Patiently awaiting its turn for restoration is a rather forlorn class 117 Driving Motor Second (DMS) 51395 stands in the yard at Swanwick, Midland Railway Centre, 17th March 2012.
Unit History
On the 16th Oct. 1958 the British Transport Commission placed an order with The Pressed Steel Co., Linwood (Paisley) to build one hundred and twenty three vehicles of the standard Derby high-intensity design for Western Region London area suburban duties, these became class 117. Delivery commenced in November 1959, with the final 117 set delivered a year later in November 1960. Interestingly although nominally a three car set only thirty nine trailer vehicles were built for forty two pairs of power cars. Although ungangwayed when built, these were added later and by 1965 at least four sets had had them added to allow them to be formed into three or four car sets with the addition of a number of converted locomotive hauled stock. From about 1968 the rest had the corridor connections added. With the introduction of the Networker Turbo DMU’s (class 165/1) in 1992 the class 117 units were displaced from there London suburban duties and 51353 would be transferred to Haymarket for peak Fife suburban duties. Withdrawn in the autumn of 1999, displaced by class 170 Turbostars it was sent to store at Perth and moved south in March 2000 for another period in store at Shroeburyness before purchased for preservation in 2004.
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