59506 Class 117 Trailer Composite Lavatory
Home Railway |
Location History |
West Somerset RailwayAug 95-12 |
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Current Location |
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East Lancashire Railway Oct 13-Jul 14 |
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Current Status |
Operational |
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Peak Rail Apr 17-Jan 18 |
Current Livery |
BR Blue |
Peak Rail Apr 17-Jan 18 |
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TRA Designation |
Great Central Railway Jul 21-Present |
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Partner Vehicle(s) |
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Owner |
Mike Thompson |
Visited Railways |
Tyseley Locomotive Works (Contract Overhaul) 12-Oct 13 |
Website |
Private Site: MOD Long Marston (storage) Jul 14-Apr 17 |
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Record Last Updated |
1 October 2022 |
Private Site: Wishaw (storage) Jan 18-Jul 21 |
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Preservation Modifications |
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Preservation Information By March 1996, 59506 (along with 59493, 59510 and 59515) had been painted into a non authentic carmine & cream livery and formed a vacuum braked 4-car hauled coaching stock rake. Like many suburban centre cars at this time, the vehicle was not preserved as a DMU vehicle, being used as hauled coaching stock because they looked similar externally to some designs of GWR coaching stock. This dedicated 4 coach set was later disbanded when one of the vehicles was sold on to another railway. 59506 remained on the WSR and continued to be used as hauled coaching stock. By 2005 vehicle had been repainted green and was operating as a DMU again in a Class 117 3-car set between 51352 & 51376, two vehicles which were on loan to the raiwlay from the Army. However it is thought the vehicle rater reverted to a hauled coach after the loan of the Class 117 set ended and the powercars moved away in 2007. 59506 remained on the WSR and continued to be used as hauled coaching stock to boost the length of Mk1 coaching rakes during busier galas when as many coaches were required in service as possible, but was spending increasing amounts of time out of use in the headshunt at Minehead. In the early 2010's, 59506 was declared surplus to requirements and sold to a private owner who transferred it to Tyseley Locomotive Works for contract refurbishment to the structure at the ends. The vehicle was fully refurbished and emerged in 2013 with a fresh coat of BR Green and moved to the East Lancashire Railway where it was to be inserted into Class 117 set 51339 & 51382. However for various reasons this was not actually undertaken and during 2014 the vehicle was sent for testing work at the MOD site at Long Marston, where it was repainted yellow and remained for three years. In 2017, 59506 was moved to Peak Rail (where its owner's contract restoration business is based) but was on the move again the following year, into temporary storage in a haulage yard at Wishaw. It was later put up for sale as its parent powercars 51339 & 51382 (which in the end it never actually ran with in service) had already been sold on. It failed to find a buyer and the owner instead negotiated a deal where several of his vehicles could be stored on the Great Central Railway, 59506 making the move in July 2021. As part of the arrangement, 59506 would be available for use by the resident DMU group. Its excellent general condition meant that little work was required to relaunch it into passenger services. The main task was a repaint into BR blue livery to match its new operating partners, Class 101's 50203 & 50266. This was quickly completed and 59506 made its passenger debut on the Great Central Railway in September 2021. |
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Future Plans |
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W59506 gleams in the winter sunshine at Leicester North, 2/1/22. Darren JB |
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W59506 on one of its first runs following re-entry into service. Its good interior condition meant that the largest task after arrival at the GCR was a repaint into BR blue to match its new Class 101 partners. It was believed that this was the first time W59506 had operated properly as a DMU for nearly 15 years, 7/9/21. Renaissance Railcars |
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59506 at Loughborough shortly after arrival from storage. It is hoped to repaint the vehicle and put it into traffic in a short timescale, 13/7/21. Bruce Pollard |
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A rare view, taken with permission, of 59506 during its time stored privately at Wishaw, 19/4/21. Ken Jones |
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The unusual sight of 59506, in funky yellow livery, being transported away from Peak Rail by road, into storage at Wishaw, 26/1/18. Malcolm Adlington |
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59506 stabled at Minehead, now repainted into BR lined green. It is now thought that the coach sees limited use as a hauled coach now that the Class 117 powercars it operated with have left the line, 4/9/10. Chris Moxon |
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59506 stabled at Minehead, 13/6/10. David Beardmore |
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59506 stabled at Minehead, 7/10/07. Bill Pugsley |
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59506 stabled at Minehead, in Carmine & Cream livery during the days when it operated in a 4-car hauled coaching stock set, 3/10/99. Stuart Mackay |
Interior
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59506's first class saloon at Loughborough shortly after arrival from storage. It is in good condition and there are hopes to put it into traffic in a short timescale, 13/7/21. Bruce Pollard |
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View of the first class saloon, 8/4/03. Roger Marks |
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View of the second class saloon, 8/4/03. Roger Marks |