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Vehicle 55000

Class 122

Builder: GRC&W
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Engines: AEC 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30419
Diagram: 539

Allocations

3w/e 17/05/58	New to	81D (Reading)
by Jun-61	Transferred to	83D (Laira)
Sep-63	Depot code change	84A
Jan-67	Transferred to	67C (Ayr)
2w/e 08/03/69	Transferred to	66C (Hamilton)
4w/e 31/01/70	Transferred to	64H (Leith Central)
Feb-71	Transferred to	66C (Hamilton)
4w/e 03/04/71	Transferred to	64H (Leith Central)
Feb-72	Transferred to	66C (Hamilton)
2w/e 30/04/72	Transferred to	64B (Haymarket)	- Leith depot closed
May-73	Depot code change	HA
4w/e 30/04/77	Transferred to	HN (Hamilton)
5w/e 04/06/77	Transferred to	HA (Haymarket)
4w/e 22/07/78	Transferred to	HN (Hamilton)
2w/e 30/06/79	Transferred to	DE (Dundee)
01/03/82	Transferred to	HA (Haymarket)
12/08/84	Transferred to	LO (Longsight)
16/09/84	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
23/09/87	Transferred to	LA (Laira)
22/10/93	Sector Change to	LA (Laira) RELV
10/12/93	Sector Change to	LA (Laira) REXX
07/01/94	Transferred to	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX
10/01/94	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX

Disposal

Preserved - more details.

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

LA100	55000			Listed at 84A - mid-Oct-65
	55000			Noted 03/09/73 - at Perth¹
	51477	56477	55000	Noted 06/09/76 - in Edinburgh Waverley¹
	55000			Noted 05/07/77 - on 1716 North Berwick-Edinburgh with 51477 + 56408
	55000			Noted 13/08/77 - on Haymarket depot¹
	55000	59074	50160	Noted 15/03/81 - on Haymarket depot²
	55000			Noted 02/05/1981 - Last train from national network to Brechin and return, organised by Douglas Blades 50239-59053+50245 + 55000
	55000	59042	53241	Noted circa 12/1983³
101307	51231	59542	55000	Listed at HA - 17/06/84 - 55000 numbered set 400
400	55000			Listed at HA - 17/06/84 - running in set 101307
TS553	55000	59606	53878	Noted circa 10/1984³
TS507	55000	59714	53099	Noted circa 10/1984³
TS052	55000			Noted circa 10/1984³
TS050	55000			Noted circa 01/1985³
TS525	55000	59443	53883	Noted circa 03/1985³
TS050	55000			Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986
TS050	55000			Noted 29/07/1986 - at Birmingham New Street - as 4 car set with TS527⁴
T050	55000			Listed at TS - Jul-87
P100	55000			Formed at LA circa 10/87
P100	55000			Listed at LA - 08/08/88
P100	55000			Listed at LA - 15/05/89
P100	55000			Listed at LA - Jul-91
P100	55000			Listed at LA - Aug-91
122100	55000			Listed at LA - Dec-91
122100	55000			Listed at LA - 02/07/92
122100	55000			Listed at LA - 24/09/92
122100	55000			Listed at LA - November 1992
122100	55000			Listed at LA - 10/12/92
122100	55000			Listed at LA - November 1993

Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Leonard Rogers
3: Eddie Knorn
4: Robert Chilton

Images:

1st March 1969

55000 at Barassie on the 5:15pm Ayr - Kilmarnock, 1/3/69. It's carrying an early version of rail blue livery. Hamish Stevenson.

August 1971

A GRC&W bubble (possibly 55000) on the rear of a Met-Camm triple at Saughton Junction in August 1971. Walter Burt.

Class 122 DMU at Edinburgh Princes Street Gardens

Unknown date

Set number: 158

SC55000 is substituting for a Class 116 power car in this formation through Princes St Gardens, circa 1978. Malcolm Clements.

Unknown date

Set number: 158

SC55000 is working as part of a Class 116 set passing through Princes Street Gardens circa 1978. Malcolm Clements.

July 1978

Class 122 bubble car 55000 is seen on Haymarket depot, July 1978. Alan Rintoul.

1979

Set number: 223

Class 122 Sc55000 in Edinburgh Waverley in 1979. Note the rather old fashioned style of font for the front unit number, set 223, quite a few of the Haymarket based units had this. S Saunders.

27th October 1979

Set number: 223

Class 122 SC55000 - carrying set number 223 - is standing in for a Class 101 DMCL in this formation departing from Stirling on 27 October 1979. A Class 101 is on the left. Brian Daniels.

13th September 1980

A single car diesel multiple unit - Sc55000, one of Dundee's class 122 units - stands in the Up siding at Dundee Tay Bridge station on 13th September 1980. Pete LG99.

26th September 1980

Class 122 SC55000 on Dundee depot on 26 September 1980. It was allocated there from June 1979 till March 1982. Brian Daniels.

15th March 1981

A general view of the DMU sidings at the east end of Haymarket depot on the afternoon of Sunday 15.3.81. Notice the mixture of classes (122, 101 and 105) present. From the left and from front to rear, the following are visible : 55000/59074/50160, 51476/59072/..., 51473, 51806/59088/51474. Also to notice is how, from around late 1978 onwards, once the decision had been made to ditch plain blue on multiple units with any sort of life expectancy, St Rollox just went ahead and painted everything in blue/grey, including classes 104 and 105. On the Eastern and Midland these tended to remain in plain blue on the whole because of their short life expectancy. Leonard Rogers.

15th April 1981

55000 ready to leave Dundee with a Perth service on April 15th, 1981. A Met-Camm set including 59045 is at its side. Note the blue 'Tayway' sticker in the centre cab window. Arnie Furniss.

2nd May 1981

55000 working the a last train to Brechin special (1Z17) from Edinburgh, seen on the outskirts of Brechin. With 50239, 59053 and 50245 on 2/5/81. The bubble was detached at Dundee. Hamish Stevenson.

2nd May 1981

55000 and 50239 in Brechin station with the "Farewell to Brechin" railtour on May 2, 1981. S Saunders.

2nd May 1981

Class 122 55000 at the head of the "Farewell to Brechin" Railtour, 2/5/81. The bubble was added / detached at Dundee, the tour ran from Edinburgh with 50239 / 59053 and 50245. Hamish Stevenson.

12th December 1981

Class 122 single car unit Sc55000 rasps away from the Balmossie Halt stop on the outskirts of Dundee with a Dundee to Arbroath service, 12th December 1981. Bruce Galloway.

Unknown date

Class 122 'bubble car' SC55000 in Dundee station circa early 1980s. Paul Redmond.

circa 1984

A mixed suburban rake near Bournville (Birmingham). The Class 122 seems to be standing in for a power car in a Class 116 set, and seems to be SC55000. It was transferred from Haymarket to Tyseley (via a brief spell at Longsight) in September 1984 which dates this to late 1984 / or early 1985. Ian Docwra.

14th July 1984

55000 is sandwiched between classmates 55011 (left) and 55002 (right) at Haymarket depot on the 14th July 1984. Hamish Stevenson.

4th October 1984

Tyseley set TS553 is formed 55000 + 59606 + 53878 when seen stabled in the bay at Leamington Spa on 4 October 1984, the 122 standing in for the regular 116 DMBS. The RTC Park Royal DMU 975089 + 975090 can also be seen passing through the station. Nicholas T Smith.

1985

Set number: TS050

Class 122 M55000 at Stourbridge Town in 1985. Robert28194.

7th December 1985

Set number: TS050

Class 122 M55000, set number T050, is seen at Tyseley from the exhaust end on 07.12.1985. Note the M is a suffix rather than a prefix! Andy Cole.

6th May 1986

This picture is dated 6 May 1986 and shows 55000 shunting from platform 1 at Stratford-upon-Avon into P2 after arriving from Leamington Spa to where it would return as the 08.12 to the spa town. The time-consuming shunt was necessary because, before major signalling work here, only ECS movements were permitted over the crossover which 55000 is using. Note the number is 55000M, with the M at the end. Peter Tandy.

16th May 1986

Friday 16 May 1986 was a working day but before going to my office I hung on at Stratford-upon-Avon just long enough to take this shot of 55000 leaving the terminus with the 08.12 to Leamington Spa. Class 116 T627 is in platform 1 ready to make a shunt move into platform 2 before forming the 08.26 to Birmingham Moor Street. The signalmen, station staff and many of the train crews knew me at this time and were happy enough to let me wander around the station area at will knowing that I probably wouldn't get myself squashed! Peter Tandy.

28th August 1986

The Tyseley-based single units were not only used on the Stourbridge branch and Stratford-upon-Avon to Leamington services, but often strengthened other suburban trains. 55000 is seen here leaving the platform at Longbridge on 28 August 1986 with a terminating train in the process of crossing over to the refuge siding on the up side of line until its departure time for either Four Oaks or Lichfield at the other end of the Birmingham Cross City line. Peter Tandy.

6th May 1987

Set number: TS050

Double bubble. 55000 & 55006, having formed the 13.11 arrival from Stratford Upon Avon, wait at Leamington Spa on 06/05/87. Steve Jones.

6th May 1987

Set number: TS050

58 044 runs through the centre road at Leamington Spa on 6 May 1987 at "Bubbles" 55000 and 55006 sit in the plaform. Note 55000 has "125" to the right of the BR logo on the bodyside. Steve Jones.

4th October 1987

M55000 seen through Class 116 53064 in Vic Berrys yard, Leicester. Malcolm Clements.

20th December 1987

A 1958 Class 122 Gloucester built single car DMU, the first of a batch of 20 built, seen inside Vic Berrys scrapyard on 20th December 1987. This unit would come out again to run again in service for a good number of years, as it was here for asbestos removal, and would later enter preservation. Andrew J Crowther.

1988

Set number: P100

Class 122 set P100 (55000) in the Looe station with a service from Liskeard circa summer 1988. Brian Ward.

1988

Set number: P100

Class 122 set P100 (55000) in Plymouth station circa summer 1988. Brian Ward.

1988

Set number: P100

Class 122 set P100 (55000) in Plymouth station circa summer 1988. Brian Ward.

30th July 1988

Set number: P100

Class 122 DMUs 55000 and 55026 arriving at Exeter St Davids on 30 July 1988. Keith Miller.

30th July 1988

Set number: P100

Single Class 122 DMU cars 55000 and 55026 departing Exeter St Davids for Exeter Central on 30 July 1988. Keith Miller.

circa summer 1988

Set number: P100

Class 122 set P100 (55000) in the Looe platform in Liskeard circa summer 1988. Brian Ward.

25th April 1989

Set number: P100

55000 has just arrived at St Erth with the 1508 from St Ives on 25 April 1989. Keith Long.

25th April 1989

Set number: P100

55000 waiting departure from St Ives with the 1508 to St Erth on 25 April 1989. Keith Long.

16th August 1990

Set number: 100

Bubbles 55000 and 55006 in Newquay station with the 16:35 to Par on August 16, 1990. John Carter.

3rd April 1991

Class 122 Bubble Car DMU 55000 at Doncaster on the 3rd April 1991. Paul Bettany.

Class 122 DMU at Exeter St Davids station

14th September 1991

55000 at Exeter St. Davids on 14/9/91, attached to other vehicles. Hamish Stevenson.

8th February 1992

Set number: 122100

Regional Railways liveried Class 122 55000 heads out of St Erth on 8/2/92. Stuart Mackay Collection.

12th August 1992

Set number: 122100

Class 122 55000, set number 122 100, is seen stabled on Laira depot on 12.08.1992. Andy Cole.

circa 1993

Set number: 122100

Bubble car 55000 - and another behind - in the Looe branch platform at Liskeard. Circa 1993. John Law.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: circa 1969

On a rainy day at Kilmarnock Class 122 55011 runs into the bay platform, probably on a service from (or to form a service to) Ayr. Already in the platform is 55000, still with a W prefix. There's no yellow on the cab side, so it's carrying blue livery with small yellow panel. Circa 1969. Stuart Rankin.

Date: circa 1969

Three Class 122 bubbles in three liveries in the bay platforms at Kilmarnock, circa 1969. At the time they were used on services to Ayr. 55011 is closest, the green unit on the left is 55013, behind is 55000 carrying blue livery with a small yellow panel. Stuart Rankin.

Date: unknown

Three GRC&W Bubble Cars in Kilmarnock station, circa 1968/9. The nearest 55013 is still in green, the middle vehicle 55000 is in the early blue livery with small yellow panel, the furthest 55011 is in blue with full yellow ends. Stuart Rankin.

Date: 28th August 1979

Met-Camm ex-buffet SC59577 departing from Edinburgh Waverley in a set which also has bubble 55000. 28th August 1979. Basil Hancock.

Date: 1st September 1979

Built as a buffet car - Met Camm centre car SC59577 is seen at Dundee on 1 September 1979 between a Class 101 DMBS and what is thought to be Class 122 SC55000. Brian Daniels.

Date: 15th March 1981

At the west end of Haymarket depot on 15.3.81 sit two hybrid class 105 triples. On the left, freshly-outshopped from St Rollox in blue/grey and complete with ScR six-figure unit number (105 37x), is 51481/59567(cl.101)/51477, while further back, apparently on loan from Newton Heath, is 50782/59159(cl.104)/50789. See the comments in the caption to the photo of 55000 and others from the same occasion about the ScR's application of blue/grey to 105's. Notice too how the home-based unit contains two DMBS's : this was a result of the Region's policy in the 1970's of standardising on triples. Driving trailers from former two-car units of classes 101 and 105 were swapped with the Eastern Region for class 101 centre trailers and DMC's. However, this left the ScR with an excess of class 105 DMBS's which had to double up in triples for a while. Leonard Rogers.

Date: 2nd May 1981

Set number: 101365

50245 leads 59053, 50239 and 55000 on the "Farewell to Brechin" railtour seen on the outskirts of Brechin on the 2nd May 1981. Hamish Stevenson.

Date: 2nd May 1981

Set number: 101365

50245 leads 59053, 50239 and 55000 on the "Farewell to Brechin" railtour seen near Brechin on the 2nd May 1981. Hamish Stevenson.

Date: 18th June 1983

Set number: 101320

Having worked in from Waverley as 2V04, a hybrid 3 car set prepares to cross over to form the 2G36 0938 Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh service on 18th June 1983. A class 122 railcar, Sc55000, leads a couple of Metro-Cammell vehicles (51248 closest); at this point the 122 was based at Haymarket but its usefulness would mean that it was to last a further 11 years in service until withdrawal in 1994 from Laira. Beyond the station can be seen part of what was once a sprawling empire of linoleum mills. However, the distinctive smell can still be found in the town as one mill continues to produce the floor covering. The goods yard is in its latter years; the closure of the harbour branch and those mills significantly reduced the freight traffic. Latterly, a domestic coal merchant seemed to be the main user. The sight of a wee Barclay 06 parked beside the signal box was long gone. Bruce Galloway.

Date: 1984

Set number: 411

55011 is the nearest of three Class 122 bubble cars seen at Haymarket depot in 1984, the other two are probably 55000 and 55002. S Saunders.

Date: 14th July 1984

Set number: 402

Sc55002 is seen stabled at Haymarket on the 14th July 1984. To it's left is 55000. Hamish Stevenson.

Date: 14th July 1984

Set number: 411

Sc55011 sits in front of Sc55000 and Sc55002 at Haymarket on 14/7/84. Hamish Stevenson.

Date: 11th October 1984

Set number: TS553

Tyseley DMU set TS553 sits in the platform at Leamington Spa. The vehicles are presumably 53878 (116), 59606 (127) and 55000 (122). Nicholas notes: Leamington had a tendency to run the empty stock 3 car DMU of a Moor St set and the Stratford bubble out onto the up main toward Fenny when a xcountry was due, and then separately use a shunt disc to bring them in behind the express - providing a same platform interchange instead of the subway. This is not allowed any more - Call Ons 'are for joining' and shunts onto occupied passenger trains are somewhat discouraged - except where there's a third rail - despite stairs being easily the worst passenger hazard. In those days, the up bay wasn't signalled for Main move down departures so the bubble had to shuffle across anyway. Nicholas T Smith.

Date: 16th May 1986

Set number: TS627

After 55000 had shunted from platform 1 to 2 at Stratford-upon-Avon on 16 May 1986 an arrival from Birmingham Moor Street was allowed to enter the station ready to form the 08.26 back to Birmingham. Tyseley class 116 unit T627 formed of 53061 + 59613 + 53092 is shown here passing the inner home signal with the starters for platform 3 and the Cold Store siding on the right of the picture. Half of Stratford East (sometimes wrongly called Stratford North) signalbox is just visible at the back of the 3 car unit. Peter Tandy.

Date: 1st July 1986

Set number: TS055

During the evening of 1 July 1986 I saw 55005, 55034 and 55000 leave Stratford-upon-Avon with the 18.30 to Birmingham Moor Street. I often used to spend half-an-hour around the station and signal box in those days and knew all the staff who were happy to let me stand at the side of the track for my photographs. That wouldn't happen today... Peter Tandy.

Date: 7th February 1988

Set number: P861

53157, 55000 and 55009 stabled on Laira depot on 7 February 1988. Keith Miller.

Date: 21st October 1988

Set number: P861

P861 is a Class 101/108 hybrid (presumably 53157 closest) seen with P100 (55000) on the rear at Liskeard on 21 October 1988. Image taken by John Vaughan. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 16th August 1990

Set number: 106

GRC&W bubbles 55006 + 55000 at Par on August 16, 1990. John Carter.

Date: 13th August 1991

Set number: 109

Two Class 122s - 55009 and 55000 - arrive into Liskeard station on a service from Looe on 13 August 1991. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 24th October 1993

Set number: 122112

Class 122 DMU 55012, Class 121 DMU ADB977466 (ex-54286) and Class 122 DMU 55000 with 08 839, 50 030 “Repulse”, 50 029 “Renown” at Laira depot on 24 October 1993. Keith Miller.

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