56358 Class 101 Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory

Home Railway	East Anglian Railway Museum	Location History	East Anglian Railway Museum Oct 03-Present
Current Location	East Anglian Railway Museum
Current Status	Operational	Visited Railways	Severn Valley Railway Oct 04
Current Livery	BR Blue/Grey
TRA Designation	4
Partner Vehicle(s)	51213
Owner	Diesel Unit Preservation Associates Limited
Website	None
Record Last Updated	16 November 2024
Preservation Modifications None
Preservation Information Withdrawn from service in May 2001, 56358 was selected as the best available trailer car at MOD Shoeburyness - it also as a bonus had a history of running on the Marks Tey to Sudbury line. The vehicle arrived at EARM in October 2003 and had the batteries charged and brakes tested ready for service within 2 days. Still in tired Regional Railways livery, 56358 made its passenger preservation debut in March 2004 running with 51213. Since then the interior and exterior condition has slowly been returned to its 1970's condition. The vehicle is fortunate in being the only trailer car in preservation with the original bulkhead and toilet cubicle Formica panels. The restoration work has included a repaint into BR Blue in September 2004, and the return of the original tungsten lighting, first class seating & sprung buffers. 56365 was purchased as a source of replacement original Formica panels in order to replace the 1990's cream Formica present in this vehicle. 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. In 2011 the vehicle was repainted, and the hi intensity headlight also removed returning it to its mid 70's condition externally. The vehicle operated semi-regularly on the short demonstration line at Chappel with partner 51213 until it became shabby once again and due for repaint. At the end of the 2019 season it was withdrawn from service and in early 2020 enetered the shed for more bodywork and a repaint. By the March the cab end had been completed and repainted into yellow. With the railway experiencing problems with structural corrosion on its Mark 1 carriage fleet, 56358 was hastily painted blue (repairs incomplete) and put back into traffic on a temporary basis for the December 2020 festive trains with 51213. 56358 was released from service again in early 2024 when the cab front received further work and another repaint before the vehicle was returned to traffic to operate services over Easter. That summer, the vehicle was withdrawn for a third time in quick succession for the final stages of the repaint to be undertaken. This included finishing off and a surprise change to Blue/Grey livery to match partner 51213. 56358 (renumbered 54358) was completed in August that year.
Future Plans Plans for the future include further interior backdating to complete the 1970's look, mainly the installation of original pattern Formica to the side walls, recovered from 56365.

	The first class portion of E54358, 29/9/24. Ken Jones

	E54358/E51213 paired up in matching Blue & Grey livery for the first time, 12/8/24. Brad Wright

	Newly repainted, and renumbered, E54358 inside the shed at Chappel shortly before being released back into traffic. The surprise repaint into Blue/Grey means the vehicle now matches partner E51213 again, 5/7/24. James Cornell

	With freshly reapplied yellow cab front, 56358 briefly runs at Easter before being withdrawn again for the rest of the body repairs and repaint to be undertaken, 31/3/24. Mark Cornell

	56358 in the shed receiving cab front repairs and preparation for a repaint, 10/3/24. James Cornell

	56358/51213 in use at Chappel, 23/5/21. Dom Shaw

	56358/51213 in use on the demonstration line at Chappel passing the partially built "steam shed" which was housing two diesels at the time including W&M Railbus E79963! 56358 had been returned to traffic in a part completed state to run festive trains whilst the railway completed corrosion repairs to the Mark 1 coaches normally used on those services, 12/12/20. Chris Moxon

	56358 inside the shed at Chappel, having received cab end repairs and a repaint to this area, 7/3/20. Mark Cornell

	56358 now looking very shabby, in use at the diesel gala, 29/9/19. Mark Cornell

	56358/51213 in use at Chappel, 30/4/17. Carl Watson

	E56358, now starting to look slightly tired, at Chappel, 23/4/16. Mark Cornell

	E56358 stabled at Chappel, 30/12/14. Richard Moxon

	E56358 stabled at Chappel, 8/1/13. Q47541M

	E56358 & E51213, looking very 1970's stabled at Chappel, 20/9/12.Graham Bell

	E56358 & E51213 stabled at Chappel, 15/1/12. Wibble45

	Freshly repainted 56358 at Chappel, 1/4/11. Andy Neil

	56358 seen inside the shed at Chappel, 31/7/10. Nigel Gould

	56358 at Chappel, 21/6/09. David Beardmore

	153306 passes 56358 at Chappel station, representing two generations of Sudbury branch DMUs, 26/10/08. Chris Moxon

	56358 at Chappel station, undergoing interior restoration, 26/10/08. Chris Moxon

	Rear view of 56358 at Chappel station, undergoing interior restoration, 26/10/08. Chris Moxon

	E56358 and possibly E50599 at Chappel, 30/8/06. Andy Cole

	At Chappel station, 6/1/05. Darren Johnson

	At Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway for the Railcar50 event, 16/10/04. Simon Edwards

	In multiple with 53170, 16/10/04. Simon Edwards

	At Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway for the Railcar50 event, 11/10/04. Stuart Mackay

	54358/51213, mid restoration, make their preservation passenger debut at Easter at the East Anglian Railway Museum, 14/3/04. James West

Interior

	The cab (drivers side) of 56358. This rarely sees use by drivers, as the operation at Chappel normally involves the driver staying in the powercar with the guard in 56358's cab as a lookout, 12/12/20. Chris Moxon

	The cab (secondmans side) of 56358. This rarely sees use by drivers, as the operation at Chappel normally involves the driver staying in the powercar with the guard in 56358's cab as a lookout, 12/12/20. Chris Moxon

	The first class saloon of 56358, with the correct first class seating reinstated. Also of note is the original first class blue Formica panelling on the right. The left hand side is still to be treated but the panels are in stock ready, 12/12/20. Chris Moxon

	The middle saloon of 56358. The ceilings and lighting have been fully backdated to 1970's condition, however the seat moquette and Formica side panelling remains to be completed, when time/resources allows, 12/12/20. Chris Moxon

	The rear saloon of 56358. The ceilings and lighting have been fully backdated to 1970's condition, however the seat moquette and Formica side panelling remains to be completed, when time/resources allows, 12/12/20. Chris Moxon

	First Class seating in 56358, 9/7/11. Andy Neil

	The middle saloon in 56358. Note the replaced ceiling and the return of original tungsten lighting, 9/7/11. Andy Neil