Builder: Pressed Steel
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Lot Number: 30519
Diagram: 513
Feb-61 | New to | 84A | - or perhaps 81D? |
by Jun-62 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
Jun-64 | Transferred to | 84A (Laira) | |
4w/e 22/02/69 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
3w/e 31/01/70 | Transferred to | 84A (Laira) | |
3w/e 31/07/71 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
May 1973 | Depot code change | RG | |
Dec-73 | Transferred to | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
2w/e 10/05/75 | Transferred to | RG (Reading) | |
Jun-87 | Transferred to | OO (Old Oak Common) | |
04/12/92 | Withdrawn from | OO (Old Oak Common) NWRX |
29/04/87 - noted in UG sidings Cardiff Canton.
56289 - original number
54289 - from May-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
circa Jul-70 - Dual AWS fitted
p/e 06/09/75 - WR AWS removed
Nov-88 - Gangway(s) fitted
Preserved - more details.
LA510 | 50712 | 50666 | 56289 | Noted circa Mar-70 | |||||
51352 | 59504 | 51394 | 56289 | Noted 25/10/1971 - at Paddington1 | |||||
C526 | 50726 | 59288 | 50682 | 56289 | Noted 14/05/74 - on 2C37 1650 Newport-Swansea, C526 with a DTS attached | ||||
56289 | Noted 30/08/1974 - at Newport, with C5521 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 30/08/74 - on 2C06 0650 Chepstow-Milford Haven with B478 + C600 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 20/09/74 - on 2C36 1650 Newport-Swansea attached to C503 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 05/02/75 - on 2C09 1420 Swansea-Newport with C505 + C526 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 12/03/75 - on 2C09 1420 Swansea-Cardiff with C533 + C323 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 24/03/75 - at Cardiff working with C338 + C503 + C534 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 25/03/75 - on 2C09 1430 Swansea-Newport with B580 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 09/04/75 - on 1A41 1452 Swansea-Paddington attached to C509 + C511 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 10/04/75 - on 1A41 1452 Swansea-Paddington attached to C505 + C512 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 29/04/75 - on 2C09 1420 Swansea-Cardiff attached to C502 + C558 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 01/05/75 - on 2C09 1420 Swansea-Cardiff attached to C601 | ||||||||
56289 | Noted 02/05/75 - on 2C09 1420 Swansea-Cardiff attached to C503 + C601 | ||||||||
L289 | 56289 | Listed at RG - 01/05/1976 | |||||||
L289 | 56289 | Listed at RG - 31st December 1977 | |||||||
L289 | 56289 | Listed at RG - circa Aug-82 | |||||||
L289 | 56289 | Listed at RG - 15/12/1982 | |||||||
L289 | 54289 | Listed at RG - 01/01/85 | |||||||
L289 | 54289 | Listed at Reading - Summer 1986 | |||||||
55030 | 54289 | Noted circa 06/19862 | |||||||
L289 | 54289 | Noted 25/02/1987 - at Old Oak Common3 | |||||||
L289 | 54289 | Listed at OO - Aug-87 | |||||||
L289 | 54289 | Listed at OO - 15/05/89 | |||||||
L210 | 53083 | 54289 | Noted circa 11/19892 | ||||||
L289 | 54289 | Listed at OO - 21/01/91 | |||||||
L263 | 53540 | 54289 | Noted circa 03/19912 | ||||||
53540 | 54289 | Noted 09/04/92 - on Slough - Windsor services4 | |||||||
L263 | 53540 | 54289 | Listed at OO - 24/02/92 - NSE NWRX pool | ||||||
L263 | 53540 | 54289 | Listed at OO - 12/08/92 | ||||||
L263 | 53540 | 54289 | Listed at OO - November 1992 - Sector NWRX |
Formation Sources
1: Jeremy Goodyear
2: Eddie Knorn
3: Robert Chilton
4: David Bellamy
Presses Steel DTS attached to a two-car Derby suburban set near Newton Abbot on 6 July 1968. There seems to be a lack of passengers on board - possibly an ECS? David Mant.
56289 and 55021 at Marlow. Date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
56289 has its tail lamp attended to at Maidenhead. Date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
56289 and bubble car at Bourne End. Date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
56289 and 55021 at Marlow. Date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
With the porter waiting to cross the tracks Red Warship D815 Druid of Newton Abbot is seen arriving at Exeter St Davids on the 1V11 service from Waterloo on the 5th of May 1971. In the sidings is a Pressed Steel DTS, Laira only had on this date - 56289 - all others were at Reading, so it is presumably this one. The KDH Archive.
Class 149 (later a 121) DTS W56289 was allocated to Cardiff from December 1973 till May 1975 and sometime during that period it is seen working with one of Canton's two-car Class 120s at Church Stretton approaching from the Shrewsbury direction. John Clark / Adrian Sutterby Collection.
56289 at Cookham - date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
Class 121 DTS W56289 (L289) hauled by class 121 single car W55020 (L120) make a smokey departure from Slough onto the Windsor branch, Saturday 19th February 1983 Iain Reid.
Class 121 DTS M54289 at Marlow on 25 August 1983 with an unknown Class 121 Bubble. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 121 Pressed Steel single dmu's 54289 + 55020, Windsor & Eton Central, Sunday 08 April 1984. Ian 10B.
Class 121 DTS W54289 is working with a two-car Class 119 set when seen in London Paddington on 7 August 1986. Colin Brooks.
54289 leads 51401 + 59511 + 51359 into Paddington on the 10th February 1987. Malcolm Clements.
54289 at Slough, 26/1/88. Malcolm Clements.
54289 heads west out of Slough station hauled by a classmate. Date unknown. Malcolm Clements.
Class 121 54289 is seen stabled at Tyseley carrying Network South East livery on 08.04.1989. Andy Cole.
54289 leads the 14.00 to Didcot out of Reading on 5/7/90. Coupled behind the cl.121 DTS is 53083. Leonard Rogers.
NSE-liveried set L210 (54289 and presumably 53083) is seen at Radley. The slide process date was August 1990. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Set L263 (presumably 54289 + 53540) and a Class 121 which is thought to be 55031, seen around 11:00 at West Ealing on Sunday 30 June 1991. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Set L263 - Class 121 DTS 54289 and Class 104 DMBS 53540 - is seen with a Greenford service in platform 10 of Paddington station on 9 November 1991. A Class 117 is seen to the left. Stuart Mackay Collection.
55021 and DTS 56289 at Maidenhead. Date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
55021 and 56289 at Marlow. Undated. Steve Davies Collection.
55021 and 56289 wait to depart from Marlow. Date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.
Leaving Llandrindod in the mid-1970s is a Class 121 DTS attached to a Class 120 set. Cardiff had two of these DTSs in this era, 56285 and 56289, the former only on loan for a few months. David Rowe.
Class 121 single car W55020 (L120) hauling class 121 DTS W56289 (L289) draw to a halt at the single remaining in use platform at Windsor & Eton Central on the shuttle service from Slough, Saturday 19th February 1983 Iain Reid.
Class 104 53429, set number L703, is seen stabled on Tyseley on 08.04.1989 with 53470, 55027 (right) and 54289 (left), all of which carry Network South East livery. Andy Cole.
Class 104 53540 with Class 121 54289 hybrid DMU set L263 approaches Pressed Steel Class 121 'Bubble Car' 55029 near West Ealing station circa 1991. From the late 1980s, a number of imported DMU sets were to be seen working NSE locals out of Paddington. The strangest arrivals were ex-Manchester Class 104s, one of which is seen here making up a hybrid set of BRC&W Class 104 DMBS 53540 and Pressed Steel Class 121 DTS 54289. The unit is about to pass one of the traditional Greenford branch Class 121 'Bubble Cars' 55029. West Ealing station is in the background. Chris McKee.
Class 104 53540 with Class 121 54289 hybrid DMU set L263 passes Pressed Steel Class 121 'Bubble Car' 55029 near West Ealing station circa 1991. From the late 1980s, a number of imported DMU sets were to be seen working NSE locals out of Paddington. The strangest arrivals were ex-Manchester Class 104s, one of which is seen here making up a hybrid set of BRC&W Class 104 DMBS 53540 and Pressed Steel Class 121 DTS 54289. The unit is about to pass one of the traditional Greenford branch Class 121 'Bubble Cars' 55029. Ealing Broadway station is in the background. I think I'm being yelled at by the driver! What happened to railway uniforms? Chris McKee.
From the late 1980s a number of imported DMU sets were to be seen working NSE locals out of Paddington. The strangest arrivals were ex-Manchester Class 104s, one of which is seen here making up a hybrid set of BRC&W Class 104 DMBS 53540 and Pressed Steel Class 121 DTS 54289 (with gangway fitted) circa 1991. This shot shows the impressive paint finish given to these ageing units, except for the rough patch of filler on the cab front. The location is Greenford station, which is unusual in being a bay platform in the middle of the LT underground station. Chris McKee.
Class 104 53540 and Class 121 54289 hybrid DMU set L263 seen departing Greenford station circa 1991. Chris McKee.
Close up view of Class 104 53540 and Class 121 54289 hybrid DMU set L263 - descending the steep incline from Greenford station circa 1991. This shot accentuates the steep incline that the Greenford branch makes as it reaches the terminus. Chris McKee.
The Class 121 closest appears to be 55031, the 104/121 on the rear is set L263 (presumably 53540 + 54289). Taken around 11:15 at West Ealing Sunday 30 June 1991. Stuart Mackay Collection.
L263 53540 + 54289 at Slough on the 13:20 to Windsor And Eaton Central, 24-3-92. Kevin Dowd.
Slough station on 22 May 1992 contains a Class 117 on the left and a Class 104/121 hydrid - L263 53540 + 54289 in the Windsor platform. Neil Smith.
Class 104/121 DMU set L263 (53540 + 54289) in Slough station after arriving from Windsor Central on 22 May 1992. Neil Smith.
Class 104/121 DMU set L263 (53540 + 54289) in Slough station after arriving from Windsor Central on 22 May 1992. Neil Smith.
NSE BRCW Class 104 + Pressed Steel Class 121 DMU Set L263 53540 + 54289 depart Slough station on a service to Windsor Central on 22 May 1992. Neil Smith.
NSE BRCW Class 104 + Pressed Steel Class 121 DMU Set L263 53540 + 54289 at Windsor and Eton Central station on a service from Slough on 22 May 1992. Neil Smith.
Class 104 DMBS (53540) with a class 121 DTS (presumably 54289) form unit L263 leaving Slough for Windsor in 1993. Tony Walmsley.