Sign In

Vehicle 56116

Class 105

Builder: Cravens
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Lot Number: 30281
Diagram: 526

Allocations

02/11/56	New to	53C (Hull Springhead)
30/11/58	Transferred to	53B (Hull Botanic Gardens)	- (53C closed)
Jan-60	Depot code change	50C
4w/e 09/10/65	On loan to	31A (Cambridge)
w/e 16/10/65	Transferred to	31A (Cambridge)
3w/e 27/11/65	Transferred to	50C (Hull Botanic Gardens)
16/06/68	Transferred to	31A (Cambridge)
27/12/69	Transferred to	34G (Finsbury Park)
4w/e 30/05/70	Transferred to	32A (Norwich)
May-73	Depot code change	NO
Sep-73	Depot code change	NR
w/e 26/10/80	Transferred to	LO (Longsight)
22/11/82	Withdrawn from	LO (Longsight)

Disposal

Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50361	56116	As delivered to 53C - 2nd November 1956
	50361	56116	Transfer to 31A - 4w/e 09/10/65 - On loan from NER
	50361	56116	Transfer to 50C - 3w/e 27/11/65
	50361	56116	Transfer to 34G - Nov-69
	51108	56116	Noted 04/1971 - at Birmingham New Street¹
	51108	56116	Noted 12/06/71 - at Bury St Edmunds²
	50418	56116	Noted 03/09/71 - at Norwich³
46	50359	56116	Noted circa e1972 - at Bury St Edmunds²
79	51223	56116	Noted 22/10/72 - at Ipswich⁴
49	50365	56116	Noted circa e1973 - at Bury St Edmunds²
	51278	56116	Noted 20/05/73
59	51278	56116	Noted 21/07/73 - at Bury St Edmunds²
59	51278	56116	Noted 08/12/73 - at Bury St Edmunds²
51	50249	56116	Noted 13/04/74 - at Bury St Edmunds²
51	50249	56116	Noted 19/06/74 - at Bury St Edmunds²
	51283	56116	Noted 03/08/74 - at Birmingham New Street ¹
62	51283	56116	Noted 16/09/74 - at Bury St Edmunds²
62	51283	56116	Noted 11/01/75 - at Bury St Edmunds²
62	51283	56116	Listed at NR - 19/07/75
58	51282	56116	Noted 19/06/76
64	51478	56116	Noted 10/08/76 - at Bury St Edmunds²
64	51476	56116	Noted 24/08/76 - at Bury St Edmunds²
64	51478	56116	Noted 24/09/76 - at Bury St Edmunds²
64	51478	56116	Noted 13/02/77 - at Bury St Edmunds²
64	51257	56116	Noted 17/03/77 - on Cambridge depot²
56	51256	56116	Noted 03/08/78 - at Norwich²
56	51256	56116	Listed at NR - Autumn 1978
56	51256	56116	Noted 06/09/1980 - Fakenham & Dereham Railway Society GE/GN Joint Freight Lines Railtour 56116 + 51256 with 56125 + 51271
	51124	56116	Transfer to LO - w/e 26/10/80
	51124	56116	Noted circa 01/1982⁵

Formation Sources
1: Peter Wallwork
2: Gerald Brown
3: Leonard Rogers
4: Ipswich Transport Society
5: Eddie Knorn

Images:

4th August 1975

Set number: 62

A summer's day at Norwich. Class 03 shunter No. 03029 and a first generation Class 105 DMU (set 62, believed to be E56116) keep each other company at Norwich depot on Monday 4th August 1975. Photo taken on day two of the "Secret Five" mystery tours: five day trips on five consecutive days to mystery destinations from Weston-super-Mare and other picking-up points in the Bristol area. Tom Harper.

6th September 1980

Set number: 56

On 6 September 1980 the Fakenham and Dereham Railway Society ran their "GE/GN Joint Freight Lines Railtour" using a pair of Class 105 Cravens-built two-car diesel units, seen here at Wisbech Goods. The full formation as 56116 + 51256 + 56125 + 51271. Jeremy Chapter.

6th September 1980

Set number: 56

On 6 September 1980, the Fakenham and Dereham Railway Society GE/GN Joint Freight Lines Railtour ran with a pair Cravens dmu sets. Nearest the camera at March is 56116, then should come 51256, 56125 and 51271. Having visited Wisbech, the tour then ran to Sleaford, Bardney, Shirebrook and Lincoln before returning to March. Jeremy Chapter.

6th September 1980

Set number: 56

The Fakenham and District Railway Society GN & GE Joint Freight Lines railtour during the photo stop at Postland on 6 September 1980. In view is 56116. Phil Bevan.

April 1982

Three weeks road learning at Toton, most of it on single unit DB975042 until it disappeared mysteriously on the last week. Here Guide Bridge Driver Norman 'Nobby' Robinson is seen here at the helm of the replacement 2 car unit, 56116 and 51124. Taken somewhere in the Hope Valley. Note the traditional brew can lid on the window sill! Arnie Furniss.

April 1982

Reflections on Ernie Nield. Ernie started his railway career at Macclesfield in the dim and distant past when there was a depot there. You can tell by his face that he was of a cheery disposition. Taken through the window of the driver's compartment of DMU 56116 in April 1982, somewhere near Chinley, on our way back home to Guide Bridge from route learning at Toton. This used to be the first class compartment on this unit, it's full of first class railwaymen here! Arnie Furniss.

April 1982

Guide Bridge Driver Bob Malpas at the controls of 56116 that we used for a few days on the route learning trips to Toton. He went on to greater things, he trained me on class 158s when I became a driver, which included using one of the first 'simulators', a complete waste of time and money. Driving one on the West coast main line North of Preston taught me all I needed to know about 158s and gave me an appreciation of those units! Arnie Furniss.

April 1982

Manchester Victoria and Guide Bridge Driver Eddy Bright. When I took this on the route learning DMU to Toton, through the cab window of 56116 in April 1982, he was a Guide Bridge driver. It was great fun to work with this man, you can tell by his face that it was usually smiling. Arnie Furniss.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 25th August 1977

Set number: 64

A Cravens 2-car (DMBS E51257 trailing and DTCL E56116), has arrived at Leicester on the 15.40 from Peterborough and will form the 17.30 return. 25 August 1977. Kevin Lane.

Date: 6th September 1980

Set number: 49

Bardney station in Lincolnshire was only open for occasional sugar beet traffic by 1980. On 6 September of that year, the Fakenham & Dereham Railway Society ran a railtour which visited the branch. Another railtour in February 1981 was the last passenger train to reach this point where passenger trains had been withdrawn in 1970. Car 51271 is nearest the camera, paired with 56125, behind is 51256 and 56116. Jeremy Chapter.

➤