Vehicle 56232 / 54232

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Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Lot Number: 30466
Diagram: 640

Allocations

The London Midland Region didn't publish trailer car details until late in 1968. Although not 100% reliable, if it is assumed that the trailers remained with the same power cars, the allocations for 50949 during the unknown period are:

28/02/59	New		- stored at Warwick pending allocation
Apr-59	Transferred to	6K (Rhyl)	- stored pending allocation
Jun-59	Transferred to	9E (Trafford Park)
4w/e 01/06/63	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
3w/e 31/10/65	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
4w/e 04/02/67	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)

Then the allocations for 56232 are:

12/05/85	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
May-87	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
29/11/87	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
14/05/90	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) PLOX
02/07/92	Withdrawn from	LO (Longsight) RCLO

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56232 - original number
54232 - from 1983 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

circa Dec-72 - AWS fitted

Refurbished

At Derby Works dated 26/10/1977 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Booth Roe Metals, Rotherham

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50949	56232							As delivered to - 28th February 1959 - stabled at Warwick, pending allocation
	50967	56232							Noted 01/01/68 - in Manchester Piccadilly1
	50938	56232							Noted 22/08/69 - at Manchester Piccadilly1
	50949	56232							Noted 04/06/71 - at Longsight1
	50949	56232							Noted 19/09/71 - on Chester depot1
	50949	56232							Noted 20/04/73 - in Manchester Oxford Road2
LT314	50949	56232							Noted 09/09/73 - on Chester depot2
	50949	56232							Noted 28/08/75 - on Longsight depot2
	50949	56232							Noted 27/11/1976 - at Chester3
LO304	50949	56232							Noted circa 08/19824
	50978	56232							Noted circa 12/1982 - Temporary formation operating from Longsight.4
	50949	56232							Noted circa 01/19834
	53949	54232							Listed at LO - 01/01/85
	53949	54232							Listed at Newton Heath - Summer 1986
	53949	54232							Listed at NH - 10/05/87
CH255	51424	54232							Noted Apr-88
255	51424	54232							Noted 09/04/19884
CH255	51424	54232							Listed at CH - May 1988
CH255	51424	54232							Noted circa Jul-88
	51424	54232							Noted 01/10/88 - on 14:53 Sheffield - Chesterfield
CH255	51424	54232							Listed at CH - 14/10/89
LO255	51424	54232							Listed at LO - mid May-90
LO255	51424	54232							Noted circa 07/19904
LO255	51424	54232							Listed at LO - Jul-91
LO255	51424	54232							Listed at LO - Aug-91
	51424	54232							Noted 07/08/915
LO255	51424	54232							Listed at LO - Dec-91
	51424	54232							Noted 11/04/92 - on 15:43 Chester - Manchester Piccadilly6

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Gerald Brown
3: Peter Wallwork
4: Eddie Knorn
5: Graeme Phillips
6: David Bellamy

Images:

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2nd November 1986

With the WCML in the background and the route to Southport in the foreground, Class 108 DMU sets were Sunday resting in the Up sidings adjacent to Wigan Wallgate Junction on November 2nd 1986. Complete with a Greater Manchester PTE emblem behind the cab door the nearest car was DMSL 54232. An image taken in more-relaxed BR days when a polite request to local P.Way staff gave access to such locations. Martyn Hilbert.

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1992

Set number: LO255

Class 108 DMU set LO255 (54232 + 51424) passes through Buxworth Cutting sometime in 1992. Stuart Mackay Collection.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

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Date: 29th August 1988

Set number: CH255

On Bank Holiday Monday August 29th 1988, a six-car rake of Class 108 DMUs had arrived at Southport with an additional service from Manchester. The leading car was Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) M51424 part of Chester set CH255. The car had been built to Lot.No.30498 at Derby and had been new in March 1960. In 1988, M51424 was partnered with Driving Trailer M54232, the set being transferred to Manchester Longsight Depot in 1990, where it worked it's last period of operation until withdrawn from service in 1992. Both cars were subsequently scrapped by Booth's of Rotherham. Martyn Hilbert.

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Date: 21st May 1991

Set number: LO256

LO256 M54496 + M51901 + LO255 M51424 + M54232 2E24 18:30 Piccadilly to Sheffield at New Mills South Junction 21-5-91. Kevin Dowd.

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Date: 26th July 1991

Set number: LO255

Class 108 DMBS M51424, LO255 - with out of shot M54232 and M53982 / M54246 (LO277) at Manchester Victoria on 26/07/1991. Robert Chilton.