Vehicle 51788
Class 120
Builder: BR Swindon Works
Layout: Cross Country
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: BR Standard
Engines: AEC 150hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30560
Diagram: 586
Allocations
| 09/01/60 | New to | 61A (Kittybrewster) | |
| Feb-60 | Transferred to | 66C (Hamilton) | |
| 4w/e 24/06/61 | Transferred to | 61A (Kittybrewster) | |
| 3w/e 03/11/62 | Transferred to | 67A (Corkerhill) | |
| 3w/e 30/04/66 | Transferred to | 66C (Hamilton) | |
| 4w/e 31/12/66 | Transferred to | 67A (Corkerhill) | |
| 4w/e 02/09/67 | Transferred to | 60A (Inverness) | |
| Aug-69 | Transferred to | 66C (Hamilton) | |
| 4w/e 01/11/69 | Transferred to | 60A (Inverness) | |
| w/e 04/07/70 | On loan to | 66C (Hamilton) | |
| Sep-70 | Ex-loan back to | 60A (Inverness) | |
| 06/05/73 | Depot code change | IS | |
| 2w/e 22/03/80 | Transferred to | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
| 11/05/86 | Stored S. | CF (Cardiff Canton) | |
| 2w/e 14/05/86 | Transferred to | AY (Ayr) | |
| 28/09/86 | Transferred to | HA (Haymarket) | |
| Mar-87 | Withdrawn from | HA (Haymarket) | - also noted as 10/09/87 |
Notes
20th September 1986 - Seen without headlamp
28th February 1987 - Seen carrying unit no. C615
27/07/87 - 51189 + 51782/8/94 + 53172/4/698 + 59285/682 moved Aberdeen Ferryhill to Snailwell hauled by 26007 Millerhill to Newcastle then 37051 to Whitemoor.
Modifications
circa May-81 - Headlamp fitted
Refurbished
At Glasgow Works dated 16/12/1977 released in blue/grey liveryDisposal
Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 51787 | 59681 | 51788 | Transfer to 66C - Feb-60 | ||||||
| 51787 | 59681 | 51788 | Noted 05/03/60 | ||||||
| 51787 | 59681 | 51788 | Transfer to 67A - 3w/e 03/11/62 | ||||||
| 51787 | 59681 | 51788 | Transfer to 66C - 3w/e 30/04/66 | ||||||
| 51787 | 59681 | 51788 | Transfer to 60A - 4w/e 02/09/67 | ||||||
| 51781 | 59684 | 51788 | Transfer to 66C - Aug-69 | ||||||
| 51781 | 59684 | 51788 | Transfer to 60A - 4w/e 01/11/69 | ||||||
| 51781 | 59684 | 51788 | Transfer to 66C - w/e 04/07/70 - on loan | ||||||
| 51781 | 59684 | 51788 | Transfer to 60A - Sep-70 | ||||||
| 51781 | 59680 | 51788 | Noted 03/09/73 - at Inverness1 | ||||||
| 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted 30/03/1975 - at Inverness2 | ||||||
| 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted 05/04/1976 - on 08:40 Inverness to Aberdeen with 51783, 59679 & 517903 | ||||||
| 51781 | 59679 | 51788 | Noted 02/04/1977 - 14:35 Inverness to Aberdeen service3 | ||||||
| 302 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Listed at IS - mid-May-78 - Refurbished set | |||||
| 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted 03/07/78 - at Inverness4 | ||||||
| C510 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Transfer to CF - 2w/e 22/03/80 - by May running as C616 | |||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted 22/07/80 - at Cardiff5 | |||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted 24/10/1980 - At Malliphant Sidings5 | |||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Listed at CF - 15/12/1982 | |||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted circa 04/19836 | |||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted 05/09/1983 - on 17.05 Cardiff to Chepstow6 | |||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Listed at CF - 01/01/85 | |||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Listed at CF - circa Jan-86 | |||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted 13/02/19866 | |||||
| 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Transfer to AY - 2w/e 14/05/86 | ||||||
| C615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Noted 20th May 1986 | |||||
| 615 | 51781 | 59682 | 51788 | Listed at Ayr - Summer 1986 | |||||
| 531 | 53709 | 59682 | 51788 | Formation change - AY - Jun-86 | |||||
| 51987 | 59268 | 51788 | Noted 20th September 1986 | ||||||
| 615 | 51781 | 59580 | 51788 | Formation change - circa Oct-86 - 59580 replaces 59682 (to 616) | |||||
| 530 | 51578 | 59571 | 51788 | Formation change - AY - circa Oct-86 | |||||
| 524 | 53738 | 59268 | 51788 | Noted 06/12/19866 |
Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Peter Wallwork
4: Leonard Rogers
5: Shayne Lewis
6: Eddie Knorn
Images:
1970
A Swindon Cross-Country set in Oban station in 1970. That summer Hamilton had 51781/59684/51788 on loan from Inverness. Mike Cooper Collection.
8th September 1975
SC51788 at Perth on 8th September, 1975. An example of a negative I never thought worthy of printing in 1975, the unit was a mere 15 years out of Swindon Works. I think I took it because it was on the rarely used middle line between these platforms, Today the image has an historical context that I didn't envisage in my last year as a teenager! Arnie Furniss.
Unknown date
Set number: 302
Set 302 leads a 6-car set out of Elgin in the late 1970s, probably led by 51788. Norman Smart.
28th March 1981
Set number: C615
Two Class 120 Swindon Cross-Country DMU sets form a down passenger service seen at Swansea Loop West on 28 March 1981. Closest is DMSL W51788 which until the previous year had been a Scottish vehicle. The other set is C588 with 51579 at the far end. Robert Thomas.
1984
Set number: C615
C615 is formed of former ScR vehicles W51788 / W59682 / 51781, and seen at Lawrence Hill in 1984. Robert Tarling.
31st March 1986
Set number: C615
Swindon Cross-Country Class 120 DMU set C615 (presumably 51788 + 59682 + 51781) arrives at Ferryside with a down passenger service on 31 March 1986. Robert Thomas.
24th April 1986
Set number: C615
Class 120 DMU set C615 (51788 + 59682 + 51781) at Severn Tunnel Junction on 24 April 1986. Keith Miller.
10th May 1986
Set number: C615
The driver of 51788 reaches out for the token at Whitland. This was the 13:00 Swansea-Pembroke Dock service on 10 May 1986, the other two vehicles in Swindon Cross-Country Class 120 set C615 are presumably 59682 + 51781. Robert Thomas.
5th June 1986
Set number: C615
C615 is seen in Ayr station, presumably with 51788 closest, on June 5th 1986. Tom Clift.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 1960
Two Swindon Cross-Country sets in Kingsknowe station sometime in 1960. The vehicles are noted as Sc51787 + Sc59681 + Sc 51788 and Sc51783 + Sc59679 + Sc51792. For part of 1960 six of the seven sets were allocated to Hamilton depot. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Date: August 1968
BR (Swindon) Cross Country DMU (later Class 120) vehicles at Inverness MPD, August 1968. Closest is No.Sc51783 (120/1 in blue with small yellow warning panel) then No.Sc59679 (179 in blue), and No.Sc51788 (120/2 in green) & Sc51790 (120/2 also in green). The DMBF seems to have a different shade (or glossier?) of blue in the centre section - was the conversion done after the vehicles had been painted into blue? Hugh Llewelyn.
Date: 28th December 1980
Set number: C615
3 car Swindon Cross Country set C615 (presumably 51781 + 59682 + 51788) stands at Crewe, 28 December 1980. Paul James.
Date: 28th March 1981
Set number: C558
Two Class 120 DMU sets (C558 and C615) pass around Swansea Loop West with a down passenger on 28 March 1981. W51579 is closest, W51788 is at the far end. Robert Thomas.
Date: 10th April 1981
Set number: C615
A rather grubby Class 120 'Swindon Cross Country' set no. C615 (51781+59682+51788) is seen at Carmarthen during its reversal with train 2C64 the 13.15 Swansea to Milford Haven on 11/04/81. These 'Swindon' sets were synonymous with West Wales in the late 1970's early 80's with a mix of 2 and 3 car units covering the majority of no loco hauled services. Adrian Nicholls.
Date: unknown
Class 120 set C615 (presumably 51781 + 59682 + 51788) gallops westward though Port Talbot as empty stock on 2 January 1986. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Date: 4th January 1983
Set number: C615
Class 120 DMU set C615 (51781+59682+51788) making a very unusual visit to the London area of the Western Region on 04/01/83. I have few details for the working other than a note I made on the day which I now question. My photo notes suggest it was working an additional from Birmingham to London Paddington. It arrived at Reading around 12.30 following the 08.20 Liverpool Lime Street to Paddington. Seeing as New Years Day was a Saturday, Monday 3rd would have been a bank holiday so Tuesday 4th was busy so possibly warranted some relief workings but if anybody can shed any light on this or similar workings using 120's I would be grateful. These "Swindon Cross Country" sets were synonymous with workings in West Wales at the time and were never that common east of Cardiff let alone working into London. So I have to question if it did come from Birmingham as a relief train how did it get to Birmingham in the first place ? Via Shrewsbury maybe ? Adrian Nicholls.
Date: 1984
Set number: C615
51781 leads 59682 and 51788 as set C615 through Bristol Stapleton Road in 1984. Robert Tarling.
Date: 31st August 1984
Set number: C615
An unusual visitor to the London area on 31 August 1984 was Cardiff based class 120 dmu no. C615 presumably (51781 + 59682 + 51788), seen here at Maidenhead about to depart with a train for Oxford (despite what the destination blind says - at least it's in the right general direction!). Robert28194.
Date: 31st March 1986
Set number: C615
Swindon Cross-Country Class 120 DMU set C615 (presumably 51781 + 59682 + 51788) arrives at Ferryside station with a down passenger service on 31 March 1986. Robert Thomas.
Date: 31st March 1986
Set number: C615
Swindon Cross-Country DMU set C615 (presumably 51781 + 59682 + 51788) in Ferryside station with a down passenger service on 31 March 1986. Robert Thomas.