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Vehicle 50944 / 53944 / 977766

Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30465
Diagram: 543

Allocations

24/01/59	New to	2D (Coventry)	- pending allocation
Apr-59	Transferred to	3C (Ryecroft)
Jun-59	Transferred to	26A (Newton Heath)
Oct-59	Transferred to	1E (Bletchley)
3w/e 31/01/65	Transferred to	6A (Chester)
3w/e 30/04/66	Transferred to	8J (Allerton)
3w/e 02/06/66	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
4w/e 04/02/67	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
May 1973	Depot code change	LO
4w/e 11/11/78	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
07/05/89	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill) PNLX
07/07/91	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) PLOX	- as LO279
14/01/92	Withdrawn from	LO (Longsight) PLOX	- as LO279
14/01/92	To departmental stock	LO (Longsight)
Aug-93	Withdrawn

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50944 - original number
53944 - from 1984 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
977766 - from Jan-92 (departmental stock)

Department Use as ADB977766

Sandite / Route Learner From 1/92 to 8/93. Carried set number LO904

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 23/04/1982 released in blue/grey livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Booth Roe Metals, Rotherham

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50944	56227	Noted January 1959
	50944	56227	As delivered to 2D - 24th January 1959
	50944	56227	Transfer to 3C - Apr-59
	50944	56227	Transfer to 1E - Oct-59
LT320	50944	56227	Listed at 9A - circa Jul-70
	50944	56227	Noted 15/08/70 - at Chester¹
	50944	56227	Noted 16/08/70 - at Chester¹
	50944	56227	Noted 04/06/71 - at Longsight²
	50944	56227	Noted 19/09/71 - on Chester depot²
LT320	50944	56227	Noted 05/09/73 - at Crewe¹
	50944	56227	Noted 09/1974 - at Crewe³
	50944	56227	Noted 28/08/75 - on Longsight depot¹
	50944	56227	Noted 20/09/1975 - at Crewe³
	50944	56227	Transfer to NH - 4w/e 11/11/78
	50944	56501	Noted circa 08/1981⁴
NH344	50944	56501	Noted circa 05/1982⁴
NH344	50944	56501	Noted 19/07/1982 - Manchester Victoria⁴
	50944	56501	Noted circa 10/1982⁴
	50944	56501	Noted 13/10/1982 - Worked 08.25 Bolton to Manchester Victoria⁴
	50944	56501	Noted circa 12/1982⁴
	53944	52061	Listed at Newton Heath - Summer 1986
	53944	52041	Noted 03/11/1986⁴
	53944	52041	Noted 24/04/1987 - at Leeds⁵
	53944	52041	Listed at NH - 10/05/87
	53944	52041	Noted circa 10/1987⁴
	53944	53500	Listed at NH - 1st January 1988
N617	53944	54071	Listed at NH - May-88
N617	53944	54408	Noted circa 04/1989⁴
N617	53944	54408	Noted 27/07/89 - at Barnetby
NL253	53944	54408	Listed at NL - 05/09/89
N617	53944	54408	Noted 13/09/89 - at Sheffield
N617	53944	54252	Noted 28/12/89 - at Leeds City, 54252 with set number T215¹
spare	53944		Listed at LO - Jul-91
spare	53944		Listed at LO - Aug-91
LO279	53944	54212	Listed at LO - Aug-91
904	977765	977766	Listed at LO - 08/11/93 - sandite

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

Images:

18th February 1978

M50944 leads a two-car Class 108 out of Manchester Piccadilly station on 18 February 1978. Alistair Ness.

30th August 1979

A Class 108 two-car DMU with DMBS M50944 leading, accelerates away from Midge Hall with an Ormskirk to Preston service on August 30th 1979. The brick structure visible to the right of the DMU is the gable-end of the former Goods Shed at the long-closed Midge Hall station. The station closed in 1960 and there have been long-running campaigns to have the station re-opened as the Western fringe of a developed Leyland has almost reached this location. In 1979 the former Up Line along here was still in use, single track commencing just South of the level crossing seen in the far-distance, where a VW Camper is passing over the line. Martyn Hilbert.

20th November 1983

A Class 108 two-car DMU with Driving Motor Brake Second M53944 at the rear, was stood at Bamber Bridge with a Preston to Colne service on November 20th 1983. In the distance is the bridge constructed in red brick, that takes the M6 Motorway across the East Lancashire route. The structure was the first Motorway over Railway bridge in the UK, this section of the M6 (The 8 mile Preston By-Pass) between Bamber Bridge and Broughton, opened in December 1958. Unfortunately the original brick bridge was encased by new structures on both sides when this section of the M6 was widened in the 1990's. Martyn Hilbert.

5th June 1988

On the 5th June 1988 Newton Heath allocated Class 108 DMBS M53944 is seen during an overhaul at BREL Doncaster Works Carriage & Wagon Section. Later converted to departmental Sandite vehicle ADB977766 she was eventually scrapped during April 1994 by C F Booth, Rotherham. Bob Woolnough.

6th August 1988

Class 108 Driving Motor Brake Second M53944 was leading a seven-car DMU formation arriving at Lostock Hall with the Sunday Blackpool North to Carlisle 'Dalesrail' service on August 6th 1988. The service was made up of a two-car Class 108 (both DMBSs), a two-car Class 104 & a three-car Class 101. Martyn Hilbert.

3rd September 1988

In the sidings at Southport on September 3rd 1988 are Class 108 53944 (paired with a Met-Camm) & Class 104 53447 are stabled between duties. Another 104 is in the station. In the foreground 507 011 awaits a visit to works for overhaul and bodywork repairs. The station layout was then controlled by the former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Signalbox, (visible top left), complete with its electro-pneumatic control system dating from 1917. Martyn Hilbert.

13th September 1989

Set number: N617

31 456 is at the head of (furthest to closest) (possibly 51828)/51842 and 54408/53944 at Sheffield on the 13th September 1989. Malcolm Clements.

1990

Set number: N617

150140 and a Class 108 at Cleethorpes in 1990. The set number on the 108 DMBS appears to read N617 making it 53944. John Law.

24th August 1993

Set number: LO904

977766 is carrying set number LO904T when seen at Chester TMD, sandwiched between 977748 (left) and 977765 (right) on the 24th August 1993. S Gaskell.

circa 1994

Set number: LO904

A stack of Class 108 vehicles awaiting their end at CF Booths in Rotherham, circa 1994. With the cab facing us are sandite vehicles 977766 (top) and 977765. Robert Frise Collection.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: May 1975

BR (Derby) Class 108 2-car local passenger dmu Nos.E56228 (Class 142) and E50944 (Class 108/2) of the 1958 batch, near Lancaster, on a Lancaster - Morecambe service, 05/75. Hugh Llewelyn.

Date: 24th April 1978

A two-car Class 108 in Rail Blue (the DMBS at the rear is M50944), arrives at Ormskirk with a service from Preston on April 24th 1978. There were still a few lineside structures still remaining from the days when this was a double-track through route. The antics of the passenger in the rear trailer car is a lesson in the perils of slam-door stock. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 5th July 1981

This slide was annotated as 12:05 Heysham to York near Moss, 1980. The eight-car formation contains a Class 104 twin, a three car with Class 104 DMCL and TCL white stripers with a Class 108 DMBS, and another three-car which seems to be Class 105 power cars with a Class 104 centre car. Update: M50468 + 50499 / M50531 + 59178 + 50944 / M50761 + 59207 + 50794 with 1P90 12:15 Heysham Harbour-Accrington relief on 5 July 1981, see https://www.flickr.com/photos/psrp/50894325502/. For the incoming working see image 27291 on this website. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 5th July 1981

An eight-car DMU formation at Heysham Moss sometime in 1981, noted as an ex-Nelson to Heysham working (Rochdale is on the destination blind. Leading is a 105/104/105 - closest appears to be 50794 so its partners are presumably 59207 + 50761. The next three-car appears to be a 108 with two white-stripe 104s, then an unidentified two-car on the rear. Update: This is now thought to be 50794 + 59207 + M50761 / 50944 + 59178 + 50531 / 50499 + 50468 which would return with the 1P90 12:15 Heysham Harbour-Accrington relief on 5th July 1981, see https://www.flickr.com/photos/psrp/50894325502/. For that working see image 30023 on this website. Stuart Mackay Collection.

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: 8th June 1993

Set number: LO904

Sandite sets LO904 977765 (51938) + 977766 (53944), LO902 977748 (53950) + 977746 (53929) on Chester Depot, 8-6-93. Kevin Dowd.

Date: 24th August 1993

Set number: LO904

977765 and 977766 seen at Chester TMD on the 24th August 1993. S Gaskell.

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