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Vehicle 56281 / 54281 / 977615

Class 121

Builder: Pressed Steel
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Lot Number: 30519
Diagram: 513

Allocations

Jan-61	New to	81C (Southall)
Apr-68	Transferred to	81D (Reading)
May 1973	Depot code change	RG
11/05/86	Transferred to	TS (Tyseley)
04/10/87	Transferred to	LA (Laira)
2w/e 13/03/88	Withdrawn from	LA (Laira)	- also noted as 23/12/88 from sector DXXZ

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56281 - original number
54281 - from Aug-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
977615 - from Mar-88 (departmental stock)

Department Use as ADB977615

Sandite - vehicle renumbered but conversion cancelled From 3/88 to 11/89.

Modifications

3w/e 29/05/71 - Dual AWS fitted
Jun-75 - WR AWS removed

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 01/12/1980 released in blue/grey livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Vic Berry, Leicester

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	55030	56281			Noted 22nd October 1971
	51351	59503	51393	56281	Noted 26/10/1971 - at Paddington¹
	55031	56281	55992		Noted 30/04/75 - on Old Oak Common depot, set number only on 55031²
L281	56281				Listed at RG - 01/05/1976
L281	56281				Listed at RG - 31st December 1977
L281	56281				Listed at RG - 03/03/80
L281	56281				Listed at RG - 15/12/1982
L281	54281				Noted circa 01/1984³
L281	54281				Listed at RG - 01/01/85
Spare	54281				Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986
TS509	53833	54281	53098		Noted 11/04/1987³
TS251	53833	54281			Noted circa 06/1987³
T251	53833	54281			Listed at TS - Jul-87
TS251	53833	54281			Noted 06/09/87 - at Norwich²
P281	54281				Formed at LA circa 10/87
spare	54281				Listed at LA - Nov-87
P281	54281				Listed at LA - 08/08/88 - Out of use

Formation Sources
1: Jeremy Goodyear
2: Gerald Brown
3: Eddie Knorn

Images:

June 1969

Set number: 281

56281 and a Class 121 bubble car depart from Bourne End in June 1969. Steve Davies Collection.

June 1969

Set number: 281

56281 runs into Bourne End in June 1969. Steve Davies Collection.

February 1975

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) & Class 121 railcar L123 (No.W55023) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends passing Ealing on a Greenford - Ealing Broadway service, 02/75. Hugh Llewelyn.

May 1976

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) and Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.

May 1976

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) & Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.

June 1976

Set number: L281

Two Class 121 vehicles, the closest being DTS 56281, seen north of Cookham on a Marlow to Maidenhead service in June 1976. Stuart Mackay Collection.

circa late 1970s

Set number: L281

Class 121 DTS W56281 circa late 1970s, probably on Reading or Southall depot. Behind is 55023. Paul Redmond.

circa September 1979

Set number: L281

A Class 121 DTS (W56281) and DMBS in Paddington with a Slough service. The slide process date was September 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.

5th October 1979

Set number: L281

A Class 121 formation with W56281 closest at Slough on 5 October 1979. Brian Daniels.

January 1983

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel Class 121 DTS 56281 attached to a Class 117 DMU seen at Iver in January 1983. Andrew Malloy.

January 1983

Set number: L281

A pair of Class 121 vehicles, DTS 56281 closest, in Slough station in January 1983. Andrew Malloy.

7th May 1983

Set number: L281

The 12.22SO Oxford-Banbury departs from Kings Sutton on 7 May 1983 formed of 55034/56281. Lewis Bevan.

2nd June 1983

Set number: L281

Empty stock formation arriving at Paddington with class 121 DTS W56281 / L281 leading two class 121 single cars and a class 117 unit, Thursday 2nd June 1983 Iain Reid.

Unknown date

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel DTS (formerly a Class 149) 54281 at Marlow, circa 1984, running with 55021. Nicky Reason.

23rd June 1984

Set number: L281

Class 121 Pressed Steel DMUs 54281 + 55024 (DTS + DMBS) westbound at Hayes and Harlington on 23-6-84. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

23rd June 1984

Set number: L281

Class 121 DTS 56281 with bubble 55024 at Hayes and Harlington on 23rd June 1984. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

14th June 1986

Class 121 DTS 54281 seen at Tyseley on June 14, 1986. Andy Cole.

circa August 1988

Set number: P281

Class 121 DTS 54281 stored at Laira, the slide process date was August 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.

11th November 1990

ADB977615 (P281 W54281), Vic Berrys, Leicester 11-11-90. Kevin Dowd.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: February 1975

Set number: L123

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L123 (No.W55023) & Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) both in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends at Weat Ealing on a Greenford - Ealing Broadway service, 02/75. Hugh Llewelyn.

Date: May 1976

Set number: L122

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) & Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.

Date: May 1976

Set number: L122

Date: circa late 1970s

Set number: L123

Class 121 W55023 (and W56281 behind), possibly on Southall or Reading depot circa late 1970s. Paul Redmond.

Date: 19th October 1979

Set number: L124

A nocturnal scene at London Paddington on the evening of October 19th 1979. Class 121 single unit W55024 with its unpowered Driving Trailer Second (DTS) W56281 was stood with a service to Hayes & Harlington. Behind was Class 121 single unit W55027 that had been used on the Ealing Broadway to Greenford shuttle service. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: unknown

Set number: L121

Class 121 55021 at Marlow, circa 1984, running with 54281 attached. Nicky Reason.

Date: 11th July 1987

Set number: TS251

A pair of two-car Derby Class 116 Suburban DMU's were making a rare appearance at Lostock Hall with a Preston to Colne service on July 11th 1987. The rear set complete with its West Midlands PTE branding was formed of cars M53833 & M54281 (TS251). This was during the period when problems with the almost new Class 142 fleet were manifesting themselves, and the pair of suburbans would have been a short-term loan out from Tyseley Depot to Newton Heath. Martyn Hilbert.

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