| Background: |
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| British Rail Class 108 | |
| Imagealt: | A class 108 unit formed from Nos. M50944, M56228 in 1975. |
| Interiorimage: | Inside 52054 second class saloon.jpg |
| Interiorcaption: | The second class saloon of 52054 on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. |
| Service: | 1958–1993 |
| Manufacturer: | British Railways |
| Factory: | Derby Works |
| Family: | First generation |
| Yearconstruction: | 1958–1961 |
| Yearscrapped: | 1964–1993 |
| Numberbuilt: | 152, : 58, : 106, : 11, : 6. Total: 333 cars |
| Numberpreserved: | 32 sets |
| Formation: | 2, 3, or 4-car sets |
| Capacity: | 52 second class, |
| Operator: | British Rail |
| Lines: | LMR NER |
| Carlength: | 58feet |
| Width: | 9feet |
| Height: | 12feet |
| Maxspeed: | 700NaN0 |
| Weight: | Power cars:, Trailer cars: 21.5to |
| Engine: | Two BUT (AEC) then BUT (Leyland) |
| Poweroutput: | 150bhp per engine |
| Transmission: | Mechanical: 4-speed epicyclic gearbox |
| Safety: | AWS |
| Multipleworking: | ■ Blue Square |
The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles.[1]
The 108 was formed as a 2-, 3-, or 4-car unit. Its aluminium body led the type to be classed as a lightweight unit. These units stayed in regular service until 1990, when they began to be withdrawn from traffic. They were replaced on regional services by the new Sprinter derivative units, or by Turbo units on services around London. The final units lasted in traffic until October 1993, although many saw further use in departmental service, as sandite or route-learner units. Good condition on withdrawal and lack of asbestos have ensured that many of this class are now used on preserved railway lines.[2]
| Lot No. | Car type | Qty | Fleet No. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30406 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 26 | 50599–50624 | ER power-trailer and power-twin sets |
| 30407 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 5 | 50625–50629 | LMR power-trailer sets |
| 30408 | Driving Motor Composite with lavatory (DMCL) | 17 | 50630–50646 | ER power-twin and four-car sets |
| 30409 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 21 | 56190–56210 | ER Driving-trailer sets |
| 30410 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 5 | 56211–56215 | LMR Driving-trailer sets |
| 30411 | Trailer Second with lavatory (TSL) | 6 | 59380–59385 | ER four-car sets |
| 30412 | Trailer Brake Second with lavatory (TBSL) | 6 | 59245–59250 | ER four-car sets |
| 30460 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 12 | 50924–50935 | LMR power-twin sets |
| 30461 | Driving Motor Composite with lavatory (DMCL) | 12 | 51561–51572 | LMR power-twin sets |
| 30465 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 50 | 50938–50987 | LMR power-trailer sets |
| 30466 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 50 | 56221–56270 | LMR Driving-trailer sets |
| 30493 | Trailer Second with lavatory (TSL) | 5 | 59386–59390 | ER (power-twin to) three-car sets |
| 30498 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 9 | 51416–51424 | LMR power-trailer sets |
| 30499 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 9 | 56271–56279 | LMR power-trailer sets |
| 30601 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 50 | 51901–51950 | LMR power-trailer and power-twin sets |
| 30602 | Driving Trailer Composite with lavatory (DTCL) | 21 | 56484–56504 | LMR Driving-trailer sets |
| 30660 | Driving Motor Composite with lavatory (DMCL) | 29 | 52037–52065 | LMR power-twin sets |
Many vehicles have been preserved on heritage railways. None are currently certified for use on the main line – although the Swanage Railway's set was hauled from the railway to Eastleigh and back, for overhaul – and is believed to be the first class 108 to have been seen on main lines for a very long time.
| Set number | Vehicle numbers | Livery | Location | Notes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMBS | TCL | DMCL | ||||||||
| align=center | - | 50599 | align=center | - | align=center | - | BR Blue | Ecclesbourne Valley Railway | Operational | |
| align=center | - | 50619 | 59387 | 51566 | BR Green | Dean Forest Railway | Operational | |||
| align=center | - | 50628 | align=center | - | align=center | - | BR Green | Keith and Dufftown Railway | Operational | |
| align=center | - | 52044 (DMCL) | align=center | - | 50632 | BR Blue and Grey | Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway | Scrapped[6] | ||
| align=center | - | 50926 | align=center | - | 50645 | BR Blue and Grey | Great Central Railway | Under Restoration | ||
| align=center | - | 50928 | align=center | - | 51565 | BR Green | Keighley and Worth Valley Railway | Under restoration | ||
| align=center | - | 50933 | align=center | - | 52064 | BR Green | Severn Valley Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | 50971 | align=center | - | 51571 | BR Green | Kent and East Sussex Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | 50980 | align=center | - | 52054 | BR Green | Weardale Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | 51922 | align=center | - | 51562 | BR Green (51922) and BR Blue (51562) | National Railway Museum | Static Display | ||
| align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | 51567 | BR Blue and Grey | Ecclesbourne Valley Railway | Stored | |
| align=center | - | 56274(DTCL) | align=center | - | 51572 | United Steel Red and Grey / BR Green | Wensleydale Railway | Stored | ||
| align=center | - | 51907 | align=center | - | 56490(DTCL) | BR Blue and Grey | Llangollen Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | 51909 | align=center | - | 56271(DTCL) | BR Green | East Somerset Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | 51914 | align=center | - | 56492(DTCL) | BR Green | Dean Forest Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | 51919 | align=center | - | 52048 | BR Blue | Garw Valley Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | 51933 | align=center | - | 56504(DTCL) | BR Green | Swanage Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | 51937 | align=center | - | 56484(DTCL) | BR White Stripe/ Blue and Grey | Poulton & Wyre Railway | Under Restoration | ||
| align=center | - | 51941 | align=center | - | align=center | - | BR Green | Severn Valley Railway | Operational | |
| align=center | - | 51942 | align=center | - | 56270(DTCL) | Network South East/BR Blue and Grey | Mid-Norfolk Railway | Stored | ||
| align=center | - | 51947 | align=center | - | align=center | - | BR Blue and Grey | Bodmin and Wenford Railway | Stored as a source for spare parts | |
| align=center | - | 51950 | align=center | - | 52062 | Chocolate and Cream | Telford Steam Railway | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | 52044 | BR Blue and Grey | Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway | Operational | |
| align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | 52053 | BR Green | Keith and Dufftown Railway | Operational | |
| align=center | - | align=center | - | 59245(TBSL) | 54207(DTCL) | Blood and Custard | Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | 56208(DTCL) | BR Green | Severn Valley Railway | Operational | |
| align=center | - | 51618(Class 127) | align=center | - | 56223(DTCL) | BR Green | East Anglian Railway Museum | Operational | ||
| align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | 56224(DTCL) | BR Green | Keith and Dufftown Railway | Operational | |
| align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | 56279(DTCL) | BR Green | Lavender Line | Operational | |
| align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | 56491(DTCL) | BR Green | Keith and Dufftown Railway | Operational | |
| align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | 56495(DTCL) | BR Green | Kirklees Light Railway | Static Display | |
| align=center | - | align=center | - | 59250(TBSL) | align=center | - | BR Green | Severn Valley Railway | Operational | |
In 2007, Bachmann introduced OO gauge models of the Class 108 in BR green, BR blue and grey, and Network SouthEast liveries.[7]