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Vehicle 56444 / 977125

Class 105

Builder: Cravens
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Lot Number: 30470
Diagram: 533

Allocations

05/11/58	New to	31A (Cambridge)
Sep-64	Transferred to	40A (Lincoln)
May 1973	Depot code change	LN
14/11/82	To departmental stock	LN (Lincoln)
04/10/87	Transferred to	CA (Cambridge)
May-90	Withdrawn

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56444 - original number
977125 - from p/e 28/11/82 (departmental stock)

Department Use as TDB977125

Driver Training / Route Learner From 11/82 to 5/90.

Disposal

Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

51286	56444	As delivered to 31A - 5th November 1958
51286	56444	Noted 19th July 1959
51286	56444	Noted 06/04/65 - at Stapleford and Sandiacre on a Nottingham - Sheffield working¹
51286	56444	Noted May 1968
51286	56444	Noted 02/05/70 - at Sheffield¹
51286	56444	Noted 30/10/70 - at Sheffield Midland¹
51286	56444	Noted 15/08/1971 - at Leeds²
51286	56444	Noted 04/09/74 - in Sheffield Midland³
51286	56444	Noted 02/11/1974 - at Doncaster⁴
51286	56444	Noted 08/01/75 - at Stainforth & Hatfield³
51286	56444	Noted 08/09/75 - at Doncaster¹
51286	56444	Noted 10/09/75 - at Brough¹
51286	56444	Noted 25/10/75 - at Leeds¹
51286	56444	Noted 10/04/76 - at Leeds¹
51286	56444	Noted 10/09/76 - at Doncaster with 50014/56049¹
51286	56444	Noted 18/02/1979 - at Crewe Station⁵
51286	56444	Noted 30th October 1980
977123	977125	Noted 29/03/1984 - at Blackpool North⁶
977123	977125	Noted circa 03/1985 - Route Learning unit⁶
977123	977125	Listed at - 1989

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Gerald Brown
4: Peter Wallwork
5: Shayne Lewis
6: Eddie Knorn

Images:

Unknown date

E56444 is seen on the rear (closest) of this Cravens set seen somewhere in East Anglia, probably arriving into Bottisham & Lode station on the Cambridge to Mildenhall line - date unknown. Steve Davies Collection.

Unknown date

Two two-car Cravens DMUs depart from Cambridge. Leading is E56444 which was a Cambridge vehicle until September 1964 when it moved to Lincoln. Stuart Mackay Collection.

23rd June 1972

Surrounded by some of the LMS Railway's best reinforced concrete, Lincoln-allocated E56444 heads two 2-car diesel units (a Cravens and Derby Heavyweight) forming the 17.51 to Lincoln at Derby on 23 June 1972. Tom Burnham.

early 1970s

Cravens DTC E56444 in Sheffield station, probably in the early 1970s. It is paired with DMBS E51286. Stuart Mackay Collection.

10th January 1973

E56444 at Sheffield Midland, 10-1-73. John Reddyhoff.

April 1983

One of the ER route learning Cravens sets (977125 + 977123) at Sheffield Midland in April 1983. It still has it's rubber pad between the cab window and the first "passenger" window, which was fitted to avoid tablets damaging the bodywork when exchanged on the move. Ian Francis.

7th October 1983

Departmental Class 105 Cravens DMU as Route Learner TDB977125 + TDB977123 at Doncaster on 7-10-83. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

29th July 1984

Cravens route learning unit TDB977125 + TDB977123 at Doncaster on July 29, 1984. John Carter.

1st June 1987

Departmental DMU set ADB977125 ADB977123 accelerate away from Mexborough East Junction while working a drivers route learning special in conjunction with the then newly opened Holmes chord and Rotherham Central station on June 1, 1987. The new line had come into use on a few weeks earlier on 11th May 1987 but passenger crews were still being trained for the new route which no longer passed through Rotherham Masborough station which wasn't ideally situated for the town. Adrian Nicholls.

28th January 1988

Former Cravens Class 105 E56444, now numbered TDB977125 and in Departmental stock, sits in the north bay platforms at York on the night of 28th January 1988. Syd Young.

18th March 1988

977125 + 977123 and 47 223 at Warrington on 18 March 1988. Brian Daniels.

16th February 1989

Route learning Class 105 TDB977125 (formerly 56444) front and TDB977123 (formerly 51286) rear, at Doncaster. Year definitely 1989. Date believed to be 16th February. Andrew Slack.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: early 1970s

A Class 105 Cravens set (E51286 + E56444) in Sheffield Midland station in the early 1970s. Note the rubber panel just to the right of the drivers door. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Date: 28th July 1984

ER driver trainer / route learning vehicles 977123 + 977125 seen at Doncaster on the 28th July 1984. Chris Lings.

Date: 28th July 1984

Cravens route-learning set 977123 and 977125 at Doncaster on 28 July 1984. Spannerman37025.

Date: 28th July 1984

This Cravens dmu, bearing a "Special" destination blind, was stabled at the back of Doncaster station on 28th July 1984. This was a departmental set, nos. TDB977123/977125. The vantage point for my photograph was the footbridge connecting the station to the locomotive works, which was used on that day for access on the occasion of the Works Open Day. Another Cravens DMU is on the left the DMBS being E51278. Andrew Walker.

Date: 18th August 1984

Class 105 977123 is seen stabled at Doncaster coupled with 977125 on 18.08.1984. It was converted from 51286, and was used as a route learning unit. Andy Cole.

Date: circa mid-1980s

ER driver trainer / route learning vehicles 977123 + 977125 stabled at Doncaster circa mid-1980s. Mike Bunker.

Date: June 1987

Departmental Cravens unit comprising TDB977123 and 977125 at Wakefield Kirkgate, June 1987. Robert28194.

Date: 22nd September 1987

Cravens route-learning set 977123 and 977125, allocated at the time to Lincoln, they made regular visits to Ipswich. They are seen here in the 'East-Suffolk' bay at Ipswich Station on 22/9/87 no doubt about to set off down the East Suffolk Line to Lowestoft. AndrewHA.

Date: 13th March 1989

977123 and 977125 in Manchester Piccadilly station on the 13th March 1989. Dennis Taylor.

Date: 7th August 1989

977123 at Cambridge on 7/8/89. Behind are 977125 and 977124. Mike Cooper.

Date: 4th November 1989

TDB977126 and behind seen are 977124, 977125, 977123 and 54026 at Cambridge on 4th November 1989. Nicholas Youngman.

Date: 5th May 1990

Two Cravens route learning DMUs at Cambridge on Saturday 5th May 1990. Left to right are 977123 + 977125 / 977124 + 977126, all four were withdrawn that month. Colin Brooks.

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