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Vehicle 50878 / 53878

Class 116

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30364
Diagram: 554

Allocations

Nov-57	New to	88A (Cardiff Cathays)
Jan-61	Depot code change	88B
Mar-62	Depot code change	88M
Mar-64	On loan to	81D (Reading)
Nov-64	Transferred to	86A (Cardiff Canton)
2w/e 12/11/66	Transferred to	64H (Leith Central)
4w/e 31/12/66	Transferred to	66C (Hamilton)
May-73	Depot code change	HN
2w/e 29/04/78	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
09/03/92	Withdrawn from	TS (Tyseley) PTSX

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50878 - original number
53878 - from Jul-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

circa Mar-85 - Gangway(s) fitted

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 12/01/1979 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50825	59333	50878		As delivered to WR - November 1957
CAT313	50825	50878			Listed at CAT - Jul-62 - and centre car
	50825	59333	50878		Transfer to 81D - Mar-64 - on loan
	50825	59333	50878		Transfer to 64H - 2w/e 12/11/66 - from WR
	50825	59333	50878		Transfer to 66C - 4w/e 31/12/66
	50825	59333	50878		Noted mid-Sep-67 - at Hamilton Central still in green with W prefixes
148	50825	59333	50878		Listed at 66C - circa Oct-69
148	50825	59333	50878		Listed at 66C - Jul-70
148	50825	59333	50878		Listed at 66C - 1972
	50825	59333	50878		Noted 29/07/1972 - at Glasgow Central¹
	50825	59333	50878		Noted 18/04/1972¹
	50825	59333	50878		Noted 24/07/1973 - at Glasgow Central²
155	50825	59333	50878		Noted 25/08/75 - on Hamilton depot³
	50825	59333	50878		Noted 31/12/75 - in Glasgow Central⁴
155	50825	59333	50878		Noted 09/09/76 - in Glasgow Central, set number only on 50825³
TS553	50818	59326	50878		Listed at TS - 12/08/79
TS553	50818	59326	50878		Noted circa 01/1981⁵
TS553	50818	59326	50878		Noted circa 10/1981⁵
TS553	50818	89326	50878		Noted circa 05/1982⁵
TS553	50818	59326	50878		Listed at TS - Jan-83
TS553	53818	59326	53878		Listed at TS - 14/07/83
TS553	53818	59326	53878		Noted circa 10/1983⁵
TS553	53818	59606	53878		Noted circa 03/1984⁵
TS553	53058	59606	53878		Noted circa 04/1984⁵
TS553	53818	59606	53878		Noted 17/04/1984⁵
TS553	53058	59606	53878		Noted circa 05/1984⁵
TS553	55000	59606	53878		Noted circa 10/1984⁵
TS553	53849	59606	53878		Noted circa 10/1984⁵
TS620	53849	59606	53878		Noted circa 01/1985⁵
TS620	53849	59606	53878		Listed at TS - May-85
TS620	53849	59606	53878		Noted circa 11/1985⁵
TS620	53849	59606	53878		Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986
TS620	53849	59606	53878		Noted 19/07/86 - at Norwich³
TS620	53056	59612	53878		Noted circa 06/1987⁵
T620	53056	59612	53878		Listed at TS - Jul-87
TS620	53056	59612	53878		Noted circa 01/1988⁵
T421	51897	59741	59612	53878	Formation change - TS - 2w/e 13/03/88 - 59741, 59612, 53878 added
T421	51897	59741	59612	53878	Listed at Tyseley - 7th April 1988
T421	51897	59741	59612	53878	Noted circa 05/1988⁵
T421	51897	59741	59612	53878	Listed at TS - 01/09/89
T421	51897	59741	59612	53878	Listed at TS - 01/12/89
T421	51897	59741	59612	53878	Noted 10/12/1989 - Branch Line Society South Midlands Railtour T421+T324
	51897	59612	59741	53878	Noted 06/05/1990 - at Tyseley depot²
T421	51897	59741	59612	53878	Listed at TS - mid May-90
T421	51897	59612	59741	53878	Noted circa 10/1990⁵
T421	51897	59673	59741	53878	Noted circa 12/1990⁵
T421	51897	59673	59741	53878	Noted circa 05/1991⁵
T421	51897	59741	59673	53878	Listed at TS - Aug-91
T421	51897	59741	59673	53878	Listed at TS - Dec-91

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

Images:

29th November 1957

A Derby suburban set headed by W50878 arrives at Birmingham Snow Hill on 29 November 1957 ready to work the 2.05pm to Stratford-upon-Avon. In brand new condition, it was delivered that month and the set would also contain 59333 and 50825. Michael Mensing.

7th July 1984

Set number: TS553

TS553, with presumably 53878 closest, at University, Birmingham on 07/07/84. Steve Jones.

11th October 1984

Set number: TS553

Tyseley DMU set TS553 sits in the platform at Leamington Spa. The vehicles are presumably 53878 (116), 59606 (127) and 55000 (122). Nicholas notes: Leamington had a tendency to run the empty stock 3 car DMU of a Moor St set and the Stratford bubble out onto the up main toward Fenny when a xcountry was due, and then separately use a shunt disc to bring them in behind the express - providing a same platform interchange instead of the subway. This is not allowed any more - Call Ons 'are for joining' and shunts onto occupied passenger trains are somewhat discouraged - except where there's a third rail - despite stairs being easily the worst passenger hazard. In those days, the up bay wasn't signalled for Main move down departures so the bubble had to shuffle across anyway. Nicholas T Smith.

11th May 1985

Set number: TS620

Class 116 3-car DMU set T620 (presumably 53878 + 59606 + 53849) stabled north end of Wolverhampton station, pair of Met Cams in distance, 11-5-85. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

19th July 1987

Set number: T620

Three-car set 53878, 59612 and 53056 stabled at Leicester with Norwich's set 72 behind, headed by 51201 and presumably with out of sight, 54347. Unusually the 116 (with class 127 centre trailer) appears to have a Tyseley set number board in the 2nd man's window but with no set number apparently on it (they would be set T620 at this time). The following year 53878 and 59612 were reformed into four-car set T421 and 53056 was in three-car set T342. Robert Chilton.

11th February 1989

Set number: T421

A hybrid DMU (with a Class 116 vehicle closest, presumably 53878) at Gravelly Hill on 11 February 1989. A unit on a Birmingham Cross-City working draws out of the platform for Lichfield City. Alistair Ness.

15th March 1989

Set number: T421

Hybrid 4-car DMU set T421 with Class 116 DMS 53878 leading entering the new platforms at Birmingham Moor Street 15-3-89. T421 at this time may have been 53878 + 59741 + 59612 + 51897, Class 116+115+127+115, DMS+TS+TSL+DMBS. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

24th March 1992

Set number: T421

Class 116 DMS M53878 at Snailwell on March 24, 1992. Nicholas Youngman.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 4th October 1984

Tyseley set TS553 is formed 55000 + 59606 + 53878 when seen stabled in the bay at Leamington Spa on 4 October 1984, the 122 standing in for the regular 116 DMBS. The RTC Park Royal DMU 975089 + 975090 can also be seen passing through the station. Nicholas T Smith.

Date: 11th April 1986

Set number: TS620

On 11 April 1986 Tyseley class 116 set T620 (presumably 53849 + 59606 + 53878) was climbing Hatton Bank with an ECS working from Leamington Spa to either Tyseley depot or Birmingham Moor Street. Hundreds of trees were later planted along the fence line by the landowner who was concerned that birds from his pheasant shoots would fly too low when being driven from the adjacent field of cover crops. The result today is a linear wood hiding the line altogether. Peter Tandy.

Date: 16th May 1986

Set number: TS620

In 1986 all but one train each way per day between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon ran along the North Warwickshire Line unlike in later years when an hourly service ran on the route via Hatton North curve and Solihull. On 16 May 1986 a class 116 (set TS620, presumably 53849 + 59606 + 53878) is seen on the single line near Claverdon with the 17.25 from Birmingham Moor Street to Stratford. The photograph was a bonus on the evening that steam locomotive 777 Sir Lamiel was operating a private charter to Stratford. Peter Tandy.

Date: 5th June 1986

Set number: TS620

Tyseley's class 116 T620 (presumably 53849 + 59606 + 53878) was photographed near Smethwick West on 5 June 1986 with a Birmingham to Worcester fast service. The shot nearly didn't make the cut because of the poor framing caused by me pressing the shutter release too late! The redeeming feature was the information board in the central cab window telling the public that this train was an express. Peter Tandy.

Date: 10th October 1986

Set number: TS620

Class 116 Set TS620 53849 at Birmingham New Street on 10th October 1986.The rest of the formation was'nt included but presume were 59606 and 53878. Nicholas Youngman Collection.

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