51886 Class 115 Driving Motor Brake Second

Home Railway	Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway	Location History	Buckinghamshire Railway Centre Sep 93-Mar 26
Current Location	Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway		Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway Mar 26-Present
Current Status	Stored
Current Livery	BR Green (Half Yellow Panel)
TRA Designation	4
Partner Vehicle(s)	None
Owner
Website
Record Last Updated	7 March 2026
Preservation Modifications None
Preservation Information 51886 preserved by the Quainton Railway Society in 1993 as a 3-car set with partners 59761 & 51899. Class 115’s had for many years operated excursions to the heritage centre’s site at Quainton Road (The Quaintonian) and were regular performers in the area so it was felt appropriate for the society to have the set represented in their collection. The vehicle was restored externally into BR Green livery and made its passenger debut in May 1998. Around a decade of occasional service was to follow. Being vacuum braked, 51886 was used both as a DMU in its own right and as loco hauled coaching stock along the railway centre’s modest running line. Around the mid 2000's (exact date unknown), 51886 was removed from service and put on static display. Sadly conservation work on the vehicle did not keep pace with the damaging effects of outside storage, despite a repaint into plain green in the late 2000's, so the vehicle became externally careworn. No work was undertaken on the vehicle throughout the 2010's. In 2024, the owning society passively invited any expressions of interest for purchasing the set, though it was not actively advertised as such. The following year, the sale went public but failed to attract serious interest for some months. In Spring 2026, 51886 was purchased and relocated to the Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway where it remains stored.
Future Plans It is thought that 51886 may be providing a source of spare parts for Class 121 55029.

	51886 departing Quainton by road for the journey to Rushden, its first long distance movement in over 30 years, 4/3/26. Alan Gelson

	51886 being unloaded at Quainton for the journey to Rushden, 4/3/26. Alan Gelson

	51886 on display at Quainton Road, 29/9/24. Neil Gardner

	A closer view of 51886's lead bogie on display at Quainton Road, 29/9/24. Neil Gardner

	A closer view of 51886's No1 engine on display at Quainton Road, 29/9/24. Neil Gardner

	A sorry looking 51886 at Quainton Road, 29/5/22. Ken Jones

	51886 stored at the Buckingham Railway Centre, 5/7/12. 15038

	51886 at Quanton, 29/10/08. Whitacre Junction

	51886 at the Buckingham Railway Centre, 21/4/03. Roger Marks

	51886 at Buckingham Railway Centre, 5/1/03. Robert Frise

	51886 at the Buckingham Railway Centre, 17/10/99. Andy Cole

	51886 at the Buckingham Railway Centre, 4/10/98. Steve Makin