56208_0905_Bewdley
Class 108 Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL) M56208 is stabled at Bewdley, 30th May 2009.
Unit History
The first of the class 108 "Derby Lightweight" DMUs emerged from Derby works in 1958. This large class was developed from the earlier series of Derby Lightweight vehicles built in the mid-1950s. Vehicle bodies and underframes were of aluminium construction, except for the headstocks and certain diagonal members behind the buffers. Driving cabs, inner ends and buffer beams were of mild steel and cab roof domes were fibre glass mouldings. The high proportion of aluminium gave a weight saving compared to similar units and hence an improvement in power to weight ratio. They retained the lower side windows but had a new cab design. The class 108 design proved to be flexible and reliable in service, built to what became the mechanical standard. In all three hundred and thirty three individual vehicles were constructed, production ending in 1961. NE56208 was originally paired with Driving Motor Braked Second NE50617 and was one of the initial batch of twenty one power/trailer two car class 108 units built at Derby in the summer of 1958 for North Eastern Region duties. Ititially allocated to Bradford Hammerton Street MPD it had migrated to Leeds Neville Hill by 1970 and Bristol Bath Road by 1990. Apart from accident damage vehicles the class remained intact until 1987 however from that point withdrawals were rapid and the class were all withdrawn by the end of 1993 with W56208 being withdrawn in March 1993. M56208 arrived on the Severn Valley Railway in 1996 and received a C3 classified overhaul at Kidderminster Carriage works in February 2008.
56208_0905_Bewdley
Class 108 Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL) M56208 is stabled at Bewdley, 30th May 2009.
Unit History
The first of the class 108 "Derby Lightweight" DMUs emerged from Derby works in 1958. This large class was developed from the earlier series of Derby Lightweight vehicles built in the mid-1950s. Vehicle bodies and underframes were of aluminium construction, except for the headstocks and certain diagonal members behind the buffers. Driving cabs, inner ends and buffer beams were of mild steel and cab roof domes were fibre glass mouldings. The high proportion of aluminium gave a weight saving compared to similar units and hence an improvement in power to weight ratio. They retained the lower side windows but had a new cab design. The class 108 design proved to be flexible and reliable in service, built to what became the mechanical standard. In all three hundred and thirty three individual vehicles were constructed, production ending in 1961. NE56208 was originally paired with Driving Motor Braked Second NE50617 and was one of the initial batch of twenty one power/trailer two car class 108 units built at Derby in the summer of 1958 for North Eastern Region duties. Ititially allocated to Bradford Hammerton Street MPD it had migrated to Leeds Neville Hill by 1970 and Bristol Bath Road by 1990. Apart from accident damage vehicles the class remained intact until 1987 however from that point withdrawals were rapid and the class were all withdrawn by the end of 1993 with W56208 being withdrawn in March 1993. M56208 arrived on the Severn Valley Railway in 1996 and received a C3 classified overhaul at Kidderminster Carriage works in February 2008.