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<- 56280 | 56281 | 56282 ->

Vehicle 56281 / 54281 / 977615


Class 121

Builder: Pressed Steel
Layout: High Density
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None
Lot Number: 30519
Diagram: 513

Allocations

Jan-61 New to 81C (Southall)
Apr-68 Transferred to 81D (Reading)
May 1973Depot code changeRG
11/05/86 Transferred to TS (Tyseley)
04/10/87 Transferred to LA (Laira)
2w/e 13/03/88 Withdrawn from LA (Laira) - also noted as 23/12/88 from sector DXXZ

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56281 - original number
54281 - from Aug-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
977615 - from Mar-88 (departmental stock)

Department Use as ADB977615

Sandite - vehicle renumbered but conversion cancelled From 3/88 to 11/89.

Modifications

3w/e 29/05/71 - Dual AWS fitted
Jun-75 - WR AWS removed

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 01/12/1980 released in blue/grey livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Vic Berry, Leicester

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:


55030 56281 Noted 22nd October 1971
51351 59503 51393 56281 Noted 26/10/1971 - at Paddington1
55031 56281 55992 Noted 30/04/75 - on Old Oak Common depot, set number only on 550312
L281 56281 Listed at RG - 01/05/1976
L281 56281 Listed at RG - 31st December 1977
L281 56281 Listed at RG - 03/03/80
L281 56281 Listed at RG - 15/12/1982
L281 54281 Noted circa 01/19843
L281 54281 Listed at RG - 01/01/85
Spare 54281 Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986
TS509 53833 54281 53098 Noted 11/04/19873
TS251 53833 54281 Noted circa 06/19873
T251 53833 54281 Listed at TS - Jul-87
TS251 53833 54281 Noted 06/09/87 - at Norwich2
P281 54281 Formed at LA circa 10/87
spare 54281 Listed at LA - Nov-87
P281 54281 Listed at LA - 08/08/88 - Out of use

Formation Sources
1: Jeremy Goodyear
2: Gerald Brown
3: Eddie Knorn

Images:

Class 121 DMU at Bourne End

June 1969

Set number: 281

56281 and a Class 121 bubble car depart from Bourne End in June 1969. Steve Davies Collection.

Class 121 DMU at Bourne End

June 1969

Set number: 281

56281 runs into Bourne End in June 1969. Steve Davies Collection.

Class 121 DMU at Ealing

February 1975

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) & Class 121 railcar L123 (No.W55023) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends passing Ealing on a Greenford - Ealing Broadway service, 02/75. Hugh Llewelyn.

Class 121 DMU at West Ealing

May 1976

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) and Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.

Class 121 DMU at West Ealing

May 1976

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) & Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.

Class 121 DMU at Reading or Southall

circa late 1970s

Set number: L281

Class 121 DTS W56281 circa late 1970s, probably on Reading or Southall depot. Behind is 55023. Paul Redmond.

Class 121 DMU at Slough

5th October 1979

Set number: L281

A Class 121 formation with W56281 closest at Slough on 5 October 1979. Brian Daniels.

Class 121 DMU at Iver

January 1983

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel Class 121 DTS 56281 attached to a Class 117 DMU seen at Iver in January 1983. Andrew Malloy.

Class 121 DMU at Slough

January 1983

Set number: L281

A pair of Class 121 vehicles, DTS 56281 closest, in Slough station in January 1983. Andrew Malloy.

Class 121 DMU at Kings Sutton

7th May 1983

Set number: L281

The 12.22SO Oxford-Banbury departs from Kings Sutton on 7 May 1983 formed of 55034/56281. Lewis Bevan.

Class 121 DMU at Paddington

2nd June 1983

Set number: L281

Empty stock formation arriving at Paddington with class 121 DTS W56281 / L281 leading two class 121 single cars and a class 117 unit, Thursday 2nd June 1983 Iain Reid.

Class 121 DMU at Marlow

Unknown date

Set number: L281

Pressed Steel DTS (formerly a Class 149) 54281 at Marlow, circa 1984, running with 55021. Nicky Reason.

Class 121 DMU at Hayes &amp; Harlington

23rd June 1984

Set number: L281

Class 121 Pressed Steel DMUs 54281 + 55024 (DTS + DMBS) westbound at Hayes and Harlington on 23-6-84. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Class 121 DMU at Hayes and Harlington

23rd June 1984

Set number: L281

Class 121 DTS 56281 with bubble 55024 at Hayes and Harlington on 23rd June 1984. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.

Class 121 DMU at Tyseley

14th June 1986

Class 121 DTS 54281 seen at Tyseley on June 14, 1986. Andy Cole.

Class 121 DMU at Laira depot

circa August 1988

Set number: P281

Class 121 DTS 54281 stored at Laira, the slide process date was August 1988. Stuart Mackay Collection.

Class 121 DMU at Vic Berrys

11th November 1990

ADB977615 (P281 W54281), Vic Berrys, Leicester 11-11-90. Kevin Dowd.


The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

DMU

Date: February 1975

Set number: L123

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L123 (No.W55023) & Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) both in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends at Weat Ealing on a Greenford - Ealing Broadway service, 02/75. Hugh Llewelyn.

DMU

Date: May 1976

Set number: L122

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) & Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.

DMU

Date: May 1976

Set number: L122

Pressed Steel 2-car dmu set made up of Class 121 railcar L122 (No.W55022) and Class 149 Driving Trailer (designed to work with Class 121 & 122 railcars) No.L281 (W56281) in Rail Blue with all-yellow front ends approaching West Ealing on a service from Greenford, 05/76. Hugh Llewelyn.

DMU

Date: circa late 1970s

Set number: L123

Class 121 W55023 (and W56281 behind), possibly on Southall or Reading depot circa late 1970s. Paul Redmond.

DMU

Date: 19th October 1979

Set number: L124

A nocturnal scene at London Paddington on the evening of October 19th 1979. Class 121 single unit W55024 with its unpowered Driving Trailer Second (DTS) W56281 was stood with a service to Hayes & Harlington. Behind was Class 121 single unit W55027 that had been used on the Ealing Broadway to Greenford shuttle service. Martyn Hilbert.

DMU

Date: unknown

Set number: L121

Class 121 55021 at Marlow, circa 1984, running with 54281 attached. Nicky Reason.

DMU

Date: 11th July 1987

Set number: TS251

A pair of two-car Derby Class 116 Suburban DMU's were making a rare appearance at Lostock Hall with a Preston to Colne service on July 11th 1987. The rear set complete with its West Midlands PTE branding was formed of cars M53833 & M54281 (TS251). This was during the period when problems with the almost new Class 142 fleet were manifesting themselves, and the pair of suburbans would have been a short-term loan out from Tyseley Depot to Newton Heath. Martyn Hilbert.