51356 Class 117 Driving Motor Brake Second
Home Railway |
Location History |
Private Site: Winfrith Jul 04-Mar 07 |
|
Current Location |
Eastleigh Works |
|
Weardale Railway Mar 07-Nov 09 |
Current Status |
Operational (Mainline) |
|
Private Site: Allelys Heavy Haulage Nov 09-Dec 14 |
Current Livery |
BR Green (Half Yellow Panel) |
|
Swanage Railway Dec 14-Present |
TRA Designation |
|
||
Partner Vehicle(s) |
Visited Railways |
Eastleigh Works (Contract Overhaul) Feb 15-Feb 20 |
|
Owner |
|
|
|
Website |
|||
Record Last Updated |
22 September 2023 |
||
Preservation Modifications |
|||
Preservation Information The vehicle was purchased by Dorset County Council who wished to obtain three 3-car Class 117 sets for a proposed community rail link between Swanage and Wareham. 51356 was joined by two other vehicles from different sets, TCL 59492 from 117313 and DMS 51392 from set L701. In 2004 the 3-car unit was moved to a private site in Dorset where all nine of the Class 117 vehicles were being stored in readiness for the Swanage Railway's Wareham extension to bear fruit. However in March 2007 the site had to be cleared with 51356, 59492 & 51392 relocating to the Weardale Railway, with the other two sets to the Midland Railway Butterley, all for storage. 51356 remained in store, with no work being undertaken on the vehicle. After many years out of use, the vehicle had deteriorated in condition. In 2009, the whole set was moved to Allelys yard in Warwickshire, for continued storage. By 2011 it was understood that Dorset County Council would no longer be proceeding with the plan to operate all nine Class 117 vehicles, and six other vehicles were sold. However, 51356 was not disposed of and remained in store. In December 2014, 51392 was moved to the Swanage Railway for spares recovery, intended to assist with the mainline regestration of DMBS 51346. It was accordingly moved to Eastleigh Works shortly after as that was where the overhaul work was taking place. However a condition assessment was made of 51356 and it was reportedly found to be in better condition than 51346, so the descision was made to overhaul the former in preference to the latter. The overhaul work, particularly the mainline specifications, took far longer than originally hoped for. The vehicles involved in the project were the subject of several setbacks concerning the mechanical components such as freewheel units and wheelsets. Combined, these issues led to 51356 being inside Eastleigh works for several years. In July 2017 the vehicle had progressed to the stage where bodywork and painting was required. Moved into the excellent paintshop facility at Eastleigh, 51356 was transformed rapidly, emerging in September sporting a fresh coat of BR Green to match its proposed partners, 59486 & 51388. By late 2017 51356 was back inside the main workshops at Eastleigh with mechanical overhaul work to the bogies progressing. It was to be February 2020 before the hugely expensive and delayed overhaul to mainline standard was completed. 51356, 59486 & 51388 finally returned to the Swanage Railway where they were stored operational to await the completion of paperwork to allow them to operate on Network Rail. The Covid-19 pandemic further delayed the entry into passenger service, however during the summer of 2021 the 3-car set finally started running driver training trips along the line, with the long awaited launch into passenger following in August at the railway's "Rail to Roads" event. This was the first time 51356 had carried fare paying passengers since withdrawal from Network SouthEast over 20 years prior! 2023 was an important year for 51356 when it officially returned to mainline operation as part of the Swanage Railway's "Project Wareham". The much delayed registration was completed in time to run a whole season of almost daily connecting services from Wareham (on the South Western mainline) down the branch and through the preserved section to Swanage. It was the first time in 20 years that a Class 117had carried passengers on the mainline. 51356 currently mainline registered (for the short section from Worgret Jcn to Wareham) and operates mainline connecting shuttles and other off-peak services along the Swanage Railway in a 3-car set with59486 & 51388. |
|||
Future Plans |
|||
 |
W51356/W59488/W51388 stands at Wareham on the Swanage connecting service. This was a fairly uncommon case of the Up platform being used at Wareham for the 117. The Down platform is usually used with the Up only being utilised in the event of service disruptions, 24/5/23. Nigel Benning |
 |
W51356/W59488/W51388 crossing Corfe Common, 7/22. Chris Gee |
 |
W51356 during its first weekend in traffic in preservation. It is seen at Harmans Cross, note the mainline required central door locking light on the upper bodyside, 8/21. Nick Lloyd |
 |
W51356 departing Eastleigh Works, returning home to Swanage, 3/2/20. Carl Watson |
 |
An almost completed 51356 outside Eastleigh Works, 14/9/19. Carl Watson |
 |
51356's overhaul to mainline condition is coming to an end at Eastleigh Works, 9/1/18. Carl Watson |
 |
51356's overhaul to mainline condition is coming to an end at Eastleigh Works, 8/11/17. Carl Watson |
 |
A fresh 51356 after moving out of the paint shop at Eastleigh, 28/9/17. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 freshly repainted into BR green with half yellow panels at Eastleigh, 25/9/17. Carl Watson |
 |
The corridor end part way through the repainting process, 12/9/17. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 masked up ready for spraying at Eastleigh, 30/8/17. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 masked up ready for spraying at Eastleigh, 29/8/17. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 being prepped for repaint, 22/8/17. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 being prepped for repaint, 14/8/17. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 having just entered the opaint shop at Eastleigh, 3/8/17. Carl Watson |
 |
After the desision had been made to overhaul 51356 instead of 51346, bits start to go back on 51356! 28/7/17. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 inside the works at Eastleigh for component recovery, 3/2/16. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 at Eastleigh Works for further component recovery, 17/2/15. Carl Watson |
 |
51356 at Swanage for component recovery, 12/14.Keith Mitchell |
 |
51356, in storage at the Weardale Railway, 19/5/07. David Beardmore |
Interior
.jpg) |
A view of W51356's cab after arriving at Swanage. Note the mainline additions fitted to the left and right of the drivers windscreen including central door locking controls, TPWS & GSMR, 17/5/23. Chris Moxon |
.jpg) |
W51356's main (front) passenger saloon, 17/5/23. Chris Moxon |
.jpg) |
W51356's small (rear) passenger saloon, 17/5/23. Chris Moxon |
.jpg) |
W51356's guards compartment, looking towards the cab end, 17/5/23. Chris Moxon |
.jpg) |
W51356's guards compartment, looking towards the rear end, 17/5/23. Chris Moxon |