Restoration of Severn Valley Railway DMU makes progress

BASED at Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway, DMU Group

West Midlands has a fleet of five Class 108 Derby Lightweight cars. They are currently receiving attention with a return to service anticipated for the not-toodistant future.

Earlier this year, a third-party engineer was commissioned by the group to carry out a mechanical inspection of all the vehicles and provide a report detailing the repairs and maintenance work required in order to return the DMU to traffic on the SVR.

The main work required is the overhaul of the bogies.

Those under No. E52064 were overhauled by the SVR’s Carriage & Wagon department in 2019. An external contractor is to be employed to undertake the repair of the other bogies, starting with No. M51941. A pair of accommodation bogies owned by the group will be used while each pair of bogies is away.

Other tasks identified in the report will be carried out by group members using the facilities at Bewdley and Kidderminster. The intention is to return No. E52064 and M51941 to traffic as a twin-power car set initially. Meanwhile, the rebuilding of an overhauled replacement engine for car No. M50933 is nearing completion.

PETER NICHOLSON THE SVR’s DMU Group West Midlands five Class 108 cars have for long been a familiar sight at Bewdley station. Hopefully, some cars will soon be able to leave the confines of the station under their own power again. Nearest the camera on April 22 was DMCL No. E52064 with behind, DMBSs Nos. M50933 and M51941, TBSL No. E59250, and DTCL No. M56208.