51886 Class 115 Driving Motor Brake Second

Home Railway

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Location History

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre Sep 93-Present

Current Location

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

 

 

Current Status

Static Display

 

 

Current Livery

BR Green (Half Yellow Panel)

 

 

TRA Designation

4

   

Partner Vehicle(s)

59761 & 51899 

 

 

Owner

Quainton Railway Society

 

 

Website

www.bucksrailcentre.org

   

Record Last Updated

16 November 2024

   

Preservation Modifications
None

Preservation Information
51886 preserved by the Quainton Railway Society in 1993 as a 3-car set with partners 59761 & 51899. Class 115’s had for many years operated excursions to the heritage centre’s site at Quainton Road (The Quaintonian) and were regular performers in the area so it was felt appropriate for the society to have the set represented in their collection.

The vehicle was restored externally into BR Green livery and made its passenger debut in May 1998.

Around a decade of occasional service was to follow. Being vacuum braked, 51886 was used both as a DMU in its own right and as loco hauled coaching stock along the railway centre’s modest running line.

Around the mid 2000's (exact date unknown), 51886 was removed from service and put on static display. Sadly conservation work on the vehicle has not kept pace with the damaging effects of outside storage, despite a repaint into plain green in the late 2000's, so the vehicle currently presents a careworn image.

In 2024, the owning society passively invited any expressions of interest for purchasing the set, though it was not actively advertised as such.

Future Plans
To keep on static display.

 

51886 on display at Quainton Road, 29/9/24. Neil Gardner

   

A closer view of 51886's lead bogie on display at Quainton Road, 29/9/24. Neil Gardner

   

A closer view of 51886's No1 engine on display at Quainton Road, 29/9/24. Neil Gardner

   

A sorry looking 51886 at Quainton Road, 29/5/22. Ken Jones

   

51886 stored at the Buckingham Railway Centre, 5/7/12. 15038

   

51886 at Quanton, 29/10/08. Whitacre Junction

   

51886 at the Buckingham Railway Centre, 21/4/03. Roger Marks

   

51886 at Buckingham Railway Centre, 5/1/03. Robert Frise

   

51886 at the Buckingham Railway Centre, 17/10/99. Andy Cole

   

51886 at the Buckingham Railway Centre, 4/10/98. Steve Makin