51351 Class 117 Driving Motor Brake Second
Home Railway |
Location History |
Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway Nov 94-Jan 97 |
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Current Location |
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Private Site: MOD Long Marston Jan 97-Oct 01 |
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Current Status |
Stored |
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Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway Oct 01-Present |
Current Livery |
Primer |
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TRA Designation |
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Partner Vehicle(s) |
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Owner |
Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway |
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Website |
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Record Last Updated |
23 August 2020 |
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Preservation Modifications |
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Preservation Information It is not known if the vehicle operated in passenger service whilst at Chinnor. In 1997, the vehicle was stored at the MOD’s Long Marston site, intended for the future Stratford & Broadway Railway scheme. In 2001, the vehicle was sold to John Down and moved to the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway, where it was restored to operational condition, receiving a repaint into BR unlined Green livery. A number of areas of restoration were undertaken, including making good the guttering and also re-panelling the interior. The vehicle was tentatively launched into traffic in 2008, although further restoration work was required to make the vehicle fully serviceable. However a change in the owner's circumstances meant the vehicle never saw much use in service, and was out of action the following year, “stored serviceable” and being unpopular for passenger duties on the line. In June 2010, the set lost its centre car, 59520, which had been sold. In April 2012 following the owner's death it was acquired by the railway itself and authorisation was obtained to embark on restoration to passenger service. A replacement set of batteries were fitted followed by the sucessful starting of both engines and testing of the gearboxes and final drives. The period of inactivity threw up a long list of minor mecanical issues which had to be worked through. The vehicle moved under its own power for the first time in several years during October 2012. In February 2013 the vehicle entered the workshops for a full bodywork overhaul. The first part of the year saw roof work including the reinstatement of blanked off vents and resealing. The rear corners of the vehicle saw major welding repairs and repanelling, as did the cantrail areas which had rotted badly. The cab front started to be patched, but in May the descision was made to repanel the entire end. By Augut large sections of the secondmn's bodyside were being replaced with framework repairs made as required. In october, the bogies were cleaned up and repainted black. Other exterior parts such as air tanks and chassis members were also treated during the winter. Interior work included repanelling parts of the guards compartment and repainting. 2014 saw the major overhaul continue. The cab roof dome/headcode box was cleaned, reglazed and refitted. By spring, bodywork had progressed to the stage where areas on both side of the vehicle were emerging in primer. On the interior front, the seats wwere stripped and repainted green, and the cab was cleaned up and repainted. The vehicle's restoration then took an on/off pattern with long periods stored outside sheeted over between works. Since 2018 restoration work appears to have transferred to partner 51397, with 51351 remaining stored awaiting further attention. |
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Future Plans At some point all of the engines, gear boxes and final drives will need their oil and filters changing, the cost of which will be near a £1000 at current prices with some leg work required to get the necessary filters on site. The end goal will always to be to get the unit back into traffic as it’s an ideal vehicle for running a service on the full line without the burden of having two locomotives in service (and potentially a third to operate the Big Pit Branch) or on the busier days just working the Big Pit - Furnace Sidings Shuttle. |
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51397 in storage awaiting its restoration to reccommence, 15/9/19. Stephen Godber |
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A general overview of the No2 side, where most work has taken place, showing the lare areas of replaced metal and the increasing areas finished in primer, 27/5/14. Mark Vrettos |
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Rapid progress made on the No1 side, with large areas now in primer, 2/3/14. Mark Vrettos |
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Some of the first areas appearing in primer, 28/1/14. Mark Vrettos |
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Repainting underframe equipment, 13/11/13. Mark Vrettos |
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The driver's side before bodywork commenced, 14/10/13. Mark Vrettos |
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One of the bogies during repainting, 14/10/13. Mark Vrettos |
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Large area of bodyside panel beingreplaced from the guards van area, 11/8/13. Mark Vrettos |
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Large area of bodyside panel removed from the guards van, 7/8/13. Mark Vrettos |
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The completed cab front, 5/6/13. Mark Vrettos |
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Cab front progressing well, 29/5/13. Mark Vrettos |
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New metal being attached to the front, 19/5/13. Mark Vrettos |
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The cab front entirely cut away for full replacement, 12/5/13. Mark Vrettos |
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The cab front being patch repaired, 3/5/13. Mark Vrettos |
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A repaired rotten strip that ran down the guards compartment, 3/5/14. Mark Vrettos |
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New stepboards being fitted, 3/5/14. Mark Vrettos |
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The cab front being patch repaired, 15/3/13. Mark Vrettos |
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51351 inside for some bodywork attention, 10/2/13. Matthew Callaghan |
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51351 prior to moving inside for some attention, 27/1/13. Matthew Callaghan |
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51351 & 51397 under restoration, 4/11/12. Matthew Callaghan |
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51351 & 51397 coupled up in multiple for the first time in a few years, 30/9/12. Matt Callaghan |
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51351, now in railway ownership, sees renewed enthusiasm and increased restortion activity, 26/2/12. Matt Callaghan |
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51351 in use during the DMU Gala, 20/4/08. Alistair Grieve |
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51351 in use during the DMU Gala, 20/4/08. Alistair Grieve |
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51351/51397 in use during the DMU Gala, 20/4/08. Alistair Grieve |
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51351 under restoration at Blaenavon, 2/7/05. Stuart Mackay |
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51351 under restoration at Blaenavon, 2/7/05. Stuart Mackay |
Interior
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The driver's side of 51351, showing the cleaning and repainting work, 5/1/14. Mark Vrettos |
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The secondman's side of 51351, showing the cleaning and repainting work, 5/1/14. Mark Vrettos |
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Repainting work completed inside the guards van, 14/4/13. Mark Vrettos |
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The cab prior to restoration, 15/3/13. Mark Vrettos |
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A replacement interior panel fitted below the window where the originals had deteriorated, 15/3/13. Mark Vrettos |
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The interior saloon prior to restoration, 15/3/13. Mark Vrettos |
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The guards van prior to restoration, 15/3/13. Mark Vrettos |