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Vehicle 56280 / 54280

Class 121

Builder: Pressed Steel
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Lot Number: 30519
Diagram: 513

Allocations

Sep-60	New to	81C (Southall)
Jul-64	Transferred to	81D (Reading)
Nov-64	Transferred to	81C (Southall)
Apr-68	Transferred to	81D (Reading)
May 1973	Depot code change	RG
Jun-87	Transferred to	OO (Old Oak Common)
p/e 02/03/91	Sector Change to	OO (Old Oak Common) NXXZ
26/03/91	Withdrawn from	OO (Old Oak Common) NXXZ

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56280 - original number
54280 - from Apr-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

circa Jul-70 - Dual AWS fitted
Jun-75 - WR AWS removed

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 03/03/1981 released in blue/grey livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51367	59519	51409	56280	Noted 14/02/72 - at Royal Oak¹
	50987	56280			Noted 24/02/76 - in Liverpool Exchange²
L280	56280				Listed at RG - 01/05/1976
L280	56280				Listed at RG - 31st December 1977
L280	56280				Noted 17/09/1978 - Reading³
	56280	51337	59489	51379	Noted circa 01/1979⁴
L280	56280				Listed at RG - 03/03/80
L280	56280				Listed at RG - 15/12/1982
	55034	54280			Noted circa 01/1984⁴
L280	54280				Listed at RG - 01/01/85
	51343	51385	54280		Noted circa 07/1985⁴
	54280	51052	59282	51080	Noted circa 11/1985⁴
	51350	59502	51392	54280	Noted circa 02/1986⁴
L280	54280				Listed at Reading - Summer 1986
	55031	54280			Noted 26/08/1986⁴
L129	55029	54280			Noted 21/04/87 - at Royal Oak, 54280 carried set number L280¹
L280	54280				Listed at OO - Aug-87
	53155	51443	54280		Noted 12/09/1987⁴
	51849	54280			Noted circa 03/1989⁴
	51891	59656	51849	54280	Noted circa 04/1989⁴
L280	54280				Listed at OO - 15/05/89

Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Leonard Rogers
3: Shayne Lewis
4: Eddie Knorn

Images:

1973

Set number: 280

56280 after arrival at Windsor and Eton Central in 1973. John Law.

May 1976

Set number: L280

Pressed Steel Class 121 vehicles W56280 (L280) and W55020 (L120) in Bourne End station in May 1976. Note the yellow handrail by the drivers door, perhaps a replacement that was once on the opposite side of a vehicle. Stuart Mackay Collection.

May 1980

Class 121 driving trailer at Cookham on the Marlow branch in May 1980. Ian Buck.

September 1982

Pressed Steel DTS W56280 working with W55031 arriving at Paddington on a service from Greenford, 09/82. Hugh Llewelyn.

1985

Sometime in 1985 class 121 driving trailer 56280 is working the Marlow Donkey at Bourne End. Ian Buck.

25th January 1986

Set number: L280

This was taken at Banbury on 25 January 1986. At the time, there was no fence obscuring the view from the trackside just to the south of platforms and no-one seemed to mind if one stood there to take pictures. It was, of course, the ideal spot on a sunny Saturday afternoon when there was quite a variety of movements, both unit and locomotive hauled. This shot shows trailer 54280 and a single unit "bubble car" leaving the main line platform at Banbury on their way to Oxford as an all stations stopping service. Peter Tandy.

14th April 1987

Set number: L280

L280 (54280) + L403 (51336 + 59488 + 51378), in that order, seen at Oxford on the 14th April 1987. S Gaskell.

8th April 1989

Set number: L280

Class 121 Driving Trailer 54280 coupled to a native Class 115 Motor Car forming the Princes Risborough Shuttle on 8th April 1989. The far 2 cars were berthed in the platform, they included a Met-Camm vehicle. AndrewHA.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: May 1976

Set number: L120

Pressed Steel Class 121 vehicles W55020 (L120) and W56280 (L280) arrive at Bourne End in May 1976. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: September 1982

Pressed Steel Class 121 "bubble car" W55031 working with DTS W56280 seen at Paddington on Greenford duties in September 1982. Hugh Llewelyn.

Date: 29th January 1983

Set number: L130

Class 121 Pressed Steel DMUs DMBS 55030 + DTS 56280 Oxford 29-1-83. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Date: 30th January 1987

Set number: L122

Taken at Reading on 30 January 1987 was this picture of 55022 leading driving vehicle 54280 towards Reading station. The destination blind said Marlow which gave to where the unit had been working but on this occasion it went straight though Reading towards Didcot. Peter Tandy.

Date: 20th February 1988

A freshly painted 55992 at Reading MPD in Saturday 20 February, 1988. Behind is Class 121 DTS 54280. Mel Holley.

Date: 15th March 1988

Set number: L127

Class 121 bubble 55027 hauls DTS 54280 through Ealing Broadway on 15/3/88. Malcolm Clements.

Date: 17th August 1988

Set number: L417

Apparently fitted with a replacement cab from a Class 116 DMU. Class 117 DMS 51396 leads another RG allocated hybrid formation - running as set L417 - through Iver Station whilst forming the 0935 Reading - Paddington service ... 51396+54280+51354. 17th August 1988. Nigel Mack.

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