51400 Class 117 Driving Motor Second (Scrapped)
Last Location |
Location History |
Northampton & Lamport Railway Feb 01-Jan 07 |
|
Current Status |
Scrapped Booths Rotherham Feb 25 |
|
Mid Hants Railway Jan 07-May 08 |
Last Livery |
BR Blue (Full Yellow End) |
Wensleydale Railway May 08-Jan 25 |
|
TRA Designation |
|||
Partner Vehicle(s) |
Various |
|
|
Record Last Updated |
1 March 2025 |
||
Preservation Modifications |
|||
Preservation Information In 2007, the vehicle was relocated to the Mid Hants Railway, where it acted as a spare powercar for the line’s Class 117 3-car set. 51400 saw use in the 3-car set, as a capacity booster for single unit Class 122 55003, and as a push-pull trailer for steam gala shuttles, in use as a hauled vehicle. Following a change in owner's priorities, 51400 was sold to the FSDG at theWensleydale Railway in 2008. From 2008-2012, 51400 saw use mainly as a maintenance spare vehicle and therefore worked in a number of combinations whenever it was required. For much of this time the vehicle was used in the railway’s Class 110 3-car set, replacing DMCL 51842 while that vehicle was out of traffic for major engine repairs. In 2012, with the Class 110 set back in traffic, 51400 was transferred into the Class 101 set, partnered with DMBS 51210 . By February 2014, the vehicle had been sold to the Wensleydale Railway Trust and removed from service for repairs. 51400 was released back into regular traffic for the 2015 season, working as a 3-car set with Class 117/101 59509 & 51210. During 2016 the vehicle was most often seen operating with Class 121 55032, sometimes supplimented by centre car 59509. It continued in this formation for some time, seeing a lot of use. In late 2019 after several years without much attention, 51400 was withdrawn from service requiring heavy maintenence and some limited bodywork repairs, but was instead stored in the sidings at Leeming Bar. 12 months later it was put up for sale following the arrival of several second generation units on the line. Members of the L432 Preservation Group based at the Mid Norfolk Railway attempted to purchase the vehicle during the pandemic as a spares donor for 51370, 59521 & 51412 but complications led to the sale not proceeding. Despite remaining on the market, several years passed with no takers for 51400 and the vehicle's condition continued to deteriorate significantly during this time. In 2024, the Mid Norfolk Railway had agreed a second proposal to purchase 51400, again as a spares donor, but this time with the vehicle being stripped of its parts at the Wensleydale rather than at Dereham. This second attempt proved successful and September 2024 saw the vehicle comprehensively stripped over an intensive seven day session. Given the time constraints, this became a collaborative exercise with many groups from around the country descending on the vehicle for parts removal. Some parts were direct replacements for other similar suburban vehicles whilst others were more abstract being reused on other types of DMU or even being sold outside railway preservation. The aim was to see as few parts as possible go to waste. Asbestos contamination in the floor led to delays in dispatching the stripped out shell so the original plan of dispatching the vehicle in October slipped slightly. With the Wensleydale Railway Polar Express season upon them, the removal of 51400 off site was delayed until January 2025, but this duly occurred with the asbestos safely removed allowing the clean shell to be scrapped. The vehicle was very briefly housed at Reid Freight's Cockshute yard in Stoke-on-Trent where the final parts were removed, namely the two power bogies destined for sister 51412 at the Mid Norfolk. A few days later, 51400 was moved to Booths (Rotherham) scrapyard and then cut up over the 4th/5th February. 51400's loss was not of significance to the preservation movement, with the Class 117 fleet still remaining the largest of all the first generation types. At the time of 51400's disposal, 15 identical sisters remained in preservation, and unlike some disposals, 51400 provided a huge number of parts for a variety of restorations and overhauls up and down the UK. |
|||
 |
51400 in storage in the sidings at Leeming Bar, 6/10/19. Chris Moxon |
.jpg) |
51400/59509 at Leyburn, in use as hauled stock with 20166, 10/3/19. Chris Moxon |
.jpg) |
51400 at Leyburn, in use as hauled stock, 10/3/19. Chris Moxon |
 |
51400 operating with Class 121 55032, seen at Leeming Bar, 27/4/16. Ian Blundell |
 |
51400/59509/55032 in service at Northallerton West, 4/7/15. Richard Thornton |
 |
51400 in service at Leeming Bar, 30/12/14. Brian Battersby |
 |
51400/59509/51210 operating services at Leeming Bar, 6/8/13. Bill Pugsley |
 |
W51400 in winter sunlight at Leeming bar on New Year's Day, 1/1/13. Martin Clark |
 |
W51400 stands in the dark at Leeming Bar, 6/11/12. Barry Wetherell |
 |
W51400 & E51210 in service on the Wensleyale Railway, 13/10/12. Andrew Gallon |
 |
W51400 passes 50746, the latter now out of traffic for overhaul, 19/7/12. Barry Wetherell |
 |
W51400 arrives into Leeming Bar passing new arrival 37250. 59509 & 51210 are also in the formation, 26/6/12. Barry Wetherell |
 |
W51400 receives a repaint into blue to reflect its new operating patterns and partners, 19/6/12. Barry Wetherell |
 |
W51400 & E59701 stabled in the headshunt at Leeming Bar, both vehicles spending a period out of service during te summer while steam services were running, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon |
 |
A view of W51400's No1 engine, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon |
 |
W51400 running with Class 110 DMBS E51813 and TSL E59701, 7/12/08. Tom Clift |
 |
W51400 running with Class 110 DMBS E51813 and TSL E59701, 7/12/08. Tom Clift |
 |
W51400 at Leeming Bar, 8/8/08. Barry Wetherell |
 |
An innovative idea to use a single 117 car was tried, with great success, on the Mid Hants Railway during the Spring Steam gala, when W51400 was paired with Beattie 2-4-0 30585 on the Alresford-Ropley shuttle. W51400 had one engine running to provide air and of course when going back from Ropley to Alresford down the hill the cab of W51400 was leading and therefore could provide braking thus negating the need for a runround manoeuvre at either end. It could also provide power if the steam engine had failed but on this weekend this was not necessary, 2/3/07. Ian McDonald |
 |
An innovative idea to use a single 117 car was tried, with great success, on the Mid Hants Railway during the Spring Steam gala, when W51400 was paired with Beattie 2-4-0 30585 on the Alresford-Ropley shuttle. W51400 had one engine running to provide air and of course when going back from Ropley to Alresford down the hill the cab of W51400 was leading and therefore could provide braking thus negating the need for a runround manoeuvre at either end. It could also provide power if the steam engine had failed but on this weekend this was not necessary, 2/3/07. Ian McDonald |
 |
W51400 soon after entering traffic on the Mid-Hants Railway. It took the place of W51405 in the Class 117 set. Seen at Arlesford, 12/8/06. Carl Watson |
 |
W51400 soon after entering traffic on the Mid-Hants Railway. It took the place of W51405 in the Class 117 set. Seen at Arlesford, 12/8/06. Carl Watson |
 |
W51400 stabled at the Northampton & Lamport Railway, 1/6/06. Daniel Adkins |
 |
W51400 stabled at the Northampton & Lamport Railway, 19/11/05. Simon Edwards |
 |
51400 under restoration at the Northampton & Lamport Railway, 2/2/02. Stuart Mackay |
Interior
 |
W51400's cab, driver's side, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon |
 |
W51400's cab, secondman's side, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon |
 |
W51400's front saloon, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon |
 |
W51400's middle saloon, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon |
 |
W51400's rear saloon, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon |
 |
View of one of the non authentic tables fitted inside W51400, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon |