51625 Class 127 Driving Motor Brake Second

Home Railway	Midland Railway Butterley	Location History	Midland Railway Butterley Oct 90-Present
Current Location	Midland Railway Butterley
Current Status	Operational	Visited Railways	Severn Valley Railway Oct 04
Current Livery	BR Green (Speed Whiskers)
TRA Designation	4
Partner Vehicle(s)	59609 & 51591
Owner	MRT Railcar Group
Website
Record Last Updated	1 January 2022
Preservation Modifications The opportunity was taken, during the recoversion from parcel to passenger configuration, to omit a centre partition and one bay of seating at the rear of the vehicle to accommodate wheelchair bound passengers.
Preservation Information BR agreed to sell 51625 to the MRT Railcar Group to make up a 2-car set, as their original bid for 51591 & 51610 only secured the former vehicle. The pair arrived at the Midland Railway Butterley in 1990. The 2-car set was used for a number of years as a works train in connection with the MRT extension to Riddings. In the mid 1990's the vehicle was removed from service and languished in the sidings while work on partner 51591 progressed. However in 2004 one side saw work to produce a display as a "tapered restoration" at Railcar 50. This involved each section of the vehicle showing the progressing stages of exterior restoration. A year later the tapered side was completed and the other side also restored so the vehicle could re-enter traffic with 51591, albeit with its interior stripped and locked out of use. The vehicle operated in this formation for several years until August 2009 when it was withdrawn for its turn in the workshops for a full reconversion from parcels use to passenger configuration. This involved reconstructing the fully stripped interior, removing the roller shutter doors and plated over windows etc and reconstructing the original passenger cofiguration. Much bodywork was also undertaken, with reglazing of windows and significant cant rail replacement. 51625 was re-launched into passenger service in March 2011, seeing its first passengers for 28 years. 51625 spent part of 2016 out of use due to suspected wheelflats on one of the other vehicles within the set, which was later made worse after metal thieves struck the vehicle. 51625 was made operational once more but reliability issues meant that the 3-car Class 127 set only saw sporadic use.
Future Plans This vehicle is owned by the MRT Railcar Group who plan to keep 51625 operating on a long term basis as part of a Class 127 3-car set with - 59609 & 51591 .

	M51625/M59609/M51591 stabled in the disused platform at Butterley, 13/10/21. Aaron Browning

	M51625 out of use in the headshunt at Butterley, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51625 arrives into Swanwick Junction whilst in service during a music festival, 16/7/13. Tom Meakin

	M51625 in Butterley yard, 14/7/12. Chris Moxon

	M51625, M59609 & M51591 cross Butterley Reservoir, 11/9/11. Chris Moxon

	M51625, M59609 & M51591 call at Swanwick Junction, 11/9/11. Chris Moxon

	Cantrail repairs on secondman's side just ahead of Guard's van. Guttering and part of the roof skin removed and corroded angle section cut away, with replacement angle section let in, Apr 2010. Eddie Knorn

	At Butterley, now withdrawn for reconstruction of the interior and an external repaint, Mar 2010. Eddie Knorn

	Operating "colliery branch shuttles" from Swanwick Junction's platform 4 with 59609 & 51591, 28/3/09. Chris Moxon

	51625 at Swanwick Junction with 59609 & 51591, 28/3/09. Chris Moxon

	At Swanwick Junction, 27/9/08. Daniel Adkins

	At Swanwick Junction, 29/3/08. Simon Edwards

	Passing the signal box at Butterley, 29/3/08. Chris Moxon

	Awaiting its next duty at Swanwick Junction, 29/3/08. Chris Moxon

	At Swanwick Junction, 29/3/08. Chris Moxon

	Awaiting departure from Butterley station during the DMU Gala, 8/10/05. John Horne

	After returning to the MR-B from Railcar50 the painting on the display side was completed. Seen in the snow at Butterley soon after leaving the paint shop, 23/2/05.Stuart Mackay

	51625 on static display at Bewdley as a "tapered restoration", 15./10/04. Brian Battersby

	Being shunting into the it's display position at Bewdley for Railcar50. The vehicle was a "tapered restoration". Externally on the No.2 side from the rear to the front the stages done in a repaint were shown, and inside the rear was still in ex-service parcels condition which gradually changed to a completed passenger bay at the front, showing at each step all the work involved, 15/10/04. Stuart Mackay

	51625, 59609 & 51591 at Swanwick Junction, 2002. David Beardmore

	A good view of the roller shutter door which was fitted, 22/3/02. Simon Jones

	In platform 4 of Swanwick Junction station, 16/9/01. Steve Hodgson

	51625 looking in need of some attention, 1/10/00. Stuart Mackay

	At Swanwick, 22/5/94. Robert Frise

	As it was paired with 51591/55966 which ended it's days in green, 51625 was painted at the MRC likewise. Seen outside the shed at Swanwick, 17/10/93. Jerry Glover

	51625 on a very overgrown Swnwick Colliery branch, 18/7/92. Chris Lings

	51625 on a very overgrown Swnwick Colliery branch, 18/7/92. Chris Lings

	55976 at Ironville in the very early days of its preservation. Chris Lings

	55976 at Hammersmith in the very early days of its preservation. Chris Lings

Interior

	M51625's cab, drivers side, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51625's cab, secondmans side, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51625's main pasenger saloon, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51625's smart converted wheelchair area, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51625's guards van area, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	M51625's guards van area, 17/3/19. Chris Moxon

	Driver's side interior panelling and luggage racks are now mostly fitted, including rack across the two "half" windows where the partition was, Apr 2010. Eddie Knorn

	Driver's side interior panelling and luggage racks are now mostly fitted, including rack across the two "half" windows where the partition was, Apr 2010. Eddie Knorn

	The angle iron section shown on the floor is part of a donor vehicle, Apr 2010. Eddie Knorn

	Driver's side of Guard's van presently has a pair of outward opening luggage doors, but work this weekend has seen construction of new hinges to allow in-swinging door to be fitted soon, Apr 2010. Eddie Knorn

	View of the rapidly progressing interior reconstruction, Mar 2010. Eddie Knorn

	View of the rapidly progressing interior reconstruction, Mar 2010. Eddie Knorn

	The drivers controls, 28/3/09. Chris Moxon

	The front saloon, 28/3/09. Chris Moxon

	Looking back down the vehicle, 28/3/09. Chris Moxon

	Looking towards the cab from the guards van, 28/3/09. Chris Moxon

	View of the access into the guard's compartment, 28/3/09. Chris Moxon