MULTIPLE UNIT NOTES
Class 104 Driving Motor Brake 50479 undertook its longest journey for 28 years when it was taken from Sherbourne to Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway in November for storage. The coach had been in store for many years at the Telford Railway, but it recently moved to the NNR where it will eventually be paired with the line’s Driving Trailer 56182, the restoration of which is progressing at pace.
A casualty of recent Government restrictions was the East Lancashire Railway’s DMU gala, which was due to take place on November 5-6. The imposition of the November lockdown meant that the railway cancelled the gala at the last minute, replacing it instead with a single DMU service. Organisers said that as most of the gala customers would have had to travel some distance to attend the event it was no longer viable.
Recently moved to the Great Central Railway, Class 122 single car 55009 has proved to be in better condition than hoped. The unit has already made an exploratory trip from the sidings to the inspection pits at the loco depot and has been cleaned of many years of grime. It has been in store since the 1990s and has yet to carry passengers in public service.
At the Weardale Railway, Pacer 144010 has been fitted with the necessary signalling equipment that will allow it to work on the County Durham line, which is controlled by a GPS-based signalling system. The unit is currently housed at Wolsingham
Depot and has been found to be in good general condition, following its release from service by Northern a couple of months ago.
The Dean Forest DMU Group is planning to undertake major work on Class 108 Driving Motor Composite 51566 over the winter, including the replacement of a faulty engine, radiator and wheelset. It is hoped to be able to get the vehicle on jacks during December.
A major repair of Motor Luggage Van 68002’s bodywork has been completed by the EPB Preservation Group at Southall. This has included replacing almost all of the door pillar bottoms, some sections of bodywork, the guard’s van door and the battery box floor. Several bodyside panels have also been replaced.
Members from Llangollen
Railcars who were unable to get to Wales due to that area’s lockdown have instead been progressing their Gloucester Class 100 Driving Trailer 56097, which is under restoration at the Midland Railway. Insulation has been installed in the First Class section, the vestibule panels have been cleaned of overspray, the cab components powdercoated and the trunking for wiring underneath has been dismantled and made ready for new.
The Midland Railway’s own DMU Group has also been hard at work, in this case on its Class 114 Driving Motor Brake 50019. Luggage racks have now been installed throughout the car and the guard’s van has been repainted following repair work. Attention is now being turned to the seating, which has been out of the unit for a number of years.