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Vehicle 52040

Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Engines: Leyland 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30660
Diagram: 638

Allocations

27/08/60	New to	26A (Newton Heath)
4w/e 29/10/60	Transferred to	8H (Allerton)
Sep-63	Depot code change	8J
06/05/73	Depot code change	AN
4w/e 05/08/78	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
Mar-84	Withdrawn from	NH (Newton Heath)	- Fire damage

Modifications

circa Jul-72 - AWS fitted

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 05/03/1982 released in blue/grey livery

52040 was involved in the following incident:

07/03/84 - Preston

Fire involving Class 108

Info from p48 Rail Enthusiast June 1986

Class 108 DMCL M52040 caught fire at Preston on the early hours of 7 March 1984 whilst en-route empty from Blackburn. Disposal on site began a week later.

Disposal

Scrapped by Bank Street Metals, on location arrived - cut Mar-84 at Ladywell, Preston

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

51925	52040	As delivered to 26A - 27th August 1960
51925	52040	Transfer to 8H - 4w/e 29/10/60
51920	52040	Noted circa 04/1973 - at Wigan North Western¹
51925	52040	Noted 22/06/74 - at Llandudno Junction²
51931	52040	Noted 07/07/74 - at Sheffield³
51930	52040	Noted 09/09/76 - at Wigan NW²
50933	52040	Noted 10/06/1977 - 16.45 Lime Street to Wigan NW⁴
51927	52040	Noted 12th July 1979
51948	52040	Noted 27th March 1982 - part of 8-car Bury Bolton St - Rawtenstall 'East Lancashire Phoenix' services
51948	52040	Noted 18/08/82 - on 13:00 Manchester Victoria to Shaw (via Oldham)
51948	52040	Noted circa 04/1983⁴

Formation Sources
1: Peter Wallwork
2: Gerald Brown
3: Leonard Rogers
4: Eddie Knorn

Images:

14th August 1977

Complete with its first class saloon, Derby Class 108 Driving Motor Composite Lavatory (DMCL) M52040 was stabled in the bay platform at Wigan Wallgate on the evening of August 14th 1977. The DMU was almost buffered-up to a pair of departmental open wagons parked against the block (DM749384 'Haddock' & DB908130 'Grampus'). In 1977 the former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway station at Wigan Wallgate was still lit by gas, with the cast iron platform columns having sugg's lanterns and faded BR London Midland Region maroon enamel totems. The place was in a time-wrap and a stones throw from the 1970's modernity at the brutally rebuilt Wigan North Western on the WCML. Martyn Hilbert.

14th August 1977

A reject box rescue, this period image at Wigan Wallgate was taken in the twilight of a Summer evening, was on the end of a Kodachrome film and was returned in the box of processed transparencies unmounted. It had some processing staining/marking/damage, it is far from perfect, but the worst has been removed and shows a now vanished scene complete with faded maroon Totems on the gas lamps. A two-car Class 108 DMU formed of cars M52040 & M50933 was stabled between duties in the bay, buffered-up to two departmental wagons (DM749384 'Haddock' & DB908130 'Grampus') on August 14th 1977. There was a tail lamp marker on the platform and the Westbound platform was furnished with now-vanished 1960's white enamel DMU 'car stop' signs. Martyn Hilbert.

25th March 1984

M52040 in the process of being broken up at Ladywell, Preston, on 25 March 1984. The vehicle had suffered fire damage at Preston in the early hours on 7 March 1984 while en-route empty from Blackburn. The contractor that cut the remains is believed to be Banks Street Metals of Glossop. Andrew Bond.

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