Vehicle 50721 / 53721
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: 30335
Diagram: 587
Allocations
| 2w/e 30/06/58 | New to | 86C (Cardiff Canton) | |
| Jan-61 | Depot code change | 88A | |
| Sep-63 | Depot code change | 86A | |
| 06/05/73 | Depot code change | CF | |
| 2w/e 17/02/79 | Transferred to | CH (Chester) | |
| circa Nov-84 | Transferred to | NH (Newton Heath) | |
| Oct-85 | Withdrawn from | NH (Newton Heath) | - Fire Damage |
The vehicle carried the following numbers:
50721 - original number
53721 - from Sep-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
Modifications
6w/e 10/07/71 - Dual AWS fitted
50721 was involved in the following incident:
September 1985 - Red Bank Carriage Sidings, Cheetham Hill
Fire involving Class 120 / Class 111
Info from Paul Moxon
Class 120 53721 and Class 111 59100 were damaged in a fire at Red Bank Carriage Sidings, Cheetham Hill, Manchester in September 1985. They are seen there awaiting disposal on 22/3/86. Unfit to move, they would be cut up on site in July 1986. Paul Moxon.
Disposal
Scrapped by Ward Ferous Metals, on location at Red Bank carriage sidings
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| CTN510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Listed at 86A - May-70 | |||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 12/08/70 - in Birmingham area1 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 30/10/70 - at Cardiff2 | ||||||
| CTN510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Listed at Canton - circa Jan-71 | |||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 23/08/1971 - at Newport3 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 26/08/1971 - at Newport3 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50669 | Noted 13/11/71 - at Bristol2 | ||||||
| C510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 31/10/72 | |||||
| C510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 28/04/1973 - Dean Forest Railway Preservation Society Llynfi & Ogmore Rail Tour - 09.35 Gloucester to South Wales return. C510 on W50668 confirmed, W50721 + W59275 assumed due to rarity of notes and photos4 | |||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 09/02/1974 - Swansea5 | ||||||
| C510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 26/04/74 - on 20:00 Swansea-Cardiff | |||||
| C510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 21/08/74 - on 2B26 1015 Cardiff-Bristol TM with C314 + C338 | |||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 25/08/1974 - at Swansea3 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 27/08/1974 - at Swansea3 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 29/08/1974 - at Cardiff3 | ||||||
| C510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 16/09/74 - on 2C06 0650 Chepstow-Milford Haven with C605 | |||||
| C510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 03/03/75 - on 2C09 1430 Swansea-Newport with C506 | |||||
| C510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 28/08/75 - at Crewe1 | |||||
| C507 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Listed at CF - 01/05/1976 | |||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 9th December 1976 | ||||||
| C510 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 09/11/1977 - Newport Station6 | |||||
| C507 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 15/12/1977 - Cardiff Central6 | |||||
| C507 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Listed at CF - 31st December 1977 | |||||
| C507 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 08/04/1978 - Monmouthshire Railway Society Tintern Thunderbolt Railtour 51324-59476-51309+50721-59275-50668 B467+C507 | |||||
| C507 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 19/05/1978 - Cardiff Central6 | |||||
| C507 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 01/10/78 - on 1755 Cardiff-Gloucester | |||||
| C507 | 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 02/12/1978 - Birmingham New Street5 | |||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 23/01/1979 - Chester5 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 16/02/1979 - at Crewe6 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Transfer to CH - 2w/e 17/02/79 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 23/09/1979 - Chester5 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 28/10/1979 - Swindon Works. Outshopped after C3 Overhaul 11/795 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59275 | 50668 | Noted 17/02/1980 - on Chester depot 5 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59262 | 50668 | Noted 24/10/1980 - At Shrewsbury working 1840 to Chester6 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59262 | 50668 | Noted 28/09/1981 - at Shrewsbury 5 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59262 | 50668 | Noted circa 08/19827 | ||||||
| 50721 | 59100 | 50668 | Noted 16/01/1983 - at Wolverhampton 5 | ||||||
| 53721 | 59100 | 53668 | Noted circa 04/19837 | ||||||
| 53721 | 59100 | 53668 | Noted circa 03/19847 | ||||||
| 53721 | 59100 | 53668 | Noted 27/09/1984 - Machynlleth with 17.05 Aberystwyth-Shrewsbury4 | ||||||
| 53721 | 59100 | 53668 | Transfer to NH - circa Nov-84 | ||||||
| 53721 | 59100 | 53668 | Noted 06/09/1985 - at Preston 5 |
Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Leonard Rogers
3: Jeremy Goodyear
4: Alan N Walker
5: Martin Lumley
6: Shayne Lewis
7: Eddie Knorn
Images:
8th May 1976
Set number: C507
Class 120 Swindon Cross-Country DMU set C507 with W50721 closest in Carmarthen station with the 14:33 Pembroke Dock-Swansea service on 8 May 1976. Robert Thomas.
8th April 1978
Set number: C507
The Monmouthshire Railway Society ran their "Tintern Thunderbolt" railtour on 8 April 1978 using Cardiff-based Swindon cross-country set C507 and a Tyseley class 118 3-car set. Class 120 car W50721 is nearest the camera at the site of Trethomas station, but I have no record of the number of the class 08. Jeremy Chapter.
8th April 1978
Set number: C507
The Monmouthshire Railway Society "Tintern Thunderbolt" rail tour on 8 April 1978 was planned to go to Markham Colliery, but owing to flooding was only able to go as far as Oakdale Colliery Sidings. The train was formed of a class 120 Cross Country set C507 (50721 + 59275 + 50668) coupled to a class 118 Bristol Suburban set (only just visible). Jeremy Chapter.
8th April 1978
Set number: C507
The Tintern Thunderbolt railtour at Sudbrook 8 April 1978. This was organised by the Monmouthshire Railway Society "Tintern Thunderbolt" and used Class 120 set C507 (50721 + 59275 + 50668) with a Class 118. Stuart Mackay Collection.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: June 1979
Set number: C507
Class 120 DMU set C507 (presumably 50668 + 59275 + 50721) at Chester in June 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Date: 22nd March 1986
Burnt out Class 120 DMBC 53721 and Class 111 TS 59100 seen at Cheetham Hill, Manchester on the 22nd March 1986. Paul Moxon.