51192 Class 101 Driving Motor Brake Second
Home Railway |
Location History |
East Lancashire RailwayAug 05-Aug 12 |
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Current Location |
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North Norfolk Railway Aug 12-Present |
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Current Status |
Under Overhaul |
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Current Livery |
BR Green (Speed Whiskers) |
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TRA Designation |
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Partner Vehicle(s) |
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Owner |
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Website |
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Record Last Updated |
15 December 2024 |
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Preservation Modifications |
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Preservation Information 51192 was never moved to the National Railway Museum, being put on a seven year loan to the East Lancashire Railway where it arrived in as-withdrawn condition in 2005. 51192 was in good condition however, so was launched into passenger service briefly in November 2005, before being taken out of service a year later for a repaint into BR Green. 51192 & 56352 then operated ELRDMU services during the 2007-2012 seasons, running midweek in the summer and at weekends during the low season. At first it was the minstay of operations, however its workload was gradually shared following the introuduction of the line's Class 122 in 2009 and Class 108 in 2011. 51192 & 56352 were moved to the North Norfolk Railwayin 2012 as the original loan agreement had expired. The NRM agreed a five year loan with the NNR, who were to use 51192 & 56352 as a supporting set for the line's very intensively used Class 101 set, 51228 & 56062, as 51228 in particular was in need of some time out for overhaul. Regular entry into NNR service was delayed however folowing some mechanical problems discovered on 51192 which had to be rectified over the winter months. During the 2013 season, 51192 was dogged with mechanical problems, but was finally made reliable during June. It ran all of the railway's DMU services for the latter part of 2013 with partner 56352 and accrued 6,875 miles. In early 2014, 51192's partner was withdrawn from service due to rotten door posts, and replaced with 56062 from the railway's own Class 101 set, this new combination working all DMU services during the main operating season. During August, 51192 was unexpededly withdrawn for repairs after the No2 engine failed due to the collapse of one of the cylinders. The engine was swapped and the vehicle returned to service 6 weeks later. In October, 51192 was reformed back with its normal partner 56352 and operated for 6,910 miles that season. 51192 received a 2-character route indicator box on the cab front in June 2015, albeit a non-operational box, fixed in the "B2" position. It also broke the vehicle's "personal best" for total use with 8,383 miles ran that season. In 2016 the vehicle was brought into the Carriage & Wagon works for a fast-track repaint, as its external appearance had become poor. An intensive few weeks was spent during August sanding, filling and repainting. The roof was also scraped back and repainted, the vent patches resealed and the 1980's radio pod removed. The opportunity was taken to change the vehicle to the later style of BR lining, the yellow panel being lost in favour of speed whiskers. 51192 was completed in just four weeks and was back in daily service by early September. 2016 was to be another high mileage year with the vehicle running 7,104 miles. 51192 & 56352 then proceeded to operate all NNR DMU services for the 2017 season, as the return to traffic of the railway's primary operating set (51228/56062) was suffering from delays. A further 6,445 miles were put under 51192's belt. February 2018 saw a terminal failure strike the No2 engine, withdrawing the vehicle from service. It was decided that repairs could not be undertaken until the existing diesel team had finished the long running overhaul of 51228 so 51192 was moved down the line to Holt and put into storage to await workshop time. Whilst in storage 51192's seating was reupholstered by the Carriage & Wagon department and two "new old stock" engines were purchased intended for reuse. However there was concern about the number of years the engines had been in store so it was considered wise to at least strip them down and undertake a full set of checks before fitting. However the attention of the diesel team was by now fully taken up with the overhaul of a Class 31 locomotive so the two engines were warm stored. After the completion of the Class 31 overhaul the departure of the railway's lead diesel fitter further delayed 51192's return into the fold. During 2023 some resource finally became available to resume the project. The two "new" engines were both stripped, inspected, reassembled and run up on a frame successfully. Some modifications were also made to filter locations as there was a concern that these particular variants of engine would not fit under a 101 in their original layout. The engines, passed ready for fitting, were then stored again to await the vehicle itself. The next stage was to be delayed as the loan agreement with owners the National Railway Museum had expired and required renewing before any further work could be undertaken. In 2024, a new hire agreement was agreed with the National Railway Museum which allowed the next stage of the overhaul to be progressed. The vehicle was moved back to the restoration workshops at Weybourne during the summer where missing cab components were reinstalled and the cab interior given further repairs and a repaint. The defective engine was also removed from the underframe and two newly overhauled engines fitted in place. The autumn pereiod saw rapid mechanical and electrical progress with a large amount of work being completed to get the vehicle mechanically sound once again. just before Christmas, the vehicle moved under its own power again for the first time in seven years and a period of testing commenced, throwing up more tasks to complete. Mechanical repairs to return the vehicle to service continue, though these are now considered to be in the final stages. |
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Future Plans In due course (2027?), it is intended to reunite 51192 with its regular partner 56352 and to give both cars bodywork and a repaint to make them good for the remainder of the loan period. This will give the tantalising prospect of three operational 2-car sets on the NNR for the first time. |
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Interior
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M51192's front saloon during the annual DMU Day, 17/3/12. Chris Moxon |