50397		Amman Valley Railway
50413		Helston Railway
50414		West Somerset Railway		(now scrapped)
56160		Denbigh & Mold Railway
56168		West Somerset Railway		(now scrapped)
56169		Helston Railway

50397 / 56160 had been in departmental use since 1971, and were sold to the Battlefield Railway, arriving at Shackerstone on the 17the Feb. 1978. 

Alfred Roberts reports that "M56160 was converted immediately and entered service in 1979. The more extensive conversion of M50397 took longer, and the vehicle lay disused until the work was done in 1981/2. At first 50397 operated in green livery, but it was repainted maroon in 1987. At this time the former brake area was converted from a bar to a disabled people's area, and the main partition was removed. The guttering was removed at this point and the roof was re-riveted.

M56160 appears to have been repainted circa 1986, losing its lining at waist height, but basicaly unchanged in pale maroon / white roof, and guttering removed at this point.

M50397 was withdrawn in 1989 and stripped of asbestos in late 1990. The reason for withdrawal was the guard's doors had warped and would not close. The vehicle's bodyshell was deteriorating, with roof and window units leaking and asbestos falling underneath. It was intended to return to service as a observation saloon but this never happened. M56160 soldered on until 1992 and then it was withdrawn after 14 years of service, never having cost more than a primitave conversion and a couple of repaints. It was used as a stores vehicle until mid-1994, the seats and tables having been removed. One factor in its withdrawal was that the bogies were worn out, never having been overhauled as M50397 had been."

The declining state of the two vehicles saw them being sold for £1. It was moved to store at Snetterton, close to the Mid-Norfolk Railway where the proposed National Diesel Railcar Museum was to be established. For further details on these two vehicles, read a letter by Alfred Roberts.

SEATS - Alfred Roberts reports that M50397 retained all it's seats in 'Market Bosworth Light Railway' service 1983-9, but were removed about 1990 during asbestos removal. M56160 lost most of its seats on BR, but retained the first class and two pairs of second class on the Battlefield Railway. These were removed when converted to a store. Does anyone know what happened to any of the seats?

50397 moved from the Coventry Railway Centre to the Amman Valley Railway in 2006.

The West Somerset Railway had bought two sets that were withdrawn from Kingswear. The were not for 'preservation' but for cheap traction on the line. They were painted in a maroon and cream livery.

One of the sets in the maroon & cream livery in the '70s. Dave Young

 In February 1982 50413 and 56169 were sold to the Diesel & Electric Group (who were based on the line), and they began restoring the unit to it's original green. The set that remained in the ownership of the Railway Company also returned to green, and continued to be used in traffic until asbestos fears saw it withdrawn and scrapped.

The remaining set on the WSR (50413/56169) were sold by the D&EG to the Helston Diesel Group in 2006. At first they were in store at Gwinear Road Station (Cornwall), then moving to the Helston Railway at Trevarno in Sep. '07. See www.helstondieselgroup.co.uk

Minehead on the West Somerset Railway, behind the signalbox is one of the Class 103 sets (can anyone identify which pair?), and further towards the town can be seen a 105 and 100. Ian Francis