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Vehicle 55016 / 975540

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

2w/e 12/07/58	New to	81C (Southall)
by Jan-61	Transferred to	83D (Laira)
Sep-63	Depot code change	84A
May-73	Depot code change	LA
2w/e 30/11/74	Transferred to	CF (Cardiff Canton)
01/11/75	Withdrawn
circa Nov-75	To departmental stock	RG (Reading)
by 07/11/87	Transferred to	OO (Old Oak Common)
by 04/11/89	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)

Notes

01/05/59 - Following a steam derailment at Slough the following formations were noted on "all-stations" trains from Paddington to Reading: W55016/56295, W55017/56294/55014, W51135/51148/55018.

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

55016 - original number
975540 - from Nov-75 (departmental stock)

Department Use as TDB975540

Route Learner From 11/75 to 5/93.

Modifications

19/01/74 - Dual AWS fitted
p/e 29/07/78 - Leyland engines fitted

Disposal

Scrapped by MC Metal Processing, Springburn

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	55016	56296	Noted 8th July 1958 - at Southall
	55016	56295	Noted 01/05/59
LA105	55016		Listed at 84A - mid-Oct-65
LA100	55016		Listed at Laira - circa Apr-71
	55016		Noted 02/09/74 - on Laira depot¹
L102	975540		Listed at RG - 01/05/1976
	975540		Noted 01/09/78 - on 2C50 2133 Bristol TM-Cardiff attached to C610
L102	975540		Noted 01/02/1980 - At Bristol Temple Meads²
L102	975540		Listed at RG - 03/03/80
L102	975540		Listed at RG - 15/12/1982
L102	975540		Listed at RG - 01/01/85
L102	975540		Listed at Reading - Summer 1986
L102	975540		Noted 22/12/1986 - at Old Oak Common³
L102	975540		Noted 25/02/1987 - at Old Oak Common³
L102	975540		Noted 29/06/1987 - at Willesden depot³
L102	975540		Listed at OO - Aug-87
L102	975540		Disbanded circa 10/87 - renumbered as L116
L116	975540		Formed at OO circa 10/87 - renumbered from L102
	975540		Noted 06/05/1990 - at Tyseley depot⁴
T008	975540		Listed at TS - mid May-90
T02	975540		Noted circa 12/1990⁵
T008	975540		Noted circa 01/1992⁵

Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Shayne Lewis
3: Robert Chilton
4: Jeremy Goodyear
5: Eddie Knorn

Images:

circa 1960

Gloucester single car W55016 and a trailer arrives into Staines West station. Date unknown, it would move from Southall to Laira by January 1961 so before then. Stuart Mackay Collection.

1st October 1966

1st of October 1966 was the last day of Services to Bude, The single car DMU (W55016) in the station will form the 15.20 from Halwill Junction. The KDH Archive.

11th May 1968

W55016 with the Plymouth Railway Circle Clayliner railtour at Fowey on 11 May 1968. Stuart Mackay Collection.

8th November 1969

Single car DMU W55016 is on the 14.45 Liskeard to Looe service at Sandplace on the 8th of November 1969. The KDH Archive.

Unknown date

55016 seen at Looe, date unknown. John Vaughan.

circa June 1973

Set number: P116

W55016 in Looe station. The slide process date is June 1973. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Unknown date

Route learner TDB975540 seen at Stratford, date unknown. Paul Redmond.

1st March 1979

GRC&W route-learner TDB975540 at Reading on 1 March 1979. Nicholas T Smith.

19th May 1979

Set number: L102

Class 122 single car DMU TDB 975540 at Reading depot, May 19th 1979, on a Midland Railfans visit. Ian Charles.

circa 1980

Set number: L102

975540 is seen here in Tinsley, part way through some body repairs, around about 1980. Richard Himson.

26th April 1980

Set number: L102

TDB 975540 (L102 route learning DMU), stands "under the wall" at Hereford, 26th April 1980. Paul James.

June 1980

Set number: L102

Route learner TDB975540 in Sonning Cutting, June 1980. Karel 1999.

20th March 1981

Set number: L102

Class 122 single car unit TDB975540, the Western Region Route Learning Saloon, set L102, reverses at Gloucester on 20th March 1981. The 'Bubble Cars' as they became affectionately known, were essentially a Class 116 Driving Motor Brake Second with a cab at both ends. This unit was built by the Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Co. and entered service as W55016 in July 1958, allocated to Southall depot. November 1975 saw it enter departmental service, where it remained as a route learning vehicle, until withdrawn in May 1993. It was disposed of by MC Metals in Glasgow in the July of that year. Gordon Edgar.

20th March 1981

Set number: L102

With its 'bull horns' prominent, class 122 single car DMU TDB975540, the Western Region Route Learning Saloon set L102, 'charges' into Gloucester on 20 March 1981. The 'Bubble Cars' as they became affectionately known, were essentially a class 116 Driving Motor Brake Second with a cab at both ends. This unit was built by the Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Co. and entered service as W55016 in July 1958, allocated to Southall depot. November 1975 saw it enter departmental service, where it remained as a route learning vehicle, until withdrawn in May 1993 and disposed of by MC Metals in the July of that year. Gordon Edgar.

1st August 1981

Set number: L102

GRC&W bubble car 975540 on crew training duties at Langley on August 1, 1981. Steve Davies Collection.

February 1985

Set number: L102

Departmental class 122 DMU TDB975540, set L102, hurries through Maidenhead station on the Up Main towards London. February 1985. Paul James.

May 1985

Class 122 Route learner TDB975540 (ex-55016) in May 1985, passing Stratford, East London. Stuart Mackay Collection.

24th April 1986

Set number: L102

Class 122 route learner TDB975540 running through Cardiff Central station on 24 April 1986. Keith Miller.

Unknown date

Set number: L102

975540 (ex-55016). Date and location unknown. Stuart Mackay Collection.

17th April 1987

Set number: L102

Class 122 route learner 975540 heads north through Great Goytre, between Abergavenny and Pontrilas on 17th April 1987. It may well have been on a road learning trip for Crewe Drivers, who at that time didn't sign the route south of Hereford, in preparation for the introduction of Sprinters on the route. Paul James.

circa summer 1987

Set number: L102

Route learning Class 122 975540 on the rear of a Blue/Grey set in Bristol Temple Meads circa summer 1987. Brian Ward.

circa July 1987

Set number: T008

Tyseley class 122 route learner 975540 heads through Bescot in the summer of 1987. Ian Charles.

17th August 1987

Class 122 L102 (TDB975540, the Western Region Route Learning Saloon) clatters past Kensington Olympia at 1315 on Monday 17th August 1987. Colin Brooks.

22nd August 1987

Class 122 975540 is seen stabled at Reading on 22.08.1987. It was converted from 55016 and was used as a route learning car. Andy Cole.

September 1987

Set number: L102

In September 1987 Gloucester Horton Road traincrew were road learning between Newport and Glascoed, with a view to working the M.O.D. ammunition trains, due to the closure of Severn Tunnel depot. The daily trips were made with route learning vehicle 975540, a class 122 dmu,formerly 55016. The unit is seen here stabled at Glascoed. Curly42.

1988

Set number: 02

Route-learner 975540 (formerly 55016) in Blackfriars station in 1988. The blue side has been recently patch painted, the yellow end has been painted around all the labels. John Law.

19th April 1988

TDB975540 and 47 249 on Leicester depot, 19 April 1988. Dave Warby.

1989

A triple bubble formation, seen at Blythe Bridge on a Crewe - Derby working in 1989. Identifiable cars are 55033 (Midline) and T014 / 55034 (blue grey), the rail blue vehicle is probably 975540. Simon Barnes.

12th February 1990

Set number: 02

Western Region Route Learning Saloon set L102 TDB975540 in Tonbridge West Yard being made ready for an empty stock move to London Blackfriars on 12th February 1990. The unit was in use for a number of weeks while Bedford drivers were taught the routes to Orpington and Sevenoaks for the new Thameslink service. It was stabled overnight at Tonbridge for the simple reason Tonbridge traincrews were the only South Eastern Division depot trained on DMU's so did all the route learning trips for the Midland men. 47 603 on no.1 road had arrived with ECS vans 5Y50 09.59 ex Redhill. Adrian Nicholls.

26th June 1990

Set number: T02

Class 122 975540, set number T02, is seen at New Street in all over BR blue livery on route learning duties on 26.06.1990. Andy Cole.

Class 122 DMU at Bristol Bath Road depot

29th June 1991

Set number: T008

Route learner 975540 stabled on Bristol Bath Road depot on 29 June 1991. Stuart Mackay Collection.

29th June 1991

975540 - the former 55016 - at Bristol Bath Road TMD on the 29th June 1991. S Gaskell.

3rd June 1992

DMUs at Doncaster on 3 June 1991, right to left are 975540 (ex 55016), 53268, 59079, 59080, 595x9, 59093, 51509 and 53321. Keith Miller.

15th July 1992

Set number: T008

Rail blue liveried class 122 route learner no. TDB975540, formerly 55016, sits at Tyseley depot with the GWR chocolate & cream class 117 stabled behind on 15/Jul/1992. 975540 was withdrawn in 1993. Robert Chilton.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: unknown

Set number: L102

L102 (presumably 975540 / ex-55016) seen at Royal Oak. Date unknown. Malcolm Clements.

Date: 22nd February 1988

At Vic Berry's on the 22nd February 1988 are a grounded suburban DMU vehicle, a Class 128 DMPV 55993 on the right what seems to be 975540 behind. Nicholas Youngman.

Date: 28th November 1988

Class 122 DMU departmental route learning saloon TDB975227 (former 55017) Tyseley 28-11-88. Entered departmental stock as a route learner in June 1972. Unlikely it worked again after this date but didn't go for scrap from Tyseley until November 1989. It was replaced by 975540 which moved from the Western Region. On Tour With The Class 13 Army.

Date: 1989

55033 is seen at Blythe Bridge on a Crewe - Derby working in 1989. The blue vehicle is probably 975540, unseen is 55034. Simon Barnes.

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