Vehicle 56498 / 54498

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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 51915 during the unknown period are:

14/05/60	New to	6G (Llandudno Junction)
w/e 01/10/60	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
4w/e 31/12/60	Transferred to	8H (Allerton)
Sep-63	Depot code change	8J

Then the allocations for 56498 are:

18/01/87	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
01/10/89	Transferred to	CF (Cardiff Canton) PCFX
p/e 22/06/91	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) PLOX
29/07/91	Withdrawn from	LO (Longsight) PLOX

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56498 - original number
54498 - from Jul-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

circa Sep-73 - AWS fitted

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 18/05/1979 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Booth Roe Metals, Rotherham

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	51915	56498							As delivered to 6G - 14th May 1960
	51919	56498							Noted 04/08/68 - in Manchester Victoria1
	51914	56498							Noted 15/08/70 - in Manchester Oxford Road2
	51418	56498							Noted 04/06/71 - at Longsight1
	51419	56498							Noted 01/09/72 - in Liverpool Lime Street1
	51916	56498							Noted 27/09/1976 - at Preston 3
	50625	56498							Noted 04/01/77 - in Liverpool Lime1
	51421	56498							Noted 12/09/1977 - 18.42 Newton-le-Willows to Lime Street with 50626-564994
	51424	56498							Noted circa 11/19824
	51418	54498							Noted circa 07/19874
	51418	54498							Noted 16/01/19884
CH251	51418	54498							Listed at CH - May 1988
CH251	51418	54498							Noted circa May-88
CH251	51418	54498							Noted circa Jul-88
spare	54498								Listed at LO - Jul-91

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Gerald Brown
3: Peter Wallwork
4: Eddie Knorn

Images:

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4th May 1969

Class 108 set with DTCL M56498 in green with a blue DMBS on a Chester - Manchester working at Mouldsworth, 4/May/1969. Note that while equipped with a 4-character headcode display, it is showing the 2-character DMU route code, a fairly common occurrence. Robert Chilton.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

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Date: circa 1988

Set number: CH251

Class 108 set CH251 (presumably 51418 + 54498) at Crewe circa 1988. Hamish Stevenson.

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Date: 6th August 1989

Set number: CH607

Class 104 CH607 (M53439 + M53499) and Class 108 CH251 (M54498 + M51418) inside Llandudno Junction depot, 6-8-89. Kevin Dowd.