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Set L102

These formations have been noted:

975540								Listed at RG - 01/05/1976
975440								Listed at RG - 31st December 1977
975540								Noted 01/02/1980 - At Bristol Temple Meads¹
975540								Listed at RG - 03/03/80
975540								Listed at RG - 15/12/1982
975540								Listed at RG - 01/01/85
975540								Listed at Reading - Summer 1986
975540								Noted 22/12/1986 - at Old Oak Common²
975540								Noted 25/02/1987 - at Old Oak Common²
975540								Noted 29/06/1987 - at Willesden depot²
975540								Listed at OO - Aug-87
975540								Disbanded circa 10/87 - renumbered as L116

Formation Sources
1: Shayne Lewis
2: Robert Chilton

Unknown date

L102 (presumably 975540 / ex-55016) seen at Royal Oak. Date unknown. Malcolm Clements.

19th May 1979

Class 122 single car DMU TDB 975540 at Reading depot, May 19th 1979, on a Midland Railfans visit. Ian Charles.

circa 1980

975540 is seen here in Tinsley, part way through some body repairs, around about 1980. Richard Himson.

26th April 1980

TDB 975540 (L102 route learning DMU), stands "under the wall" at Hereford, 26th April 1980. Paul James.

June 1980

Route learner TDB975540 in Sonning Cutting, June 1980. Karel 1999.

20th March 1981

With its 'bull horns' prominent, class 122 single car DMU TDB975540, the Western Region Route Learning Saloon set L102, 'charges' into Gloucester on 20 March 1981. The 'Bubble Cars' as they became affectionately known, were essentially a class 116 Driving Motor Brake Second with a cab at both ends. This unit was built by the Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Co. and entered service as W55016 in July 1958, allocated to Southall depot. November 1975 saw it enter departmental service, where it remained as a route learning vehicle, until withdrawn in May 1993 and disposed of by MC Metals in the July of that year. Gordon Edgar.

20th March 1981

Class 122 single car unit TDB975540, the Western Region Route Learning Saloon, set L102, reverses at Gloucester on 20th March 1981. The 'Bubble Cars' as they became affectionately known, were essentially a Class 116 Driving Motor Brake Second with a cab at both ends. This unit was built by the Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Co. and entered service as W55016 in July 1958, allocated to Southall depot. November 1975 saw it enter departmental service, where it remained as a route learning vehicle, until withdrawn in May 1993. It was disposed of by MC Metals in Glasgow in the July of that year. Gordon Edgar.

1st August 1981

GRC&W bubble car 975540 on crew training duties at Langley on August 1, 1981. Steve Davies Collection.

February 1985

Departmental class 122 DMU TDB975540, set L102, hurries through Maidenhead station on the Up Main towards London. February 1985. Paul James.

24th April 1986

Class 122 route learner TDB975540 running through Cardiff Central station on 24 April 1986. Keith Miller.

Unknown date

975540 (ex-55016). Date and location unknown. Stuart Mackay Collection.

17th April 1987

Class 122 route learner 975540 heads north through Great Goytre, between Abergavenny and Pontrilas on 17th April 1987. It may well have been on a road learning trip for Crewe Drivers, who at that time didn't sign the route south of Hereford, in preparation for the introduction of Sprinters on the route. Paul James.

circa summer 1987

Route learning Class 122 975540 on the rear of a Blue/Grey set in Bristol Temple Meads circa summer 1987. Brian Ward.

September 1987

In September 1987 Gloucester Horton Road traincrew were road learning between Newport and Glascoed, with a view to working the M.O.D. ammunition trains, due to the closure of Severn Tunnel depot. The daily trips were made with route learning vehicle 975540, a class 122 dmu,formerly 55016. The unit is seen here stabled at Glascoed. Curly42.

Do you have any images of the set you can add?

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