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Vehicle 52054

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: 30660
Diagram: 638

Allocations

05/11/60	New to	26A (Newton Heath)
4w/e 31/12/60	Transferred to	8H (Allerton)
Feb-61	Transferred to	26A (Newton Heath)
w/e 03/06/61	Transferred to	24F (Fleetwood)
4w/e 02/06/62	Transferred to	26A (Newton Heath)
Sep-63	Depot code change	9D
2w/e 11/10/69	Transferred to	8J (Allerton)
4w/e 31/12/72	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
May-73	Depot code change	NH
26/03/86	Transferred to	BX (Buxton)
27/04/86	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
10/05/87	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
04/10/87	Transferred to	LA (Laira)
05/10/92	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) RCLO
01/02/93	Transferred to	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX
04/02/93	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated circa 10/1978 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Preserved - more details.

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51939	52054	As delivered to 26A - 5th November 1960
	51939	52054	Transfer to 8H - 4w/e 31/12/60
	51939	52054	Transfer to 26A - 4w/e 04/03/61
	51939	52054	Transfer to 24F - w/e 03/06/61
	51939	52054	Transfer to 26A - 4w/e 02/06/62
	51939	52054	Noted 20/07/68 - in Newton Heaton depot¹
	51939	52054	Noted 01/06/1977 - 18.14 Lime Street - Wigan NW²
	51939	52054	Noted 06/01/1978³
	51939	52054	Noted 13/10/1982 - Worked Man Vic to Blackpool service²
NH162	51939	52054	Noted circa 11/1982²
	51939	52054	Noted circa 11/1983²
	51939	52054	Noted 26/11/1983 - RCTS Mersey Mariner Railtour 51927-59168-52049 + 53812-53355 + 51939-52054
	51939	52054	Listed at Newton Heath - Summer 1986
T203	51933	52054	Listed at TS - Jul-87
TS203	51933	52054	Noted circa 07/1987²
P955	51933	52054	Formed at LA circa 10/87
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - Oct-87
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - Nov-87
P955	51933	52054	Noted 04/04/1988²
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - 08/08/88
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - 15/05/89
955	51933	52054	Noted circa 08/1990²
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - Jul-91
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - Aug-91
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - Dec-91
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - 02/07/92
P955	51933	52054	Listed at LA - 24/09/92
LO618	51933	52054	Listed at LO - November 1992
	51933	52054	Noted 04/12/92 - on 10:18 Manchester Piccadilly - Rose Hill⁴
LO618	51933	52054	Listed at LO - 10/12/92

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Eddie Knorn
3: Peter Wallwork
4: David Bellamy

Images:

18th May 1968

A Blue Square Derby Lightweight power-twin (M52054 and presumably M51939) at Bolton on 18 May 1968. It looks like it is changing platforms or on an ECS. Stuart Mackay Collection.

4th September 1976

A Class 108 power twin with M52054 closest seen at Kirkham on 4 September 1976. John Horne Collection.

28th May 1979

British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 52054 & 51932 passing St. Annes signal box on a Blackpool South - Kirkham train, Tuesday 28 May 1979. Ian 10B.

29th May 1979

A Class 108 2-car DMU 52054 + 51932 working a Kirkham & Wesham to Blackpool South service passing St. Thomas' Road, St. Annes-on-the-Sea. View looking north, Tuesday 29 May 1979. Ian 10B.

29th May 1979

British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 52054 + 51932, approaching Watson Road bridge, Blackpool S.S. The DMU was working a Kirkham - Blackpool South train on Tuesday 29 May 1979. Ian 10B.

29th May 1979

British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 52054 + 51932 passing the site of the former Burlington Road station, Blackpool S.S. The DMU was working a Blackpool South- Kirkham train on Tuesday 29 May 1979. View north from the footbridge. Blackpool Pleasure Beach station which opened on 13 April 1987 is now at this location. Ian 10B.

29th May 1979

British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 52054 + 51932, St. Leonard's Road, St, Annes-on-the-Sea. The DMU was working a Kirkham - Blackpool South train, Tuesday 29 May 1979 Ian 10B.

November 1979

A Class 108 power-twin with M52054 closest departing Manchester Victoria for Rochdale in November 1979. Hugh Llewelyn.

30th July 1981

In refurbished DMU white livery, a two-car Class 108 DMU stands at Bamber Bridge with the 13.46 Colne to Preston service on July 30th 1981. The leading car is M52054 complete with its first class saloon behind the cab. Looking at the cab front the car has been in the wars, and a piece of plywood across the former headcode box typifies the state that many of the local DMUs were in around this period. Martyn Hilbert.

30th July 1981

Passengers await the arrival of the 13.46 Colne to Preston service at Bamber Bridge on July 30th 1981. With both cars in refurbished white with blue stripe livery, Driving Motor Composite M52054 was the leading car. Just visible is the tail end of Class 104 M50464 underway in the opposite direction with the 14.30 Preston to Colne service. Martyn Hilbert.

15th March 1982

Class 108, 52054 + 51939, wait at Ormskirk with the 09.24 hrs to Preston, 15-03-82. Paul James.

1986

Class 108 DMSL M52054 under overhaul in Derby Works sometime in 1986. Stuart Mackay Collection.

22nd August 1987

Set number: T203

A typical British summer’s day (22 August 1987) sees class 108 unit T203 (presumably 52054 + 51933) arriving at Coventry from Nuneaton. Robert28194.

17th January 1988

Set number: P955

50 002 'Suberb' in NSE livery and Class 108 DMS 52054 from set P955 at Penzance, 17-1-88. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

31st May 1988

Set number: P955

A worn looking Derby Class 108 two-car DMU formed of cars 52054 & presumably 51933 (Plymouth Laira Set P955), was stood at Starcross with the 16.45 Exmouth to Paignton service on May 31st 1988. With the transfer of the Devon & Cornwall Class 142 'Skipper' fleet North, a number of first generation DMU sets went as replacements. Many of the sets were past their best with cars cobbled together from serviceable examples around the country, and were a stop-gap until Class 150/2 & Class 155 Sprinters were constructed in enough quantities to allow the ageing DMU fleet to be finally retired in the period 1989-1990. Martyn Hilbert.

11th June 1988

Set number: P955

Class 108 2-car DMU LA set P955 (52054+51933) on the sea wall at Teignmouth with the 09-15 Paignton - Exeter Central service on 11-6-88. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

circa 1990

Set number: 955

Set 955 (presumably 52054 + 51933) reversing direction at Bere Alston on the Gunnislake Branch in Devon, circa 1990. Glen Batten.

28th April 1990

Set number: 955

CRS 'China Clay Rambler' tour at Fowey Docks. Cornwall. 28/04/90. The 2+3-car class 108 DMU formation used on the Cornish Railway Society "China Clay Rambler" railtour is seen in the china clay covered Carne Point Yard at Fowey Docks. Most tours that traversed the Fowey branch never got beyond the BR/ECC Ltd boundary but the CRS seemed to be able to reach parts of the network nobody else could. This tour was a freight only track bashers dream as it also visited Nanpean Wharf at Drinnick Mill, another rare location for a railtour to penetrate along with other such delights as the Par Harbour, St.Dennis ballast tip, Parkandillack, Pontsmill and part of the closed Carbis Wharf branch. Closest is set 955, 52054 and presumably 51933. Adrian Nicholls.

28th April 1990

Set number: 955

CRS 'China Clay Rambler' at Pontsmill, 28/04/90, formed of a two and three-car Class 108, set 955 at this end (52054 and presumably 51933). A classic Cornish DMU railtour is seen at the northern extremity of the the Pontsmill branch. This short freight only branch and once part of the 1841 built Treffry Tramway left the Newquay branch just north of St.Blazey and served the English China Clay Co. Pontsmill kiln driers. The area was once a hive of activity for the local mineral traffic with several incline planes in the area but this dwindled down to just the china clay from the 1960's which in turn ceased two years after this photo was taken. The last train of dried clay leaving on 21/04/92. The line faced an uncertain future but did live on into the late 1990's as the preferred spot to stable the Royal Train overnight when Prince Charles visited his Duchy of Cornwall. Adrian Nicholls.

25th August 1990

Set number: 955

Class 108 DMU set 955 (52054 + 51933) approaching Teignmouth station off the sea wall on 25 August 1990. Keith Miller.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 1989

Set number: 955

In Spring 1989 Class 108 DMU set (P)955, presumably 51933 + 52054, is seen passing the Taunton Cider Company premises at Norton Fitzwarren. "Paignton" is on the destination blind. Michael Mensing.

Date: 16th January 1990

Set number: 955

Class 108 set 955 - formed of 51933 + 52054 - is seen after arriving into Exmouth station on 16/1/90. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 31st March 1990

Class 108 DMBS 51933 + DMSL 52054 outside Doncaster Works on 31 March 1990. Dave Warby.

Date: 21st June 1991

Set number: 955

Class 108 DMU set 955 (51933 + 52054) at Gunnislake with the 05:15 from Plymouth on 21 June 1991. Stuart Mackay Collection.

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