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Vehicle 56221 / 54221

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 50938 during the unknown period are:

10/01/59	New to	6G (Llandudno Junction)
Oct-59	Transferred to	1E (Bletchley)
w/e 03/04/65	Transferred to	6A (Chester)
w/e 07/01/67	Transferred to	9A (Longsight)

Then the allocations for 56221 are:

w/e 06/06/70	Transferred to	6A (Chester)
06/05/73	Depot code change	CH
w/e 18/02/78	Transferred to	LO (Longsight)
12/05/85	Transferred to	NH (Newton Heath)
15/05/88	Transferred to	CH (Chester)
14/05/89	Transferred to	NL (Neville Hill) PNLX
29/09/91	Transferred to	LO (Longsight) PLOX
09/06/92	Withdrawn from	LO (Longsight) RCLO

The vehicle carried the following numbers:

56221 - original number
54221 - from Jun-83 (53xxx / 54xxx change)

Refurbished

At Swindon Works dated 03/02/1978 released in white/blue stripe livery

Disposal

Scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam

Some sample formations the vehicle has been noted in:

	50938	56221	As delivered to 6G - 10th January 1959
	50938	56221	Transfer to 1E - Oct-59
	50938	56221	Noted 6th August 1961
	51907	56221	Noted 22/08/69 - at Manchester Piccadilly¹
	50541	56221	Noted 22/12/69 - at Manchester Piccadilly¹
	50938	56221	Transfer to 6A - w/e 06/06/70
	51192	56221	Noted 19/09/71 - on Chester depot¹
	50987	56221	Noted 18/04/73 - at Chester²
	50987	56221	Noted 09/09/73 - on Chester depot²
	50628	56221	Noted 17/08/1974 - at Chester³
	50628	56221	Noted 31/07/76 - at Machynlleth²
	50938	56221	Noted 06/02/1977 - North Wales⁴
	50628	56221	Noted 07/09/77 - at Machynlleth²
	50986	56221	Transfer to LO - w/e 18/02/78
	50986	56221	Noted 09/07/1978 - on Longsight depot⁴
	50986	56221	Noted 15/10/1978 - in Swindon Works⁴
	50986	56221	Noted 03/12/1978 - on Longsight depot⁴
	50986	56221	Noted 11/02/1979 - on Chester depot⁴
	50986	56221	Noted 11/03/1979 - on Longsight depot⁴
	50986	56221	Noted 20/05/1979 - on Longsight depot⁴
	50986	56221	Noted 23/09/1979 - at Northwich⁴
LO312	50986	56221	Noted circa 05/1982⁵
LO312	50986	56221	Noted 19/07/1982 - Manchester Picc⁵
	50986	56221	Noted 18/04/1983 - Rock Ferry on 21.06 to Chester⁶
	53986	54221	Noted circa 10/1984⁵
	53986	54221	Listed at LO - 01/01/85
	53986	54221	Noted 17/05/86 - on 09:41 Stockport - Stalybridge⁷
	53986	54221	Listed at Newton Heath - Summer 1986
	53986	54221	Noted circa 02/1987⁵
	53986	54221	Listed at NH - 10/05/87
N613	53986	54221	Listed at NH - March 1988
	53986	54221	Noted 05/04/1988⁵
CH280	53986	54221	Listed at CH - May 1988
N613	53986	54221	Noted circa Jul-88
	53986	54221	Noted 14/01/89 - on 12.28 Chester-Manchester Oxford Road with 53940 + 54273
NL255	53606	54221	Listed at NL - 05/09/89
	51420	54221	Noted circa 12/1989⁵
	53204	54221	Noted 28/12/89 - at Leeds City²
	53940	54221	Noted 30/06/1990 - at Leeds City⁴
	53940	54221	Noted 22/10/90⁸
	53986	54221	Noted 20/02/91 - on 22:53 Sheffield - Doncaster⁹
NL263	53986	54221	Listed at NL - Jul-91
NL263	53986	54221	Listed at NL - Aug-91
LO289	53986	54221	Listed at LO - Dec-91
LO289	53986	54221	Noted 15/03/1992 - at Manchester Piccadilly⁴

Formation Sources
1: Leonard Rogers
2: Gerald Brown
3: Jeremy Goodyear
4: Martin Lumley
5: Eddie Knorn
6: Alan N Walker
7: Martin Baumann
8: Graeme Phillips
9: David Bellamy

Images:

7th August 1961

The 9.25am to Bedford and Cambridge is seen in Bletchley station, formed of a Blue Square Derby Lightweight DMU, M56221 closest, on 7 August 1961 which was a Bank Holiday Monday. Michael Mensing.

8th August 1987

Class 108 DTSL 54221 with 150 235 at Manchester Victoria, 8/8/87. Sparegang.

August 1988

Set number: N613

Class 108 DMU set N613 (presumably 54221 + 53986) at Rose Hill station in August 1988. Walter Burt.

circa 1991

Three Class 108s, 54221 closest and the retro-green set 53964 + 54247 in the middle, at Appleby station circa 1991. Stuart Mackay Collection.

2nd April 1991

53986 and 54221 waits in platform 1a at Sheffield Station with an unrecorded working, whilst 150 210 is about to leave platform 1b with the 09.10 to Leeds via Barnsley. The date was the 2nd April 1991. Dave Gommersall.

The vehicle is mentioned in the following images:

Date: 14th January 1989

Set number: CH273

Class 108 twin sets with CH273 leading formed M54273 + M53940 + M54221 + M53986 at Lostock Gralam on the 14th January 1989 with the 12.28 Chester-Manchester Oxford Road. Kevin Law.

Date: 9th July 1989

Set number: CH280

Class 108 d.m.u. CH280 (53986 + 54221) 09-07-1989 awaiting its next duty at Bridlington. The set had been transferred from Chester to Neville Hill a few weeks earlier. Gordon Thomson.

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