56279 Class 108 Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory

Home Railway	Private Site: Norwich	Location History	Barry Island Railway Jun 94-May 09
Current Location	Private Site: Norwich		Lavender Line May 09-Dec 23
Current Status	Stored		Private Site: Norwich Dec 23-Present
Current Livery	Green
TRA Designation	5
Partner Vehicle(s)	None
Owner	Norfolk Reclamation
Website	norfolkreclamation.co.uk
Record Last Updated	1 August 2024
Preservation Modifications None
Preservation Information 56279 was preserved by South Glamorgan County Council in 1994 for use as a loco hauled coach to carry passengers along their growing line. Indeed, for some time it was the railway's only operational passenger carrying vehicle. The vehicle performed this role for many years, and was repainted into a non standard maroon livery in 2006 to match loco hauled coaching stock of the same era. 56279 was put up for sale in 2008 when the lease on the Barry Island Railway was terminated and the DMU fleet disbanded. The following year the Lavendar Line hired and later bought 56279 as a replacement for a Mk1 which was suffering severely from corrosion. The vehicle was moved to their base at Isfield and entered traffic quickly, being repainted green with a non standard small yellow panel. However this was short lived with the panel being painted out over the 2009/2010 winter. A further ten years of use without any maintenance attention eventually led to 56279 declining sharply in condition. Instead of investing in the vehicle however, the Lavendar Line instead simply declared the vehicle surplus to requirements and it was advertised for sale in 2020. A three year period in storage was to follow before a new buyer was found and during this time 56279's condition deteriorated markedly. The seating was stripped out of the saloons, along with parts of the bodywork at the rear end and corridor connection, but no further work was undertaken. December 2023 saw 56279 sold to a Norfolk based reclamation business who quickly relocated the vehicle to their premisis near Norwich.
Future Plans 56279 faces an uncertain future. The current owners, a reclamation business, had not stated what their plans for 56279 are, so it is not yet known whether the vehicle will survive in their yard as a feature, be sold on, or dismantled for component resale.

	W54279 on its new static length of track at Norfolk Reclamation, 24/7/24. Graham Johnston

	W54279 stored out of service at Isfield, 9/5/21. Darren JB

	W54279 stabled outside the sheds at Isfield, 16/6/19. Aaron Browning

	W54279 in service at Isfield, 3/6/12. Amy Adams

	W54279 in service at Isfield, 20/3/11. Worthing Wanderer

	W54279 stabled at Isfield, 27/4/10. Clive Barker

	W54279 being hauled by an industrial diesel locomotive at Isfield, Lavender Line, 10/10/09. Andy Veitch

	Corridor view of 54279 on the Barry island Railway, 15/10/05. David McGuire

	54279 at the Vale of Glamorgan Railway, 22/10/03 Stuart Mackay

	54279 early on in preservation, being used as hauled stock on the Vale of Glamorgan Railway. Ben Salter