55000 Class 122 Driving Motor Brake Second
Home Railway |
Location History |
South Devon Railway Feb 96-Present |
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Current Location |
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Current Status |
Operational |
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Current Livery |
BR Green (Half Yellow Panel) |
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TRA Designation |
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Owner |
South Devon Railway Trust |
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Website |
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Record Last Updated |
16 September 2023 |
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Preservation Modifications |
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Preservation Information By 1997, the roof had been taken down to bare metal and repainted. By 2004, the vehicle had been repainted (interestingly back into Regional Railways) and the wheelset overhauled, being sent to Bristol St.Phillips Marsh depot for tyre turning. By April 2005, these wheelsets had been refitted to the vehicle. In July 2007 both engines, which had been completely rebuilt, were started for the first time and in December 2007, the vehicle ventured out for a test run. The 3rd February 2008 saw the vehicle's return to traffic, operating three round trips as part of the SDR's winter timetable. The bubble car has since settled down to winter work, with teething problems being dealt with during the summer. A roof repaint and compressor overhaul were completed during 2008, and long running issues with the heaters dealt with in 2009. Winter 2009/2010 saw a major project to return the vehicle to original condition. The opportunity was taken to first complete some bodywork, before a full repaint into green was undertaken. The original front end appearance was also recreated by the installation of the 2-character route indicators. 55000 became the first Class 122 to return to its original external condition. The vehicle was back in traffic for its booked February running and continues to give excellent service. In 2011, the bogies were repainted. 55000 was repainted for a second time into green during 2016/17. It retained most of its features but the speed whiskers were replaced with a half yellow panel. At some point (unknown date) it was sold to the South Devon Railway Trust - as the same suggests, 55000 remained on the South Devon Railway following the sale. Following the Covid pandemic, 55000 had a few shakey years requiring mechanical repairs and out of traffic, however these were duly completed and the vehicle returned to service in 2023. |
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Future Plans |
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W55000 in service arriving into Buckfastleigh, 31/8/23. Nigel Benning |
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W55000 stabled at Buckfastleigh, 19/5/21. Stuart Smith |
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W55000 arriving into Buckfastleigh, 27/5/19. Anthony Christie |
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W55000 departs Buckfastleigh in 2017. Ed Jones |
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55000 in primer part way through a repaint at Buckfastleigh, 5/9/16. Chris Moxon |
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W55000 stabled at Buckfastleigh, 23/4/16. Richard Moxon |
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W55000 stabled at Buckfastleigh, 2015. Martyn Hearson |
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W55000 stabled at Buckfastleigh, 3/9/14. Ian Hooper |
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W55000, looking a little forlorn in the headshunt at Staverton loop, the vehicle is however fully in service and used usually in the low season and at special events, 26/4/14. Chris Moxon |
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W55000 stabled at Buckfastleigh, 18/6/12. Sicco Dierdorp |
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W55000 mid way through a bogie repaint, 11/8/11. David McGuire |
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W55000's first day of traffic since repainting, 19/2/10.South Devon Diesel Traction |
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W55000 along with an owl from the Totnes rare breeds farm, 19/2/10.South Devon Diesel Traction |
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W55000's first day of traffic since repainting. "The traffic was such on the first trip that we had to take tail traffic, in the form of a blood and custard suburban compartment coach, which meant we had to run round at Totnes. The unit just fitted in the headshunt, with about 6 inches to spare!" 19/2/10.South Devon Diesel Traction |
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W55000 a week after outshopping in the sun, 21/1/10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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W55000 freshly outshopped in the snow, 14/1/10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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W55000 freshly outshopped in the snow, 14/1/10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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Putting the finishing touches to the front end, Jan 10.South Devon Diesel Traction |
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Nearly finished, Jan 10.South Devon Diesel Traction |
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The lettering at the No1 end, Jan 10.South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 goes green, Jan 10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 goes green, Jan 10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 now in primer, Jan 10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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The front part of the 2 character headcode box being installed, Jan 10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 now in primer, Jan 10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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Square now cut out of the front end ready to receive the two character headcode, Jan 10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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The brake area of 55000 loses its Regional Railways livery, Jan 10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 in "B shop",South Devon Railway for a repaint, Jan 10. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 at Caddaford, 15/2/09. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 completed it's first duty this season, operating the Sunday service successfully on the 8th Feb. The SDDT headboard was celebrating the signing of a lease between the South Devon Railway Trust and South Devon Diesel Traction, 8/2/09. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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One of 55000's compressors in bits, 23/12/08. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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"B shop was borrowed for a week and the roof along with some of the yellow and black was repainted. We have been doing various repairs and jobs that have come up, including fixing the horns, fixing on a fuel pump throttle lever properly and stopping a few small fuel leaks. We've yet to renew the air seals in one of the final drives and change a compressor which must be done before entering traffic", Nov 08. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 at Staverton, 26/4/08. Simon Edwards |
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55000 at Buckfastleigh, 26/4/08. Simon Edwards |
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55000 at Buckfastleigh, 26/4/08. Simon Edwards |
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Yet another busy day for 55000 on the South Devon Railway. A Class 127 power car was added for the 11:30 run to Totnes because of a coach party, but was left in the platform for the next two trips, 17/2/08. Neil Cannon |
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55000 on another sundays working, when the weather was a little kinder than during its debut day, 11/2/08. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 on another sundays working, when the weather was a little kinder than during its debut day, 11/2/08. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 on another sundays working, when the weather was a little kinder than during its debut day, 11/2/08. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 on another sundays working, when the weather was a little kinder than during its debut day, 11/2/08. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 just about made it for the first day of the railway's new winter timetable. This image shows it waiting to depart Buckfastleigh on it's first passenger train. It still has a few things to sort out but it made the three round trips and just like in BR days, there was no heat and the air & axle lights playing up! 3/2/08. Neil Cannon. |
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55000 just about made it for the first day of the railway's new winter timetable. This image shows it waiting to depart Totnes on the return working of its first train. It still has a few things to sort out but it made the three round trips and just like in BR days, there was no heat and the air & axle lights playing up! 3/2/08. Neil Cannon. |
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55000 during its first test run on the SDR following restoration, 20/12/07. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 during its first test run on the SDR following restoration, 20/12/07. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 during its first test run on the SDR following restoration, 20/12/07. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 during its first test run on the SDR following restoration, 20/12/07. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 had both engines started for the first time since they were rebuilt. So far so good! July 2007. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000 under restoration, 3/6/06. Pyewipe Jcn |
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The old wheels come out of W55000, 22/4/05. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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Waiting for the new wheelsets, 22/4/05. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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55000, freshly painted, 10/4/04. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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The wheelsets, freshly back from Bristol St.Phillips Marsh depot, 10/4/04. South Devon Diesel Traction |
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Fresh from the paint shop, with just the bogies to do, 7/12/03. Neil Cannon |
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55000 under restoration, 24/8/02. Steve Hodgson |
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55000 under restoration, 25/8/02. Simon Jones |
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55000 under restoration, 24/8/02. Steve Hodgson |
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55000 under restoration, 15/8/02. David McGuire |
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55000 under restoration, 24/8/02. Steve Hodgson |
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At Buckfastleigh, 1/6/01. Robert Frise |
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55000 on the South Devon Railway, Oct 99. John Horne |
Interior
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The controls of W55000 durinf its passenger debut, 3/2/08. South Devon Diesel Traction |