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Vehicle 55005

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

May-58	New to	84E (Tyseley)
01/01/63	Boundary change	84E	transferred from WR to LMR stock
Sep-63	Depot code change	2A
30/06/68	Transferred to	66C (Hamilton)
Oct-68	Transferred to	60A (Inverness)
Jan-69	Transferred to	66C (Hamilton)
Mar-72	Transferred to	65A (Eastfield)
May-73	Depot code change	ED
4w/e 27/09/75	Transferred to	IS (Inverness)
5w/e 03/02/79	Transferred to	HN (Hamilton)
2w/e 30/06/79	Transferred to	DE (Dundee)
Mar-81	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
circa 1984	Transferred to	LO (Longsight)
12/05/85	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
19/01/86	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
11/05/86	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
Sep-87	Transferred to	LA (Laira)	- also noted as 1/2/88
11/06/92	Sector Change to	LA (Laira) RFXZ
30/10/92	Sector Change to	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX
10/11/92	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters) RFXX

Notes

06/08/81 - M55005 was noted working the Watford - St Albans service.

Modifications

Dec-88 - AWS fitted

Disposal

Preserved - more details.

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	55005	56297		Noted 27/05/70 - at Glasgow Central¹
	55005	56297		Noted 11/09/71 - on Hamilton depot¹
05	55005	56297		Listed at 66C - 1972
	51243	59303	55005	Noted 24/06/78 - at Inverness¹
TS056	55005			Noted circa 08/1981 - operating Watford to St Albans branch²
TS054	55005			Noted circa 10/1981²
	50830	59332	55005	Noted circa 09/1982²
TS410	55005	59125	50331	Noted circa 01/1983²
TS054	55005			Listed at TS - Jan-83
TS054	55005			Listed at TS - 14/07/83
TS547	55005	59368	53910	Noted circa 09/1983²
TS543	55005	59439	53114	Noted circa 10/1983²
	55005			Noted circa 03/1984²
	55005			Noted 19/08/85 - on 08:17 Stalybridge - Stockport³
TS055	55005			New set number at TS - 2w/e 14/05/86
TS055	55005			Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986
TS055	55005			Noted circa 06/1986²
T055	55005			Listed at TS - Jul-87
P105	55005			Formed at LA 2w/e 13/03/88
P105	55005			Listed at LA - 08/08/88
P105	55005			Listed at LA - 15/05/89
P105	55005			Listed at LA - Jul-91
P105	55005			Listed at LA - Aug-91
P105	55005			Listed at LA - Dec-91

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Eddie Knorn
3: David Bellamy

Images:

8th May 1959

Future Class 122 Gloucester unit W55005 is crossing the main tracks at Birmingham Snow Hill. The destination blind says Dudley and the driver is at the controls nearest the camera, unfortunately the oil tail lamp from the previous run is still in place at the front. Perhaps W55005 was just crossing over to the more usual Dudley departure bay platform. The unit is in fresh darker green paint and has the original style exhaust in place. 08/05/1959. Image taken by Peter Shoesmith. Geoff Dowling and John Whitehouse Collection.

4th April 1964

Set number: 103

A GRC&W 'double-ender' approaches Great Bridge with the 4.58pm Birmingham Snow Hill - Dudley service on 4 April 1964. The set number in the cab window is not too clear but could be 103 and thus 55005. Michael Mensing.

12th July 1966

GRC&W bubble car M55005 leads a Derby suburban set on the 5.05pm Birmingham Snow Hill - Stratford-upon-Avon service passing over Lapworth Troughs at Rowington on July 12, 1966. Michael Mensing.

Unknown date

There were no details on the rear of this print, the Class 122 has SC prefix and looks like it could be 55005, probably during its time at Inverness in the mid-1970s. Stuart Mackay Collection.

April 1977

SC55005 in Inverness station in April 1977. Alan Rintoul.

1978

Class 122 55005 in Dundee station in 1978, thought to be on route-learning duties. John Law.

7th October 1978

Class 122 Sc55005 sits in Inverness on 7/10/78, where it was based for a period of just over three years. Beside is Swindon Class 120 Cross-Country set 301, presumably with 51787 at the front. Stephen Burdett.

Class 122 DMU at Edinburgh Waverley station

1979

SC55005 is seen through the trees in Edinburgh Waverly in 1979. Malcolm Clements.

26th May 1980

Class 122 railcar Sc55005 waits at platform 16 at Edinburgh Waverley with a local service on 26th May 1980. Bruce Galloway.

8th September 1981

Lichfield City 8/9/1981. A selection of Tyseley's finest units make up a Cross City service laying over at Lichfield City. Closest is a hybrid with a class 122 (55005) standing in for a 116 DMS. On the rear is a 116 unit in refurbished WMPTE livery. It has a thin white stripe running down the centre of the blue line, meaning it was probably the set specially decorated for the royal wedding earlier in the year. Stephen Burdett.

22nd November 1981

Class 122 55005 is seen stabled outside the factory at Tyseley on 22.11.1981. Transferred from Dundee earlier in the year, it still carries a 'SC' prefix to the number. Andy Cole.

19th November 1984

M55005 at Stockport on the Stalybridge service on 19 November 1984. Stuart Mackay Collection.

10th January 1985

Class 122 55005 on Longsight depot on the night of 10 January 1985. Chris Thorp.

27th February 1986

Class 122 M55005, a Class 104 and a Class 108 in Buxton station on 27 February 1986. An image from the Jim Freebury Railway Slide Collection. David Page.

14th March 1986

A GRCW bubble car with Pressed Steel type exhausts, M55005 is seen in the bay platform at Stockport Edgeley, awaiting departure on a shuttle service to Stalybridge, 14/3/86. Malcolm Clements.

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.

summer 1986

Set number: TS055

A rural-looking scene taken from the Down Goods Loop looking over the Stratford-upon-Avon canal as class 122 single unit 55005 leaves Stratford with the 08.12 to Leamington Spa in the summer of 1986. The tall upper quadrant signal in the left controlled the train's exit from platform 2 while the lower quadrant semaphore had just been cleared to let a 3 coach class 116 enter platform 1. Peter Tandy.

Unknown date

Set number: 105

Bubbles 55005 and 55003 on Laira depot, date unknown. Robert Frise Collection.

24th January 1988

Set number: TS055

Class 122 55005, set number T055, is seen stabled at Tyseley Carriage sidings from the exhaust end on 24.01.1988. Andy Cole.

Unknown date

M55005 in Vic Berrys yard in Leicester for asbestos stripping, circa late 1987 / early 1988. Malcolm Clements.

Unknown date

M55005 in Vic Berrys yard in Leicester for asbestos stripping, circa late 1987 / early 1988. Malcolm Clements.

4th March 1988

Set number: TS055

M55005 is seen at Vic Berry's next to 55991 on 4/3/88. Malcolm Clements.

circa mid-1988

M55005 in Vic Berrys yard in Leicester after asbestos stripping, circa mid-1988. Malcolm Clements.

19th June 1988

Set number: TS055

DMU vehicles 53963, 51220 and 55005 in Doncaster Works on 19 June 1988. On the latter the bottom two lines read Refurbished V.B.C. Leicester 16-5-88, noting that work had been done at Vic Berry's. Keith Miller.

22nd October 1988

This is class 122 single-unit DMU 55005 at St Ives station on 22 October 1988 having just arrived as the 15.10 from St.Erth. Lewis Bevan.

22nd October 1988

St Ives station on 22 October 1988, with Class 122 single unit 55005 having arrived as the 15.10 from St Erth. Lewis Bevan.

25th April 1989

Class 122 "bubble car" 55005 waiting departure from Penzance with the 16:00 to Truro on 25th April 1989. Keith Long.

25th April 1989

Set number: 105

Class 122 No 55005 waiting departure from Penzance with the 1600 to Truro 43181 has just arrived with a train from London Paddington. 25th April 1989. Keith Long.

25th April 1989

Set number: 105

55005 waiting departure from Penzance with the 1600 to Truro. 43181 has just arrived with a train from London Paddington. 25th April 1989. Keith Long.

26th April 1989

55005 departing from Cardis Bay with the 1359 Penzance to St Ives on 26 April 1989. Keith Long.

26th April 1989

55005 approaching Cardis Bay with the 1359 Penzance to St Ives on 26 April 1989. Keith Long.

26th April 1989

Set number: 105

Class 122 No 55005 approaching Cardis Bay with the 1359 Penzance to St Ives 26th April 1989. Keith Long.

9th June 1989

M55005 stabled at Laira on the 9th June 1989. Hamish Stevenson.

1st July 1989

Set number: 105

DMUs 55012 (partially seen on left), 55005, 55009 and 51530 stabled at Laira depot on 1 July 1989. Keith Miller.

15th June 1990

Set number: 105

55005 at Liskeard with a working to Looe. Jonathan Watson.

5th July 1990

Set number: 105

Bubble car 55005 seen near Saltash on the 5th July 1990. Nicholas Youngman.

19th July 1990

Set number: 105

Class 122 55005, set number 105, is seen at Exeter St Davids in BR blue and grey livery on 19.07.1990. Andy Cole.

20th July 1990

Set number: 105

Two GWC&W bubbles form an Exeter Central bound train at Dawlish on 20 July 1990. Walter Burt.

15th September 1990

Set number: 105

55005 plus two. The Class 122 leads a 108/101 hybrid departing Penzance as the 11:45 Penzanze - St Ives on Saturday 15 September 1990. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Unknown date

Set number: 105

Gloucester bubble with Pressed Steel bubble exhausts. 55005 is seen at Newquay. Date unknown. Tom Clift.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: circa 1976

Set number: 305

A seven-car DMU formation arrives into Inverness, date unknown. The first Class 120, set 305 with the DMBF thought to be SC51785, has a 122 standing in for the rear power car. Attached to the rear of the second Class 120 is another Class 122. Thought to be taken circa 1976, Inverness depot had two passenger 122s at that time, 55005 and 55011. The closest 122 has one BR logo on the side, making it 55011, the rear one has two logos making it 55005. Image by http://www.the-transport-photo-interchange.co.uk. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 13th May 1987

Set number: 083

Pressed Steel Suburban Single Car Class 121 DMU 55033 in Midline livery heads a Dorridge train while Gloucester Class 122 Single Car 55005 arrives with a Leamington train on the adjacent platform at Birmingham Moor Street on 13 May 1987. At the time single cars were being added to 3-car sets to raise the power to weight ratio. Moor St terminus closed in September 1987 when the adjacent through platforms to Birmingham Snow Hill were opened. It lay derelict until 2003 when Chiltern Railways reopened two of the original three platforms and renovated the original booking hall to supplement capacity when the Bull Ring development opened. The building under construction is the Pavillions Shopping Centre which was recently rebuilt as the largest Primark store in Europe. Chris Morrison.

Date: unknown

Set number: P103

Gloucester bubble car 55003 at Laira beside 55005, date unknown. It was allocated there 1987 to 1993. Robert Frise Collection.

Date: 27th March 1988

Vic Berry’s scrap yard at Leicester on 27 March 1988 with Class 122 55005 and Class 128 parcels unit 55991. Keith Miller.

Date: 3rd April 1988

55991 makes indentification easy with the number on the front, and also unusually on the centre of the vehicle. At Vic Berry's on 3/4/88. Behind in 55005. Malcolm Clements.

Date: 25th August 1989

Set number: 871

Three vehicles, three different types. Plymouth Laira sets P871 (53256 + 53659) & P103 (55005) at Dawlish with 2C41, the 10:02 Paignton - Exeter Central, on 25/8/89. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 1st June 1990

Set number: 106

A pair Class 122 Single Units, 55006 & 55005 were running in tandem, arriving at Starcross whilst forming the 17.07 Plymouth to Honiton all-stations service on June 1st 1990. This was the period following the migration of the Class 142 Skipper fleet to the North, with various still operational first generation DMU sets being drafted in to the West Country, prior to the arrival of Class 150/2 Sprinter units. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 11th September 1992

Set number: 122112

Class 122 DMUs 55012 and 55005 with 08663 at Laira on 11 September 1992. Keith Miller.

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