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Vehicle 50439 / 53439

Class 104

Builder: BRC&W
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30293
Diagram: 556

Allocations

Jul-57	New to	9A (Longsight)
Sep-57	Transferred to	5A (Crewe North)
Jun-58	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
4w/e 01/07/61	Transferred to	9D (Buxton)
Jul-61	Transferred to	5A (Crewe North)
Apr-63	Transferred to	5D (Cockshute)
3w/e 30/04/66	Transferred to	2H (Monument Lane)
w/e 07/01/67	Transferred to	2A (Tyseley)
2w/e 09/03/68	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
Dec-72	Transferred to	9L (Buxton)
06/05/73	Depot code change	BX
circa Sep-82	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
24/10/83	Transferred to	BY (Bletchley)
24/05/87	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
14/05/89	Transferred to	CH (Chester) PCHX
26/01/90	Withdrawn from	CH (Chester) PXXZ

Notes

1st January 1988 - Has NSE symbol

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50439 - original number
53439 - from Jan-85 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Disposal

Scrapped by Vic Berry, Leicester

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50439	59147	50491	As delivered to 9A - July 1957
	50439	59147	50491	Transfer to 9L - Dec-72
	50439	59147	50491	Noted 28/08/75 - on Longsight depot¹
	50426	59137	50439	Noted 17/07/76 - in Manchester Piccadilly²
	50426	59137	50439	Noted 17/07/76 - in Manchester Piccadilly²
	50426	59137	50439	Noted Sep-76 - at Stockport²
	50439	59137	50490	Noted 21/08/1979 - at Preston ³
	50439	59203	50488	Noted 25/10/1980 - At Crewe Station⁴
BX491	50439	59187	50425	Noted circa 05/1982⁵
	50439	59187	50425	Noted 19/07/1982 - Manchester Victoria⁵
	50439	59187	50425	Noted circa 10/1982⁵
	50439	59187	50425	Noted 13/10/1982 - Worked 07.51 Blackburn to Manchester Victoria⁵
	50439	59187	50425	Noted circa 12/1982⁵
	53439	53425		Noted circa 01/1984⁵
	53425	53439		Noted 18/08/84 - at Norwich¹
	53439	53425		Noted 22/12/84
	53439	53425		Noted circa 01/1985⁵
	53439	59163	53425	Noted circa 09/1985⁵
	53439	59163	53425	Noted circa 12/1985⁵
	53439	53425		Noted circa 02/1986⁵
	53439	59163	53425	Noted 22/03/86 - on 06.58 Bedford - Bletchley⁶
	53439	59163	53532	Noted circa 06/1986⁵
	53439	59163	53532	Noted 14/02/1987⁵
	53439	53492		Listed at NH - 1st January 1988
	53439	53492		Noted 20/01/88 - on 19:59 Manchester Victoria - Southport
	53439	53492		Noted 05/04/1988⁵
N663	53439	53492		Listed at NH - May 1988
N663	53439	53492		Noted circa May-88
N663	53439	53492		Listed at NH - May-88
N663	53439	53492		Noted circa Jul-88
N663	53439	53492		Listed at NH - 16th July 1988
CH607	53439	53499		Listed at CH - 1st July 1989
CH607	53439	53499		Noted 24th September 1989
CH607	53439	53499		Listed at CH - 01/10/89

Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Leonard Rogers
3: Peter Wallwork
4: Shayne Lewis
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Phil Shatford

Images:

August 1982

Two Class 104s (M50439 leading) passing Manchester Exchange on its way to Manchester Victoria in August 1982. Hugh Llewelyn.

22nd December 1984

53439 + 53425 are seen at Leicester on the 22nd December 1984. Dennis Taylor.

22nd December 1984

Class 104 DMBS M53439 seen at Leicester on the 22nd December 1984. Dennis Taylor.

23rd December 1984

From left to right: Class 116 53826, Class 104 53439 and Class 105 54417. Seen at Leicester on the 23rd December 1984. Dennis Taylor.

23rd March 1986

Class 104 DMBS M53439 is seen at Leicester on the 23rd March 1986 in the company of a Class 150 unit. Dennis Taylor.

9th June 1986

Class 104 3-car DMU (50439 closest) stands at Bedford Midland having come up the then-new curve from the Bletchley line, 9th June 1986. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

13th May 1988

Set number: N663

Class 104 set N663 is formed of M53439 + M53492 when seen at Manchester Victoria on May 13, 1988. It is working with a Met-Camm set, on the left is a Class 108. John Carter.

6th August 1989

Set number: CH607

Class 104 CH607 (M53439 + M53499) and Class 108 CH251 (M54498 + M51418) inside Llandudno Junction depot, 6-8-89. Kevin Dowd.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: April 1967

Set number: 418

A BRC&W three-car DMU (power cars M50491 and presumably M50439) enters Birmingham Snow Hill in April 1967. Tyseley set number 418 is in the cab window. The centre car is noted as M59148 which casts in doubt whether it or M59147 was transferred from Tyseley to Etches Park the previous month. Hugh Llewelyn.

Date: 9th June 1968

Cravens and Birmingham R.C.W. DMUs in Blackpool North excursion platforms on Sunday 09 June 1968. Vehicles are M50805 / 50439 / 59175 / 59148 / 50438 (order not known). Possibly M50805 + 59148 + 50439 (three recent arrivals at Newton Heath) then 50438 + 59175 forming the start of the set behind. Talbot Road Bus Station / Car Park is in the background. Ian 10B.

Date: August 1975

With the numbers recorded as M50487 + M59147 + M50439 a three-car Class 104 DMU arrives into Manchester Piccadilly station with a service from Whaley Bridge via Stockport in August 1975. Hugh Llewelyn.

Date: 12th May 1984

53425/53439 at Bedford St Johns on 11.00 ex-Bletchley on 12 May 1984. On this date the "old" St Johns station closed, to be replaced by a basic halt on the direct curve from Midland station to the Bletchley line. Lewis Bevan.

Date: 12th May 1984

DMU 53425/53439 stand at the old Bedford St Johns station on the 11.00 to Bletchley on 12 May 1984 - the last day. Lewis Bevan.

Date: 22nd December 1984

Bletchley allocated 53425 + 53439 at Leicester on the 22nd December 1984. Dennis Taylor.

Date: 13th June 1986

Running through the haze of an early Summer morning, the 0924 Kettering - Bedford service is just about to arrive at Wellingborough station formed of an all blue 3 Car Class 104 BY allocated DMU set M53532+M59163+M53439 .... 13th June 1986. Nigel Mack.

Date: 25th February 1988

With the part-dismantled former Up line in the foreground, a Class 104 two-car DMU formed of 53492 + presumably 53439 were climbing the gradient from Farington Curve Junction as they approached the Occupation Crossing at Lodge Lane with a Preston to Ormskirk service on February 25th 1988. Double track was retained along the former main line from Farington Curve Junction to Midge Hall until 1983. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 31st March 1988

With Globe Mill at Midge Hall visible in the left background, a two-car BRCW Class 104 DMU formed of cars M53492 & M53439, was passing the Cocker Bar at Ulnes Walton whilst running through the flat agricultural landscape onwards to its next call at Croston, with a Preston to Ormskirk service on March 31st 1988. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 20th July 1988

A scene in the east end bays at Manchester Victoria, around 16.25 on 20/7/88. Three cl.104 power-twins are seen, at work on Oldham Loop services that afternoon. The numbers of the cars visible are uncertain but the sets are thought to be 53476/53425, 53522/53541 and 53439/53492. Leonard Rogers.

Date: 7th August 1988

Set number: N600

At 8.28pm towards the end of a fine Summer evening with the sun setting in the West, an eight-car DMU forming a Carlisle to Preston 'Dalesrail' service was stood at Bamber Bridge on August 7th 1988. With the rear of the train standing on the level crossing, the driver was looking back along the train. The formation was M54268 & M53934, M53334 & M51206, M53492 & M53439, M53948 & M53944. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 19th June 1989

Set number: CH607

A class 104 power twin formed of 53499 (nearer camera) and 53439 is seen stabled at Lancaster on 19/6/89. The unit was later seen at Morecambe. Leonard Rogers.

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