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Class 116 Derby 3-car Suburban DMUs


Refurbishment

The 116 units were one of the classes selected for refurbishment and this began in December 1975 with the South Wales sets.

Until May 1979 vehicles were turned out in the white/blue stripe "refurbished" livery. After that Blue/grey was used.

Until 1980 Swindon Works did all the transformations, after that Glasgow, Derby and Doncaster joined in but only did a handful.

Internally there was a complete renovation of the internal fittings with tungsten lighting being replaced by fluorescent tubes, reupholstered seating and a modified heating system.

The two character train describer boxes which by this time were out of use were removed and a steel plate was flush welded in it’s place, (on unrefurbished cars the plate, where fitted, just covered the redundant box). The earlier four lamp fronted cars had the lower central lamp removed and the top roof dome mounted lamp was disconnected or was fitted with a blanking plate.

The exhaust pipes were each fitted with exhaust silencers as they rose either side of the gangways to supplement the original underframe mounted silencers, this dramatically reduced but thankfully didn’t completely eliminate the typical DMU rasping engine note, which was most noticeable when pulling away from station stops etc, the trade mark of all unrefurbished units.

Refurbishment did not include the fitting of gangway connections, this work being undertaken separately. Most of the WR sets were already done, those allocated to the LMR, SCR, and ER were treated later, though some refurbished and gangwayed sets were transferred to Tyseley from Cardiff in the late 1970s.

Not all of the class 116 vehicles were refurbished, and a small number remained rail blue well into the 1980s, though by this date most cars whether refurbished or not were at least repainted blue and grey.

Prototype

The first set treated (50858 + 59366 + 50911) featured in an official BR photo album 'Refurbished Class 116 DMU Prototype'. They had a refurbished date of 31/12/77.

Album cover First page

 

Newly refurbished Class 116 DMU vehicle in white livery with blue stripe

Exterior of DMS W50911.

Engine under Class 116 DMU

The number one Leyland 680 engine on one of the power cars.

Underframe equipment on Class 116 DMU

The number two side underframe components including the heater, electrical control box (B.I.S.) and engine.

Heater outlet under driver's controls

This was probably to show the heater outlet. The apparatus (green with yellow stripe) with the bell is part of the WR ATC gear.

Class 116 driver's compartment and driving controls

A drivers compartment.

Blue second class seating in Class 116 DMU

Negative D3054/3
The interior of DMS W50911, looking to the rear.

Inside a Class 116 DMU looking to cab

Negative D3054/5
The interior of DMS W50911, looking to the cab.

Gangway door inside Class 116 DMU

Negative D3054/7
It shows the door to the gangway, thought to be in power car W50911.

Former first class seating now used for second class in Class 116 DMU

Negative D3054/9
It shows the interior of TS W59366, with declassified first class seating.

Interior view of Class 116 DMU looking from rear forwards

Negative D3054/17
The interior of DMBS W50858, looking towards the cab.

Door from passenger saloon to guards van in Class 116 DMU

Negative D3054/12
The interior of DMBS W50858, looking towards the rear and the door into the van.

Valleys service route map inside Class 116 DMU

Negative D3054/15
A Valleys Service route map inside DMBS W50858.

Paytrain notice inside Class 116 DMU

Negative D3054/20
A Paytrain decal inside DMBS W50858.

Production

This official BR photo album 'Refurbished Class 116 DMU Production' featured set C333 outside Swindon Works (51148 presumably with 59445 + 51135). Their refurbishment date was 25/3/77. In the period since the prototype set several other sets had also been treated.

Album cover First page

 

Exterior view of newly refurbished Class 116 DMU in white livery with blue stripe

The vehicles outside Swindon Works

Ex-works Class 116 DMU outside Swindon Works

Another exterior view

Gangway between two Class 116 vehicles

The rear end of DMS 51148 next to 59445. Note the set number painted on the solebar of the centre car.

Class 116 underframe equipment

The underframe equipment in the number two side of one of the power cars

Leyland 680 engine under Class 116 DMU

The underframe equipment in the number one side of one of the power cars

Class 116 driver's controls

The drivers controls in one of the power cars

Heat and light switch panels on Class 116 driver's desk

The lighting and heater controls in the cab in one of the power cars

Padding under drivers desk in a Class 116 DMU

The under desk area at the drivers position in the cab in one of the power cars

Heater outlet in Class 116 cab

A heater outlet in the cab of one of the power cars

Fluorescent lighting and thermostat in Class 116 DMU
Blue second class seating in Class 116 DMU power car looking to luggage racks

The front saloon in one of the power cars

Blue second class seating in Class 116 DMU power car looking to cab

Another view of a front saloon in one of the power cars

Former first class seating in Class 116 DMU landscape view

The declassified first class area in centre car 59445

Former first class seating in Class 116 DMU portrait view

First class declassified to second in centre car 59445

Second class seating looking towards van in a Class 116 DMU

The interior of DMBS W51135 looking towards the van

Orange door from passenger saloon to van in Class 116 DMU

The door from the passenger saloon to the van in DMBS W51135

Blue linoleum, seats and wall panels in Class 116 DMU

The new lower wall panels (blue vinyl) and the new lino and moquette

Heater thermostat in Class 116 DMU

A heater thermostat on one of the bulkheads

Luggage racks in Class 116 DMU

The brown vinyl added above the luggage racks

Vehicle Details

The table below shows the Works date and the livery applied for each vehicle. Information supplied by Eddie Knorn, extracted from the BR vehicle record cards.

Details about preserved Class 116s can be found here.

Thanks to Mac Winfield, Ian Fleming and John Thomlinson for much of the information on this Class.