55006 Class 122 Driving Motor Brake Second
Home Railway |
Location History |
Mid Norfolk Railway Feb 96-May 04 |
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Current Location |
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Ecclesbourne Valley Railway May 04-Present |
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Current Status |
Operational |
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Current Livery |
BR Green (Half Yellow Panel) |
Visited Railways |
Severn Valley Railway Oct 04 |
TRA Designation |
Midland Railway Butterley May 06-Apr 07 |
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Owner |
Private |
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Severn Valley Railway Oct 10 |
Website |
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Llanollen Railway Jun 15 |
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Record Last Updated |
1 August 2024 |
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Preservation Modifications |
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Preservation Information In May 1999, 55006 (along with 51572/56224) formed the opening train of the Mid Norfolk Railway's Wymondham extention. The vehicle operated services for many years but was later moved to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in 2004. In October 2004, the vehicle visited the Severn Valley Railway for the spectacular Railcar50 celebrations which involved a never-to-be-repeated line up of DMUs from all around the country at one gala event. This was only possible due to generous funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Whilst at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway it has proved most useful as a single unit operating both on its own and in multiple with other vehicles. The vehicle was the final vehicle to travel on what is now the Severn Valley Railway in BR days before closure and has appropriately visited for galas at that railway. During the same period, the unit also spent some time at the Midland Railway Butterley where contact repair work was done around the cab at one end. 55006 spent summer 2011 out of traffic with vacuum leaks. The vehicle was returned to service after the faults were identified and a vacuum cylinder replaced. December 2011 saw 55006 withdrawn from traffic for more substantial bodywork repairs. Moved undercover, the remaining time in 2011 was spend removing rotten lower sections of bodywork along the length of the vehicle and at the No2 cab end, along with internal stripping of the guards van area. Repairs then started, with several new door pillars, patches and bodyside sheeting welded in. January 2012 saw the exhausts, cab windows and roof dome removed for cab end corrosion repairs. These had been completed by March 2012, with the dome & windows reinstalled. The spring and summer were spent on the long process of body sanding and filling, and this was completed with the vehicle in primer by July. The lower section of the No1 end cab was reskinned in August and most of the vehicle was in undercoat by September. October saw green gloss applied followed by the lining and numbering/lettering details. Some internal repairs in the guards compartment were later undertaken finished off by a van repaint. Easter 2013 saw 55006 relaunched into passenger service, its 14 month refurbishment and repaint completed. In March 2014, several of the interior door cards were sanded back and repainted. In October a blown cylinder head gasket required the heads of the No2 engine to be removed and repairs completed. In June 2015, 55006 was on its travels again as it starred at the Llangollen Railway's annual Railcar Gala, returning to its home in Derbyshire shortly afterwards. 55006 ran regularly until March 2020 when it was stored out of service during the Covid pandemic. The vehicle suffered slightly during the period out of traffic, so in 2023 the year was spent repainting the vehicle to boost its exterior condition. It also received repairs to its No1 engine. Unfortunately the track upon 55006 was standing got cut off from the rest of the railway, delaying its return to service. In 2024, with the track reconnected, final exam work was completed to 55006 allowing it to return to traffic in the August. This was an important moment as it was the first time since the pandemic that a resident Ecclesbourne Valley Railway unit had seen service in good condition. The termination of the hire of a mainline based Class 121 also meant 55006 was required to run all remaining DMU services on the line for that year. 55006 continues to operate services at the Ecclesbourne Valley. |
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Future Plans |
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W55006 stands in platform 3 at Wirksworth, its return to passenger service imminent, 25/7/24. Kevin Dowd |
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A freshly repainted but still out of service W55006 on Wirksworth depot, 3/11/23. Chris Bull |
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W55006 stabled at Wirksworth, 15/8/20. Dave Bickley |
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W55006, in multiple with Class 101 E51505, shunting at Wirkswoprth to form ther 14:08 Wirksworth-Duffield, 16/3/19. Chris Moxon |
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W55006 leads a 6-car formation on the 09:15 Wirksworth-Duffield, 19/5/18. Chris Moxon |
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W55006 passes M79900 "Iris" at a damp Wirksworth, 10/3/18. Mark Miller |
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W55006 having completed sucessful test runs after some remedial repairs, 2/1/16. Oliver Hodgkinson |
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W55006 leads a 5-car formation out of Berwyn during the Llangollen Railway Railcar Gala, 19/6/15. Brian Battersby |
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W55006 is seen at Llagollen Goods Junction on a test run shortly before its guest gala appearance, 18/6/15. Ifan Huws |
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W55006 is unloaded at Llamngollen for its gala visit, 17/6/15. Ifan Huws |
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W55006 at Wash Green during a test run to prove some repairs, which were completed making the vehicle ready for the 2015 running season, 5/2/15. Leigh Gration |
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A blown cylinder head gasket required the heads of the No2 engine to be removed and repairs completed, 10/14. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Group |
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W55006 leads an impressive 6-car formation at Wirksworth prior to the railway hosting a bus rally, 10/5/14. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Group |
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W55006 stabled at Wirksworth, 9/2/14. Chris Walker |
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W55006 lines up alongside E55012 at Wirksworth. Leigh Gration |
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W55006 meets E55012 at Wirksworth, 29/10/13. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Group |
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E55012 and W55006 posed at Wirksworth after dark, 29/10/13. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Group |
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W55006 shines at Wirksworth during Easter weekend after being relaunched into traffic after its external restoration work, 1/4/13. Chris Moxon |
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W55006 shines at Wirksworth during Easter weekend after being relaunched into traffic after its external restoration work, 1/4/13. Chris Moxon |
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W55006 edges closer to completion at Wirksworth, 2/12/12. John Stokes |
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M55006 has now reverted to its original number, W55006, during the lettering section of the repaint, 24/10/12. Leigh Gration |
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W55006's repaint draws to a close, with the lining, front end yellow panel and blue squares now completed. The exhausts have also been refitted, 24/10/12. Leigh Gration |
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The cycling lion freshly applied, 18/10/12. Leigh Gration |
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Repainted underframe components, 14/10/12. Leigh Gration |
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No1 end bodywork completed and in primer. The rest of the vehicle is slightly ahead with a first cot of green gloss, 3/10/12. Leigh Gration |
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Work progresses on the (replaced) No1 end, whilst the bodysides are now in undercoat, 25/9/12. Leigh Gration |
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A new front end below the windows at the No1 end, 9/8/12. Leigh Gration |
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M55006 now in primer and the windows/fittings in undercoat, 25/7/12. Leigh Gration |
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Summer being spent on bodywork between the cabs on M55006, 21/6/12. Leigh Gration |
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The No2 end cab of M55006, with the roof dome and windows now reinstalled, 22/3/12. Leigh Gration |
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A rare unobstructed view of M55006 in the shed during a shunt, showing the area where most of the repairs have been focussed on, 5/3/12. Leigh Gration |
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A view of the guards van door surround showing the new metalwork and door pillar, 23/2/12. Leigh Gration |
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The cab window areas, now repaired, 25/1/12. Leigh Gration |
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View of the corrosion where the roof dome (now removed) meets the top of the cab, 17/1/12. Dan Smith |
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M55006 inside the works having bodywork repairs. Here, a start has been made on cutting out the corroded metal from the No2 cab end, which is (typically for Derby designed vehicles with these cabs) at the bottom amongst other places, 7/12/11. Leigh Gration |
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M55006 inside the works having bodywork repairs. Volunteers are working their way down the vehicle cutting out and replating corroded bodywork around the bottom of the vehicle. Some repairs at different stages can be seen here, 7/12/11. Leigh Gration |
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M55006, now back in traffic following a vacuum cylinder fault, stands at Duffield, 17/6/11. Leigh Gration |
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M55006 at Arley at the Severn Valley Railway, 9/10/10. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 & M79900 in multiple at Kidderminster prior to operating a special train to "The Engine House" at Highley for a TRA meeting at the Severn Valley Railway, 9/10/10. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 & M79900 in multiple at Kidderminster prior to operating a special train to "The Engine House" at Highley for a TRA meeting at the Severn Valley Railway, 9/10/10. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 meets the resident 108 set at Highley during a day of driver experiences during the TRA Covention at the Severn Valley Railway, 7/10/10. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 at Bewdley at the end of a day of driver experiences during the TRA Covention at the Severn Valley Railway, 7/10/10. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 at Wirksworth operating ERavenstor shuttles during the TRA Covention at Wirksworth, 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 at Ravenstor having just climbled the incline during the TRA Covention at Wirksworth, 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 leads a 6-car formation for an evening special during the TRA Covention at Wirksworth, 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |
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They say it couldn't and shouldn't be done - but W51360 and M55006 pulled four goods wagons together weighing around 100T up the 8.5 mile constant gradient from Duffield to Wirksworth as if they weren't even there! 30/11/08. Leigh Gration |
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M55006 and M51188 on a beautiful autumn day at Wirksworth. The bubble car was doing the Gorsey Bank trips, the 2-car Met-Cam (with E51505) was doing parallel demonstration runs, 20/10/07. Richard Buckby |
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M55006 arriving into Butterley during a DMU Gala, 1/4/07. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 waiting for passengers at Butterley during a DMU Gala, 1/4/07. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 at Swanwick Junction during a DMU Gala, 1/4/07. Chris Moxon |
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M55006 crossing Butterley Reservoir, 15/7/06. Chris Moxon |
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At Wirksworth, 14/1/06. Simon Edwards |
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On the Ecclesbourne Valley Line, late 2004. Neil Ferguson-Lee |
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M55006 in service at Bewdley, 16/10/04. David Beardmore |
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At Kidderminster Town, 16/10/04. Simon Edwards |
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At Kidderminster Town, 16/10/04. Simon Edwards |
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At Kidderminster during Railcar50, 13/10/04. Stuart Mackay |
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M55006 on a private run to Duffield station, at that time still very overgrown, February 2004. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway |
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M55006 stabled at Dereham, June 2003. Chris Boon |
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On the Mid Norfolk Railway, 16/9/01. Paul Moxon |
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55006 in service at Wymondham Abbey with 51572 & 56224. Martin Reeve |
Interior
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W55006's repainted guards van ceiling, 30/9/12. Leigh Gration |
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Cab view of 55006 (driver's side), 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |
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Cab view of 55006 (secondman's side), 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |
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View of the main (front) saloon, 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |
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View of the smaller (rear) saloon, facing the No1 (non guards) end of the vehicle, 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |
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View of the smaller (rear) saloon, facing the No2 (guards) end of the vehicle, 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |
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View of the guards van, 3/10/09. Chris Moxon |