New home for Class 117

ONE OF the Class 117 DMU sets recently offered for sale by Grinsty Rail has found a new home at the Colne Valley Railway in Essex. Driving Motor Brake 51339 and Driving Motor Second 51382 had been on hire to the East Lancashire Railway for the last eight years following spells at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire and the Barry Island Railways. However, the set was offered for sale after its hire contract at Bury expired and it has subsequently been bought by Pressed Steel Heritage that also owns Class 121 55033 at the Colne Valley as well as Class 121 Driving Trailer 56287, which is currently out on loan to the Epping Ongar Railway.

Although the set is currently in full working order, some tidying up and restoration will be carried out, although the set will remain available for traffic. Preserved originally in 2004, this set was one of the last of its class to work on the main line, working as part of set 117313 for Scot Rail in the Edinburgh area.