51400 Class 117 Driving Motor Second

Home Railway	Wensleydale Railway	Location History	Northampton & Lamport Railway Feb 01-Jan 07
Current Location	Wensleydale Railway		Mid Hants Railway Jan 07-May 08
Current Status	Stored - For Sale		Wensleydale Railway May 08-Present
Current Livery	BR Blue (Full Yellow End)
TRA Designation	4
Partner Vehicle(s)
Owner	Wensleydale Railway Trust
Website	None
Record Last Updated	10 December 2020
Preservation Modifications Some tables have been fitted to some seating bays and the appropriate doors locked out of use.
Preservation Information 51400 was preserved by Ian McDonald and located initially on the Northampton & Lamport Railway. Whilst there, the vehicle was externally fully restored into lined Green livery with half yellow panel. In 2007, the vehicle was relocated to the Mid Hants Railway, where it acted as a spare powercar for the line’s Class 117 3-car set. 51400 saw use in the 3-car set, as a capacity booster for single unit Class 122 55003, and as a push-pull trailer for steam gala shuttles, in use as a hauled vehicle. Following a change in owner's priorities, 51400 was sold to the FSDG at theWensleydale Railway in 2008. From 2008-2012, 51400 saw use mainly as a maintenance spare vehicle and therefore worked in a number of combinations whenever it was required. For much of this time the vehicle was used in the railway’s Class 110 3-car set, replacing DMCL 51842 while that vehicle was out of traffic for major engine repairs. In 2012, with the Class 110 set back in traffic, 51400 was transferred into the Class 101 set, partnered with DMBS 51210 . By February 2014, the vehicle had been sold to the Wensleydale Railway Trust and removed from service for repairs. 51400 was released back into regular traffic for the 2015 season, working as a 3-car set with Class 117/101 59509 & 51210. During 2016 the vehicle was most often seen operating with Class 121 55032, sometimes supplimented by centre car 59509. It continued in this formation for some time, seeing a lot of use. In late 2019 after several years without much attention, 51400 was withdrawn from service requiring heavy maintenence and some limited bodywork repairs, but was instead stored in the sidings at Leeming Bar. 12 months later it was put up for sale following the arrival of several second generation units on the line. 51400 remains in store and for sale.
Future Plans 51400 is available for sale, so it may move to another line.

	51400 in storage in the sidings at Leeming Bar, 6/10/19. Chris Moxon

	51400/59509 at Leyburn, in use as hauled stock with 20166, 10/3/19. Chris Moxon

	51400 at Leyburn, in use as hauled stock, 10/3/19. Chris Moxon

	51400 operating with Class 121 55032, seen at Leeming Bar, 27/4/16. Ian Blundell

	51400/59509/55032 in service at Northallerton West, 4/7/15. Richard Thornton

	51400 in service at Leeming Bar, 30/12/14. Brian Battersby

	51400/59509/51210 operating services at Leeming Bar, 6/8/13. Bill Pugsley

	W51400 in winter sunlight at Leeming bar on New Year's Day, 1/1/13. Martin Clark

	W51400 stands in the dark at Leeming Bar, 6/11/12. Barry Wetherell

	W51400 & E51210 in service on the Wensleyale Railway, 13/10/12. Andrew Gallon

	W51400 passes 50746, the latter now out of traffic for overhaul, 19/7/12. Barry Wetherell

	W51400 arrives into Leeming Bar passing new arrival 37250. 59509 & 51210 are also in the formation, 26/6/12. Barry Wetherell

	W51400 receives a repaint into blue to reflect its new operating patterns and partners, 19/6/12. Barry Wetherell

	W51400 & E59701 stabled in the headshunt at Leeming Bar, both vehicles spending a period out of service during te summer while steam services were running, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon

	A view of W51400's No1 engine, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon

	W51400 running with Class 110 DMBS E51813 and TSL E59701, 7/12/08. Tom Clift

	W51400 running with Class 110 DMBS E51813 and TSL E59701, 7/12/08. Tom Clift

	W51400 at Leeming Bar, 8/8/08. Barry Wetherell

	An innovative idea to use a single 117 car was tried, with great success, on the Mid Hants Railway during the Spring Steam gala, when W51400 was paired with Beattie 2-4-0 30585 on the Alresford-Ropley shuttle. W51400 had one engine running to provide air and of course when going back from Ropley to Alresford down the hill the cab of W51400 was leading and therefore could provide braking thus negating the need for a runround manoeuvre at either end. It could also provide power if the steam engine had failed but on this weekend this was not necessary, 2/3/07. Ian McDonald

	An innovative idea to use a single 117 car was tried, with great success, on the Mid Hants Railway during the Spring Steam gala, when W51400 was paired with Beattie 2-4-0 30585 on the Alresford-Ropley shuttle. W51400 had one engine running to provide air and of course when going back from Ropley to Alresford down the hill the cab of W51400 was leading and therefore could provide braking thus negating the need for a runround manoeuvre at either end. It could also provide power if the steam engine had failed but on this weekend this was not necessary, 2/3/07. Ian McDonald

	W51400 soon after entering traffic on the Mid-Hants Railway. It took the place of W51405 in the Class 117 set. Seen at Arlesford, 12/8/06. Carl Watson

	W51400 soon after entering traffic on the Mid-Hants Railway. It took the place of W51405 in the Class 117 set. Seen at Arlesford, 12/8/06. Carl Watson

	W51400 stabled at the Northampton & Lamport Railway, 1/6/06. Daniel Adkins

	W51400 stabled at the Northampton & Lamport Railway, 19/11/05. Simon Edwards

	51400 under restoration at the Northampton & Lamport Railway, 2/2/02. Stuart Mackay

Interior

	W51400's cab, driver's side, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon

	W51400's cab, secondman's side, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon

	W51400's front saloon, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon

	W51400's middle saloon, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon

	W51400's rear saloon, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon

	View of one of the non authentic tables fitted inside W51400, 21/8/10. Chris Moxon