144002 - 55802 & 55825 Class 144 Driving Motor Second & Driving Motor Second Lavatory

Home Railway	The Dales School	Location History	The Dales School Jul 21-Present
Current Location	The Dales School
Current Status	Static Use
Current Livery	Non Standard Black (Orange Ends)
TRA Designation	4
Owner	The Dales School
Website	thedalesschool.org
Record Last Updated	9 April 2023
Preservation Modifications 144002 was never to be preserved as a traditional railway vehicle. Many of the mechanical components went to other working 144 projects before movement to The Dales School. One vehicle has a heavily stripped interior having been converted to a library in 2022, with a driving simulator at one end.
Preservation Information 144002 was one of the later Class 144 units to be "preserved", repurposed for static community use, it never being the intention to ever operate the vehicles as a train again. The two vehicles were retained together however, and were donated in July 2021 to "The Dales School" in Northumbria, for conversion to a library. By April 2022 the conversion works were going well, with an accessible platform unveiled. This was one of the larger items required to make the vehicles suitable for use by the pupils. The remainder of the year saw one vehicle stripped out and successfully converted into a pupil library, which was opened in 2023. It was fitted with a driving simulator to encourage early career aspirations and to help children with sensory needs to experience the sights and sounds of the railway. Costs, materials, and volunteer time for the project were contributed by a series of local and national businesses. In January 2023, the conversion starred in the TV programme "George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces".
Future Plans The school now plans to convert the remaining vehicle of 144002 into a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) classroom. Once completed, 144002 will also be used by Network Rail to teach railway safety and travel skills classes to pupils across the region.

	144002 around the time of filming for TV programme "George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces", 2022. Northumberland Gazette

	144002 after its accessible platform had been built around it, shortly before opening for use by pupils, 3/4/22. ITV

	144002 stands in its new school in Blyth, 17/8/21.Darren JB

Interior

The two vehicles of 144002 part way through the conversion work, showing the intact coach and the library coach, around the time of filming for TV programme "George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces", 2022. Northumberland Gazette