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Class 116 Derby 3-car Suburban DMUs

Works Photographs

Batch One

These images are from the British Railways Derby Works collection:

Negative 57/461
The three-car set formed W50050 + W59000 + W50092.

Negative 57/462
The three-car set formed W50092 + W59000 + W50050.

Class 116 first class non-smoking compartment

Negative 57/463
The non-smoking compartment in a trailer composite, presumably W59000.

Negative 57/464
The driver's compartment of W50050.

Class 116 driver's compartment with driver posing at controls

Negative 57/465
The driver's compartment of W50050 with a driver posed at the controls.

Negative 57/466
The front saloon of a power car, thought to be DMBS W50050.

Class 116 DMU power car interior looking from front to rear

Negative 57/467
The interior of a DMBS (presumed to be W50050) looking from the cab towards the van.

Negative 57/468
The first class areas in a trailer composite (thought to be W59000), taken in the smoking compartments looking through to the non-smoking, behind the solid partition was not the end of the vehicle but a second class compartment. The seat material was the same pattern used on other builds such as the West Riding and West Cumberland Derby Lightweights, although in third class not first.

Class 116 guard's van and luggage compartment

Negative 57/469
The Guards van in a DMBS, presumably W50050.

Two Class 116 DMU vehicle ends showing connections

Negative 57/470
The inner ends of TC W59000 and DMBS W50050.

Negative 57/471
The DMS W50092 and TC W59000.

Negative 57/472
DMBS W50050.

Negative 57/473
The cab front of DMBS W50050.

Two Class 116 power cars under construction

Negative 57/589
Power cars under construction. Work is also progressing on a chassis to the left, above which hangs a sign 'Stage 1A, stud welding, fasten down floor panels'. To the left of the coupling hook on the closest vehicle is written '30213 No.24' which means it was a DMS, the 24th vehicle of Lot 30213 would become 50125 if delivered in order, new to Cathays in August. On the rear of the print was written 'This for the advert says Mr Baxter 27/5/57'.

Another known Derby Works image of the first batch not show here:
Negative 57/402 showing 50092

This image is from an unknown collection, but possibly from the Swindon Works Accident series:

An official image (Negative A1.667, collection unknown, possibly Swindon Works?) showing W50050 dated 30/5/57 when the vehicle was a just a few weeks old. The text reads 'Suburban Diesel Set Derby Built Cracked Windows in Drivers Cab' and the damage can be seen at the top centre of the closest window. There is also a patch of different colour paint on the lower left corner, a repair?

Negative AI.667
W50050 dated 30/5/57 when the vehicle was a just a few weeks old. The text reads 'Suburban Diesel Set Derby Built Cracked Windows in Drivers Cab' and the damage can be seen at the top centre of the closest window. There is also a patch of different colour paint on the lower left corner, a repair?.

Batch Two

These images are from the British Railways Derby Works collection:

Negative 57/1177
W50836, with a board on the roof proclaiming '500th Diesel Railcar built at the Carriage & Wagon Works Derby'. The Brake Overhaul date on the solebar is 15.12.57 so probably taken soon after.

Negative 57/1185
W50836, with a board on the roof proclaiming '500th Diesel Railcar built at the Carriage & Wagon Works Derby', in a different style to the one photographed on the other side.

New Class 116 DMBS with sign on ground at side

Negative 57/1186
W50836, with a board proclaiming '500th Diesel Railcar built at the Carriage & Wagon Works Derby'.

Other known Derby Works images of the second batch not show here:
Negative 57/1162 50887 / 59242

Batch Three

This set of images are also from the British Railways Derby Works collection. They are all presumed to show W51137 + W59447 + W51150 and were taken on the Wirksworth branch and in Duffield station circa late August 1958. In early 1966 this set went into Parcel use at Bristol and Leith Central and the power cars would become part of the Railair Express Parcels set.

Exterior view new three-car Class 116 DMU

Negative 58/877
The set posed on a well used spot for these images.

Cab front on new Class 116 DMU with whiskers

Negative 58/878
The cab front of W51150.

Drivers compartment and controls on new Class 116 DMU

Negative 58/879
A drivers compartment. It is captioned as being from lot 30447 (the DMS). However, the next image in the series (58/880) was taken in the DMS and the view of Duffield station shows it was clearly at the opposite end from this view, so this is presumed to be DMBS W51137.

Second class seating in new Class 116 DMU

Negative 58/880
The interior of DMS W51150 looking from the cab end to the rear.

Negative 58/881
The luggage area in DMBS W51137. The cab end is behind the camera.

The guard's van area in a new Class 116 DMU

Negative 58/882
The van area in DMBS W51137, looking towards the cab end of the vehicle..

FIrst class seating in a new Class 116 centre car

Negative 58/883
First class seating in TC W59447.

Two plus two first class seating in a new Class 116 DMU

Negative 58/884
First class seating in TC W59447.

Second class seating in a new Class 116 DMU centre car

Negative 58/885
Second class seating in TC W59447 in the smoking end.

Second class seating in a new Class 116 DMU power car looking to cab

Negative 58/886
The interior of DMBS W51137.

Details about preserved Class 116s can be found here.

Thanks to Mac Winfield, Ian Fleming and John Thomlinson for much of the information on this Class.

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