50479 Class 104 Driving Motor Brake Second

Home Railway	North Norfolk Railway	Location History	Cambrian Railway (Oswestry) May 93-Apr 99
Current Location	North Norfolk Railway		Telford Steam Railway Apr 99-Oct 20
Current Status	Under Restoration		North Norfolk Railway Oct 20-Present
Current Livery	BR Green (Speed Whiskers)
TRA Designation	4
Partner Vehicle(s)	None
Owner	Chris Moxon & Paul Moxon
Website	www.brcw.co.uk
Record Last Updated	1 April 2024
Preservation Modifications In 2024 the handing of the guards doors was modified on the drivers side to have the inward door on the right rather than on the left. This arrangement is authentic for Class 104 DMBS vehicles built to run in 2-car sets (none survived) and was partly intended to make 50479 match with partner 56182 to externally recreate an as-built 2-car set. The remaining four preserved 104 DMBS's would remain with their as-built (3-car set) door arrangement. 50479's conversion was undertaken using salvaged doors taken from scrapped 2-car set DMBS 53539 as far back as 1995!
Preservation Information 50479 was preserved in March 1993 in a bulk buy of 12 Class 104 vehicles by private individuals Kevin Dowd and Robert Simpson. The fleet was eventually distributed over three heritage railways and 50479 was moved from Old Oak Common to the Cambrian Railway at Oswestry. 50479 was preserved as a spares vehicle and was originally to be broken up to provide parts for other 104 vehicles. However, an offer from a private individual to look after the set resulted in the vehicle being retained and returned to serviceable condition, working with partner 50531. It was also repainted into BR Blue livery to match. In 1999 the set was moved to the Telford Steam Railway where it was soon put into traffic. Whilst there 50479 received more restoration work, and was mechanically repaired whenever any items required attention. In the mid 2000s, new fire extinguisher regulations forced the set out of service (as a powered DMU), however the set continued to be used as hauled stock being propelled by some of the railway's small steam and diesel locomotives. However the group who were looking after the unit disbanded when the set stopped being used under its own power, which in some ways proved to the the start of the end. In 2009, 50479 was repainted into BR Green by the railway's "general volunteers" in an effort to tidy the declining exterior appearance. More serious work was required by this point, however the resources and skills were not available to undertake this. Nevertheless, the repaint tidied the vehicle up considerably. In 2011, attempts were made to return 50479 to use "as a DMU" again, and engines were started and vacuum/air systems tested with sucess. Unfortunately however continued problems with partner 50531 meant the set never returned to powered use. Not long after, 50531 was withdrawn from service as a hauled coach and put into store, however 50479 continued to be used in push/pull form, with industrial locomotives running at the corridor end of the coach. The end cab windows and guards van made 50479 useful as a solo passenger vehicle on quiet days. However by the mid 2010's the deterioration in condition meant other vehicles began to be favoured for services. In 2018 the poor condition of 50479 could not be ignored any longer, and the vehicle was no longer in a fit state to run with passengers. At this point the vehicle was stored, and quickly suffered several vandal attacks, with windows smashed and the interior entered. Volunteers did their best to resecure the vehicle where possible. By 2019 50479 was no longer watertight and had been occupied by drug users. The owning group made a brief visit to clear the vehicle's interior of undesirables, gather together any parts which had been removed/dispersed and finally cover the vehicle over with a tarpaulin. This was to both deter future occupants and to try and keep the water ingress at bay pending a solution for the vehicle's future. The Telford Steam Railway terminated the long term loan agreement at this point, with the vehicle requiring a new home. In October 2020 agreement was reached for 50479 to relocate to the North Norfolk Railway to become the new long term partner for under restoration Class 104 trailer car 56182. However the restoration of the latter was proving to be a very long and thorough affair, with no immediate availability to work on 50479. The vehicle therefore continued to be stored awaiting its turn for restoration. It did however receive two replacement vacuum hoses and a brake test a week after arrival, to enable it to be easily towed up and down the line between storage locations! It was decided for the main team to not undertake any immediate restoration work on 50479, until the restoration of 56182 had been completed. However the winter of 2020/21 saw the hardwood window surrounds removed from the interior of the two passenger saloons and sent off site to a clinically vulnerable Carriage & Wagon volunteer who had offered to do home based woodworking during the Covid-19 pandemic. With no unrestored woodwork from 56182 small enough to fit into a car left, it was decided to send 50479's components to be repaired and revarnished early. These were completed slowly over 12 months and were carefully stored once returned. During summer 2021 more limited restoration work was undertaken to 50479 in parallel with the continued efforts on 56182, again due to unexpected offers of help that were unsuitable for 56182. All passenger seating was removed and the front saloon backs and base cushions were reupholstered (due to lack of suitable material the rear and side panels were not done). The passenger saloon lighting shades were removed and restored. Very little was undertaken during 2022 whilst the restoration of 56182 went through a particularly intense period. There was time however to move 50479's rear section into the restoration tent allowing the roof to be stripped of its vent patches and old flaking paint. In 2023, with the restoration of 56182 coming to a conclusion, 50479 swung firmly into the limelight, finally at the top of the restoration queue. The guards van was stripped out internally as this compartment was selected as the first area to focus on. Over the winter, the ceiling panels were stripped, repaired, reskinned and painted. Several items including the guards seat were sanded down and refurbished inside the shed before being painted and stored. The first sections of corroded bodywork were also cut out but this was only progressed so far before weather conditions became too poor to continue that year. A highlight for the year was starting up both of the engines which had been inactive for over ten years. The engines were assessed with the results being the No2 engine running nicely and requiring no work and the No1 engine smoking significantly with further investigation therefore required. Off site, new window securing bars were machined up out of sapele ready for future window refitting. By the end of the year, the main focus was on the very time consuming door overhauls, which themselves were to involve the whole restoration team and take several months to complete. The full restoration of 50479 continues at the North Norfolk Railway and is a primary focus for the restoration group based there, with work days undertaken every week.
Future Plans It was originally intended for 50479 to be restored mechanically to a point where it could run locked out of passenger use at special events 56182 for fun. However after starting initial work it was realised that the vehicle was too far gone structurally, especially around the cab, for this to be realistic. The short term plan is still however to resurrect the mechanical and electrical systems on the vehicle to get them warm again, with a test run not being out of the question. In parallel with this, the full and thorough restoration of the bodywork and interior will also progress on the rear (guards van) section of the vehicle. In the medium term, bodywork and interior restoration is planned to spread back-to-front through the middle and front passenger saloons. It is expected that this phase of the restoratrion will be quicker as the work is very similar to that done to 56182 and much expertise and tooling is available to call on. Longer term, a rebuild and rewire of the cab end will be undertaken which will complete the vehicle above the solebar. Any mechanical and electrical upgrades will be undertaken below before a final full repaint will complete the major restoration. At this point, 50479 will finally be relaunched into passenger service as a historically accurate 1958 Class 104 power/trailer 2-car set. It will be paired with 56182 on a long term basis and run on the North Norfolk Railway.

	The first section of bodywork on the guards van is chopped away, 5/11/23. Chris Moxon

	The front half of 50479 exposed during a reshuffle of tarpaulins, 3/9/23. Chris Moxon

	50479 in a different place within Weybourne yard during a shunt, 30/6/21. Chris Moxon

	50479 after being unloaded at Sheringham for a new life on the North Norfolk Railway, 6/10/20. Chris Moxon

	50479/50531, stored sheeted at Spring Village, 9/2/20. Chris Moxon

	50479 at Spring Village, the day it was sheeted over to protect it from further water ingress, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	50479 at Spring Village, the day it was sheeted over to protect it from further water ingress, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	A photographic survey, showing the now failed paintwork and bodyside issues on the drivers side of 50479, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	A photographic survey, showing the now failed paintwork and bodyside issues on the drivers side of 50479, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	A photographic survey, showing the now failed paintwork and bodyside issues on the drivers side of 50479, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	A photographic survey, showing the now failed paintwork and bodyside issues on the drivers side of 50479, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	A photographic survey, showing the now failed paintwork and bodyside issues on the drivers side of 50479, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	A photographic survey, showing the now failed paintwork and bodyside issues on the drivers side of 50479, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	A photographic survey, showing the now failed paintwork and bodyside issues on the drivers side of 50479, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	50479 stabled at Spring Village, 15/4/17. Brian Battersby

	50479 stabled at Spring Village with M50531, 30/9/16. Carl Watson

	50479/50531 rest at Spring Village, 7/2/16. Chris Moxon

	50479/50531 at Spring Village, 1/11/15. Chris Moxon

	50479 (left) stabled at Spring Village, 3/4/15. Zoe Hunter

	50479 stabled at Telford, 9/7/12. Chris Moxon

	50479, in use as hauled stock, 1/8/10. Chris Bell

	50479 at Telford now repainted into BR Green with Speed Whiskers, 28/12/09. Chris Moxon

	50479 at Telford now repainted into BR Green with Speed Whiskers, 28/12/09. Chris Moxon

	50479 at Telford now repainted into BR Green with Speed Whiskers, 28/12/09. Chris Moxon

	53479 in use as a propelling vehicle, 5/5/08. Simon Edwards

	53479 alongside RB004, 5/5/08. Simon Edwards

	53479 in use as hauled stock, Dec 2006. Dave Angell

	53479 shortly after it and 53531 arrived on the Telford Steam Railway from Oswestry, 1999. Frank Nicholas

Interior

	A view of the first section of bodyside chopped away for renewal, the start of a long task! 5/11/23. Chris Moxon

	The guards van, following removal of one of the bulkheads and all the ceilings and side panels, 15/10/23. Chris Moxon

	The middle saloon after the seats had been removed, 9/1/23. Chris Moxon

	The guards van during the initial stages of stripping out for restoration, 4/11/22. Chris Moxon

	The cab of M50479, showing signs of dilapidation following water ingress, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	The front saloon of M50479, showing signs of dilapidation following water ingress, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	The front passenger vestibule of M50479, showing signs of dilapidation following water ingress, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	The middle saloon of M50479, showing signs of dilapidation following water ingress, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	The guards van of M50479, showing signs of dilapidation following water ingress, 13/10/19. Chris Moxon

	50479's cab, drivers side, 9/7/12. Chris Moxon

	50479's cab, secondmans side, 9/7/12. Chris Moxon

	50479's front saloon, 9/7/12. Chris Moxon

	50479's middle saloon, 9/7/12. Chris Moxon

	A passenger vestibule inside 50479, 9/7/12. Chris Moxon

	50479's guards van. Note the two gauges, the second registers the pressure on a through air pipe, 9/7/12. Chris Moxon