Vehicle 55995
Class 128
Builder: GRC&W
Layout: Parcels Van
Length: 64ft
Coupling Code: Blue Square
Coupling Type: Screw
Gangway Type: None / BR Standard
Engines: Albion 230hp
Transmission: Mechanical
Lot Number: 30551
Diagram: 643
Allocations
| Mar-60 | New to | 84E (Tyseley) | |
| 01/01/63 | Boundary change | 84E | transferred from WR to LMR stock |
| Sep-63 | Depot code change | 2A | |
| May-73 | Depot code change | TS | |
| 30/06/73 | Transferred to | NH (Newton Heath) | |
| Oct-73 | Transferred to | TS (Tyseley) | |
| Oct-73 | Transferred to | CH (Chester) | |
| 13/05/85 | Transferred to | NH (Newton Heath) | |
| 07/07/85 | Transferred to | TS (Tyseley) | |
| 27/11/88 | Transferred to | CA (Cambridge) RPXN | |
| p/e 30/11/90 | Transferred to | CH (Chester) PCHX | |
| Nov-90 | Withdrawn |
Notes
26th June 1988 - Seen in Vic Berry's yard
Modifications
Aug-74 - Dual AWS fitted
Disposal
Scrapped by MC Metal Processing, Springburn
Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:
| TY003 | 55995 | Noted circa Jun-69 | |||||||
| TY003 | 55995 | Listed at 2A - 16/08/70 | |||||||
| 55995 | Noted 31/07/76 - at Shrewsbury1 | ||||||||
| 55995 | Noted 02/04/79 - on 13:30 Manchester Victoria - Bangor with 51947 + 52062 and 51192 + 56354 | ||||||||
| 55995 | Noted 22/10/1980 - At Shrewsbury Station2 | ||||||||
| 55995 | Noted 19/02/85 - at Doncaster1 | ||||||||
| TS005 | 55995 | Noted circa 10/19853 | |||||||
| TS005 | 55995 | Listed at Tyseley - Summer 1986 | |||||||
| 55995 | Noted 23/07/1986 - at Derby4 | ||||||||
| 55995 | Noted 24/07/1986 - at Crewe - attached to 51517-51077 (C801).4 | ||||||||
| T3 | 55995 | Listed at TS - Jul-87 | |||||||
| T005 | 55995 | Listed at Tyseley - 7th April 1988 | |||||||
| 55995 | Noted 22/05/90 - at Norwich1 |
Formation Sources
1: Gerald Brown
2: Shayne Lewis
3: Eddie Knorn
4: Robert Chilton
Images:
10th June 1960
DMPV 55995 on an up evening working (taken at 8.39pm) at Widney Manor on June 10th, 1960. Michael Mensing.
27th August 1961
Gloucester parcel car W55995 is seen hauling north to the north of Worcester at 3.51pm on Sunday 27 August 1961. Michael Mensing.
9th April 1962
Parcel car W55995 in platform 4 of Birmingham Snow Hill at 9.45pm on 9 April 1962. The yellow gangway cover was their version of a yellow panel. A suburban car is to the right, behind is a GRC&W Cross-Country set, and behind that was Western D1002 on exhibition. Michael Mensing.
15th July 1972
Set number: TY003
A Class 128 parcel vehicle in Birmingham New Street on 15 July 1972. The set number is just partially seen in the cab window but seems to be TY003 making it M55995. Alistair Ness.
23rd May 1973
Set number: TY003
Class 128 GRC&W parcel car M55995 seen in Coventry station on 23 May 1973. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Unknown date
This was from a dark half-frame slide with no details. It shows two Class 128s with vehicles in tow at Shrewsbury, probably in the early/mid-1970s. M55995 is closest, the second one is likely 93 or 94, these three vehicles being allocated to Chester from October 1973. Stuart Mackay Collection.
1970s
A Parcels DMU (thought to be M55995) leaving a very busy Chester Depot as the 4D03 sometime in the 70's. The original slide was taken by the late J Feild of Chester and was acquired from his family. The KDH Archive.
22nd March 1975
Class 128s at Chester station 22 March 1975. I have a choice of three from my log book that day. These should be two from M55993, M55994 or M55995. I also wish I'd composed the shot better and got the whole of the signals in. Oh well I can always go back another day... Update: closest vehicle now identified as M55995 and M55994. Alistair Ness.
11th July 1975
Class 128 DMPV M55995 at Bersham (near Wrexham) on 11 July 1975. Stuart Mackay Collection.
7th October 1978
A Class 128 DMPV - thought to be M55995 - on Chester depot on 7 October 1978. Class 116 set TY523 is on the right. Stuart Mackay Collection.
27th July 1979
DMPV 55995 arrives at Shrewsbury on the 27th July 1979. Chris Lings.
6th August 1979
Gloucester RC&W Parcels Car M55995 arrives at Chester, 6th August 1979. Stuart Pearce.
12th January 1983
08 153 and Class 128 DMU (DMLV) 55995 at Chester on 12-1-83. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.
26th June 1983
Gloucester RC&W Class 128 DMLV 55995, Chester TMD, 26-6-83. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.
26th June 1983
Gloucester RC&W Class 128 DMLV 55995, Chester TMD, 26-6-83. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.
26th June 1983
Gloucester RC&W Class 128 DMLV 55995 Chester TMD 26-6-83. On Tour With the Class 13 Army.
July 1983
M55995 Class 128 parcels unit in the old steam shed at Machynlleth. In 1983 I went on a tour of all the mainline railways of Wales. On the way back from a few days in Tywyn, and a visit to the west coast of Wales, I took a break at Machynlleth, and of course I had to have a walk around the old shed. I was aiming to try and cop two of the Western region vehicles W55995-6 on my visit to Wales, as these were the Chester-based units. I was pleased to hunt down one of the two W55995 at the far western outpost of Machynlleth shed. Chris McKee.
July 1983
M55995 Class 128 parcels unit in the old steam shed at Machynlleth, July 1983. Chris McKee.
20th October 1984
Class 128 parcels bubble car 55995 is seen passing Saltley on 20.10.1984. Tyseley had three of these, 55993 - 55995. Andy Cole.
20th April 1985
Attached to the 04:10 ex-Shrewsbury at Aberystwyth on April 20, 1985, is Class 128 M55995. Hamish Stevenson.
20th April 1985
Class 128 M55995 is running as part of the 07:15 Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury on the 20th April 1985. Seen at Machynlleth. Hamish Stevenson.
28th May 1985
M55995 resting at Piccadilly at 13:28 on the 28th May 1985 - (Note the squared off buffers). Paul Moxon.
4th July 1985
Class 128 parcels unit 55995 is seen in Manchester Victoria coupled to a Class 108 on 4th July 1985. Malcolm Clements.
4th July 1985
Class 128 parcels unit 55995 in Manchester Victoria station coupled to a Class 108 on 4th July 1985. Malcolm Clements.
4th July 1985
M55995 in Manchester Victoria on July 4, 1985, coupled to a Class 108. Malcolm Clements.
4th July 1985
M55995 coupled to a Class 108 in Manchester Victoria on July 4, 1985. Malcolm Clements.
8th October 1985
Set number: TS005
55995 8th October 1985 at Northampton Station, with one GUV van in tow. AndrewHA.
8th October 1985
Set number: TS005
Class 128 DMPV 55995 is seen in Northampton on October 8th, 1985. During the mid-1980s Northampton was quite a centre for Parcels and Mail Traffic, and at the peak nearly 10 Parcels or Mail trains of various types would leave the town in the afternoons, from a Class 86 with a string of vans to these humble Diesel Parcel Units. AndrewHA.
circa mid-1980s
Class 128 MPMV 55995, Manchester Piccadilly, circa mid-1980s. Mike Bunker.
11th January 1986
Set number: T005
Class 128 55995, set number T005, is seen approaching the washing plant at Tyseley on 11.01.1986 . Andy Cole.
18th May 1986
While I was eating my breakfast on the morning of 18 May 1986, I saw a plain blue parcel unit, 55995, head towards Stratford-upon-Avon station. "What on earth...?". I thought and grabbed a couple of cameras and dashed down to investigate. A class 116 had failed in the cold store siding and Tyseley sent 55995 down to effect the rescue. I was sort of disappointed at the time that a locomotive hadn't come, but in retrospect this unit was much more interesting. The parcel unit has been attached to the errant unit and as the crew are about to top up the 116's cooling system, I assume this was the cause of the failure. Sadly, I didn't have time to photograph the departure as I hadn't finished my breakfast or dressed in an entirely suitable fashion for a day at work! Peter Tandy.
1st June 1986
Class 128 DMPV 55995 at Coalville Open day on the 1st June 1986. Chris Lings.
17th July 1986
Class 128 Gloucester-built parcels car 55995 at Finedon Road, Wellingborough with a Bedford to Leicester service on the 17th July 1986. Mike Dean.
3rd October 1986
Single unit parcel vans were a common sight sight around Birmingham in 1986 and here is 55995 passing under the impressive station building at Small Heath on 3 October of that year. I don't know where it had been working but it went into Tyseley depot a few moments after this picture was taken. Peter Tandy.
4th October 1987
Class 128 DMPV 55995 at Stafford on 04/10/87. Roddy MacPhee.
24th March 1988
A two car Met-Cam Class 101 DMU, with a Class 128 Diesel Parcel Unit tacked on the rear (thought to be 55995), calls at Whitchurch station with a Shrewsbury-Crewe local service. 24th March 1988. Paul James.
1989
Two Class 128 parcel vans in York station in 1989, possibly 55995 closest. John Law.
July 1989
Class 128 DMPV 55995 in York station in July 1989. George Woods.
14th July 1989
Class 128 parcels DMU 55995 hauls E94022 at Queen Adelaide on July 14, 1989. Nicholas Youngman.
19th August 1989
55995 + a GUV van on Saturday only 3E26, the 17:57 Manchester Piccadilly to Leeds Parcel Depot at New Mills South Junction 19-8-89. Kevin Dowd.
29th April 1990
Class 128 55995 on Leicester TMD, 29-4-90. Kevin Dowd.
27th June 1990
A pair of DMU Parcels units (a 128, probably 55995, and a 114), scurry west past AD Junction, Newport, on 27th June 1990. Paul James.
The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:
Date: 25th August 1974
Class 128 Diesel Parcel Units M55994 and M55995 sit on the bridge over the River Severn at Shrewsbury station, 25th August 1974. Paul James.
Date: 22nd March 1975
Class 128s at Chester station 22 March 1975. I have a choice of three from my log book that day. These should be two from M55993, M55994 or M55995. Update: thought to be 55994 and 55995. Alistair Ness.
Date: 24th April 1979
Chester Station on the 24th of April 1979, the photo is taken from the cab of 40182. One the left is 47454 thought to be on a Holyhead to Euston/Crewe service and heading west is Parcels Diesel Railcars M55994 and M55995. The KDH Archive.
Date: 5th July 1985
Multied up and in numeric order, Class 128s 55993/55994/55995 head south for further duties around the West Midlands on 5th July 1985 with their transfer from Newton Heath to Tyseley. Taken near Hasland, Chesterfield. Paul Moxon.
Date: 28th March 1989
Seen entering Crewe Station from the North on the 28th March 1989 are Class 128 DMPMVs M55993 and M55995, both in Royal Mail red livery. Both would be withdrawn during November 1990 and scrapped at MC Metals, Glasgow in April 1991. Bob Woolnough.
Date: 6th July 1990
Parcels Class 114 55930 + 54900 is seen passing Washwood Heath with Class 128 55995 in the fading light on 06.07.1990. Andy Cole.
Date: 6th March 1991
Class 128 parcel vans 55992 and 55995 at Inverness on 06/03/91 after withdrawal. Roddy MacPhee.