Vehicle 50705 / 53705
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: 30335
Diagram: 587
Allocations
| 4w/e 02/11/57 | New to | 86C (Cardiff Canton) | |
| Jan-61 | Depot code change | 88A | |
| Sep-63 | Depot code change | 86A | |
| 06/05/73 | Depot code change | CF | |
| 2w/e 06/12/80 | Transferred to | DY (Derby Etches Park) | |
| 02/02/86 | Transferred to | AY (Ayr) | |
| p/e 23/11/86 | Withdrawn from | AY (Ayr) |
Notes
23rd October 1957 - Seen in experimental livery (light grey above waistline, medium grey below) at Swindon Carriage Works.
The vehicle carried the following numbers:
50705 - original number
53705 - from May-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
Modifications
4w/e 30/12/72 - Dual AWS fitted
Disposal
Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| CTN500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Listed at 86A - May-70 | |||||
| CTN500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Listed at Canton - circa Jan-71 | |||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 22/02/1971 - at Crewe1 | ||||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 21/08/1971 - at Newport2 | ||||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 23/08/1971 - at Newport2 | ||||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 25/08/1971 - at Cardiff2 | ||||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 26/08/1971 - at Newport2 | ||||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 29/04/1972 - Dean Forest Railway Preservation Society Sospan Fach Railtour | ||||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 30/06/1973 - at Newport2 | ||||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 01/08/73 - on 2M67 0755 Cardiff-Crewe with C125 (55025) | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 03/09/73 - at Shrewsbury3 | |||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 30/08/1974 - at Newport2 | ||||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 03/09/74 - at Cardiff3 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 24/05/75 - on 2B35 (train unknown) with C346 + B559 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 26/08/75 - On Cardiff Canton depot3 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 25/02/76 - on 2C40 0710 Cardiff-Swansea | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 26/02/76 - on 2C39 0910 Pembroke Dock-Swansea | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 03/03/76 - on 2C24 1106 Bristol TM-Cardiff | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Listed at CF - 01/05/1976 | |||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 29/05/76 - on 13.14 Bristol TM – Cardiff Central with 51075 + 59434 + 511034 | ||||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 19/09/76 - on 1O69 1240 Cardiff-Salisbury with C610 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 05/10/76 - on 2C00 0605 Bristol TM-Cardiff | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 29/01/77 - on 2C84 1715 Swansea-Milford Haven | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 07/10/77 - on 1A71 1355 Cardiff-Bristol TM with B462 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 15/12/1977 - Cardiff Central5 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Listed at CF - 31st December 1977 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 06/01/1978 - Cardiff Central5 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 27/08/1978 - West Wales Area5 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Listed at CF - 03/03/80 | |||||
| C500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted 27/10/1980 - At Cardiff Central5 | |||||
| 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Transfer to DY - 2w/e 06/12/80 | ||||||
| EP500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Listed at DY - circa Jun-82 | |||||
| EP500 | 50705 | 59265 | 50647 | Noted circa 06/19826 | |||||
| EP500 | 50647 | 59265 | 50705 | Noted 19/07/1982 - Manchester Picc, on CLC line working to Chester6 | |||||
| 53705 | 59102 | 53647 | Noted circa 12/19836 | ||||||
| 53705 | 59102 | 53647 | Noted 20/06/84 - at Norwich3 | ||||||
| 53705 | 59102 | 53647 | Noted circa 07/19856 | ||||||
| 53705 | 59264 | 53687 | Formation change - DY - Aug-85 | ||||||
| 53705 | 59264 | 53687 | Noted 19/09/19856 | ||||||
| 53705 | 59264 | 53687 | Noted 17/11/85 - on 20:25 Crewe - Nottingham service7 | ||||||
| 53705 | 59264 | 53687 | Noted 03/12/85 - on 14:33 Lincoln Central - Crewe service7 | ||||||
| EP514 | 53705 | 59264 | 53687 | Noted 23/12/85 | |||||
| 53705 | 59264 | 53687 | Noted circa Feb-86 | ||||||
| 514 | 53705 | 59264 | 53687 | New set number at AY - circa Feb-86 | |||||
| 514 | 53705 | 59264 | 53687 | Listed at Ayr - Summer 1986 | |||||
| 53473 | 59264 | 53705 | Noted 7th July 1986 | ||||||
| 514 | 53705 | 59559 | 53491 | Listed at Ayr - August 1986 | |||||
| 514 | 53705 | 59559 | 53491 | Noted 4th August 1986 | |||||
| 514 | 53705 | 59559 | 53491 | Noted 9th August 1986 | |||||
| 53705 | 59559 | 53491 | Noted 25/09/86 | ||||||
| spare | 53705 | Formation change - circa Oct-86 | |||||||
| 53705 | Noted 11/10/1986 - at Ayr Depot6 |
Formation Sources
1: Peter Wallwork
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Gerald Brown
4: Phil Shatford
5: Shayne Lewis
6: Eddie Knorn
7: Martin Baumann
Images:
30th August 1962
A Swindon Cross-Country unit ascending Old Hill bank on the 9.40am Cardiff - Birmingham Snow Hill via Hereford service on 30th August 1962. It is hauling a pre BR bogie BG which might possibly be an LMS 50' van. Michael Mensing.
31st December 1973
Set number: C500
Swindon class 120 Cross Country DMU set C500 (presumably W50705 + W59265 + W50674) runs into Hereford on 31-12-73. Note the centre car was still operational as a buffet, it has "Buffet Car" on the side and a red stripe. Paul James.
28th March 1978
Set number: C500
Motor Brake Composite W50705 was built at Swindon Works and entered service at Cardiff in 1957. It was still allocated to Cardiff when seen at Worcester Shrub Hill bound for Hereford on 28 March 1978. The other two vehicles in set C500 are presumably 59265 and 50647. Jeremy Chapter.
23rd June 1980
Set number: C500
Swindon Cross-Country DMU set C500 (W50705 and presumably 59265 + 50647) on the 16:10 Swansea-Pembroke Dock service pass 08 354 at Old Castle Crossing, Llanelli, on 23 June 1980. Robert Thomas.
Unknown date
Set number: C500
Class 120 DMU set C500 - W50705 closest - at Cardiff Central, date unknown. Paul Redmond.
Unknown date
A Class 120 DMU with freshly painted DMBC M50705 departing from Chesterfield station in the early 1980s. Paul Redmond.
1st June 1983
A three-car Swindon / Met-Camm hybrid DMU at Leicester in 1 June 1983. Closest is M50703, possibly with 59102 and 53647. Walter Burt.
1986
Set number: 514
Set 514 arrives into Edinburgh Waverley in 1986. It is presumably formed Class 120 53705, Class 101 59559 and Class 104 53491. S Saunders.
23rd March 1986
Largs railway station on 23rd March 1986, before work on electrification began. On the left was Class 120 Cross Country DMU 53705 + 59264 + 53687 and on the right Class 101/107 hybrid unit 101320 (51248 + 59800 + 52011). Gordon Edgar.
25th May 1986
Class 107 51986 and Class 120 53705 share depot space at Corkerhill with a Class 116 on 25.05.1986. Andy Cole.
1986
Set number: 514
Set 514 at Largs in 1986, the hybrid formation contained 53705 (120), 59559 (101) and 53491 (104). Andrew McConnell.
Summer 1986
Set number: 514
514 is seen in Glasgow Central, the set composed of the 120, a 101 centre car (59559) and 104 DMC (53491). Summer 1986. Andrew McConnell.
circa September 1986
Set number: EP514
EP514 - Johnstone circa September 1986. Class 120 unit 514 transferred from Derby Etches Park seen here in Johnstone just before the electrification of the Ayr line. The set was formed of 53705 59264 53687 around that time. Building of new housing developments around the station was in full swing. Andrew McConnell.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 29th April 1972
Set number: C500
Swindon Cross-Country set C500 (presumably 50705 + 59265 + 50647) at the entrance to Abernant Colliery; working the Dean Forest Railway Preservation Society 'Sospan Fach' railtour on 29th April 1972. Walter Burt.
Date: November 1985
Set number: EP514
53687-59264-53705 EP514 Alsager November 1985 Martin Baumann.
Date: 23rd December 1985
Set number: EP514
A Derby allocated Swindon Cross-Country class 120 dmu set EP514 comprising of cars M53687 + M59264 + M53705, leaves platform 4 at Crewe with a Derby service on 23rd December 1985. Class 85kv electric locomotive 85017 (E3072) can be seen standing on one of the through roads along with it's driver. Andrew J Crowther.
Date: 23rd December 1985
Set number: EP514
A Derby allocated Swindon Cross-Country class 120 dmu set EP514 comprising of cars M53687 + M59264 + M53705, waits to leave platform 4 at Crewe with a Derby service, 23rd December 1985. Andrew J Crowther.
Date: 6th August 1986
A hybrid DMU arrives into Glasgow Central station on 6 August 1986. Closest is Class 104 DMSL 53491, the Met-Camm centre car is presumably 59559 and at the far end is a Class 120 DMBS presumably 53705. Andrew Malloy.
Date: 30th August 1986
Class 104 DMCL no 53491 in plain blue leads blue / grey class 101 (presumably 59559) and 53705 (class 120) in platform 1 of Ayr station on 30-08-1986. This is typical of the 'Frankenstein' dmu sets that were put together in the 1980's immediately prior to the start of electric services, four weeks after this picture was taken. Gordon Thomson.
Date: 15th September 1986
Ayr depot on 15/9/86 with a very mixed set comprising 53491 (cl.104) nearest the camera, with 59559 (cl.101) and 53705 (cl.120) behind. This set was typical of those on the Ayr line at this time, with Ayr depot almost seeming as though they were lashing together anything that could turn a wheel so as to keep the service going until the advent of the electrics. Leonard Rogers.