Vehicle 50738 / 53738
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
| Nov-58 | New to | WR Stock | |
| Apr-59 | Transferred to | 82B (Bristol Marsh Junction) | |
| 06/12/59 | Transferred to | 81C (Southall) | |
| Jan-60 | Transferred to | 81D (Reading) | |
| 29/02/60 | Transferred to | 81C (Southall) | |
| 01/06/60 | Transferred to | 82B (Bristol Marsh Junction) | |
| 05/03/62 | Transferred to | 88A (Cardiff Canton) | |
| 10/09/62 | Transferred to | 84E (Tyseley) | |
| 01/01/63 | Boundary change | 84E | transferred from WR to LMR stock |
| Sep-63 | Depot code change | 2A | |
| Dec-63 | Transferred to | 84A (Laira) | |
| May-68 | Transferred to | 82A (Bristol Bath Road) | |
| 4w/e 23/11/68 | On loan to | 81D (Reading) | |
| Dec-68 | Ex-loan back to | 82A (Bristol Bath Road) | |
| 04/05/70 | Transferred to | 86A (Cardiff Canton) | |
| 06/05/73 | Depot code change | CF | |
| w/e 22/10/77 | Transferred to | CH (Chester) | |
| 03/02/83 | Transferred to | DY (Derby Etches Park) | |
| Jan-86 | Transferred to | TS (Tyseley) | |
| Mar-86 | Transferred to | AY (Ayr) | |
| 28/09/86 | Transferred to | HA (Haymarket) | |
| Feb-87 | Stored U. | HA (Haymarket) | |
| Mar-87 | Withdrawn from | HA (Haymarket) |
Notes
07/09/87 - Withdrawn vehicles 51235/7/9, 53143/75, 53648/59 and 53709/39 noted passing through Newcastle behind 47 210 on a Millerhill-March special.
The vehicle carried the following numbers:
50738 - original number
53738 - from 1984 (53xxx / 54xxx change)
Modifications
Dec-71 - Dual AWS fitted
50738 was involved in the following incident:
23/1/74 - Pontypool Rd, WR
Derailment involving Class 120 / Class 121
Info from Peter Mullen
A Cardiff to Crewe train became derailed on catch points near Pontypool Road while working wrong line to pass a failed freight train. More Details.
Disposal
Scrapped by Mayer Newman, Snailwell
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Transfer to 81D - 4w/e 23/11/68 - on loan | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Transfer to 82A - Dec-68 | ||||||
| CTN502 | 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Listed at 86A - May-70 - (also noted as 50735 - 59294 -50693) | |||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 15/08/70 - at Shrewsbury1 | ||||||
| CTN502 | 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Listed at Canton - circa Jan-71 | |||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 14/04/1971 - Seen on Crewe - Cardiff line in formation: 50693 - 59299 - 50738 - 550262 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 24/04/1971 - Seen on Crewe - Cardiff line in formation: (50683 - 59294 - 50735) - 55024 - (50647 - 59265 - 50705) - (50738 - 59299 - 50693) - 55025 2 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 08/05/1971 - Seen on Crewe - Cardiff line in formation: 55024 - (50693 - 59299 - 50738)2 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 20/08/1971 - at Abergavenny3 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 23/08/1971 - at Abergavenny3 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 26/08/1971 - at Newport3 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 18/09/1971 - at Crewe3 | ||||||
| C502 | 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 31/10/72 | |||||
| C533 | 50732 | 59299 | 50738 | Noted 22/06/74 - at Crewe1 | |||||
| C530 | 50738 | 59299 | 50691 | Noted 05/09/74 - at Newport1 | |||||
| C502 | 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 26/08/75 - at Newport1 | |||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 26/08/75 - On Cardiff Canton depot1 | ||||||
| C513 | 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 30/04/76 - on 2B60 1715 Cardiff-Taunton with C526 | |||||
| C513 | 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Listed at CF - 01/05/1976 | |||||
| C513 | 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 07/06/77 - on 2B30 1155 Cardiff-Bristol TM with C509 | |||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 02/09/1978 - North Wales4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 11/02/1979 - Chester4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 28/05/1979 - on 17:45 Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton 5 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 01/07/1979 - Aberystwyth4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 19/08/1979 - Chester4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 23/10/1980 - Working 0410 Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth6 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 21/12/1980 - at Llandudno Junction 4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 06/06/1981 - in Swindon Works 4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 08/09/1981 - on Chester depot 4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 28/09/1981 - at Shrewsbury4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted circa 05/19822 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59299 | 50693 | Noted 26/06/1982 - on Chester depot 4 | ||||||
| 50738 | 59262 | 50693 | Transfer to DY - 03/02/83 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53693 | Noted 30/05/1983 - at Crewe on 11:20 to Derby with 53704, 59089 & 536765 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53693 | Noted circa 12/19832 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53693 | Noted 04/07/1984 - Peartree with 06.22 SX Matlock-Sinfin Central & 07.09 SX return7 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53693 | Noted 20/12/1984 - at Stoke-on-Trent 4 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53693 | Noted 11/02/85 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53693 | Noted 07/05/1985 - Uttoxeter with 10.18 Crewe-Derby7 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53693 | Noted 23/08/1985 - at Derby8 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53693 | Noted 24/08/85 - hauled by 47358 on 1120 Crewe-Lincoln Central and 1538 Lincoln Central-Crewe | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53647 | Formation change - DY - circa Sep-85 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53647 | Noted circa 10/19852 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53647 | Noted 15/11/85 - on 09:22 Derby - Crewe service9 | ||||||
| TS400 | 53738 | 59262 | 53647 | New set number at TS - Jan-86 - number never carried | |||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 53647 | Noted 19/01/86 - on 18:35 Crewe - Grantham running 19 late9 | ||||||
| TS400 | 53738 | 59262 | 53647 | Noted 12/02/19862 | |||||
| TS400 | 53738 | 59262 | 53647 | Noted 18/02/19862 | |||||
| 524 | 53738 | 59262 | 51587 | Formation change - circa Jun-86 - 51587 replaces 53647 | |||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 51790 | Noted 7th July 1986 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 51790 | Noted 12th July 1986 | ||||||
| 524 | 53738 | 59262 | 51790 | Listed at Ayr - August 1986 | |||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 51790 | Noted 8th August 1986 | ||||||
| 53738 | 59262 | 51790 | Noted 6th September 1986 | ||||||
| 524 | 53738 | 59268 | 51788 | Noted 06/12/19862 |
Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Eddie Knorn
3: Jeremy Goodyear
4: Martin Lumley
5: Peter Wallwork
6: Shayne Lewis
7: Alan N Walker
8: Robert Chilton
9: Martin Baumann
Images:
1st May 1976
31261 about to pass W50738 as it arrives into Maiden Newton station on 1 May 1976. Roger Geach Collection.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 7th May 1983
Set number: L576
Class 119 sets L576 and L578 have either come out of or are about to enter the empty siding on the right. They are at Spalding on a Flower Parade special from West Ruislip on 7 May 1983. Other details from the July 1983 issue of The Railway Observer (p270): in the sidings on the far left are 53669 + 59256 + 53718 / 50331 + 59125 + 50308 / 53738 + 59262 + 53693 which ran from Burton-on-Trent / Leicester. On the right are 54230 + 53947 / 51929 + 52041 / 78601 + 78851 which ran from Manchester Piccadilly. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Date: 11th February 1985
53693 + 59262 + 53738 wait to leave Leamington spa with a New Street service on Monday 11/2/85. Mel Holley.
Date: circa September 1986
Set number: C616
A Class 120 (51790 and presumably 59262 + 53738) with a Class 101 on the rear departs from Paisley Gilmour Street for Glasgow, likely on a service from Ayr. The slide process date was October 1986, but likely taken before the set was transferred to Haymarket at the end of September. The leading car was a formed Aberdeen - Inverness vehicle, and the first passenger sidelight is a stretcher window. Stuart Mackay Collection.