Sign In

Vehicle 56496 / 54496

Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Lot Number: 30602
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 51913 during the unknown period are:

07/05/60	New to	18A (Toton)
4w/e 31/12/60	Transferred to	8H (Allerton)
Sep-63	Depot code change	8J

Then the allocations for 56496 are:

04/09/82	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
circa Dec-83	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
02/03/86	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
14/05/90	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) PLOX
28/02/92	Withdrawn from	LO (Longsight) PXXZ

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56496 - original number
54496 - from Aug-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 28/08/1981 released in blue/grey livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51913	56496	As delivered to 18A - 7th May 1960
	51913	56496	Noted 31/12/69 - in Liverpool Lime Street¹
	51420	56496	Noted 04/06/71 - at Longsight then later in Manchester Piccadilly²
	51909	56496	Noted 08/1975 - at Birmingham New Street on either 16th or 23rd August 1975³
	51909	56496	Noted 28/08/75 - on Longsight depot¹
	51909	56496	Noted 20/11/75 - at Brough with 51424/56497²
	51918	56496	Noted 13/08/1977 - 08.25 Lime Street to Bangor with 51417-56492 and 51913-56493⁴
	51918	56496	Noted 27/08/1977 - 08.25 Lime Street - Bangor with 51916-56277 and 51914-56273⁴
AN272	51917	56496	Noted 31/05/1982⁴
	51917	54496	Noted circa 06/1983⁴
	53971	54496	Noted circa 12/1983⁴
	53971	54496	Noted circa 03/1984⁴
	51911	54496	Noted circa 06/1985⁴
	51911	54496	Noted circa 01/1986⁴
	51911	54496	Noted 26/04/86 - on 10:50 Shrewsbury - Chester with 53222 + 53337 / 53938 + 54411⁵
	51911	54496	Listed at Chester - Summer 1986
	51911	54496	Noted 24/07/1986 - at Chester⁶
	51911	54496	Noted 22/04/1987 - at Stoke on Trent⁶
	51911	54496	Noted 05/07/1987 - at Manchester Piccadilly - as 4 car set with 51417-54272⁶
	51911	54496	Noted 16/01/1988⁴
264	51911	54496	Noted circa 04/1988⁴
CH264	51911	54496	Noted Apr-88
CH264	51911	54496	Listed at CH - May 1988
CH264	51911	54496	Noted circa May-88
CH264	51911	54496	Noted circa Jul-88
CH264	51911	54496	Listed at CH - 14/10/89
CH264	51911	54496	Noted circa 12/1989⁴
CH261	51906	54496	Noted 28/04/90 - on 2H60 21:30 Manchester Piccadilly - New Mills Central
LO261	51906	54496	Listed at LO - mid May-90
LO256	51901	54496	Listed at LO - Jul-91
LO256	51901	54496	Listed at LO - Aug-91

Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Leonard Rogers
3: Peter Wallwork
4: Eddie Knorn
5: Martin Baumann
6: Robert Chilton

Images:

31st August 1980

A two-car Class 108 with Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL) M56496, was stabled in the sidings at Longsight Depot on August 31st 1980. To the left is an intermediate (MBSL) car from a Swindon Class 124 'Trans-Pennine' DMU, whilst to the rear of the 108 is a BRCW Class 104 set, with another 104 visible in the distance, keeping company with a Class 47. Martyn Hilbert.

28th October 1990

Set number: LO261

Class 108 set LO261 with 54496 nearest the camera is attached to the rear of another 108 forming an evening departure from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly. Jay Hartley.

21st May 1991

Set number: LO256

LO256 M54496 + M51901 + LO255 M51424 + M54232 2E24 18:30 Piccadilly to Sheffield at New Mills South Junction 21-5-91. Kevin Dowd.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: circa 1964

A (blue square) Derby Lightweight twin (M51913 and presumably M56496) thought to be working the shuttle between St Helens Junction and St Helens Shaw Street (now Central). Date unknown, the shuttle ended in June 1965, so the yellow panel dates it to the 1963-5 period. Behind the unit used to be Peasley Cross station which closed in 1951. There are not many passengers on board, and the seat moquette which I can see better on the original scan is the same as that used in the 2nd class of the Marylebone quads (see image 15353) and the Ayrshire Swindon Inter-City sets (image 24623). Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 27th August 1983

Class 47 no 47342 hauls DMU cars 51917/54496/54058/53206 through Llandudno Junction on 27 August 1983. This was a return ecs working from an incoming additional service from Blythe Bridge to Llandudno, which I had travelled in from Llandudno Junction. I'm not sure whether 47342 had hauled the dmus from Blythe Bridge, or (as seems more likely) it had come on following a failure of one or both of the 2-car units. Lewis Bevan.

Date: 28th April 1990

Set number: CH261

CH261 M51906 + M54496 arrive at New Mills Central on 2H60 the 21:30 ex-Manchester Piccadilly, 28-4-90. Kevin Dowd.

➤