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British Rail Class 108

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British Rail Class 108
A class 108 unit formed from Nos. M50944, M56228 in 1975.
A class 108 near Lancaster in 1975
The second class saloon of 52054 on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.
In service1958–1993
ManufacturerBritish Railways
Built atDerby Works
Family nameFirst generation
ReplacedSteam locomotives and carriages
Constructed1958–1961
Scrapped1964–1993
Number builtDMBS: 152, DMCL: 58, DTCL: 106, TSL: 11, TBSL: 6. Total: 333 cars
Number preserved32 sets
Formation2, 3, or 4-car sets
CapacityDMBS: 52 second class,
DMCL: 12 first 53 second,
DTCL: 12 first 53 second,
TSL: 68 second class,
TBSL: 50 second class
OperatorsBritish Rail
Lines servedLMR
NER
Specifications
Car length58 ft 1 in (17.70 m)
Width9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Height12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
Maximum speed70 mph (113 km/h)
WeightPower cars: 29.5 tonnes (29.0 long tons; 32.5 short tons),
Trailer cars: 21.5 to 23.5 tonnes (21.2 to 23.1 long tons; 23.7 to 25.9 short tons)
Prime mover(s)Two BUT (AEC) then BUT (Leyland)
Power output150 bhp (110 kW) per engine
TransmissionMechanical: 4-speed epicyclic gearbox
Safety system(s)AWS
Multiple working Blue Square
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)

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]

Overview

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Driver's cab, with the signal token in the middle

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 These units stayed in regular service until 1990, when they began to be withdrawn from traffic.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]

Orders

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Table of orders
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

Accidents and incidents

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Preservation

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Five Class 108 vehicles at Bewdley on the SVR

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[when?] – and is believed to be the first class 108 to have been seen on main lines for a very long time.

Preserved examples
Set number Vehicle numbers Livery Location Notes
DMBS TCL DMCL
- 50599 - - BR Blue Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Operational
- 50619 59387 51566 BR Green Dean Forest Railway Operational
- 50628 - - BR Green Keith and Dufftown Railway Operational
- 52044 (DMCL) - 50632 BR Blue and Grey Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Scrapped[6]
- 50926 - 50645 BR Blue and Grey Great Central Railway Under Restoration
- 50928 - 51565 BR Green Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Under restoration
- 50933 - 52064 BR Green Severn Valley Railway Operational
- 50971 - 51571 BR Green Kent and East Sussex Railway Operational
- 50980 - 52054 BR Green Weardale Railway Operational
- 51922 - 51562 BR Green (51922) and BR Blue (51562) National Railway Museum Static Display
- - - 51567 BR Blue and Grey Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Stored
- 56274(DTCL) - 51572 United Steel Red and Grey / BR Green Wensleydale Railway Stored
- 51907 - 56490(DTCL) BR Blue and Grey Llangollen Railway Operational
- 51909 - 56271(DTCL) BR Green East Somerset Railway Operational
- 51914 - 56492(DTCL) BR Green Dean Forest Railway Operational
- 51919 - 52048 BR Blue Garw Valley Railway Operational
- 51933 - 56504(DTCL) BR Green Swanage Railway Operational
- 51937 - 56484(DTCL) BR White Stripe/ Blue and Grey Poulton & Wyre Railway Under Restoration
- 51941 - - BR Green Severn Valley Railway Operational
- 51942 - 56270(DTCL) Network South East/BR Blue and Grey Mid-Norfolk Railway Stored
- 51947 - - BR Blue and Grey Bodmin and Wenford Railway Stored as a source for spare parts
- 51950 - 52062 Chocolate and Cream Telford Steam Railway Operational
- - - 52044 BR Blue and Grey Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Operational
- - - 52053 BR Green Keith and Dufftown Railway Operational
- - 59245(TBSL) 54207(DTCL) Blood and Custard Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society Operational
- - - 56208(DTCL) BR Green Severn Valley Railway Operational
- 51618(Class 127) - 56223(DTCL) BR Green East Anglian Railway Museum Operational
- - - 56224(DTCL) BR Green Keith and Dufftown Railway Operational
- - - 56279(DTCL) BR Green Lavender Line Operational
- - - 56491(DTCL) BR Green Keith and Dufftown Railway Operational
- - - 56495(DTCL) BR Green Kirklees Light Railway Static Display
- - 59250(TBSL) - BR Green Severn Valley Railway Operational

Model railways

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In 2007, Bachmann introduced OO gauge models of the Class 108 in BR green, BR blue and grey, and Network SouthEast liveries.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Class 108 D.M.U. British Rail Derby – Telford Steam Railway". Archived from the original on 27 December 2015.
  2. ^ Edgar, Gordon (15 February 2015). Yorkshire & Humberside Traction. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445643335.
  3. ^ a b Vaughan, Adrian (2003) [2000]. Tracks to Disaster. Hersham, UK: Ian Allan. pp. 53–61, 100–104. ISBN 0-7110-2985-7.
  4. ^ "Accident at Hyde North Junction on 22nd August 1990". Railways Archive. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  5. ^ "A report of a train accident that occurred on 22 August 1990 at Hyde North Junction in the London Midland Region of British Railways" (PDF). Health and Safety Executive. 15 November 1991. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  6. ^ "In Brief". Railways Illustrated. No. 239. January 2023. p. 29.
  7. ^ Wild, Mike (April–May 2007). "The Bachmann 108s roll in". Hornby Magazine. No. 1. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 82–83. ISSN 1753-2469. OCLC 226087101.

General references

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Further reading

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