51907 Class 108 Driving Motor Brake Second

Home Railway	Midland Railway Butterley	Location History	Llangollen Railway Sep 93-Nov 17
Current Location	Midland Railway Butterley		Midland Railway Butterley Nov 17-Present
Current Status	Operational
Current Livery	BR Blue & Grey
TRA Designation	4
Partner Vehicle(s)	56490
Owner	Evan Green-Hughes
Website	www.llangollenrailcars.com
Record Last Updated	1 August 2024
Preservation Modifications A public address system is fitted to the vehicle which was used for scenic tours and for educational tours for Welsh language learners when the vehicle was located at the Llangollen Railway.
Preservation Information Withdrawn from British Rail's Longsight depot in Manchester during 1993, 51907 was selected for preservation on the Llangollen Railway, which at the time was expanding the DMU fleet. The vehicle was in good condition, having been through works as late as 1990, so entered service at Llangollen immediately after the fitting of a few replacement seats. In 1999 the vehicle received a full body overhaul, repaint and a replacement No1 engine. In 2009, the vehicle was partially repainted and revarnished on one side. In 2011 the cab was refreshed. During the summer the interior received a deep clean and repaint, with other minor repairs also being tackled. In November the vehicle was moved indoors to tackle the notorious cab front corrosion that all Derby built vehicles suffer from. Affected sections were cut out from the bottom of the cab and around the windows, replated and smoothed. The cab exterior was then repainted, repairs completed, and the vehicle returned to service in February 2012. In September 2012, the grey portion of 51907's exterior was repainted. May 2013 saw 51907 break a spring which was duly replaced and refitted. Over winter, the guards van interior saw some repanelling work and a repaint. In May 2014, the air/axle panel required replacing as some of the LEDs had failed. Late 2017 saw 51907/56490 sent on hire to the Midland Railway Butterley where it was to replace their Class 127 set which required repairs. As has often been the case in the past, the hire went so well that the set later relocated (on paper) permenently to Butterley. After arrival some deferred maintenence work was undertaken to keep 51907 in good condition. This included the complete wetblasting of the roof down to bare metal, replacing several hundred rivets, and then repainting. The cab dome was also painted with gell paint as it had become porous. The vehicle had a partial repaint on the bodysides, mainly on the grey areas. Internally, all of the metal seat frames were repainted, and the guards ceiling was replaced. These works would set 51907 up for its next period of use. An interesting feature of the vehicle is that it is preserved in its final condition, with later Blue & Grey colour scheme, and the refurbished orange Formica interior & strip lighting. As and increasing number of railways "backdate" their DMU vehicles back into original condition (the interiors losing the orange and the exteriors going green), vehicles such as 51907 which truly represent the 1970's/80's/90's are becoming increasingly rare. Interestingly, 51907 & 56490 have never been separated. They have run their entire BR lives as an original pairing and continue to do so in preservation.
Future Plans To maintain in service.

	M51907/M54490 stabled at Butterley, 21/7/24. Aaron Browning

	M51907/M54490 waiting to depart Butterley, 17/9/22. Sam Bythway

	M51907/M54490 in service at Butterley, 10/7/22. Ken Jones

	M51907/M54490 working services at Swanwick Junction. This one of the MRB's final days open before the Covid-19 crisis closed the railway, 15/2/20. Alistair Grieve

	M51907/M54490 stabled in the DMU siding at Butterley. The Class 141 was in traffic that day, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51907/M54490 about to be swallowed up in a Welsh cloud, as they slow for the stop at Berwyn with the 17:30 Llangollen-Carrog, 3/6/17. Chris Moxon

	M51907/M54490 stand in Llangollen station shortly before departing with the 16:30 Llangollen-Corwen in multiple with the Class 127/108 hybrid set. It was 12 minutes late, 21/6/15. Chris Moxon

	M51907/M54490 arrive into Glyndyfrdwy passing the Class 109, both on driver experiences, 3/10/14. Chris Moxon

	M51907/M54490 on the BBQ-ex at Glyndyfrdwy, 21/6/14. Leigh Gration

	M51907 leads a 6-car at Carrog, 2/6/14. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907 leads a 6-car into Berwyn, 9/7/13. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907 at Carrog, 2/6/13. Llangollen Railcar Group

	The replacement spring after the original broke, 20/5/13. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907 seen from a different angle at Carrog, 1/10/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907 being rubbed down for partial repaint, 10/9/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907 & M54490 at Carrog during the Railcar Gala, 24/6/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907 & M54490 at Llangollen during the Railcar Gala, 24/6/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	New roof paint applied to M51907, 21/5/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	51907 & 50454 at Carrog, 16/4/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	The recently refurbished front end of 51907 could be seen to good effect during the Llangollen Railway's Thomas event as the vehicle had been marshalled on the outside of a four-car set. The vehicle is seen from the driver's cab of 56223 as the two pass at Goods Junction loop, 12/2/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	The front end of 51907, having received its finishing touches. The vehicle also had its wipers refitted and for the first time in many years there was also a wiper now on the secondman's side. Details such as the jumper sockets and plugs were also painted, 30/1/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	51907 inside the works having cab front repairs. With metalwork completed, the cab had just received its first coat of protective primer, 27/12/11. Llangollen Railcar Group

	51907 inside the works having cab front repairs. The new sections have been welded in, and the rest of the cab stripped back to bare metal in preparation for a repaint, 20/12/11. Llangollen Railcar Group

	51907 inside the works having cab front repairs. Here, a start has been made on cutting out the corroded metal, which is (typically for Derby built vehicles with these cabs) at the bottom and around the windows, 21/11/11. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907 seen inside the depot where the vehicle has been receiving a cab refresh. This has been repainted and now awaits only its new stickers and seats which will be fitted when available, 18/7/11. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907/M54490 power up the bank on the approach to Berwyn, 2/10/10. Chris Moxon

	Two Derby cars at Llangollen, on the left class 108 vehicle 51907 and on the right class 127 51618, June 2010. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907/M54490 arrive into Glyndyfrdwy, 17/5/09. Chris Moxon

	M51907/M54490 in the beautiful countryside around Glyndyfrdwy, 17/5/09. Chris Moxon

	51907 at Llangollen Station during an EMRPS photographic charter, 19/1/08. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907/M54490 arriving into Carrog, 9/6/07. Chris Moxon

	M51907/M54490 call at Berwyn, 9/6/07. Chris Moxon

	Blasting away from the village of Glyndyfrdwy and its signalbox is51907. Llangollen Railcar Group

	M51907/M54490, in multiple with the Class 109 set, call at Glyndyfrdwy, 17/3/07. Simon Edwards

	M51907/M54490 stand at Carrog, 10/6/06. Chris Moxon

	M51907/M54490 stand at Llangollen, 10/6/06. Chris Moxon

	M51907 at Carrog not long after it was repainted, October 1999. Alan Newble

	M51907 undergoing a repaint at Glyndyfrdwy, 1/5/99. On tour with the class 13 army

	M51907 at Llangollen Station during the 3rd annual DMU convention, 28/6/98. Stuart Mackay

	Delivery to Llangollen was by road, with this Scammell tractor providing the haulage, September 1993. Llangollen Railcar Group

Interior

	M51907's cab, drivers side, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51907's cab, secondmans side, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51907's front saloon, not long after the seat frames were repainted, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51907's middle saloon, not long after the seat frames were repainted, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51907's guards van, not long after the ceiling was replaced, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	Repanelling the guards van, 25/11/13. Llangollen Railcar Group

	51907's new throttle controller with the old example, 18/6/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	The guard's van floor in 51907 was repainted during the winter works on the vehicle, 23/1/12. Llangollen Railcar Group

	The cab of 51907 has a few finishing touches, including a quick repaint of the desk and some stickers. The cab has had a repaint/refresh, rather than the complete restoration which was done to 56223 in 2010 as it cannot be spared from service for long periods at the moment, 31/7/11.Llangollen Railcar Group