51803 Class 101 Driving Motor Composite Lavatory

Home Railway	Keighley & Worth Valley Railway	Location History	Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Jul 05-Present
Current Location	Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
Current Status	Operational
Current Livery	BR Blue (Full Yellow End)
TRA Designation	4
Partner Vehicle(s)	51189
Owner
Website	None
Record Last Updated	1 April 2024
Preservation Modifications None
Preservation Information 51803 was latterly part of 101676 and was withdrawn from the Manchester area in the early 2000’s. Following a period in storage, the vehicle was acquired (along with 51189) by the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and moved to the line in 2005. The set was bought with the intension of replacing their 108 set whilst undergoing overhaul, and then to strengthen the 108 to four cars when it returned to traffic. The vehicle was considered the better of the two vehicles in the newly formed set, so its overhaul was started first. In 2009, considerable body, door and window work was undertaken. Internally, restored seat frames and reupholstered seats were fitted. During this time the vehicle was also repainted into BR Green. By 2011 the vehicle was substantially complete, and was set aside whilst the restoration of its partner, 51189, was progressed. This was a fairly drawn out wait as mechanically the latter vehicle was in inferior condition to 51803 which took two years to restore. 51803 entered service in 2013 with partner 51189 and, after testing/running in, replaced the railway's Class 108set which had operated continuously for 15 years without overhaul! For the next ten years the 2-car set reliably operated much of the railway's DMU booked services, sharing lighter services with Railbus 79964, operating every season without major issue. 51803 was removed from service at Christmas 2022 in order to undertake cosmetic repairs to the interior and exterior. This was undertaken remarkably quickly with both volunteers and paid staff involved to get the desired result. Roof and bodywork repairs were undertaken along with some mechanical works including replacement exhaust pipes and silencers at the rear end. A 2-character route indicator box was refitted to the cab front. A full repaint then followed with the vehicle changed to rail blue. 51803 was returned to passenger service in October 2023 after less than a year out of service. It later won that year's Railcar of the Year award.
Future Plans To maintain in service.

	Sc51803 peeks out of the shed at Haworth, 23/3/24. Sam Bythway

	Sc51803/M51189 pause at Keighley on a driver experience as part of the annual Railcar Association Convention weekend, 27/10/23. Chris Moxon

	Sc51803/M51189 depat Ingrow West, 11/9/21. Darren JB

	Sc51803 gets a wash at Keighley, 13/9/20. KWVR Diesel Railcar Group

	Sc51803/M51189 departing Oakworth, 23/2/19. Richard Beckett

	Sc51803/M51189 during the turnaround at Keighley, 24/11/18. Luke McMahon

	Sc51803/M51189 at Oxenhope with a Keighley service, 6/9/15. Chris Moxon

	Sc51803 stands inside Haworth shed undergoing maintenane, 7/3/15. Shaun Whitehead

	Sc51803/51189 at Keighley, 18/6/14. Timothy Stronach

	Sc51803/51189 in service at Oxenhope, 10/5/14. David Russell

	Sc51803/51189 in service at Damems Loop, 3/14. Shaun Whitehead

	Sc51803/51189 in service at Keighley, 28/4/13. Martin Clarke

	51803 receiving a repaint in the VCT workshops at Ingrow, K&WVR, 6/4/09. Chris Moxon

	51803 at Oxenhope, with restoration work now well underway , 17/5/08. Shaun Whitehead

	51803 at Oxenhope, soon after arriving on the line, 20/5/07. Shaun Whitehead

Interior

	Cab view, 6/9/15. Chris Moxon

	The front saloon (ex First Class), 6/9/15. Chris Moxon

	The middle saloon, 6/9/15. Chris Moxon

	The rear saloon, 6/9/15. Chris Moxon

	A view of the recently refurbished middle saloon, 6/4/09. Chris Moxon

	A view of the recently refurbished rear saloon, 6/4/09. Chris Moxon

	Substantial work has been done to the interior, as can be seen in this shot at Haworth, 16/11/08. Shaun Whitehead