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Vehicle 50359 / 53359

Class 105

Builder: Cravens
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: AEC 150hp / Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30280
Diagram: 525

Allocations

10/08/56	New to	53C (Hull Springhead)
30/11/58	Transferred to	53B (Hull Botanic Gardens)	- (53C closed)
Jan-60	Depot code change	50C
4w/e 09/10/65	On loan to	31A (Cambridge)
w/e 16/10/65	Transferred to	31A (Cambridge)
3w/e 27/11/65	Transferred to	50C (Hull Botanic Gardens)
16/06/68	Transferred to	31A (Cambridge)
4w/e 30/05/70	Transferred to	32A (Norwich)
May-73	Depot code change	NO
Sep-73	Depot code change	NR
w/e 16/10/77	Transferred to	SF (Stratford)
11/05/86	Transferred to	NC (Norwich)
Oct-88	Withdrawn from	NC (Norwich)

Notes

9th August 1956 - 50359 / 56114 arrived at Hull, allocated to Springhead and would initially be used for crew training on the Hornsea and Withernsea branches.
27th September 1956 - 50359/56114 has been noted at Scarborough on 11th, 18th, 25th and 27th September on trial runs. On 25th and 27th an XP van was attached and carried weights equivalent to that of passengers.

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50359 - original number
53359 - from 05/04/83 (53xxx / 54xxx change) - Done in Works

Disposal

Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50359	56114	As delivered to 53C - 9th August 1956
	50359	56114	As delivered to 53C - 10th August 1956
	50359	56114	Noted 27th September 1956
	50359	56114	Transfer to 31A - 4w/e 09/10/65 - On loan from NER
	50359	56114	Transfer to 50C - 3w/e 27/11/65
	50359	56437	Noted 18/08/69 - at Cambridge¹
	50359	56099	Noted 05/04/71 - at Peterborough¹
46	50359	56116	Noted circa e1972 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56432	Noted circa mid-1972 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56121	Noted circa e1973 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56114	Noted 28/05/73 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56437	Noted 24/11/73 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56437	Noted 21/12/73 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56140	Noted 30/05/74 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56140	Noted 10/09/74 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56140	Noted 26/10/74 - at Bury St Edmunds, trailer had "Test clean" on it²
46	50359	56140	Noted 26/10/74 - at Bury St Edmunds, 56140 still with "Test clean"²
46	50359	56121	Noted 27/11/74 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56121	Noted 27/11/74 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56121	Noted 17/04/75 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56307	Listed at NR - 19/07/75
46	50359	56436	Noted 23/11/75 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56119	Noted 28/01/76 - at Bury St Edmunds²
	50359	56141	Noted 14/05/76 - at Bury St Edmunds²
46	50359	56436	Noted 30/06/77 - at Bury St Edmunds²
	50359	56415	Transfer to SF - w/e 16/10/77
	53359	54122	Noted circa 07/1983³
	53359	54122	Noted circa 01/1984³
	53359	54423	Noted circa 08/1984³
	53359	54126	Noted 01/11/1985 - at Shenfield⁴
	53359	54122	Noted 22/11/1985 - at Stratford⁴
30	53359	54122	Formed at NC circa Jun-86
	53359	54122	Noted 21/06/1986 - Hertfordshire Railtours The Vectis Velocipede 53359-54122+51284-54442
30	53359	54122	Noted 28/06/86 - at Norwich²
	53359	54122	Listed at Norwich - Summer 1986
	53359	54122	Noted 22nd November 1986
30	53359	54122	Listed at NC - Apr-87
30	53359	54122	Noted 30/05/1987 - at Norwich Crown Point⁴
30	53359	54122	Noted 20/06/1987³
30	53359	54122	Noted 29/08/1987³
	53359	54122	Noted 23rd April 1988
30	53359	54122	Noted 23/04/1988 - "Midline Day" in Birmingham area.³
30	53359	54122	Noted 29/05/1988 - 1742 Bedford to Bletchley
	53359	54122	Noted 30/05/1988 - observed working Luton-Dunstable shuttles

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Gerald Brown
3: Eddie Knorn
4: Robert Chilton

Images:

circa August 1956

A Cravens publicity image showing 50359 + 56114: un-matted version. Cravens.

circa August 1956

A Cravens publicity image showing 50359 + 56114: matted version. Cravens.

circa August 1956

The front saloon of a Cravens DMBS, this is assumed to be E50359. Note the hinged door into the cab is slightly off-centre, later builds would have a sliding door. Note also the small air-axle panel containing displays for just four power cars, this would later be altered to six. Cravens.

25th January 1976

Class 105 E50359 seen in snowy conditions at Manningtree, Essex, on 25/01/1976. Graeme Phillips Collection.

21st October 1979

A Cravens Class 105 two-car DMU formed of cars, E50359 & E56126, was stood at North Woolwich before working back to Stratford Low-Level on October 21st 1979. The Dock Cranes visible in this view were at King George V and the Royal Albert Dock. The redeveloped area between these two former Docks is now the location for London City Airport. The line between Stratford Low-Level and North Woolwich closed in December 2006. Martyn Hilbert.

26th January 1985

This was the scene on a wet day at Stratford Low Level station during the transitional period from diesel to electric traction, with the third rail already in place. The North London Line services were terminating here and not continuing to North Woolwich. Cravens Class 105 unit 53359 and 54420 gurgle away wating to depart on 26th January 1985. Gordon Edgar.

June 1986

Retro-green set 53359 / 54122 at Stratford in June 1986. Hamish Stevenson.

21st June 1986

A pair of Craven twin units in Surrey. E53359 leads E54122, E51284 & E54442 through Epsom station with the 'Vectis Velocipede' tour to Portsmouth Harbour (& Isle of Wight) from Stevenage, Saturday 21st June 1986 Iain Reid.

21st June 1986

53359 faces 54442 on 1Z27, the 1800 to Stevenage Hertfordshire Railtours "Vectis Velocipede" at Portsmouth Harbour on 21 June 1986. Dave Warby.

21st June 1986

The outward leg of the Hertfordshire Railtours "Vectis Velocipede" (1Z27, 0658 ex Stevenage) after arrival in Portsmouth Harbour on 21 June 1986. Class 105 DMBS 53359 is visible. Dave Warby.

11th October 1986

Set number: 30

Retro-green Cravens vehicles 53359 + 54122 inside Stratford depot on the 11th October 1986. Dennis Taylor.

Unknown date

Set number: 30

Retro-green Class 105 set 53359 and 54122 at Norwich. Undated. David Faircloth.

1987

Set number: 30

The retro-green Cravens set (53359 + 54122) about to pass Horsemoor crossing on the Ely-March line in 1987. Joint Line.

Class 105 DMU at Kiln Lane crossing, Ely

9th January 1987

Set number: 30

E53359 + E54122 at Kiln Lane Crossing at Ely with the 10.18 Ely to Norwich, January 9, 1987. Nicholas Youngman.

22nd February 1987

Set number: 30

53359 is at the head of the 11:54 Leicester - Peterborough at Leicester on the 22nd February 1987. Dennis Taylor.

24th February 1987

Set number: 30

53359 + 54122 Ipswich station, 24th February 1987. AndrewHA.

8th May 1987

Retro-green 53359 in the company of 51427 and a Class 114 at Cambridge at 12:40 on Friday 8th May 1987. Colin Brooks.

30th May 1987

Set number: 30

Norwich Crown Point Depot provided an open day on 30th May 1987 and had on display the heritage Cravens Class 105 DMU 53359-54122. Other exhibits were also brought to Norfolk, including the 2-BIL unit 2090 and Railfreight liveried 58020, both seen in the photograph. Gordon Edgar.

20th November 1987

Set number: 30

Class 105 'Cravens' DMU set no.30 (53359 + 54122) is seen stabled in the carriage sidings beside Norwich Thorpe station on 20/11/87. This elderly DMU was restored to a retro BR livery with cats whiskers on April 11th 1986 to mark the end of DMU operations on the Anglia Region in the London Area. The repaint having been undertaken at Stratford Works. With the cessation of Stratford based DMU diagrams the unit was transferred to Norwich Crown Point depot on 11/05/86. Sadly the unit was considered to have asbestos contamination so it was withdrawn on 03/11/88 and assigned to Mayer-Newman's scrapyard at Snailwell where it was incinerated in the fire tunnel and reduced to scrap on 23/02/89. Adrian Nicholls.

31st December 1987

Set number: 30

Working the 07.10 Doncaster to Cambridge is the green Cravens set E53359 + E54122 and class 101 51501 + 51175 near Kiln Lane Ely, 31.12.87. Nicholas Youngman.

Unknown date

Set number: 30

The retro-green Class 105 53359 + 54122 with the (14:27?) to Sheringham departing from Norwich. The date is probably between May 1986 and October 1988, the time it was allocated to Norwich depot in this livery. Mike Bunker.

circa 1988

Set number: 30

The retro-green Cravens set 53359 + 54122 in Norwich station circa spring 1988. Brian Ward.

1988

Set number: 30

53359 at Sheringham in 1988, along with 54122. Robert Chilton Collection.

4th April 1988

Set number: 30

Class 105 Cravens DMBS E53359 on the blocks in Platform 6 at Cambridge 4-4-88. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

4th April 1988

Set number: 30

Cravens Class 105 2-car DMU 53359 + 54122 in green livery with whiskers Platform 6 at Cambridge for Peterborough 4-4-88. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

2nd May 1988

Set number: 30

Network South-East held an open day at Colchester Depot on the May Day Bank Holiday Monday, 2nd May 1988. Norwich Crown Point's Cravens Set 53359 + 54122 was diagrammed all day on the Colchester to Sudbury Branch, and is seen here at Colchester Station about to set off for another run down the branch. AndrewHA.

19th June 1988

53359 Class 105 is seen stabled at Tyseley carriage sidings on 19.06.1988. This along with it's partner 54122 were painted back into BR green. Andy Cole.

2nd September 1988

Set number: 30

Cravens Class 105 2-car DMU 53359+54122 (DMBS+DTCL) in green livery stabled at Cambridge on 2-9-88. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

1st October 1988

Set number: 30

Class 105 Wolverton Works 1 October 1988. The celebrity green duo E53359 + E54122 was on display at the Works Open Day. Alistair Ness.

1st October 1988

Set number: 30

Retro-green 53359 and 54122 at Wolverton Works, 1/10/88. Robert Frise.

2nd October 1988

Set number: 30

Class 105 set 30 (53359 + 54122) in Wolverton Works during the Woverton 150 Open Weekend on 2 October 1988. Andrew Malloy.

2nd October 1988

Set number: 30

Class 105 set 30 (53359 + 54122) in Wolverton Works during the Woverton 150 Open Weekend on 2 October 1988. Andrew Malloy.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: circa August 1956

A brand new E56114 and presumably M50359, which were delivered to Hull Springhead in August 1956. This was a commonly used publicity image distributed by Cravens. Cravens.

Date: 15th December 1973

Set number: 46

Norwich Cravens set number 46 (presumably 56437 + 50359) is paired with a 101. They are seen sitting in Birmingham Moor Street station beside a Class 116 on December 15, 1973. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 21st October 1979

With the guard walking along the platform, a Cravens Class 105 two-car DMU formed DTCL E56126 and DMBS E50359 was stood at Stratford Low Level after arrival from the terminus at North Woolwich on October 21st 1979. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 5th July 1985

The Stratford - Lea Bridge - Tottenham Hale farewell on 05/Jul/85 led by 54122, with 53359 behind and seen at Stratford. Robert Chilton.

Date: 21st June 1986

E54122 + E53359 with E54442 + E51284 in Alexandra Palace station with the return leg of the Hertfordshire Railtours 'Vectis Velocipede', 1Z27 18:00 Portsmouth Harbour to Stevenage on Saturday 21st June 1986. Dave Warby.

Date: 21st June 1986

A pair of Cravens 2-car Class 105 dmu sets are an unusual sight approaching Chichester on 21 June 1986. This was 1Z27 Stevenage-Portsmouth Harbour and return, the "Vectis Velocipede" railtour. The two 2-car units consisted of vehicles 54122 + 53359 and 54442 + 51284. The route taken by the railtour was via Willesden HL, Kensington Olympia, Epsom and Leatherhead. Participants on the tour were given the option of visiting the Isle of Wight once they had arrived at Portsmouth Harbour, and sampling the railways on the island. Lewis Bevan.

Date: 21st June 1986

A pair of Craven twin units in Surrey. E54442 tails E51284, E54122 & E53359 through Epsom with the 'Vectis Velocipede' tour to Portsmouth Harbour (& Isle of Wight) from Stevenage, viewed heading away from the station towards Ashtead continuing via Effingham Jct and Guildford, Saturday 21st June 1986. Iain Reid.

Date: 21st June 1986

Craven units on the Mid-Sussex line. E54122 leads E53359, E54442 & E51284 through Warnham station (between Horsham and Dorking) with the 'Vectis Velocipede' tour returning from Portsmouth Harbour to Stevenage, Saturday 21st June 1986 Iain Reid.

Date: 21st June 1986

Craven units on the Mid-Sussex line. E51284 tails E54442, E53359 & E54122 through Warnham (between Horsham and Dorking) with the 'Vectis Velocipede' tour returning from Portsmouth Harbour to Stevenage, Saturday 21st June 1986 Iain Reid.

Date: 21st June 1986

The view from 54122 in Epsom station on 21 June 1986, the two Cravens sets (the other vehicles being 53359, 54442 and 52184) forming the return working of the Hertfordshire Railtours Vectis Velocipede. Dave Warby.

Date: 21st June 1986

The view from 54442 looking towards 51284, 54122 and 53359 at Willesden Junction High Level on 21 June 1986. They were working the Hertfordshire Railtours "Vectis Velocipede". Dave Warby.

Date: 21st June 1986

The view from 54442 looking towards 51284, 54122 and 53359 as the Hertfordshire Railtours "Vectis Velocipede" sits in Clapham Junction on 21 June 1986. Dave Warby.

Date: 18th July 1986

Set number: 30

Retro-green 54122 / 53359 at Norwich on 18/7/86. It is attached to the Stourton Saloon 975664 / 975637. Adrian Vaughan.

Date: unknown

Set number: 30

Retro-green Cravens set 54122 + 53359 at Norwich working with a Met-Camm set. Date unknown. Malcolm Clements.

Date: circa 1986

Retro-green Class 105 DMU set 30 (54122 + 53359) at Stratford circa 1986. John Law.

Date: unknown

Set number: 30

Norwich allocated DMU sets 80 and 30 (54122 + 53359) in Norwich station, date unknown. Mike Bunker.

Date: 30th May 1987

Set number: 30

Cravens DMU set 30 (54122 + 53359) on display at the Norwich Crown Point open day on 30 May 1987. Mike Bunker.

Date: 30th May 1987

Set number: 30

Class 105 Cravens DMU 54122 + 53359 Norwich Crown Point Open Day 30-5-87. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

Date: 30th May 1987

Set number: 30

Cravens DMU set 30 (54122 + 53359) on display at the Norwich Crown Point open day on 30 May 1987. Robert Thomas.

Date: June 1987

Set number: 30

Cravens Class 105 2-car DMU 54122 + 53359 in green livery with whiskers Platform 6 at Cambridge in June 1987. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Date: October 1987

Set number: 30

One of the last 'Cravens' DMU's (54122 + 53359)was repainted into BR Green for its final months in service, and it is seen here at Sudbury on October 1987. I should say that this was taken with the knowledge and permission of the railway staff present. Stuart Pearce.

Date: 22nd December 1987

A Class 101 / 105 formation with E54404 + E53252 / E53359 + E54122 is seen near Ely on December 22nd, 1987. Nicholas Youngman.

Date: 1988

Set number: 30

Retro-green 54122 + 53359 at Great Yarmouth in 1988. John Law.

Date: 1988

Set number: 30

54122 at Sheringham in 1988, along with 53359. Robert Chilton Collection.

Date: unknown

Set number: 30

The retro-green Class 105 54122 + 53359 in Norwich station. The date is probably between May 1986 and October 1988, the time it was allocated to Norwich depot in this livery. Mike Bunker.

Date: 1988

Set number: 30

Retro-green 54122 + 53359 in Cambridge station in 1988 with a Yarmouth service. John Law.

Date: circa 1988

Set number: 89

Class 101 set 89 (presumably 51229 visible) and Class 105 set 30 (53359 visible) in Norwich station circa spring 1988. Brian Ward.

Date: 11th January 1988

Set number: 30

A shot taken at Ipswich on late on a cold and crisp evening, 11th January 1988. 54122 + 53359 are about to work the 2210 service to Cambridge. AndrewHA.

Date: 4th April 1988

Set number: 30

Cravens Class 105 2-car DMU 54122+53359 in green livery with whiskers Platform 6 at Cambridge for Peterborough 4-4-88. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Date: 14th April 1988

40 122 as D200 between a parcels Class 114 DMU and the Norwich Class 105 DMU in green livery (53359 closest) at Cambridge on 14-4-88. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Date: 28th May 1988

This Cravens (54122 + 53359) unit achieved 'star' status in the late 80's when it was re-liveried into early BR Green and attended a number of special events. Seen at Bedford on 28th May 1988 the unit had worked over the Bedford Bletchley branch in connection with the Bedford River Festival and adjacent Railway Gala at Bedford which had attracted Deltics, NSE units and many other one-off's. Paul Fleet.

Date: 19th June 1988

Class 105 54122 and 53359 are seen at Tyseley on 19.06.1988. Not the best photo, but the only time I saw the Green Class 105 at Tyseley. Note the Class 114 in Parcels red to the left, 55932. Andy Cole.

Date: 25th June 1988

Set number: 30

Cravens class 105 DMU 54122 & 53359 at Yarmouth 25th June 1988. Tiptree Jon.

Date: 17th August 1988

Set number: 30

Norwich based class 105 'Cravens' DMU set no.30 (53359+54122), by this time one of the very few left in passenger service on the network, calls at West Runton whist working a Sheringham-Norwich service on 17th August 1988. This DMU was restored to a retro BR livery with cats whiskers in April 1986 to mark the end of DMU operations on the Anglia Region in the London Area. It was withdrawn on the 03/11/88 and with the unit being considered to have asbestos contamination it went to Mayer-Newman's scrapyard at Snailwell, where it was incinerated in the fire tunnel and reduced to scrap on 23/02/89. Andrew J Crowther.

Date: 17th August 1988

Set number: 64

Norwich based Metro-Cammell built class 101 DMU set 64 (51191 closest) pulls away from West Runton with a Norwich-Sheringham service on 17th August 1988. Attached is the green Cravens set 30 (53359+54122). Andrew J Crowther.

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