55029 Class 121 Driving Motor Brake Second

Home Railway

Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway

Location History

Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway Dec 10-Present

Current Location

Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway

 

 

Current Status

Under Restoration

   

Current Livery

Network Rail Yellow

 

 

TRA Designation

5

   

Owner

 

 

 

Website

 

   

Record Last Updated

16 September 2023

   

Preservation Modifications
The vehicle has been heavily modified in departmental service.

Preservation Information
55029, like many Class 121 vehicles, had been in departmental service (since 2000), and was heavily modified for this purpose. The vehicle was used by  Eurailscout GB as a camera unit, and was latterly numbered 977968.

An unusual candidate for preservation, 977968 was surplus to requirements by 2010 and was preserved at the growing Rushden Transport Museum at their base at Rushden station.

55029 was immediately set upon for backdating to original condition. Original parts required to do this, notably doors, windows and seating, were obtained from scrapped Class 117 vehicles.

In 2012, with most parts in stock, restoration work on the exterior (No2 side) started with the long process of reinstating doorways.

By 2014 the No2 side was substantially complete and work was focussing on the cab ends and No1 side. In September, the vehicle undertook its first moves in preservation and completed several test runs down the line following a gearbox change.

In 2016, the departmental generator set was removed, and proper partitions returned to the No1 end.

Sadly in the late 2010's the railway entered a period of uncertainty with politics affecting the DMU restoration team. The railway later suspended passenger operations after intervention by the Office of Rail and Road and 55029's restoration was halted.

In 2020 some limited restoration work resumed, under a new group of volunteers who scraped down and repainted parts of the running gear.

Future Plans
It is hoped that the restoration of 55029 can be progressed in the future and the vehicle returned to original passenger carrying condition.

 

55029 under slow restoration at Rushden, 16/8/23. Nigel Benning

   

55029, shortly after restoration restarted, at Rushden, 2/20. Alfie Bryan

   

55029, around the time that restoration was slowing to a stop, 19/10/17. Mark Miller

   

55029 in the platform to have its departmental generator set removed, 9/1/16. Dale West

   

55029 looking better again after reversing the fire damage, 7/6/15. Dale West

   

55029 damaged by fire, 25/5/15. Dale West

   

55029 at Rushden, 21/3/15. Leigh Gration

   

An overall view of corrosion corrosion repairs at the No2 (exhaust) end of the vehicle, 9/2/15. Dale West

   

A close up view of corrosion above the centre cab window at the No2 (exhaust) end of the vehicle, 24/1/15. Dale West

   

55029 at the end of the running line at Rushden, having completed its first moves in preservation after a successful gearbox change, 20/9/14. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Group

   

Bodywork on No2 end progressing at Rushden, 31/8/14. Dale West

   

Bodywork on No2 end progressing at Rushden, 27/7/14. Dale West

   

Work on the cab end completed, attention turning to the No1 bodyside, 8/6/14. Dale West

   

Work on the cab end progressing with primer applied,1/6/14. Dale West

   

Work on the cab end progressing with primer applied, 24/4/14. Dale West

   

977968 at Rushden, 8/7/13. Nigel Gould

   

Evidence of exterior restoration (replacement doors) at Rushden, 26/8/12. Ian McLoughlin

   

977968 under restoration at Rushden, 24/5/11. Trevor Daw

   

Cab view of 977968 under restoration at Rushden, 24/5/11. Trevor Daw

   

977968, showing the unusual departmental window arrangements at Rushden, 24/5/11. Trevor Daw

   

More departmental modifications, this time to 977968's leading wheel set, 24/5/11. Trevor Daw

   

977968's bufferbeam at Rushden, 24/5/11. Trevor Daw

   

977968 shortly after arrival, at Rushden, 27/12/10. Daniel Adkins

 

Interior

 

A freshly restored destination blind box for 55029, 13/8/15. Dale West

   

Cab controls during a test run, 9/14. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Group

   

The modified and highly stripped interior, 9/14. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Group