51203 Class 101 Driving Motor Brake Second (Scrapped)

Last Location

Darlington Bank Top Museum

Location History

Darlington Bank Top Museum May 90-Oct 96

Current Status

Scrapped MC Metals, Nov 1996

Last Livery

BR Blue & Grey

Partner Vehicle(s)

None

Record Last Updated

17 August 2020

Preservation Modifications
None

Preservation Information
This vehicle was exhibited by BR at an open day at Darlington Bank Top Museum around 1990 and, the story goes, was never picked up afterwards, remaining outside the museum.

The vehicle was thus considered a museum asset and the first Class 101 vehicle to be preserved.

However the vehicle was later vandalised at which point the windows were boarded up. The museum contacted RAIL Magazine to raise awareness of the vehicle's plight, and negotiations for a safer home were set in motion.

Sadly, before the talks could be concluded, on 8th October 1996 the vehicle was the subject of an arson attack, and the remains were sent to MC metals on the 25th of the same month for disposal. The vehicle was scrapped on the 6th November, ending its preservation life.

E51203 stands vandalised at the Darlington museum. This was after the initial vandal attack which claimed the windows, but before the more serious arson attack which was to condemn the vehicle. At this point, negotiations were in hand to move the vehicle to another site, May 1996. Evan Green-Hughes