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Vehicle 56279 / 54279

Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Lot Number: 30499
Diagram: 646

Allocations

The London Midland Region didn't publish trailer car details until late in 1968. Although not 100% reliable, if it is assumed that the trailers remained with the same power cars, the allocations for 51424 during the unknown period are:

Mar-60	New to	64H (Leith Central)	- on loan from LMR
3w/e 22/10/60	Ex-loan back to	18A (Toton)
5w/e 29/10/60	Transferred to	9G (Reddish)
4w/e 31/12/60	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
4w/e 01/07/61	Transferred to	6A (Chester)
3w/e 02/07/66	Transferred to	8J (Allerton)

Then the allocations for 56279 are:

3w/e 02/07/66	Transferred to	8J (Allerton)
06/05/73	Depot code change	AN
29/03/87	Transferred to	BY (Bletchley)
14/05/90	Sector Change to	BY (Bletchley) NNDX
p/e 12/10/91	Transferred to	RG (Reading) NWRX
02/08/93	Transferred to	HQ (Headquarters) NWRX
04/08/93	Withdrawn from	HQ (Headquarters) NWRX

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56279 - original number
54279 - from Jul-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

May-71 - AWS fitted

Refurbished

At Derby Works dated 02/02/1979 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Preserved - more details.

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51424	56279	As delivered to 64H - March 1960 - on loan from LMR
	51424	56279	Transfer to 18A - 3w/e 22/10/60 - ex-loan
	51424	56279	Transfer to 9A - Dec-60
	51901	56279	Noted 11/06/1977 - 13.15 Lime Street to Newton-le-Willows¹
	51901	56279	Noted 20/08/1977¹
	51901	56279	Noted 26/08/1977 - at Mossley Hill working 07.11 Warrington Central to Lime Street.¹
	51901	56279	Noted 16/09/1977¹
	51901	56279	Noted 22/09/1977 - 07.40 Wigan NW to Lime Street with 51913-56493¹
	50627	56279	Noted circa 05/1982¹
	50627	56279	Noted circa 12/1982¹
	53627	54279	Noted circa 01/1984¹
	53627	54279	Noted 27/03/1984¹
	53627	54279	Noted 24/03/1986¹
	51914	54279	Noted 8th January 1987
	51914	54279	Noted 18/02/1987¹
	51914	54279	Transfer to BY - 29/03/87 - from AN
	51914	54279	Noted circa 07/1987¹
	51914	54279	Noted circa 10/1987¹
	51914	54279	Noted circa 02/1988¹
	51914	54279	Noted 20/05/88 - on 18.37 Bedford - Bletchley²
	51914	54279	Noted 01/10/88 - in Wolverton Works
	51914	54279	Noted circa 10/1988¹
	51916	54279	Noted circa 11/1989¹
	53628	54279	Noted 07/05/90 - on a Kettering - Corby service
	51916	54279	Noted circa 02/1991¹
	51916	54279	Noted 13/02/1991 - Watford Junction. At platform 4 on the D.C. line with a local train to London Euston. It had snowed so presumably the class 313s availability had been affected. Photo here: https://flic.kr/p/CzhPFQ³
L212	53628	54279	Listed at RG - 24/02/92 - NSE NWRX pool
L212	53628	54279	Listed at RG - 12/08/92
L212	53628	54279	Listed at RG - November 1992 - Sector NWRX
L212	53628	54279	Noted circa 06/1993¹
L212	53628	54279	Noted 11th June 1993

Formation Sources
1: Eddie Knorn
2: Phil Shatford
3: Dave Warby

Images:

24th February 1979

Freshly refurbished Class 108 DTCL M56279 is seen on Allerton depot on 24 February 1979. Brian Daniels.

1st October 1988

Wolverton Works on 1st October 1988 contains NSE liveried 54279 and 51914, as well as the retro-green Cravens. Robert Frise.

1st October 1988

Class 105 & 108 cabs at Wolverton Works Open Day on 1 October 1988. Celebrity green E54122 is coupled to Network SouthEast 54279. Alistair Ness.

7th April 1990

The line between Bletchley and Bedford was under the control of mechanical signalling in 1990. On 7 April 2-car class 108 unit 54279 + 51914 arrive at Stewartby from Bletchley with the chimneys of the brickworks prominent in the background Peter Tandy.

7th April 1990

Class 108 2 car set formed of 54279 + 51914 stand in Bletchley station after arriving from Bedford on 7 April 1990. Peter Tandy.

25th May 1990

A Class 108 DMU (54279 + 53628) forms the 16.37 Kettering - Corby passing Glendon Junction on 25 May 1990, during the last week of service of the experimental Kettering-Corby service. Corby station had been closed in May 1967, but was re-opened on an experimental basis in April 1987. This service was withdrawn as from 2 June 1990. The closure left Corby as, allegedly, the largest town in Europe without a rail service, and, in the ensuing years, there were various proposals for trains to serve Corby once again. But it would be nearly 19 years until East Midlands Trains re-introduced a regular service, including through trains to London, to the town. Lewis Bevan.

Unknown date

Set number: L212

L212, presumably 54279, is seen at Culham (between Oxford and Didcot), circa 1992. David Rowe.

9th February 1991

During a bitter winter spell in February 1991, only the Bedford to Bletchely services were able to operate anything like a normal service. 54279+53628 set off from Bedford on time, heading for Bletchley Jason Hall.

13th February 1991

Class 108 DTCL 54279 leads a local train To Euston at Watford Junction on 13 February 1991. Dave Warby.

20th January 1993

Set number: L212

54279 + 53628 departing Slough on 20-01-93. Image by Richard Huggins. John Law Collection.

30th March 1993

Set number: L212

NSE-liveried Class 108 set L212 (54279 + presumably 53628) and 165 111 at Oxford on March 30, 1993. John Carter.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 1960

A brand new 108 (M51424/M56279) at Morningside Road on the Edinburgh suburban circle, heading for Musselburgh. The vehicles were on loan from the LMR to Leith Central between March and October 1960. A ScR Official Picture, courtesy of the AA McLean Collection. British Railways.

Date: 26th September 1987

Inside the shed at Bletchley on 26/9/87 were Class 108 vehicles 51914 & 54279, and Class 127 Parcels set 910. Shayne Lewis.

Date: 13th May 1988

Class 122 single unit M55004 awaits departure from Kettering as the 19.14 hrs to Corby on 13 May 1988. On the left of the picture a 2-car Class 108 comprising M51914/M54279 is approaching to form the 18.45 hrs Kettering-Bedford. Lewis Bevan.

Date: 7th April 1990

A 2 car class 108 unit with vehicles 51914 + 54279 is pictured about to stop at Stewartby station on the Bedford to Bletchley line on 7 April 1990. The crossing here was still hand operated by a crossing keeper at this time which indicated that the road here wasn't especially busy. Peter Tandy.

Date: 7th May 1990

A NSE-liveried Class 108 (53628 + 54279) passes Corby North on May 7, 1990 with a Kettering - Corby service. Mike Dean.

Date: 7th May 1990

A Network South East two-car Class 108 unit (53628 + 54279) takes the former Nottingham line at Glendon Junction with a Kettering - Corby service on May 7th 1990, its last month of operation. Mike Dean.

Date: 25th May 1990

A Class 108 DMU (53628 + 54279) forms the 16.37 Kettering - Corby departing from Kettering on 25 May 1990, during the last week of service of the experimental Kettering-Corby service. Corby station had been closed in May 1967, but was re-opened on an experimental basis in April 1987. This service was withdrawn as from 2 June 1990. The closure left Corby as, allegedly, the largest town in Europe without a rail service, and, in the ensuing years, there were various proposals for trains to serve Corby once again. But it would be nearly 19 years until East Midlands Trains re-introduced a regular service, including through trains to London, to the town. Lewis Bevan.

Date: 11th October 1991

Set number: L212

Class 108 DMU set L212 (53628 + 54279) departs from Reading on 11 October 1991. Sparegang.

Date: 23rd November 1991

Set number: L212

At Reading on 23 November 1991 is DMU formation comprising Classes 108, 117 and 119 - 53628 + 54279 / 51379 + 59489 + 51065. Dave Warby.

Date: 20th January 1993

Set number: L212

53628 + 54279 at Windsor and Eton Central on 20-01-93. Image by Richard Huggins. John Law Collection.

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