59444 Class 116 Trailer Composite

Home Railway	Chasewater Railway	Location History	Chasewater Railway Feb 91-Present
Current Location	Chasewater Railway
Current Status	Under Overhaul
Current Livery	Non Standard Maroon
TRA Designation	3
Partner Vehicle(s)	59603
Owner
Website	None
Record Last Updated	16 April 2023
Preservation Modifications None
Preservation Information 59444 was preserved on the Chasewater Railway in 1990, to act as a locomotive hauled vehicle. For this reason, the vehicle has never been “in the limelight” and its history is therefore quite illusive. Being a relatively short line, the ability of 59444’s many doors to load and unload passengers very quickly was much appreciated by the railway. During the early 1990's the vehicle was painted into a non standard carmine & cream livery to suit its role as a hauled coach. It was paired with Class 117 DMBS 51372, also in use as hauled stock. The early 2000's saw the vehicle repainted again into maroon, another non standard livery more appropriate to loco hauled coaches. It is presumed that the vehicle has never spent a great deal of time out of traffic, photographic evidence suggesting that the vehicle has been a stalwart of the railway's operating passenger stock. Sometime between 2007 & 2010, partner 51372 was sold on. However, 59444 was joined by Class 127 59603 which was restored to run on a similar basis as 59444. In 2017 the vehicle was repainted, retaining its BR coaching stock maroon livery. However this time the vehicle was lined out rather than before when it just had a single colour. 59444 was withdrawn from traffic in 2022 and entered the sheds for a bodywork overhaul following many years without major attention. The gutters were removed from the vehicle and progress made on chopping out lower end corrosion and repalcing framework and skin.
Future Plans To complete the bodywork overhaul, followed by a repaint and return to service as hauled stock.

	M59444 inside the shed at Brownhills West showing the bodywork in progress, 9/4/23. Ken Jones

	M59444 stabled at Brownhills, 1/19. Bryan Marks

	M59444 after a repaint in the shed at Brownhills, 10/17. Bryan Marks

	59444 stabled at Brownhills West, 15/6/08. David Beardmore

	59444, recently reliveried into maroon, during the TRA annual DMU day at Chasewater, beside 51372 in blue, 12/7/03. Paul Moxon

	59444 on the Chasewater Railway during its days in carmine & cream, 2/2/99. Stuart Mackay

	An interesting view of 59444 during its initial restoration at Brownhills, about 18 months after the vehicle was first preserved. The different stripes of coloured primer corresponds to the planned finished livery of BR carriage Carmine & Cream, 5/7/92. Chris Lings

Interior

Reupholstered seating inside 59444, 9/18.Bryan Marks