56287 Class 121 Driving Trailer Second
Home Railway |
Location History |
Mangapps Railway Museum Sep 93-Mar 04 |
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Current Location |
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Colne Valley Railway Mar 04-Feb 17 |
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Current Status |
Operational |
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Current Livery |
BR Green (Speed Whiskers) |
Visited Railways |
Epping & Ongar Railway Feb 17-Present |
TRA Designation |
Reading Depot Mar 19 |
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Partner Vehicle(s) |
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Owner |
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Website |
None |
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Record Last Updated |
1 April 2024 |
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Preservation Modifications |
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Preservation Information Placed into service relatively quickly, 56287 was intended to run with Class 117 51347 but unfortunately the arrangement was not in favour at Mangappsand 56287 was split off and used as a loco hauled push-pull trailer to provide passenger rides with the museum’s extensive collection of industrial steam and diesel locomotives. Pressed Steel Heritage moved to the Colne Valley Railway shortly afterwards at 56287 wa sold to the Mangapps Railway Museum where in continued in use for a decade as a hauled coach. In 2004 the museum generously agreed to swap 56287 with Pressed Steel Heritage for Class 117 DMS 51381. This was done so that 56287 (by now one of only three surviving Class 121 DTS vehicles) could be returned to its historically accurate role of a capacity-boosting trailer for a Class 121 single unit, in this case 55033 at the Colne Valley Railway. The Class 117 DMS was made more desirable to swap by being freshly repainted, whereas 56287 by this point was in need of a repaint. 56287 moved to the Colne Valley where it was restored to original condition (tungsten lighting and original Formica returned) to operate with 55033. It became the only authentic single unit/trailer pair in preservation, although sister vehicle 56289 does operate with a very similar Class 122 single unit at the East Lancashire Railway. In November 2010 the vehicle was fully repainted into BR Green. During 2012 the seating was reupholstered and the interior received work to improve its appearance. 56287 was hired to the Epping & Ongar Railway in 2017 to oprate as a 2-car set with their Class 117 DMS 51384. This was to allow the restoration of 51384's long term partner to be completed. In March 2019 the vehicle was transported to Reading depot where it had the tyres turned back to the corect profile, it returned to the Epping & Ongar Railway a few days after. |
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Future Plans |
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W56287/51384 pause at North Weald, 3/9/23. Chris Stewart |
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W56287 stabled at North Weald in classic British summer weather, on a closed day, 18/6/21. Ken Jones |
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W56287 pauses at Blake Hall while refreshing drivers, 4/7/20. Katie Pickersgill |
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W56287/51384 call at the normally closed Blake Hall station whilst operating driver experience trips, 5/10/18. Chris Moxon |
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W56287/51384 in the Essex countryside whilst operating driver experience trips, 5/10/18. Chris Moxon |
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W56287/51384 in the Essex countryside whilst operating driver experience trips, 5/10/18. Chris Moxon |
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Pressed Steel Heritage have spent September repainting W56287. It has been painted Mid Brunswick supplied by Williamsons, 19/9/11. Martin Smith |
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W56287 stabled at Castle Headingham, 12/9/10. David Beardmore |
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W56287 & W55033 in action on the Colne Valley Railway operating Railcar Association driver experiences for the 2008 annual convention, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
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W56287 & W55033 in action on the Colne Valley Railway operating Railcar Association driver experiences for the 2008 annual convention, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
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W56287 & W55033 in action on the Colne Valley Railway operating Railcar Association driver experiences for the 2008 annual convention, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
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Cab end view of W56287 on the Colne Valley Railway, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
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What makes W56287 different: the combination of being a trailer car with driving cab and also of high-desnsity suburban construction, of which only two vehicles now survive, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
Interior
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View of the cab, drivers side, 5/10/18. Chris Moxon |
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View of the cab, secondmans side, 5/10/18. Chris Moxon |
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View of the front passenger saloon, 5/10/18. Chris Moxon |
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View of the middle passenger saloon, 5/10/18. Chris Moxon |
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View of the rear passenger saloon, 5/10/18. Chris Moxon |
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Reupholstered seating fitted to W56287, 23/9/12. Martin Smith |
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Cab view (driver's side) of W56287, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
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Cab view (secondman's side) of W56287, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
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The front saloon looking forwards towards the rear of the vehicle, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
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The middle saloon looking towards the rear of the vehicle, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |
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The rear saloon looking towards the rear of the vehicle, 25/10/08. Chris Moxon |