51363 Class 117 Driving Motor Brake Second

Home Railway

Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway

Location History

Mid Hants Railway May 01-Oct 11

Current Location

Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Oct 11-Nov 24

Current Status

Operational

Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway Nov 24-Present

Current Livery

BR Green (Speed Whiskers)

TRA Designation

4

Partner Vehicle(s)

59510 & 51405

Owner

Scottish Railway Preservation Society

Website

srps.org.uk

Record Last Updated

23 November 2024

Preservation Modifications
In August 2020 modifications were made to 51363's former non-smoking passenger saloon and brake compartment to make the vehicle more suitable for carrying wheelchair bound passengers. Some guards equipment including the food warmer and emergency equipment cupboard were moved (or removed) and the doorway between the guards area and passenger saloon widened. The original door was removed leaving an open doorway. In the passenger saloon some seating was removed and other triple seats were swapped for doubles, resulting in a reduction of 8 to the seating capacity of the vehicle, balanced by the open area estimated to be suitable for carrying up to three wheelchairs.

Preservation Information
51363 & partner 51405 were latterly in use in the London area as Network SouthEast’s L721 set.

Following a period in storage 51363 was moved to the Mid Hants Railway in 2001 where it was refurbished and repainted into BR Green alongside 51405.

The 2-car set was later returned to its original 3-car formation with the addition of TCL 59510 from the West Somerset Railway although this vehicle was confusingly incorrectly numbered 59515 for a time!

Between 2006 and 2008, partner 51405 was occationally substituted for 51400, which was on the line at this time as a spare powercar.

Due to a change in employment in 2011, the owner left the MHR to take over the role of looking after steam loco 70000 Britannia, which resulted in the entire MHR DMU fleet being reluctanctly sold. The MHR itself were offered first refusal to buy 51363, but had to turn the offer down as funds had already been allocated for other projects on the railway. The 3-car set was purchased complete by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Ltd, who relocated the vehicle to the landslip-stricken Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway in October 2011.

In 2012, a Kenlowe fan was fitted on the No2 engine, and several stepboards replaced.

51363 saw much use operating the "northern section" of the temporarily divided railway, and was part of the celebrations after the railway of two halves was reconnected in October 2012.

Gradually throughout 2015 the interior passenger saloons inside 51363 received a visual boost when the seating was fully reupholstered into authentic BR blue/green material. This work was completed in September 2015.

51363 was withdrawn from service for summer 2017, its place in the set taken by 51360, and entered the Carriage & Wagon workshops at Winchcombe in June where it received exterior repairs and a full repaint, retaining its BR Green with half yellow warning panel livery. Whilst being repainted, a great deal of interior refreshing and repainting work was also undertaken. It was returned to service in late August.

In 2018 heavy maintenence work to normal partner 51405 led to 51363 running with 51360 for two seasons in an interesting hybrid livery formation that contained two brakevans. In early 2020 the return of 51405 meant the green 3-car set was reformed as normal. The same year saw 51363 receive modifications to make it wheelchair accessible (see "preservation modifications" section above for full details).

Thje latter half of the 2023 season saw 51363 running once again in a reformed 3-car set with 59510 & 51360.

In June 2024, the livery was changed slightly with 51363 gaining speed whiskers.

Unexpectedly, 51363 was put up for sale in September 2024 along with partners 59510 & 51405, the group wishing to reduce the size of their fleet to a manageable level. In contrast to some other sets also on the market at the time, it quickly sold, being purchased by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society and moved to their base at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway just two months later.

On arrival 51363 was thoroughly examined by the SRPS Diesel Group to prepare it for passenger service north of the border.

Future Plans
The Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway feel that at present too much resource is required to return their long term resident Class 126 to regular service, so 51363 will be able to operate economical services on the line for the foreseeable future. Whether 51363's arrival will trigger a change of operating timetable to increase the amount of DMU running, which has historically been very low, remains to be seen.

W51363 arriving at Bo'ness having made the long journey north, 12/11/24. SRPS DIesel Group

W51363 sporting its new Speed Whiskers alongside 47105 at Toddington, 14/7/24. Aaron Browning

W51363/W59510/W51405 stabled at Toddington, 24/4/22. Chris Moxon

W51363/W59510/W51405 call at Gotherington, 6/11/21. Chris Kirton

W51363/W59510/W51405 examined and ready for test services along the railway, 19/7/20. GWSR DMU Group

W51360 (left) alonside W51365 stabled at Toddington, 12/7/20. GWSR DMU Group

W51363 in use as hauled stock, 26/5/18. Richard Moxon

W51363's brake van area, 10/3/18. Dave Henwood

W51363/W51405 arriving into Winchcombe, 26/7/15. Kevin Gale

W51363/W59510/W51405 depart Toddington on a Winchcombe service, 29/7/14. Neil Carr

W51363/W59510/W51405 cross Stanway Viaduct, 26/7/13. Nigel Gould

Corridor view of W51363, 26/7/13. Nigel Gould

Volunteers in front of W51363/W59510/W51405 & W55003 in a four car formation at Toddington for a reopening special to Cheltenham Racecourse, 30/10/12. Jack Boskett

W51363/W59510/W51405 & W55003 in a four car formation at Chicken Curve for a reopening special to Cheltenham Racecourse, 30/10/12. Jack Boskett

W51363/W59510/W51405 & W55003 in a four car formation at Toddington for a reopening special to Cheltenham Racecourse, 30/10/12. Jack Boskett

W51363/W59510/W51405 & W55003 in a four car formation arrive into Cheltenham Racecourse for a reopening special. This was the first time the Class 117 had reached this location, 30/10/12.Ian Butler

W51363 & W51405 arrive into Medstead & Four Marks whilst operating some of their final trains on the Mid Hants Railway, 22/9/11. Keith Duke

W51363 stabled at Alresford, 25/4/10. Clive Barker

W51363 stabled at Alresford, 22/8/08. Chris Moxon

W51363 & W51405 in service near Ropley, 13/5/05. Darren Harris

W51363/W51405 arriving onto Ropley shed, 23/5/04. David Beardmore

W51363 at Alresford sandwiched between W51405 (left) and W55003 (right), 29/6/03. Robert Frise

Modifications made to 51363's former non-smoking passenger saloon and brake compartment to make the vehicle more suitable for carrying wheelchair bound passengers. Some guards equipment including the food warmer and emergency equipment cupboard were moved (or removed) and the doorway between the guards area and passenger saloon widened. The original door was removed leaving an open doorway, 16/8/20. GWSR DMU Group

Modifications made to 51363's former non-smoking passenger saloon and brake compartment to make the vehicle more suitable for carrying wheelchair bound passengers. In the passenger saloon some seating was removed and other triple seats were swapped for doubles, resulting in a reduction of 8 to the seating capacity of the vehicle, balanced by the open area estimated to be suitable for carrying up to three wheelchairs, 16/8/20. GWSR DMU Group

W51363's main passenger saloon, 19/7/20. GWSR DMU Group

Passenger seating inside W51363, 10/3/18. Dave Henwood

Freshly reupholstered seating inside 51363, 12/9/15. GWSR Carriage & Wagon Blog

Cab view, drivers side, inside 51363, 4/10/13. Chris Moxon

Cab view, secondmans side, inside 51363, 4/10/13. Chris Moxon

The front passenger saloon, inside 51363, 4/10/13. Chris Moxon

The middle passenger saloon, inside 51363, 4/10/13. Chris Moxon

The guards compartment, inside 51363, 4/10/13. Chris Moxon