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Vehicle 56283 / 54283

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)
Apr-72	Transferred to	84A (Laira)
May-73	Depot code change	LA
w/e 06/03/76	Transferred to	BR (Bristol Bath Road)
4w/e 26/05/79	Transferred to	RG (Reading)
Jun-87	Transferred to	OO (Old Oak Common)
26/04/91	Withdrawn from	OO (Old Oak Common) NXXZ

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56283 - original number
54283 - from Aug-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

p/e 31/03/73 - Dual AWS fitted

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 07/05/1979 released in white/blue stripe livery - Only Class 121 DTS to receive blue stripe livery, along with MBS 55034

Disposal

Scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51309	59476	51324	56283	Noted 25/08/69 - at Paddington¹
	51363	59515	51405	56283	Noted 25/10/1971 - at Paddington²
P283	56283				Noted 07/09/73 - on Laira depot³
	56283				Noted 02/09/74 - at Penzance, probably loose³
P554	51575	51584	56283		Noted 27/08/75 - at Plymouth, 56293 carrying P283³
B283	56283				Listed at BR - 01/05/1976
B283	56283				Noted 07/09/76 - on Bristol Philips March depot, loose vehicle³
B283	56283				Listed at BR - 31st December 1977
L283	56283				Listed at RG - 03/03/80
	55029	56283			Noted 29/05/80 - at Oxford, 56283 carrying set number L283
L283	56283				Listed at RG - 15/12/1982
L283	54283				Listed at RG - 01/01/85
L122	55022	54283			Noted 01/06/1985 - on Reading Depot open day shuttle from station (54283 carrying set L283)
L283	54283				Listed at Reading - Summer 1986
	55023	54283			Noted circa 06/1986⁴
	55027	54283			Noted 13/09/1986⁴
	55028	54283			Noted 25/02/1987 - at Old Oak Common⁵
	53437	54283			Noted 27/06/1987 - at Gospel Oak⁵
L283	54283				Listed at OO - Aug-87
L283	54283				Listed at OO - 15/05/89
	51363	54283			Noted circa 07/1990⁴
L283	54283				Listed at OO - 21/01/91

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

Images:

circa late May 1979

Set number: L283

Only two Class 121s received the white / blue stripe livery: W55034 and W56283. Here they both are (DTS closest) at Swindon after release from the works circa late May 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.

circa late May 1979

Set number: L283

Only two Class 121s received the white / blue stripe livery: W56283 and W55034. Here they both are at Swindon after release from the works circa late May 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.

29th May 1980

Set number: L283

W56283 + W55029 at Oxford on 29 May 1980. Brian Daniels.

15th August 1980

Set number: L283

Arriving at Paddington on 15th August 1980 is driving trailer 56283 with a bubble and suburban set. Ian Buck.

Unknown date

Set number: L283

A Class 121 DTS (54283) and DMBS enters West Drayton station, date unknown. Glyn Weigh.

circa 1983

Set number: L283

W56283 - one of the Class 121 unpowered trailer cars that were used with the Bubble Cars to provide extra capacity - seen at the back of Southall shed, circa 1983. Chris McKee.

5th March 1983

Set number: L283

A pair of Class 121 vehicles - W56283 closest - at Oxford with a Didcot service on 5 March 1983. Brian Daniels.

January 1988

W54283 at Paddington in January 1988. Malcolm Clements.

26th March 1988

Set number: 283

Class 121 coaches Nos. 54283 and 55024 stand at Slough working the Windsor & Eton shuttle on 26 March 1988. Brian Creasey.

1989

Set number: L283

Class 121 DTS 54283 working with a Class 101 DMBS at Clapham Junction sometime in 1989. Image taken by John Vaughan. Stuart Mackay Collection.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 19th May 1979

Set number: L134

Newly outshopped in refurbished white with blue stripe livery from Swindon Works, Pressed Steel built Class 121 single unit W55034 (L134) and Driving Trailer Second W56283 were awaiting a return to service in the sidings on the North side of Swindon station on May 19th 1979. The 121 would eventually be part of the Chiltern Railways fleet and was withdrawn from service in May 2017. Previously between 1992 & 1996 the unit had been in departmental use and renumbered to 977828. The unit has since returned to main line use with LSL at Crewe. Martyn Hilbert.

Date: 21st February 1980

55993 sits in the company of 59437 (left) and 56283 (right) at Stratford on the 21st February 1980. Ed Kibey.

Date: 27th May 1980

Set number: L129

Class 121s W55029 + W56283 (the latter in white / blue stripe livery) in Oxford station on Tuesday 27 May 1980. Banbury (General) is on the destination blind. David Russon.

Date: August 1984

Set number: L122

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar No.L122 (W55022) and Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L232 (W54283) in Rail Blue & Grey with all-yellow front ends departing Paddington on a service to Henley, coupled to a Pressed Steel Class 117 3-car dmu (cab just visible), 08/84. Hugh Llewelyn.

Date: 25th February 1987

Class 104 DMBS no. 53437 of Cricklewood (nearest camera) and DTCL no. 54182 of Bletchley but on loan to Cricklewood seen isolated on their own in the carriage sidings at Old Oak Common on 25th February 1987. 53437 was seemingly most often paired as a power twin in its later years rather than with a driving trailer although I saw it again a few months later paired with class 121 DTS 54283. Happily both vehicles as pictured here were preserved although via different routes, 53437 being one of the original batch preserved after tender lists were issued by BR and 54182 later following use as a Sandite vehicle. Robert Chilton.

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