Sign In

Vehicle 56243 / 54243

Class 108

Builder: BR Derby Works
Layout: Low Density
Length: 57ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: LMS
Lot Number: 30466
Diagram: 640

Allocations

The London Midland Region didn't publish trailer car details until late in 1968. Although not 100% reliable, if it is assumed that the trailers remained with the same power cars, the allocations for 50960 during the unknown period are:

18/04/59	New to	Chaddesden	- stabled pending allocation
Jun-59	Transferred to	9E (Trafford Park)
4w/e 01/06/63	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)
w/e 06/11/65	Transferred to	9D (Newton Heath)
w/e 06/05/67	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)

Then the allocations for 56243 are:

4w/e 05/04/69	Transferred to	12A (Carlisle Kingmoor)
06/05/73	Depot code change	KM
Jan-75	Depot code change	KD
15/05/88	Transferred to	HT (Heaton)	- from KD
12/12/91	Withdrawn from	HT (Heaton) NXXZ

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56243 - original number
54243 - from Jun-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Modifications

Nov-77 - AWS fitted

56243 was involved in the following incident:

27/11/73 - Near Whitehaven, LMR

Collision involving Class 108 / Freight

Info from Peter Mullen.

Irregular blockworking allowed a DMU to run into the back of a freight train. Image shows 50961 stripped at Carlisle a few months later David Mant. More Details.

Disposal

Scrapped by Booth Roe Metals, Rotherham

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50960	56243	As delivered to - 18th April 1959 - stabled at Chaddesden sidings pending allocation
	51182	56243	Noted 31/07/60 - on a Birmingham New Street - Ramsgate special with 51177 + 56332 / 50307 + 59118 + 50325
	50960	56243	Noted 10/08/68 - at Bangor¹
	50959	56243	Noted 25/08/1973 - at Kingmoor²
	50959	56243	Noted 24/08/75 - on Carlisle Kingmoor depot³
	50959	56243	Noted 03/04/76 - on 16.06 Whitehaven – Carlisle⁴
	50952	56243	Noted 1st August 1978
	50959	56243	Listed at KD - circa Aug-80
	50959	56243	Noted 24/01/81 - on 17:56 to Barrow-in-Furness at Carlisle
	53959	54243	Listed at KD - 01/01/85
	53959	54243	Noted circa 02/1986⁵
	53959	54243	Listed at Carlisle Kingmoor - Summer 1986
	53959	54243	Listed at KD - circa Jan-88
	53959	54243	Noted 03/06/88
	53959	54243	Noted 03/09/88 - on 15:17 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 19/09/88 - on 17:10 Newcastle - Middlesbrough service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 19/09/88 - on 15:30 Newcastle - Middlesbrough service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 26/11/88 - on 15:17 Newcastle - Middlesbrough service⁶
	53959	54243	Listed at HT - Feb-89
	53959	54243	Noted 22/03/89 - on 11:30 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 10/06/89 - on 16:47 Hexham - Sunderland service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 17/06/89 - on 15:05 Hexham - Newcastle⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 17/06/89 - on 16:27 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 31/07/89 - on 14:15 Carlisle - Barrow-in-Furness with 53964 + 54247 and 54265 + 53954⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 07/08/89 - on 14:15 Carlisle - Barrow-in-Furness with 53953 + 54242⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 09/08/89 - on 19:12 Newcastle - Carlisle service with 53954 + 54265⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 09/09/89 - on 10:15 Barrow-in-Furness - Carlisle⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 07/10/89 - on 10:15 Barrow-in-Furness - Carlisle⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 07/10/89 - on 14:15 Carlisle - Barrow-in-Furness⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 25/11/89 - on 12:45 Carlisle - Newcastle service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 25/11/89 - on 10:30 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 19/12/89 - on 07:26 Seaham - Newcastle⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 04/01/90 - on 14:45 Sunderland - Newcastle service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 04/01/90 - on 14:04 Gateshead Metro Centre - Sunderland service⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 11/01/90 - on 07:26 Seaham - Newcastle⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 03/02/90 - on 14:46 Carlisle - Barrow-in-Furness⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 21/03/90 - on 07:26 Seaham - Newcastle⁶
	53959	54243	Noted 27/03/90 - on 07:26 Seaham - Newcastle⁶
HT59	53959	54243	Listed at HT - Jul-91
HT59	53959	54243	Listed at HT - Aug-91
	53959	54243	Noted 03/08/91 - on 15:15 Newcastle - Carlisle service⁶

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Jeremy Goodyear
3: Gerald Brown
4: Phil Shatford
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Graeme Phillips

Images:

Unknown date

A Class 108 set at Carnforth led by DTS 54243. Undated. Andrew Pilkington.

9th May 1987

Class 108 DTS 54243 at Tyseley on May 9, 1987. Andy Cole.

3rd June 1988

A Class 108 set (54243 + 53959) awaits departure from Newcastle platform 9 with the 17:33 Newcastle - Hexham, 03/06/1988. Graeme Phillips Collection.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 22nd June 1988

53959 + 54243 arrive at Newcastle on 22/06/1988 with a service from the Tyne Valley. This was one of the majority of Class 108s transferred from Kingmoor (KD) depot, Carlisle, to Heaton (HT) depot, Newcastle, in May 1988, upon closure of the former. They were still intended for work in Cumbria, but, being based in the north-east, made frequent appearances in the region, especially certain generously timed Carlisle-Newcastle services, presumably to allow them to come to their home depot for maintenance. They finished working in Cumbria in November 1991, replaced by then newly converted Class 153 single car Sprinters. Graeme Phillips Collection.

Date: 15th December 1991

M54245 (left), E54243 (center), E59249 (right) grounded in C.F.Booths Rotherham 15-12-91. Kevin Dowd.

Date: December 1991

M54245 (left), E54243 (center), E59249 (right) grounded in CF Booths Rotherham, probably late December 1991. Robert Frise Collection.

Date: 4th May 1992

Set number: LO603

DMU set LO603 (53968+53243) is seen pulling out of Tal-y-cafn station on the Conway Valley line with the 10.25 Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog on May 4, 1992. By this date the first generation DMU's were in the twilight of their careers and the leading vehicle here 53968 was withdrawn two months later on July 2nd with the trailing vehicle 54243 making it to October 1992. Adrian Nicholls.

➤