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Vehicle 59248

Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Lot Number: 30412
Diagram: 546

Allocations

02/10/58	New to	South Gosforth
Feb-64	Depot code change	52J
May-73	Depot code change	GF
w/e 19/02/78	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill)
13/05/84	Transferred to	BG (Hull Botanic Gardens)
03/05/87	Transferred to	HT (Heaton)
04/10/87	Transferred to	ED (Eastfield)
11/07/88	Transferred to	HA (Haymarket)
01/10/89	Transferred to	CF (Cardiff Canton) PCFX
09/03/92	Withdrawn from	CF (Cardiff Canton) PCFX

Refurbished

At Doncaster Works dated 10/03/1978 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50636	59248	59383	50637	As delivered to South Gosforth - 2nd October 1958
	50637	59384	59248	50638	Noted 01/07/73 - at Newcastle¹
	50637	59248	59389	50638	Noted 05/08/1974 - at Newcastle ²
	51511	59248	51512		Noted 26/08/77 - at Cambridge³
	50639	59248	59386	50646	Noted circa 1978⁴
	50613	59248	59386	50646	Noted 14/04/78 - on 06:17 Doncaster-Hull¹
	50613	59248	59386	50646	Noted 15/04/1978 - at York ²
	50639	59386	59248	50646	Noted 13/08/80 - at Morecambe with 51552 + 51542
	50639	59248	50646		Noted circa 06/1981⁴
	50639	59248	59384	50646	Noted circa 10/1982⁴
	50639	59248	59384	50646	Noted circa 02/1983⁴
	53639	59248	59384	53646	Noted 07/01/1984⁴
	53639	59248	59384	53646	Noted 29/05/1984 - BLS Blyth and Tyne Railtour
	53639	59248	53646		Noted 15/10/1986⁴
	53639	59248	53646		Noted 29/11/1986⁴
	53639	59248	53646		Noted 28th December 1986
108381	52043	59248	53630		Listed at ED - Jan-88
	51925	59248	53530		Noted 10th January 1988
	53478	59248	53530		Noted March 1988
108380	52053	59248	52059		Formation change - circa Mar-88
108380	52053	59248	52059		Listed at HA - circa August 1988
380	52053	59248	52059		Noted 3rd January 1989
	52053	59248	52059		Transfer to CF - 01/10/89 - from HA (set 380)
	51133	59248	51136		Noted 12/05/1990 - Monmouthshire Railway Society Caerwent Cannonball 2 Railtour 51315-51330 + 51133-59248-51136
spare	59248				Listed at CF - Jul-91
spare	59248				Listed at CF - Aug-91
spare	59248				Listed at CF - Dec-91

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

No images of the vehicle available.

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The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 22nd June 1973

A four-car Class 108 DMU - formed E50637 + E59384 + E59248 + E50638 - heads out of Edinburgh Waverley with a schools special on 22 June 1973. Alistair Ness.

Date: 22nd June 1973

A four-car Class 108 DMU in Edinburgh Waverley station on 22 June 1973. DMCL E50637 is closest, the other vehicles are E59384, E59248, and E50638. Alistair Ness.

Date: 2nd August 1977

On 02/08/1977, the 1730 Newcastle-Alnmouth calls at Heaton at 1736, with Class 101 DMS(L) 51511 leading a Class 108 TBS(L), possibly 59248. 51511 was amongst the very last Class 101 cars in service, lasting until the end in December 2003, and was preserved, operating on North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Graeme Phillips Collection.

Date: 13th August 1980

At Morecambe Promenade on 13/8/80 sits 51552 + 51542 / 50639 + 59386 + 59248 + 50646 (a 2-car 111 and 4-car 108), waiting to depart on a service to Leeds. Robert Frise.

Date: 29th May 1984

The Branch Line Society Blyth & Tyne tour in Newcastle station on 29 May 1984. The Six Bells Junction lists the vehicles as 53646 + 59384 + 59248 + 53639. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 29th May 1984

The Branch Line Society Blyth & Tyne tour in Newcastle station on 29 May 1984. Six Bells Junction lists the vehicles as 53646 + 59384 + 59248 + 53639. From an overexposed slide. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 5th July 1989

An unusual view of the west end of Waverley station, Edinburgh, on the morning of 5/7/89. No trains were moving this day - it was the day of one of the weekly strikes staged by the NUR that summer. Almost every platform is filled with stabled stock. From left to right there are : an HST in plat.19, 52053 coupled to 59248 and 52059 (108 380) in plat.18, a Mk.2 DVT (9709) in plat.17, 53260 coupled to 59042 and 51241 (101 315) in plat.16, nothing visible in plat.15, 150 244 in plat.14, 53933 (coupled to 51566) in plat.13, 53164(cl.101) coupled to 59800(cl.107) and 53733, forming 120 535, in plat.12 and another HST in plat.11. Leonard Rogers.

Date: 12th May 1990

I did all too little photography of the South Wales branches and my only pictures on the line from Lime Kiln Junction near Newport to Oakdale Colliery are those showing The Caerwent Cannonball 2 DMU tour that ran on 12 May 1990. My notes give no indication at all of the various locations visited so the captions are necessarily vague. Two DMUs, a two car Class 118 (51315/51330) and a three car Class 116/108 hybrid (51133/59248/51136), were used and a headboard was carried on each end to make life easier for the crew during the several reversals on the other branches covered during the day. This view was taken not far from the start of the branch passing some architecture typical of the area. Peter Tandy.

Date: 12th May 1990

I did all too little photography of the South Wales branches and my only pictures on the line from Lime Kiln Junction near Newport to Oakdale Colliery are those showing The Caerwent Cannonball 2 DMU tour that ran on 12 May 1990. My notes give no indication at all of the various locations visited so the captions are necessarily vague. Two DMUs, a two car Class 118 (51315/51330) and a three car Class 116/108 hybrid (51133/59248/51136), were used and a headboard was carried on each end to make life easier for the crew during the several reversals on the other branches covered during the day. The branch to Oakdale Colliery passed through some dense woodland as seen in this image of the tour in a heavily overgrown valley. The lack of recent traffic is shown well both by the rusty trackwork and the weeds beginning to encroach on the rails themselves. Peter Tandy.

Date: 12th May 1990

Set number: C397

I did all too little photography of the South Wales branches and my only pictures on the line from Lime Kiln Junction near Newport to Oakdale Colliery are those showing The Caerwent Cannonball 2 DMU tour that ran on 12 May 1990. My notes give no indication at all of the various locations visited so the captions are necessarily vague. Two DMUs, a two car Class 118 (51315/51330) and a three car Class 116/108 hybrid (51133/59248/51136), were used and a headboard was carried on each end to make life easier for the crew during the several reversals on the other branches covered during the day. The vista on the Oakdale branch opened out a bit at a few locations and the sun did manage to appear at times thoughout the afternoon. The hawthorn blossom is prominent in this view as the train receded from the camera. Peter Tandy.

Date: 12th May 1990

Set number: C397

I did all too little photography of the South Wales branches and my only pictures on the line from Lime Kiln Junction near Newport to Oakdale Colliery are those showing The Caerwent Cannonball 2 DMU tour that ran on 12 May 1990. My notes give no indication at all of the various locations visited so the captions are necessarily vague. Two DMUs, a two car Class 118 (51315/51330) and a three car Class 116/108 hybrid (51133/59248/51136), were used and a headboard was carried on each end to make life easier for the crew during the several reversals on the other branches covered during the day. This was such a decent location that it seemed worthwhile to wait for the train to come back from Rhiw-Syr-Daffydd level crossing, the furthest point reached by the Caerwent Cannonball 2 on 12 May 1990. I just changed to an 85mm lens in order to give a slightly different viewpoint. Peter Tandy.

Date: 12th May 1990

I did all too little photography of the South Wales branches and my only pictures on the line from Lime Kiln Junction near Newport to Oakdale Colliery are those showing The Caerwent Cannonball 2 DMU tour that ran on 12 May 1990. Two DMUs, a two car Class 118 (51315/51330) and a three car Class 116/108 hybrid (51133/59248/51136), were used and a headboard was carried on each end to make life easier for the crew during the several reversals on the other branches covered during the day. In this shot the train was about to enter Penar Tunnel. The structure immediately in front of the tunnel mouth appears to be a cast iron aqueduct carrying a stream across the line which would have had to have been diverted when the branch was cut out of the hillside. Peter Tandy.

Date: 12th May 1990

Set number: C397

Plenty of heads watching the way ahead as the Caerwent Cannonball 2 (51136/59248/51133 + 51330/51315) runs back towards Newport on 12 May 1990. The walker on the well-used track seemed to be more bemused by the sight of photographers on the bridge more than the presence of a train on the by then unused railway line. Peter Tandy.

Date: 12th May 1990

My last shot on the Oakdale branch on 12 May 1990 was as the Caerwent Cannonball 2 (formed 51315/51330 + 51133/59248/51136) ran downhill and about to pass the Eagle Inn. I recall that the learner driver in what I think is a Talbot pulled out into the road making the white Fiesta make a rapid avoiding move to avoid an incident! Peter Tandy.

Date: 12th May 1990

Set number: C397

The Monmouthshire Railway Society were renowned for their South Wales DMU tours which often had an ambitious itinerary but also reached the ends of the more unusual freight lines in the area as well. The railtour seen here is the "Caerwent Cannonball II" on May 12, 1990 which was formed of set C397 which had three brake vans, Class 116 DMBS 51136, Class 108 TBS 59248 and Class 116 DMBS 51133, and class 118 set C472 (51330 + 51315). Tour participants are seen wandering round within the dock sidings at Newport South Docks. A far cry from modern tours where alighting at the ends of freight branches is strictly forbidden. Adrian Nicholls.

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