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Vehicle 56351 / 54351

Class 101

Builder: Met-Camm
Layout: Low-Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Lot Number: 30468
Diagram: 630

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 51193 during the unknown period are:

20/12/58	New to	3E (Monument Lane)
Jan-59	Transferred to	26A (Newton Heath)
Jun-59	Transferred to	24E (Blackpool Central)
4w/e 01/06/63	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
w/e 12/09/64	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
3w/e 02/10/65	Transferred to	6G (Llandudno Junction)
4w/e 05/11/66	Transferred to	6A (Chester)

Then the allocations for 56351 are:

13/12/87	Transferred to	NC (Norwich)
14/05/89	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill) PNLX
11/10/90	Withdrawn from	NL (Neville Hill) PZQZ

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56351 - original number
54351 - from Apr-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

circa Jul-72 - AWS fitted

Refurbished

At Derby Works dated 07/04/1977 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51193	56351	As delivered to 3E - 20th December 1958
	51193	56351	Noted 10/08/68 - at Bangor¹
	51193	56351	Noted 21/08/68 - at Chester¹
	51176	56351	Noted 15/08/70 - at Shrewsbury²
	51193	56351	Noted 19/09/71 - in Crewe¹
	51196	56351	Noted 19/05/72 - at Chester¹
	51196	56351	Noted 03/11/72 - at Crewe¹
	51196	56351	Noted 10/09/76 - at Rock Ferry²
	51196	56351	Noted Sep-76 - at Crewe with 51174/56358¹
	51183	56351	Noted circa 04/1981³
	51177	54351	Noted 11/09/85 - on 11:40 Crewe - Pwllheli
	51177	54351	Listed at Chester - Summer 1986
	51177	54351	Noted 24/07/1986 - at Crewe⁴
	51177	54351	Noted 30/07/1986 - at Derby⁴
	51177	54351	Listed at CH - Jun-87
	51177	54351	Noted 18/07/1987³
77	51177	54351	Noted circa Jan-88
77	51177	54351	Noted 05/01/88 - at Norwich²
77	51177	54351	Noted 14/06/88 - at Norwich²
77	51177	54351	Noted circa 09/1988³
	51177	54351	Noted 15/04/1989 - BLS The Orwell Docker Railtour 54405-51207 + 51177-54351
NL257	51435	54351	Listed at NL - 05/09/89

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

Images:

Class 101 DMU at Croft Street Sidings, Preston

12th October 1986

A two-car Metro-Cammell Class 101 DMU formed of cars M54351 & M51177 were stabled with other first generation DMU's in Croft Street Sidings at Preston on October 12th 1986. Martyn Hilbert.

circa 1988

Set number: 77

Norwich Met-Camm set 77 (54351 + 51177) enters Hoveton and Wroxham station, circa 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.

15th April 1989

Set number: 77

2 x 2-car class 101 DMU's are seen at Stoke Bridge Level Crossing in Ipswich Docks on April 15, 1989. This was a Branch Line Society railtour called the 'Orwell Docker' and covered several freight only lines in the area. It was repeated twice later in the year. The line beyond the crossing belonged to ABP (Associated British Ports) and served Cliff Quay. It was formed set 77 54351 + 51177 and set 01 54405 + 51207. Adrian Nicholls.

15th April 1989

Set number: 77

The Branch Line Society "Orwell Docker" railtour used two 2-car class 101s for a jaunt around East Anglia on 15 April 1989. The first freight branch visited was the the lengthy single track line from Chesterton Junction to Fen Drayton. Extensive gravel pits around Fen Drayton owned by ARC Ltd provided enough railbourne freight to warrant retaining this 11 mile stub of the former Great Eastern Railway St.Ives branch. Aggregate traffic from the gravel pits ceased in May 1992 and the line was mothballed with a view to reinstating a passenger service for Cambridge's growing commuter belt but this fell through, Cambridgeshire Country Council opting for a guided bus way on the track bed. The flooded gravel pits are now an RSPB nature reserve for water foul and wild bird and the railway is just history. Set 77 51177+54351 & set 01 54405+51207 sit at the lines physical end with the far unit beside the buffer stops where Holywell Ferry LC used to be. Adrian Nicholls.

15th April 1989

Set number: 77

The Branch Line Society "Orwell Docker" railtour on 15/4/89, stood at the closed Felixstowe Beach station. The line from Felixstowe Town to Felixstowe Pier with Felixstowe Beach as the only intermediate station on the branch had closed to passengers on 11/9/67 but the line had remained open for freight to the every expanding Languard Container Terminal. The tour arrived here with authority to proceed beyond the BR limit onto FD&RC (Felixstowe Docks & Railway Co.) tracks into Languard (Felixstowe North) container terminal but a mix up on the day meant the tour stood here for 25mins while the organiser and BR staff made representation to FD&RC staff on site. With 47 279 shunting the terminal the site staff refused access having been not made aware by their manager the tour was coming. So after a stand off the tour reversed here to a wave of disappointment from the membership. Adrian Nicholls.

15th April 1989

Set number: 77

The Branch Line Society "Orwell Docker" railtour at Ipswich Docks sidings on 15 April 1989. It was formed set 77 54351 + 51177 and set 01 54405 + 51207. Walter Burt.

25th September 1990

M54351 at Snailwell on 25th September 1990. Allocated to Norwich and then onto Neville Hill in its last years but still retained the M prefix. Nicholas Youngman.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 22nd June 1983

Class 101 Metro Cammell DMU DTCs 54351 and 54343, ex-works on Chester TMD, 22-6-83. On Tour with the Class 13 Army.

Date: 8th June 1986

Displaying 'Special' on the blinds, M53337 leads three two-car Class 101 sets (the other vehicles being M53222 + M51177 + M54351 + M51187 + M54322) at Stoke to form the 08:48 to Llandudno on 8/6/86. Hamish Stevenson.

Date: circa 1988

Set number: 77

Norwich Met-Camm set 77 (51177 + 54351) in Hoveton and Wroxham station, circa June 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 11th July 1988

Parcels Class 105 E53373 + E53364 and Class 101 M54351 at Ely on July 11, 1988. Nicholas Youngman.

Date: 15th April 1989

Set number: 01

2 x 2-Car class 101 DMU's (54405 + 51207 and 51177 + 54351) with Cambridge set CA01 leading stand at the entrance to Felixstowe North Container Terminal while working the Branch Line Society 'Orwell Docker' railtour. Adrian Nicholls.

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