51148 Class 116 Driving Motor Second (Scrapped)

Last Location	Swansea Vale Railway	Location History	Private Site: Coed Bach (Wales) Dec 92-Jul 94
Current Status	Scrapped at Ammanford Metal Recycling April 2009		Swansea Vale Railway Jul 94-Mar 09
Last Livery	BR Green
Partner Vehicle(s)	59490& 51135
Record Last Updated	8 August 2020
Preservation Modifications None
Preservation Information 51148 was latterly part of set C393 running in the Cardiff area. Preserved with original partner 51135in 1992 by the Llanelli & District Railway Society, the set was initially stored at a private site before moving to the society's base at Six Pit on the Swansea Vale Railway. Also acquired for use at the Swansea Vale was the original centre car from the set, 59445, but it is thought the vehicle was never used, being utilised in the loco hauled rake instead. 51148 & 51135 became the operational DMU set on the railway, and were painted into BR Green for this purpose. Their first run was in June 1996. In 1999, the set was joined by Class 117 59490. During the 2000's the railway struggled to keep on top of a long series of vandal attacks, the situation made worse by the lack of undercover accommodation and security. 51148 did not escape the attacks, with smashed windows being a typical example. Volunteers chose to try and keep the operational set in reasonable condition, so 51148 continued in service while other vehicles on site sadly deteriorated. In June 2008 the railway was hit by a serious arson attack and all seven of the DMU vehicles on the railway were damaged to varying degrees, ranging from light external damage to fully gutted vehicles. Following this incident, the railway later ceased operations and agreed to close the site and relocate the salvageable assets to the nearby Gwili Railway. 51148 was considered as being damaged beyond repair, so in Spring 2009 the vehicle was dispatched to Ammanford Metal Recycling where it was scrapped. 51148 was not unique, but its demise left only one Class 116 DMS vehicle left in preservation.

	Believed to be 51148 making the final journey to the scrapyard, along with 8 other loads that day. Surely a "preservation" record? 13/3/09. Joe Booth

	After the arson attack, some vehicles were so badly damaged it became difficult to identify them from photographs. This is believed to be 51148 lying derelict on the closed Swansea Vale Railway just a few months before scrapping and total site clearance, 14/2/09. Richard Wilson

	Believed to be 51148 stored at Swansea, 16/2/08. Rob Phillips