
circa October 1986
Chester depot, circa October-November 1986, contains (l-r) a 116, 108, 142, parcel 120s and a 108. The closest parcel vehicle has no marker light above the destination blind so it is a batch three vehicle, of which only M51573 had oval buffers and an EP set number in parcel use. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.
4th July 1988
Class 120 parcels car 55934 (ex-51573) seen at Snailwell on July 4, 1988. Nicholas Youngman.
4th July 1988
Near Kiln Lane, Ely. From the left - part of 55939 (M51582) then 55934 (M51573), E54423, E54193 and pair of Class 20's. Nicholas Youngman.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 30th April 1979
Set number: P552
Swindon Cross-Country DMU set P552 (presumably 51582 + 59285 + 51573) at St Ives on 20 April 1979. Alistair Ness.
Date: 6th August 1979
Set number: P552
Class 120 DMU set formation P552, consisting of cars 51582 59285 51573 is seen with 1546 Paignton-Exeter at Dawlish, 06/08/1979. Graeme Phillips Collection.
Date: September 1979
Set number: P552
Swindon Cross-Country set P552 (presumably 51582 + 59285 + 51573) departs from Exeter Central in September 1979. Michael Mensing.
Date: 1983
A Class 120 repaint at Swindon Works in the summer of 1983. The BR logo and number are applied before painting (as was the white lines), these vinyl stickers are supplied with a masking layer which is removed after painting. The number appears to be M51578 or M51573 - although both of these were oval buffered vehicles? fgrsimon.
Date: 13th September 1985
Set number: EP503
EP503 contains M51582 + M59108 + M51573 when seen at Blaenau Ffestiniog on the 13th September 1985. Hamish Stevenson.
Date: 13th November 1985
A Class 120/101 hybrid, 51582/59108/51573 working the 13.21 Chester-Manchester Victoria, 13/11/85. Anthony Griffiths.
Date: 27th June 1986
51582 is seen in the company of a 114, and paired with 51573. Leeds, 27th June 1986. Malcolm Clements.
Date: 28th June 1986
Speeding towards Sheffield and about to cross New Mills viaduct on June 28th 1986 is a Swindon Cross-Country class 120 dmu set (51582 + 51573) which has been converted to 'Express Parcels' use. Andrew J Crowther.
Date: 4th July 1988
Part of E54390 nearest then 59108, 55939 (M51582), 55934 (M51573), E54423, E54193 and pair of Class 20's. Seen near Kiln Lane Ely on July 4, 1988. Nicholas Youngman.