Vehicle 55992
Class 128
Builder: GRC&W
Layout: Parcels Van
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None / BR Standard
Engines: Albion 230hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30551
Diagram: 643
Allocations
| Feb-60 | New to | 81C (Southall) | |
| Apr-68 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
| May 1973 | Depot code change | RG | |
| Jun-87 | Transferred to | OO (Old Oak Common) | |
| 27/11/88 | Transferred to | CA (Cambridge) RPXN | |
| p/e 30/11/90 | Transferred to | CH (Chester) PCHX | |
| Nov-90 | Withdrawn |
Notes
31st October 1987 - Seen in Vic Berry's yard, Leicester
Modifications
circa Jul-70 - Dual AWS fitted
3w/e 21/06/75 - WR AWS removed
Disposal
Scrapped by MC Metal Processing, Springburn
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 50819 | 55992 | Noted 07/03/70 - at Royal Oak1 | |||||||
| 55992 | 50915 | Noted 13/08/70 - in Reading area1 | |||||||
| 55992 | 50915 | Noted 11/02/71 - at Royal Oak1 | |||||||
| 50862 | 55992 | Noted 22/07/72 - at Reading1 | |||||||
| 50862 | 55992 | Noted 28/08/73 - in Paddington2 | |||||||
| 50872 | 55992 | Noted 29/10/73 - at Reading3 | |||||||
| 55031 | 56281 | 55992 | Noted 30/04/75 - on Old Oak Common depot, set number only on 550311 | ||||||
| 50862 | 55992 | Noted 01/05/1976 - at Reading, operating with through wired GUV 865724 | |||||||
| 55992 | Noted circa 11/19855 | ||||||||
| 55992 | Noted 23/11/1985 - at Paddington6 | ||||||||
| 55992 | Noted circa 04/19865 | ||||||||
| 55992 | Noted 25/02/1987 - at Old Oak Common6 | ||||||||
| 55992 | Noted circa 04/19885 |
Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Leonard Rogers
3: Jeremy Goodyear
4: Peter Wallwork
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Robert Chilton
Images:
29th September 1960
GRC&W parcels car W55992 passes Spring Road with a down parcels working on the North Warwickshire line at 4.13pm on 29 September 1960. Michael Mensing.
Unknown date
Parcels DMPV W55992 seen at the west end of Southall Shed. Date unknown. Stuart Mackay Collection.
17th March 1962
GRC&W DMPV W55992 seen at Scrubs Lane on 17 March 1962. Stuart Mackay Collection.
circa 1965
Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Company Class 128 parcels railcar W55992 heading westbound through Southall station circa 1965. Gordon Edgar Collection.
July 1967
An interesting formation - Gloucester RC & W Co. Motor Parcels Van (later Class 128) No.W55992, with split headcodes, in Rail Blue and yellow gangway door coupled to BR (Derby) Class 130 Motor Parcels Van (converted from a Class 116/1 Motor Second from a 3-car suburban set) No.W50915, also in BR green, and three parcels vans (GUV's) approaching Paddington, 07/67. Hugh Llewelyn.
circa 1969
Set number: 343
Gloucester Class 128 Pacels railcar W55992 working with (almost out of picture to the right) Derby Class 130 Parcels car W50915 (formerly high density "Suburban" Class 116 DMS) at Reading - c.1969. 53A Models of Hull Collection.
28th March 1971
Set number: 345
Class 128 W55992 is working with early Class 116 parcel conversion 50915 at Reading on the 28th March 1971. Note the set number on the 128. David Mant.
Unknown date
Class 128 parcels car W55992 approaches Reading from the Paddington direction. Date unknown. The KDH Archive.
Unknown date
Set number: 345
One of the Western Region hybrid 128/130 sets (number 345) formed of W55992 and either 50819 or 50862, with two 'Fruit D' vans in tow. This appears to be Slough, date unknown. Graham Clark.
Unknown date
Class 128 W55992 London Paddington, date unknown. Paul Redmond.
January 1977
55992 is seen at Paddington in January 1977, working with a parcels 116 and a wagon. Robert Frise Collection.
22nd September 1977
Class 128 W55992 at Paddington on 22 September 1977. Phil Bevan.
1st March 1979
Class 128 GRC&W parcel car W55992 is caught at Iver on 1 March 1979. George Woods.
March 1979
Single Parcel Unit 55992 running on the down slow line near Reading in March 1979. Taken from a class 50 cab running at Line Speed to Paddington. Karel 1999.
22nd March 1979
Class 128 DMPV W55992 in Paddington on 22 March 1979. Brian Daniels.
29th November 1979
Class 128 DMPV W55992 seen at Reading on 29 November 1979. Brian Daniels.
29th November 1979
Class 128 DMPV W55992 in Reading station on 29 November 1979. Brian Daniels.
January 1983
Class 128 DMPVs 55992 (right) and 55991 (left) seen near Langley in January 1984. Andrew Malloy.
Unknown date
DMPV 55992 at Ealing Broadway, date unknown. John Grey Turner.
1983
A Class 128 DMPV (almost certainly 55992) and a Class 121 DMBS arrive at London Paddington in 1983. John Law.
Unknown date
A Class 128 (believed to be 55992) stuck on the back of a Class 117 at Royal Oak. Date unknown. Stuart Pearce.
19th February 1983
Class 128 W55992 parcels unit tails a class 117 unit away from Taplow towards Maidenhead on a stopping service from Paddington to Reading, Saturday 19th February 1983. Iain Reid.
16th September 1983
Parcels DMU W55992 is seen at Paddington on September 16, 1983. Hamish Stevenson.
9th February 1984
Class 128 parcel car 55992 at Paddington on 9 February 1984. Andrew Malloy.
30th July 1984
Diesel Motor Luggage Van no.W55992 leaves a trail of exhaust as it heads towards the capital on the up relief at Acton Mainline station. The unit is working parcels train 4A50 the 15.30 West Drayton to London Paddington. Adrian Nicholls.
11th December 1985
Gloucester RC&W Co MPV 55992 at Reading on the 11th December 1985. 54A South Dock.
14th December 1985
55992 on the rear of a suburban set departing from Paddington at 15:31 on 14/12/85. Paul Moxon.
March 1986
Class 128 W55982 Southall March 1986. I was living in Heston a couple of miles away at this time and took this photo one Saturday afternoon. Alistair Ness.
March 1986
Class 128 W55992 and Class 121 Southall March 1986. I was living in Heston a couple of miles away at this time and took this photo one Saturday afternoon. Alistair Ness.
10th April 1986
55992 seen sitting in Reading at 17:55 on 10/4/86. Paul Moxon.
16th May 1986
W55991 in Paddington Station London on 16th May 1986. Keith Long.
5th July 1986
Gloucester RCW Class 128 DPMV W55992 in Paddington on 5 July 1986. Dave Warby.
18th October 1986
Class 128 W55992 westbound at Slough on 18 October 1986. Stuart Mackay Collection.
30th January 1987
It was possible to see various parcel units around Reading in 1987 including class 128 single units. This beauty which I photographed on 30 January 1987 is 55992 in gloriously tatty rail blue arriving from the London direction on an unknown working. Peter Tandy.
30th June 1987
A Class 128 parcel unit at Ealing Broadway on 30th June 1987. It is thought to be 55992 (the WR only had two it this time, 91 and 92, only 92 had two wipers at this end on this date!). 55025 is on the left. Jonathan Hazan.
1st July 1987
Together forever .... Rumoured to be withdrawn from traffic fairly soon, one of OC's allocation of two Class 128 DPUs (diesel parcels units) W55992 rumbles along the up relief line at Poplar Jn, Acton, heading for Paddington ...... Inseparable since being introduced in 1960 both W55991+W55992 have been allocated to the London Division of the Western Region for over 27 years. Firstly at Southall, then Reading and now, for the last month, Old Oak Common. Both were transferred away to Cambridge 18 months later, with 55991 being withdrawn from there on 5/11/90, whilst 55992 was transferred, on paper at least, to Chester on 30/11/90 and immediately withdrawn ..... Both were later scrapped at M.C. Metals Ltd, Springburn, Glasgow ...... 1st July 1987. Nigel Mack.
1st October 1987
Sitting at the stops in platform 10 of London Paddington station on October 1, 1987 is 55992 coupled to a suburban set. Malcolm Clements.
1st October 1987
55992 sits in London Paddington station coupled to a suburban set on October 1st, 1987. Malcolm Clements.
1st October 1987
Parcels car 55992 approaches West Drayton station on October 1st, 1987. Note the vehicle number on the cab front. Malcolm Clements.
14th October 1987
W55992 in Vic Berry's Yard at Leicester on the 14th October 1987. Note the vehicle number on the cab front. Malcolm Clements.
20th December 1987
Class 128 Gloucester built single car parcels DMU 55992, one of only ten built, seen inside Vic Berrys scrapyard on 20th December 1987. Located in the old goods yard at Braunston Gate, Leicester, which was built by the Great Central Railway in the 1890's. This unit would come out again to run again in service as it was here for asbestos removal, the last of the class were withdrawn 1991. Andrew J Crowther.
20th February 1988
A freshly painted 55992 at Reading MPD in Saturday 20 February, 1988. Behind is Class 121 DTS 54280. Mel Holley.
24th February 1988
Class 128 DMPV 55992 in ex-works condition in Reading station on the 24th February 1988. Hamish Stevenson.
25th February 1988
Class 128 parcels car 55992 in Reading station on February 25, 1988. Hamish Stevenson.
Unknown date
Freshly painted Class 128 55992 in platform 11 of London Paddington, date unknown. Stuart Mackay Collection.
2nd March 1988
55992 in Post Office red at Paddington on the 2nd March 1988. Malcolm Clements.
15th March 1988
55992 in Ealing Broadway station on March 15, 1988. Malcolm Clements.
April 1988
Class 128 DMPV 55992 in Royal Mail red livery at Southall in April 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.
April 1988
Class 128 DMPV 55992 in Royal Mail red livery at Southall in April 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.
18th April 1988
55992 approaches Reading on a dull 18th April 1988. AndrewHA.
18th April 1988
55992 in Reading a Station awaiting its return trip to London Paddington on 18th April 1988. AndrewHA.
May 1988
DMPV 55992 in London Paddington in 1992. Image by Tony Martens. John Law Collection.
16th May 1988
Class 128 DPU 55992 seen from a passing train, somewhere between Acton and Reading, on 16 May 1988. Paul James.
circa August 1988
Gloucester RC&W class 128 single car parcels unit 55992 stands at the platform in Reading one evening in the summer of 1988. Bob Belcher.
30th October 1988
55992 at Vic Berrys, Leicester 30-10-88 (its 2nd visit for asbestos removal). Kevin Dowd.
2nd November 1988
The cab of a Class 128 at Vic Berry's on 2/11/88, thought to be 55992. Michael Kaye 55A.
2nd November 1988
2nd November 1988, and Class 128 55992 had entered Vic Berrys for asbestos removal. Michael Kaye 55A.
23rd March 1990
Class 128 DPU car 55992 seen at Preston on 23 March 1990. Stuart Parkinson.
6th March 1991
Class 128 parcel vans 55992 and 55995 at Inverness on 06/03/91 after withdrawal. Roddy MacPhee.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: circa 1967
A GRC&W parcel car (55991 or 55992) in early blue livery with only a yellow gangway cover at Oxford circa 1967. It is paired with a Derby suburban DMBS still in green - likely to 50819 or 50862 which had their seats removed for parcel traffic - and there are two vans in tow. Doug Nicholls.
Date: circa 1969
Set number: 343
50915 paired with 55992 at Reading - circa 1969 (photographer's approximate date). Both cars carry set No 343. © 53A Models of Hull Collection.
Date: 10th August 1982
A Class 128 DMPV in Paddington station on 10 August 1982. The Western Region had two of these at the time, 55991 and 55992. Tony Watson.
Date: December 1983
Two Gloucester Motor Parcels Vans (55991 + 55992) at Maidenhead in December 1992. Tony Watson.
Date: January 1984
Class 128 DMPVs 55991 (closest) and 55992 seen near Langley in January 1984. Andrew Malloy.
Date: March 1986
Set number: L122
Class 121 W55022 + another and Class 128 W55992 at Southall March 1986. I was living in Heston a couple of miles away at this time and took this photo one Saturday afternoon. Alistair Ness.
Date: 19th January 1987
55991 & 55992 stayed loyal to their spiritual home of Reading DMU Depot. They were always to be seen trundling Up and Down the Great Western main line from Paddington to Reading.They are seen there after some seasonal snow at Reading Station on 19th January 1987 AndrewHA.