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Vehicle 56245 / 54245

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 50962 during the unknown period are:

25/04/59	New to	Chaddesden	- stabled pending allocation
4w/e 30/05/59	Transferred to	9E (Trafford Park)
Jun-59	Transferred to	24F (Fleetwood)
w/e 04/11/61	Transferred to	9D (Buxton)
w/e 03/02/62	Transferred to	24F (Fleetwood)
4w/e 30/09/62	Transferred to	26A (Newton Heath)
4w/e 02/02/63	Transferred to	9D (Buxton)
Sep-63	Depot code change	9L
w/e 12/09/64	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
w/e 06/05/67	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)

Then the allocations for 56245 are:

4w/e 05/04/69	Transferred to	12A (Carlisle Kingmoor)
06/05/73	Depot code change	KM
Jan-75	Depot code change	KD
15/05/88	Transferred to	HT (Heaton)
25/11/90	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill) PNLX
08/04/91	Withdrawn from	NL (Neville Hill) PHTX

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56245 - original number
54245 - from Jun-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

Jun-73 - AWS fitted

Disposal

Scrapped by Booth Roe Metals, Rotherham

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

50962	56245	As delivered to LMR - April 1959 - stabled at Chaddesden sidings pending allocation
50964	56245	Noted 16/08/70 - at Kingmoor¹
50953	56245	Noted 01/06/1974 - at Carlisle ²
50958	56245	Noted 01/09/74 - at Barrow³
50953	56245	Noted 01/09/74 - on Kingmoor depot³
50954	56245	Noted 24/08/75 - on Carlisle Kingmoor depot³
50960	56245	Noted 28/03/1977 - at Carlisle²
50960	56245	Noted 21/08/1979 - on 09:45 Carlisle to Lancaster, coupled to 50987 & 56270 at Barrow²
50962	56245	Listed at KD - circa Aug-80
50962	56245	Noted 03/01/1981 - At Preston Station⁴
50962	56245	Noted 16/03/82 - at Lancaster with 56242 + 50953.
53962	54245	Noted 30/11/1983 - at Carlisle⁵
53962	54245	Noted circa 03/1984⁵
53962	54245	Noted 12/04/84 - at Blackpool South
53962	54245	Listed at KD - 01/01/85
53962	54245	Listed at Carlisle Kingmoor - Summer 1986
53962	54245	Noted circa 03/1987⁵
53962	54245	Listed at KD - circa Jan-88
53962	54245	Noted 03/09/88⁶
53962	54245	Noted 29/10/88 - on 14:00 Hexham - Sunderland service⁶
53962	54245	Noted 03/12/88 - on 15:17 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
53962	54245	Listed at HT - Feb-89
53962	54245	Noted 04/03/89 - on 17:40 Durham - Newcastle⁶
53962	54245	Noted 04/03/89 - on 17:04 Newcastle - Durham service⁶
53962	54245	Noted 18/03/89 - on 16:30 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
53962	54245	Noted 18/03/89 - on 13:35 Carlisle - Newcastle service⁶
53962	54245	Noted 16/05/89 - on 07:26 Seaham - Newcastle⁶
53962	54245	Noted 19/07/89 - on 19:12 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
53962	54245	Noted 20/10/89 - on 07:26 Seaham - Newcastle⁶
53962	54245	Noted 10/11/89 - on 07:26 Seaham - Newcastle⁶
53962	54245	Noted 11/11/89 - on 09:02 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
53962	54245	Noted 18/11/89 - on 15:14 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
53962	54245	Noted 13/12/89 - on 07:26 Seaham - Newcastle⁶

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

Images:

26th October 1978

A Class 108 DMU formed of M56245 + M50952 stabled between Barrow duties at Lancaster on 26 October 1978. Stuart Mackay Collection.

16th March 1982

Lancaster station contains a 4-car formation of Class 108s made up of two 2-car sets on the 16th March 1982 - 56245 + 50962 + 56242 + 50953. Jerry Glover.

29th December 1982

A Class 108 DMU - M56245 closest - in Windermere station after arriving with the 12:26 from Oxenholme on 29 December 1982. Robert Thomas.

8th March 1988

Derby Class 108 2-car DMUs at Barrow-in-Furness 8-3-88. 54245 + 53962 are on the left. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

8th March 1988

Derby Class 108 2-car DMUs at Millom 54245 + 53962 on left, unidentified set arriving on right 8-3-88. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

8th March 1988

Derby Class 108 2-car DMU 54245 + 53962 at Millom for Barrow-on-Furness, 8-3-88. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

15th December 1991

M54245 (left), E54243 (center), E59249 (right) grounded in C.F.Booths Rotherham 15-12-91. Kevin Dowd.

December 1991

M54245 (left), E54243 (center), E59249 (right) grounded in CF Booths Rotherham, probably late December 1991. Robert Frise Collection.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 22nd July 1985

At least two 2-car units are seen at Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, heading to Barrow-in-Furness, 22/07/1985. 53962 leads, presumably paired with 54245. Graeme Phillips Collection.

Date: 8th March 1988

Derby Class 108 2-car DMU 53962 + 54245 waits at Millom for Barrow-on-Furness 8-3-88. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Date: 8th March 1988

Derby Class 108 2-car DMU 53962 + 54245 at Millom for Barrow-on-Furness on 8-3-88. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

Date: 9th July 1988

A Class 108 DMU at Carlisle on 09/07/1988. Nearest the camera is M53962, with long-term partner M54245. This pair is one of the majority of DMU vehicles (all Class 108) that had recently been transferred from Kingmoor (KD) depot, Carlisle, to Heaton (HT) depot, Newcastle, upon closure of the former in May 1988, still intended for use in Cumbria (the remaining vehicles went to Chester (CH) depot, for continued operations in rural Lancashire). The fleet had had a long association with Cumbrian services, lasting until 1991 when replaced by then newly converted Class 153 single cars. Graeme Phillips Collection.

Date: 3rd November 1988

A Class 108 led by 53962 departs from Carlisle with a Barrow service on November 3rd, 1988. It is presumably paired with long-term partner 54245. John Carter.

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