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Vehicle 50968 / 53968

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

30/05/59	New to	24F (Fleetwood)
w/e 03/06/61	Transferred to	6A (Chester)
w/e 07/01/67	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
2w/e 11/05/68	Transferred to	10E (Accrington)
Oct-72	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
May-73	Depot code change	NH
Jan-81	Transferred to	KD (Carlisle Kingmoor)
15/05/88	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
14/05/89	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley) PTSX
01/10/89	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill) PNLX
07/07/91	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) PLOX
02/07/92	Withdrawn from	LO (Longsight) RCLO

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

50968 - original number
53968 - from Jun-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Disposal

Scrapped by Booth Roe Metals, Rotherham

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50968	56251		As delivered to 24F - 30th May 1959
	50968	56251		Noted 26/10/71 - at Preston¹
	50968	56266		Noted 19/04/73 - on Newton Heath depot¹
	50968	56251		Noted 03/04/76 - at York with 50950 + 56233 and 50975 + 56258¹
	50968	56251		Noted 24/04/1976 - at Preston²
	50968	56251		Noted 09/09/76 - at Preston¹
	50968	56251		Noted 13/09/1977 - 12.07 Lime Street to Warrington Central with 51417-56492³
	50968	56251		Noted 04/01/78
	50968	56251		Noted 31/07/78 - at Windermere working with 50956 + 56238 / 50965 + 56248
	50968	56251		Noted 24/05/80
	53968	54251		Listed at KD - 01/01/85
	53968	54251		Noted circa 10/1985³
	53968	54251		Listed at Carlisle Kingmoor - Summer 1986
	53968	54251		Noted 01/11/1986³
	53968	54251		Noted 06/12/86 - on 12:08 Carlisle - Preston⁴
	53968	54251		Noted 20/03/1987³
	53968	54251		Noted 30/12/87 - on Leeds - Carlisle service
	53968	54251		Listed at KD - circa Jan-88
CH278	53968	54251		Listed at CH - May 1988
CH278	53968	54251		Noted 13th November 1988
T214	53968	54251		Listed at TS - 01/09/89
T214	53968	54251		Noted circa 09/1989³
	53968	59246	53235	Noted 28/10/89 - on 08:42 York - Hull via Selby⁵
NL68	53968	54262		Listed at NL - Jul-91
LO284	53968	54249		Noted circa 09/1991³
LO284	53968	54249		Listed at LO - Dec-91

Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Peter Wallwork
3: Eddie Knorn
4: Martin Baumann
5: Graeme Phillips

Images:

15th May 1978

Having arrived from Ormskirk and complete with its oil tail lamp, the Class 108 with M50968 closest was stood in bay platform 3A at Preston Station on May 15th 1978. The unit would work back to West Lancashire with the 15.36 departure to Ormskirk. Martyn Hilbert.

January 1979

In the fading light of a January afternoon at Ormskirk in 1979, Class 108 Motor Brake Second M50968 was at the rear of a service from Preston. The guard was waiting to collect the tail lamp for placing at the other end of the unit for the return working. The lower portion of the redundant signal box was still visible on the disused down side platform. The appearance of double track is the emergency loop then still in place to bypass the two buffer stops on the former up side. Martyn Hilbert.

Unknown date

A Class 108 set at Leeds in the late '80s, with DMBS 53968 closest. Bob Clay.

30th December 1987

53968 and 54251 await departure from Leeds station with a Carlisle service on December 30th, 1987. Rex Holt.

9th July 1988

Class 108 53968 is seen stabled at Tyseley on 09.07.1988. Andy Cole.

31st August 1988

Set number: CH278

108 Set CH278 (presumably 53968 + 54251) departs Rhyl (18XX) Wednesday 31st August 1988. Colin Brooks.

12th January 1991

Saturday 12/01/1991 at Leeds, and a Class 108/101 hybrid DMU formation, consisting of vehicles 53968 + 54061 is seen with Huddersfield on the destination blind. The Class 156 behind is probably 156 463. Graeme Phillips Collection.

12th June 1991

A Class 108 DMU formed of 53968 and 54262 approaching Barnetby station with a Cleethorpes train on 12 June 1991. Keith Miller.

4th May 1992

Set number: LO603

DMU set LO603 (53968+53243) is seen pulling out of Tal-y-cafn station on the Conway Valley line with the 10.25 Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog on May 4, 1992. By this date the first generation DMU's were in the twilight of their careers and the leading vehicle here 53968 was withdrawn two months later on July 2nd with the trailing vehicle 54243 making it to October 1992. Adrian Nicholls.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 30th July 1978

E50140 (+ E59087 + E59094 + E51514) sits beside M56251 (unseen are M50968 + M50955 + M56234) at Lancaster. The 101 is on the Lancaster - Morecambe shuttle, the 108 to Millom (Cumbrian coast), 30/7/78. Robert Frise.

Date: 31st July 1978

M50956 at the head of M56238, M50965, M56248, M50968 and M56251 at Windermere on the 31st July 1978. Robert Frise.

Date: 22nd February 1986

With the 309ft high spire of St Walburges Church as a backdrop, a six-car lash-up of Derby Class 108 DMU's were stabled in Croft Street Sidings, adjacent to the Preston PSB and Fylde Junction on February 22nd 1986. The nearest set was formed of cars 53968 & 54251 which at the time were allocated to Carlisle Kingmoor Depot. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 20th July 1987

A six-car rake, formed of three cl.108 twins, enters Carlisle as e.c.s on 20/7/87. The leading vehicle is 54249; the complete rake was 53954/54264 + 53968/54251 + 53966/54249. The stock will form the 14.15 to Barrow. By the time it reaches Sellafield, it will be 15.56 and five out of the six vehicles are marked as reserved for homegoing BNFL/UKAEA workers. Leonard Rogers.

Date: spring 1992

Set number: LO603

Class 101 unit LO603 (cars 53243 and presumably 53968) calls at Conwy in the spring of 1992 Bob Belcher.

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