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Vehicle 50331 / 53331 / 977896

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: 30276
Diagram: 621

Allocations

Mar-58	New to	5B (Crewe South)
May-58	Transferred to	3E (Monument Lane)
20/06/60	Depot code change	21E
Sep-63	Depot code change	2H
3w/e 30/04/66	Transferred to	16C (Derby Etches Park)
4w/e 05/11/66	Transferred to	2H (Monument Lane)
w/e 07/01/67	Transferred to	2A (Tyseley)
May-73	Depot code change	TS
circa Jun-84	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
30/03/86	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
10/05/87	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
18/10/87	Transferred to	RG (Reading)
p/e 28/01/89	Sector Change to	RG (Reading) NSBX
14/05/90	Sector Change to	RG (Reading) NWXX
14/12/92	Sector Change to	RG (Reading) NWRX
23/02/93	Transferred to	HA (Haymarket) RAHA
27/08/93	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) RCLO
20/09/93	To departmental stock	LO (Longsight)
Jun-99	Withdrawn

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50331 - original number
53331 - from Jul-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
977896 - from 20/09/93 (departmental stock)

Department Use as DB977896

Sandite / Route Learner From 9/93 to 6/99. Carried set number 991 / 960991

Refurbished

At Derby Works dated 02/04/1982 released in blue/grey livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Immingham Railfreight Terminal

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50313	59124	50331	As delivered to 5B - March 1958
TY409	50313	59123	50331	Noted 18/05/1968 - R.C.T.S. (West Midlands Branch) South Midlands Railtour
	50313	59124	50331	Noted 01/04/69 - in Birmingham New Street¹
	50313	59124	50331	Noted 17/04/69 - at Selly Oak¹
TY410	50313	59124	50331	Listed at 2A - 16/08/70
	50313	59124	50331	Noted 19/05/72 - at Birmingham New Street¹
	50313	59124	50331	Noted 30/06/1973 - at Bristol Temple Meads²
	50313	59124	50331	Noted 05/07/74 - at Birmingham New Street¹
	50313	59124	50331	Noted 13/03/1976 - at Solihull³
TY410	50313	59124	50331	Noted 08/09/76 - in Birmingham New Street⁴
TS410	50313	59125	50331	Listed at TS - 12/08/79
TS410	50313	59125	50331	Noted circa 01/1981⁵
TS410	50313	59125	50331	Noted circa 08/1981 - operating Watford to St Albans branch line⁵
TS410	50313	59125	50331	Noted circa 10/1981⁵
TS410	50308	59125	50331	Noted 26/06/82 - at Norwich⁴
TS410	50308	59125	50331	Noted circa 09/1982⁵
TS410	50308	59125	50331	Listed at TS - Jan-83
TS410	55005	59125	50331	Noted circa 01/1983⁵
TS410	53308	59125	53331	Listed at TS - 14/07/83
	53308	59125	53331	Noted 28/04/84
	53308	59125	53331	Transfer to CH - circa Jun-84
	53308	59125	53331	Transfer to NH - 30/03/86 - from CH
	53308	59125	53331	Listed at Newton Heath - Summer 1986
	53308	59125	53331	Transfer to RG - 18/10/87 - from CH
L838	53308	59125	53331	Formed at RG circa 10/87
L838	53308	59125	53331	Listed at RG - circa Nov-87
L838	53308	59125	53331	Noted circa 02/1988⁵
L838	53308	59125	53331	Noted 31/03/1988⁵
L838	53308	59125	53331	Listed at RG - 15/05/89
L838	53308	59125	53331	Listed at RG - 21/01/91
L838	53308	59125	53331	Listed at RG - 24/02/92 - NSE NWXX pool
L838	53308	59125	53331	Listed at RG - 12/08/92
L838	53308	59125	53331	Listed at RG - November 1992 - Sector NWXX
	53308	59125	53331	Noted 09/11/92 - on 10:33 Reading - Gatwick⁶
L991	53308	59125	53331	Noted 22/05/93 - at South Gyle
991	977895	977896		Listed at LO - 08/11/93 - sandite
960991	977895	977896		Noted circa 06/1994⁵
960991	977895	977896		Noted 27/10/96 - at Carlisle

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Peter Wallwork
4: Gerald Brown
5: Eddie Knorn
6: David Bellamy

Images:

2nd March 1968

An early rail-blue liveried class 101 (M50331) leading a three-car set (the other two being M59124 + M50313) at Redditch on a circuitous Birmingham University Transport Society railtour, 2/Mar/1968. Robert Chilton.

18th May 1968

Set number: TY410

Class 101 set TY410 with 50331, 59123 and 50313 on the RCTS (West Midland Branch) South Midlands railtour at Higham Ferrers goods yard, 18/May/1968. Robert Chilton.

10th June 1972

Set number: TY410

The 10.20 from Birmingham New Street to Aberystwyth arrives at Welshpool station on June 10 1972, formed of Tyseley diesel units TY410 (front, presumably 50331 leading) and TY403. I'm not sure why a member of the party is scrutinising the ballast behind the equipment cabinet, but if he did it now he would probably trigger a full-scale security alert... Tom Burnham.

17th April 1983

Set number: TS410

Class 101 DMU 50331 + 59125 + 50308 and 25-089 and a Class 120 on Chester depot, 17-4-83. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

17th February 1988

Set number: L838

Class 101 railcar set No. L838 (Nos. 53331, 59125 and 53308) departs Blackfriars on 17 February 1988 working a route learning duty to Purley via London Bridge in connection with new Thameslink services. Brian Creasey.

25th May 1990

Set number: L838

The shadows were lengthening as class 101 L838, presumably 53331 + 59125 + 53308, approached Wokingham station on the late afternoon of 25 May 1990 with a service from Gatwick to Reading. Peter Tandy.

27th October 1991

Set number: 960991

Sandite vehicles 977896 + 977895 at Carlisle after arrival from Edge Hill Depot, Liverpool, prior to working back south, 27/10/96. Spannerman37025.

1993

Set number: 991

NSE liveried 991 follows Blue-Grey set 829 out of Inverkeithing towards Edinburgh in 1993. Andrew McConnell.

12th July 1993

Set number: 991

53331 is seen at the rear of a six-car rake of 101's stabled in platform 18 at Waverley station on 12/7/93. The train comprises sets 991 (53331/59125/53308) and 829 (51246/59118/53305) and will later form the 17.27 to Perth via Cardenden and Ladybank. During Spring and Summer 1993, Haymarket had a handful of Laira and Reading hand-me-downs at work – another was 53315/59115/53330 – along with its quartet of refurbished cl.101 triples (101 691-4), mainly on Fife peak hour workings like this. By the end of the year, they were all gone, superseded by the refurbished cl.117’s let go by Tyseley once the Cross City line electrification was finally complete. Notice that 53331 still bears its yellow stripe over the first class saloon from its NSE days, even though ScotRail would have declassifed the saloon. Leonard Rogers.

27th July 1993

Set number: 991

The 17.05 Fife "Outer Circle" train (Edinburgh to Edinburgh via Dunfermline, Thornton and Kirkcaldy) leaves Waverley station on 27/7/93. It is formed of set 991 (53331/59125/53308), transferred to Haymarket five months previously from Reading, where it had been set L838 with Network South East. Its stay at Haymarket would not last much longer - it was transferred to Longsight the following month and put into departmental use there another month after that. During Spring and Summer 1993, Haymarket had a handful of Laira and Reading hand-me-downs at work – others were 53315/59115/53330 and 53305/59118/51246 – along with its quartet of refurbished cl.101 triples (101 691-4), mainly on Fife peak hour workings like this. By the end of the year, they were all gone, superseded by the refurbished cl.117’s let go by Tyseley once the Cross City line electrification was finally complete. Leonard Rogers.

27th October 1996

Set number: 960991

Sandite vehicles 977896 + 977895 at Carlisle after arrival from Edge Hill Depot, Liverpool, prior to working back south, 27/10/96. Spannerman37025.

9th May 2000

Set number: 960991

Berthed at Longsight Depot departmental class 101 960991 (977896 and 977895) on 9th May 2000. Ian Buck.

26th February 2001

Set number: 960991

Withdrawn Class 101 sandite / route learning vehicles, possibly at Longsight, on 26/2/01. On the left is 977896 which was part of set 960991 and on the right one half of set 960994. Steve Hodgson.

26th February 2001

Set number: 960991

Withdrawn Class 101 sandite / route learning vehicles, possibly at Longsight, on 26/2/01. The NSE set is 960991 (977896 and 977895) and on the right one half of set 960994. Steve Hodgson.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 7th May 1983

Set number: L576

Class 119 sets L576 and L578 have either come out of or are about to enter the empty siding on the right. They are at Spalding on a Flower Parade special from West Ruislip on 7 May 1983. Other details from the July 1983 issue of The Railway Observer (p270): in the sidings on the far left are 53669 + 59256 + 53718 / 50331 + 59125 + 50308 / 53738 + 59262 + 53693 which ran from Burton-on-Trent / Leicester. On the right are 54230 + 53947 / 51929 + 52041 / 78601 + 78851 which ran from Manchester Piccadilly. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 16th May 1986

With DMBS M53308 bringing up the rear of a 3-Car Class 101 DMU set (the other vehicles are presumably 59125 + 53331), the tidy-looking unit was stood on the Down Slow at Leyland station whilst forming a Manchester Victoria to Blackpool North service on May 16th 1986. The 101 was one of several sets transferred in haste to Newton Heath Depot in the interim period following the introduction of unreliable new Class 142's many of which had been stored pending modifications, and with the demise of the Class 104 and Class 120 fleet, operational sets of various classes still extant from across the BR network stood-in until sufficient quantities of the BREL Class 150/2 Sprinter fleet were delivered from BREL York in 1987/88. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 1988

Set number: L838

53308 is ex-works with NSE markings in this early 1988 view at Southall. The 2-car 101 (the DMS is presumably 53331) has a Class 121 DTC attached. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 10th September 1991

Set number: L838

Network Southeast Class 101 set No. L838 (53308 + 59125 + 53331) departs Redhill working an empty stock movement to the sidings between duties on the service to Tonbridge, 10 September 1991. Brian Creasey.

Date: 24th September 1991

Set number: L838

NSE-liveried Class 101 DMU set L838 (53308 + 59125 + 53331) in Reading station with a Redhill service on 24 September 1991. Keith Miller.

Date: 6th May 1992

Set number: L838

Class 101 Set L838 (presumably 53308 + 59125 + 53331) seen at Edenbridge working 2T13 to Tonbridge, 06/05/1992. Waddo Rail Archive.

Date: 22nd May 1993

Set number: L991

The former Reading allocated three-car 101 set L838, now branded L991 but still formed DMBS 53308, TCL 59125 and DMCL 53331 and still in NSE livery apparently in passenger service at South Gyle on 22/May/1993. It seems to have a Scottish destination blind and is attached to another set but I'm not sure what the working was. Later that year the set was transferred away from Haymarket, reduced to two cars and renumbered 960991 for sandite use. Robert Chilton.

Date: 12th July 1993

Set number: 874

53315 leads set 874 (53315/59115/53330) as it departs from Waverley station as the 16.34 to Glenrothes with Thornton on 12/7/93. During Spring and Summer 1993, Haymarket had a handful of Laira and Reading hand-me-downs at work – others were 53308/59125/53331 and 53305/59118/51246 – along with its quartet of refurbished cl.101 triples (101 691-4), mainly on Fife peak hour workings like this. By the end of the year, they were all gone, superseded by the refurbished cl.117’s let go by Tyseley once the Cross City line electrification was finally complete. Leonard Rogers.

Date: 12th July 1993

Set number: 829

On 12/7/93, set 829 (53305/59118/51246) is seen stabled in platform 18 at Waverley station. 53305 is nearest to the camera. Behind 829 and fairly much out of sight is set 991 (53308/59125/53331). Later they will form the 17.27 to Perth via Cardenden and Ladybank. During Spring and Summer 1993, Haymarket had a handful of Laira and Reading hand-me-downs at work – another was 53315/59115/53330 – along with its quartet of refurbished cl.101 triples (101 691-4), mainly on Fife peak hour workings like this. By the end of the year, they were all gone, superseded by the refurbished cl.117’s let go by Tyseley once the Cross City line electrification was finally complete. Leonard Rogers.

Date: 27th October 1996

Set number: 960991

Sandite vehicles 977895 + 977896 at Carlisle after arrival from Edge Hill Depot, Liverpool, prior to working back south, 27/10/96. Spannerman37025.

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