55025 Class 121 Driving Motor Brake Second

Home Railway

Vale of Berkeley Railway

Location History

Private Site: MOD Long Marston Oct 16-Jun 21

Current Location

Vale of Berkeley Railway

Private Site: Honeybourne Jun 21-Oct 25

Current Status

Under Restoration

Vale of Berkeley Railway Oct 25-Present

Current Livery

Railtrack

TRA Designation

5

Owner

Website

Record Last Updated

24 January 2026

Preservation Modifications
None, although the vehicle had spent time on the mainline as a route learner and video survey unit, so has been previously heavily modified from original condition for these purposes including the removal of most of the interior, partitions and the installation of a generator in the former guards compartment.

Preservation Information
In common with many of the single units, 55025 was converted to a departmental vehicle in 1993, numbered 977859. However it was more commonly known as "Pandora", after passing to Railtrack upon privitisation and given the job of surveying the entire UK rail network so that the new company knew the state of the infrastructure in its care. The discovery of these mixed results was akin to "opening Pandora's box" and the same stuck. Latterly used by Balfour Beatty as a Route Learning vehicle, it was preserved in 2016 by a group aiming to reopen a section of line in Somerset for community and heritage services. Prior to preservation, 55025 had spent a period in storage at Tyseley and had been heavily stripped of parts.

With no operational site, the North Somerset Railway moved 55025 to the MOD site at Long Marston, with their other stock which included a Class 117 set. Restoration work started on 55025 immediately with the exterior seeing some work and primer paint applied. Internally, all of the partitioning and equipment put in for its departmental role were removed. The engine/generator was liberated from its mountings, but could not be removed initially due to the luggage doors having been removed and the sides plated over.

After around five years, 55025 was relocated to a private site in Honeybourne for the work to continue. Although some replacement parts were obtained, the limited resources available and the monumental task of returning the so heavily stripped and modified vehicle to any form of use proved to be too much and the vehicle was sold on.

In 2025, new owners the Vale of Berkeley Railway moved 55025 to their railway and the following year restoration efforts restarted at its new home, with the No2 end cab front being stripped of components and paintwork for overhaul.

Future Plans
The new owners have appealed online for anyone with the skills to help restore the vehicle to passenger service, as there is great potential for a vehicle of 55025's type to be useful when the Vale of Berkeley Railway starts to operate passenger services on a new section of preserved line in the future.

960011, alongside 143603, shortly after arrival at the Vale of Berkeley Railway where it continues to be stored, 20/10/25. Vale of Berkeley Railway

A still somewhat sorry looking 960011, 26/3/22. Darren JB

960011 with the exterior seeing some work and primer paint applied, 28/11/16. David Hancox

The front passenger saloon after initial clearance of departmental equipment, 28/11/16. David Hancox

The front passenger saloon after initial clearance of departmental equipment, 28/11/16. David Hancox

The rear passenger saloon after initial clearance of departmental equipment, 28/11/16. David Hancox

The former guards compartment after initial clearance of departmental equipment, 28/11/16. David Hancox