British Rail Class 117 Explained

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British Rail Class 117
Interiorimage:DMU carriage interior on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway.jpg
Interiorcaption:Interior of a Class 117.
Service:1959–2000; one unit used in departmental use until 2015
Manufacturer:Pressed Steel Company
Family:First generation
Replaced:Steam locomotives and carriages
Yearconstruction:1959–1961
Numberbuilt:123 cars (42 DMBS, 42 DMS, 39 TCL)
Numberpreserved:35 cars (17 DMBS, 16 DMS, 23 TCL)
Numberscrapped:88 cars (25 DMBS, 26 DMS, 16 TCL)
Formation:--
Operator:British Rail
ScotRail
Silverlink
Lines:Western Region
London Midland region
Scottish region
Carbody:Steel
Carlength:64feet
Width:9feet
Height:12feet
Doors:Slam
Art-Sections:Single car (2)
Maxspeed:700NaN0
Weight:Power cars:,
Trailer cars:
Engine:BUT (AEC) then BUT (Leyland), of 150hp, (both types), two per power car
Poweroutput:600hp per 3-car set
Transmission:Mechanical
Hvac:Oil burning air heater
Brakes:Vacuum
Safety:AWS
Coupling:Screw
Multipleworking:■ Blue Square

The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units (DMUs) were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961. It was a licence-built variant of the British Rail Class 116.[1]

Original work

A total of 123 Class 117 cars were built by Pressed Steel between 1959 and 1961, delivered as 39 three-car units plus three pairs of spare motor coaches. When first introduced in 1960, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage (railcar) units on British Railways Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington. The units were largely based at Reading and Southall depots. The units remained here for many years working these services.[2]

The type was used for a railtour from Paddington to the south west on 31 May 1969.[3]

Later operations

In the 1980s, expiry of other DMUs facilitated moves for some units from the Western Region to Birmingham, as below, and Scotland, prior to the delivery of new units to replace them. They were given refurbishments.

The first shake up in ownership occurred in the late 1980s, when the Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and Birmingham based units were transferred to Provincial Services, later Regional Railways, in the sectorisation of British Rail, while the Southall-based units transferred to Network SouthEast.

They were replaced on the lines out of Paddington when the Class 165/1 'Network Turbo' units came into service by 28 November 1992.[4]

They soldiered on in the former Western Region until replaced by Class 150 and Class 153 DMUs by 21 May 1993, although the type could be found running Penzance - Looe services until 1997. An attempt was made to remove them from Cornish work using Class 142 "Skipper/Pacer" railcars, but these fixed wheelbase units proved to be a liability on the tight Cornish branchline curves, increasing rail and wheel wear, and were transferred to the North of England instead. The 117s were finally replaced with the advent of more Class 150s and Class 153s freed up from other areas.[5]

The type was used in Scotland between Edinburgh - Perth, Cowdenbeath and Markinch using the Forth Bridge and continued to work in Scotland until 12 January 1998, where they were replaced with Class 156s. The final day of 117s running in Scotland was 27 November 1999.[6]

In 2000, Class 150 Sprinter units replaced the Class 117 units on Silverlink, finally bringing to an end decades of service on Britain's rail network in front line service.[7]

Table of orders and numbers! Lot No. !! Type !! Diagram !! Qty !! Fleet numbers !! Notes
30546 Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) 534 42 51332–51373
30547 Trailer Composite with lavatory (TCL) 601 39 59484–59522
30548 Driving Motor Second (DMS) 535 42 51374–51415

Preservation

Due to the type's longevity, 12 units have been preserved on heritage railways.

Set numberVehicle numbersLiveryLocationNotes
DMBSTCLDMS
L7215136359510 51405BR GreenGloucestershire Warwickshire RailwayFully operational, owned by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Ltd.
11720451365align=center-51407BR GreenPlym Valley Railway
11730151353align=center-align=center-ScotRailWensleydale RailwayBought by a local community group.[8] 51395 Scrapped March 2013
117310align=center-align=center-51381Regional RailwaysMangapps Railway Museum-
11731151352align=center-51376Yellow DMBS, Green with whiskers DMSSouth Devon RailwayCurrently Under Restoration to run with W55000.[9]
align=center-51371align=center-51413BR GreenMOD Long MarstonPreserved June 2015 [10]
117313513395950651382BR GreenColne Valley RailwayMoved from East Lancashire Railway in 2021
L702513565949251392BR GreenSwanage Railway51356 restored to main line standard.[11]
align=center-51342align=center-51384BR GreenEpping Ongar RailwayRepainted into BR green from EOR dark blue livery
align=center-513465948651388BR GreenSwanage Railway Overhauled & Mainline Registered.
11744451360BR BlueGloucestershire Warwickshire RailwayHas recently been refloored inside, expected to return to BR green in due course.
align=center-513475950851401BR Green Gwili Railway
align=center-513675951151402BR GreenStrathspey Railway51402 and 51367 both now repainted, 59511 being restored
L432513705952051412BR BlueMid-Norfolk Railway-
align=center-51372align=center-align=center-BR BluePrivate site; Titley junction station [12] -
align=center-align=center-5950951400BR GreenWensleydale RailwayMain-line certificated by RESCO
align=center-51351align=center-51397GreenPontypool and Blaenavon Railway
L72051354align=center-51396BR GreenPeak Rail
align=center-align=center-align=center-51375BR GreenChinnor and Princes Risborough RailwayRebuilt as an intermediate car by Chiltern Railways for use as a water jetting van. Sold in 2015 to its current owner
align=center-align=center-59488align=center-Green and CreamPaignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
align=center-59493align=center-BR Green West Somerset Railway
align=center-align=center-59494align=center-Green and CreamPaignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
align=center-align=center-59500align=center-Green and CreamWensleydale Railway
align=center-align=center-59501align=center-BR Green Great Central Railway
align=center-align=center-59503align=center-Chocolate and CreamPaignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
align=center-align=center-59507align=center-Chocolate and CreamPaignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
align=center-align=center-59513align=center-Chocolate and CreamPaignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
align=center-align=center-59514align=center-BR GreenSwindon and Cricklade Railway
align=center-align=center-59515align=center-Blood and CustardYeovil Railway Centre
align=center-align=center-59517align=center-Chocolate and CreamPaignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
align=center-align=center-59521align=center-ScotrailHelston Railway
align=center-align=center-59522align=center-BR Blue and GreyChasewater Railway
align=center-align=center-59511align=center-BR GreenStrathspey Railway
align=center-51366align=center-align=center-- -parts survive [13]
align=center-align=center-59505align=center-BR GreenGloucestershire Warwickshire RailwayUnder restoration, owned by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Ltd.[14]

References

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Preserved Vehicles.
  2. Web site: Diesel Multiple Units.
  3. Web site: The Taunton Trains Collection Gallery. TauntonTrains.co.uk. 19 May 2024.
  4. Web site: BR Class Manual . PDF.
  5. Web site: Toddington to Laverton Halt. 19 May 2024.
  6. Web site: Class 117 DMU.
  7. Book: Heritage DMUs: The Final Years. 9781445640297. Marks. Roger. 15 February 2015. Amberley Publishing Limited .
  8. Web site: 51353.
  9. Web site: 51352.
  10. Web site: 51371.
  11. Web site: 51356.
  12. Web site: 51372.
  13. Web site: Preserved Vehicles.
  14. Web site: 59505.

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