51568 Class 108 Driving Motor Composite Lavatory

Home Railway	Keith & Dufftown Railway	Location History	East Anglian Railway Museum Apr 95-Aug 01
Current Location	Keith & Dufftown Railway		Keith & Dufftown Railway Aug 01-Present
Current Status	Operational
Current Livery	BR Green (Speed Whsikers)	Visited Railways	Private Site: Horsham (Storage) Mar 94-Apr 95
TRA Designation	4
Partner Vehicle(s)	52053
Owner	Keith & Dufftown Railway
Website	www.keith-dufftown-railway.co.uk
Record Last Updated	19 November 2022
Preservation Modifications Named "Spirit of Banffshire"
Preservation Information 51568 was latterly stored at Blackpool after withdrawal in February 1993. Preserved the following year by Diesel Unit Preservation Associates Limited (DUPA), the vehicle was moved to the East Anglian Railway Museumwhere it joined a growing fleet of Class 108 vehicles. An engine replacement saw the unit operational very quickly. It was also repainted into BR Green livery and partnered with 52053 by Easter 1996. However the size of the fleet combined with the EARM's small running line resulted in 51568 not seeing much use. The vehicle, still paired with 52053 , was put on loan to the then embryonic Keith & Dufftown Railwayin 2001, where it was named "Spirit of Banffshire". When DUPA decided to downsize their Class 108 fleet to one 2-car set, they disposed of 51568 and the vehicle was sold to long term custodians the KDR. Since 2010, the arrival of new vehicles and maintenance requirements meant that 51568 now operates with several different partners. A repaint followed with the vehicle having a slight change when speed whiskers were applied to the front end. 51568 remains in traffic. It normally operates paired with52053 but can be strengthened to 3-cars with the addition of 56491.
Future Plans To maintain in service.

	51568/52053 stabled in the sidings at Dufftown, 14/8/22. Darren JB

	51568/52053 at Keith Town, whilst running service trains, 3/9/21. Andrew Lambert

	51568/52053 standing at Keith Town, waiting to work a passenger service back to Dufftown, 2019. Martyn Hearson

	51568, separated out of a set and stabled at Dufftown, 8/10/18. Deborah Stokes

	51568 stabled at Dufftown, 19/8/11. Ian McLoughlin

	51568 proudly bears its name, 19/8/09. Brian Battersby

	51568 & 52053 stabled at Dufftown, 17/5/08. David Beardmore

	51568 just after repainting at the East Anglian Railway Museum in preparation for going on hire to the Keith & Dufftown Railway, July 2001. Lawrence Beeching

	51568 in its early years of preservation at Chappel, 1997. John Sullivan