Builder: Pressed Steel
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Lot Number: 30519
Diagram: 513
Jan-61 | New to | 81C (Southall) | |
Apr-68 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
May 1973 | Depot code change | RG | |
11/05/86 | Transferred to | TS (Tyseley) | |
04/10/87 | Transferred to | LA (Laira) | |
2w/e 13/03/88 | Withdrawn from | LA (Laira) | - also noted as 23/12/88 from sector DXXZ |
56281 - original number
54281 - from Aug-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
977615 - from Mar-88 (departmental stock)
Sandite - vehicle renumbered but conversion cancelled From 3/88 to 11/89.
3w/e 29/05/71 - Dual AWS fitted
Jun-75 - WR AWS removed
Scrapped by Vic Berry, Leicester
55030 | 56281 | Noted 22nd October 1971 | |||||||
51351 | 59503 | 51393 | 56281 | Noted 26/10/1971 - at Paddington1 | |||||
55031 | 56281 | 55992 | Noted 30/04/75 - on Old Oak Common depot, set number only on 550312 | ||||||
L281 | 56281 | Listed at RG - 01/05/1976 | |||||||
L281 | 56281 | Listed at RG - 31st December 1977 | |||||||
L281 | 56281 | Listed at RG - 03/03/80 | |||||||
L281 | 56281 | Listed at RG - 15/12/1982 | |||||||
L281 | 54281 | Noted circa 01/19843 | |||||||
L281 | 54281 | Listed at RG - 01/01/85 | |||||||
Spare | 54281 | Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986 | |||||||
TS509 | 53833 | 54281 | 53098 | Noted 11/04/19873 | |||||
TS251 | 53833 | 54281 | Noted circa 06/19873 | ||||||
T251 | 53833 | 54281 | Listed at TS - Jul-87 | ||||||
TS251 | 53833 | 54281 | Noted 06/09/87 - at Norwich2 | ||||||
P281 | 54281 | Formed at LA circa 10/87 | |||||||
spare | 54281 | Listed at LA - Nov-87 | |||||||
P281 | 54281 | Listed at LA - 08/08/88 - Out of use |
Formation Sources
1: Jeremy Goodyear
2: Gerald Brown
3: Eddie Knorn
56281 and a Class 121 bubble car depart from Bourne End in June 1969. Steve Davies Collection.
56281 runs into Bourne End in June 1969. Steve Davies Collection.
Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) & Class 121 railcar L123 (No.W55023) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends passing Ealing on a Greenford - Ealing Broadway service, 02/75. Hugh Llewelyn.
Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) and Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.
Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) & Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.
Two Class 121 vehicles, the closest being DTS 56281, seen north of Cookham on a Marlow to Maidenhead service in June 1976. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Class 121 DTS W56281 circa late 1970s, probably on Reading or Southall depot. Behind is 55023. Paul Redmond.
A Class 121 DTS (W56281) and DMBS in Paddington with a Slough service. The slide process date was September 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.
A Class 121 formation with W56281 closest at Slough on 5 October 1979. Brian Daniels.
Pressed Steel Class 121 DTS 56281 attached to a Class 117 DMU seen at Iver in January 1983. Andrew Malloy.
A pair of Class 121 vehicles, DTS 56281 closest, in Slough station in January 1983. Andrew Malloy.
The 12.22SO Oxford-Banbury departs from Kings Sutton on 7 May 1983 formed of 55034/56281. Lewis Bevan.
Empty stock formation arriving at Paddington with class 121 DTS W56281 / L281 leading two class 121 single cars and a class 117 unit, Thursday 2nd June 1983 Iain Reid.
Pressed Steel DTS (formerly a Class 149) 54281 at Marlow, circa 1984, running with 55021. Nicky Reason.
Class 121 Pressed Steel DMUs 54281 + 55024 (DTS + DMBS) westbound at Hayes and Harlington on 23-6-84. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.
Class 121 DTS 56281 with bubble 55024 at Hayes and Harlington on 23rd June 1984. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.
Class 121 DTS 54281 seen at Tyseley on June 14, 1986. Andy Cole.
Class 121 DTS 54281 stored at Laira, the slide process date was August 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.
ADB977615 (P281 W54281), Vic Berrys, Leicester 11-11-90. Kevin Dowd.
Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L123 (No.W55023) & Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) both in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends at Weat Ealing on a Greenford - Ealing Broadway service, 02/75. Hugh Llewelyn.
Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) & Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.
Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) and Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.
Class 121 W55023 (and W56281 behind), possibly on Southall or Reading depot circa late 1970s. Paul Redmond.
A nocturnal scene at London Paddington on the evening of October 19th 1979. Class 121 single unit W55024 with its unpowered Driving Trailer Second (DTS) W56281 was stood with a service to Hayes & Harlington. Behind was Class 121 single unit W55027 that had been used on the Ealing Broadway to Greenford shuttle service. Martyn Hilbert.
Class 121 55021 at Marlow, circa 1984, running with 54281 attached. Nicky Reason.
A pair of two-car Derby Class 116 Suburban DMU's were making a rare appearance at Lostock Hall with a Preston to Colne service on July 11th 1987. The rear set complete with its West Midlands PTE branding was formed of cars M53833 & M54281 (TS251). This was during the period when problems with the almost new Class 142 fleet were manifesting themselves, and the pair of suburbans would have been a short-term loan out from Tyseley Depot to Newton Heath. Martyn Hilbert.