M50517

M50517 is a Class 104 Driving Motor Composite Lavatory (DMCL). Delivered to the North West (Stoke shed) in 1957, M50517 was delivered as part of a 3-car set, alongside M59175 & M50465 (neither survives). This was just one of a large batch (52) of 3-cars for the London Midland region of BR. It weighs 31 tons and seats 12 people in first class and 54 people in second class, with a lavatory also being included at the rear. M50517 was fitted from new with two BUT standard Leyland 680 engines and transmissions and is wired as Blue Square, the most common of the DMU multiple working types.

M50517 was put to service in the Stoke on Trent area initially running to Manchester, Derby and Crewe. The early 1960’s saw electrification of the Manchester to Crewe and Birmingham lines so it was then diagrammed to work suburban services around Manchester displacing older 1954 built vehicles on such lines as Manchester to Macclesfield, and Manchester to Buxton. The vehicle would have been in the early (malachite) green that 104s were delivered in, with the set receiving the more conventional green (darker, known as ‘loco green’) by 1960. A repaint into BR Blue would also follow, along with the removal of the blue asbestos insulation. This was done to many 104s, although none were included in the main refurbishment program, so the 104s were often clean of asbestos while retaining many of their original fittings. In the 1970's M50517 was classified as 104 and later renumbered to M53517 to avoid clashing with TOPS coded diesel locomotives. The route indicator situated under the centre cab window had also been plated over. The 1970’s and early 80’s saw the vehicle allocated to Newton Heath (Manchester) & Buxton, before being transferred to work in Scotland in 1986. M53517 journeyed back south to end its days working from Chester, in set CH611. By the end of 1990 the Chester 104s had been replaced by either refurbished Class 108s or newer “second generation” DMUs. M53517 was not selected for further use in London (unlike 53437 & M50455) and was withdrawn from service, being stored at Chester next to the station in a long line of vehicles many enthusiasts will remember.

M53517 was condemned for scrapping with other First Generation DMUs coming out of service at this time having been displaced by more modern units. However the vehicle was purchased in 1992 as part of a bulk buy of twelve vehicles from Kevin Dowd and Robert Simpson. M53517 was soon moved to the CVR and after initial inspection appeared to be the vehicle in the best condition. So it was chosen in 1992 to be the first 104 to be restored after only 2 years out of use (15 years on there are still vehicles waiting their turn!).

Five years of restoration at the growing Churnet Valley Railway commenced before in 1997 it was discovered that the cab support of M53517 had serious corrosion, the whole area having to be replaced. This added two years to the restoration and the long restoration also meant many minor parts were misplaced. However the exterior of the vehicle was completed in 1999 (finished in green primer) and the restoration took a back set for the next 3 years while M50455 was brought to the same condition. By 2002, both vehicles were being progressed together, and were out shopped from Oakamoor shed sporting BR Green with whiskers. M53517 had also been renumbered to the older M50517. A further 18 months were spent getting the interior and mechanical parts to a standard suitable for public passenger service. This involved recovering the seats and cleaning lino, rebuilding the wooden interior with a mix of new and reused panels and fitting the luggage racks, ceilings and associated electrics. M50455 & M50517 finally entered service on the CVR at the "Swansong of Steam" gala in September 2004. M50517 is currently our flagship vehicle, having had a more thorough restoration than M50455.

The unit, in mint condition, debuted at the 2004 "Swansong of Steam" gala, before being whisked off to the Severn Valley Railway for the never-to-be-repeated Railcar50 event, the biggest gathering of running DMU sets to date. We flew the flag for BRCW alongside Class 118 from the Battlefield Railway and the weekend was an unforgettable experience. M50517 had the honor of leading the 12 car Fish & Chip special from Bridgnorth-Kidderminster on the Saturday night, the longest DMU to have ran in preservation. After the event, the M50517 returned to the CVR for two years of intensive running, providing a mid-week service for the railway in August and during the school holidays. It also ran on off-peak Saturdays ensuring the railway was running every weekend from April-October. The line enjoyed this increased running from 2005-2006 before a review of services resulted in the midweek running being removed. 2007 & 2008 saw the vehicle used on Bank Holidays and Special Events only, providing a second train alongside a steam hauled set. M50517 has always ran as a power-twin set with M50455, the unit having 600hp for just two carriages.

M50517 is currently fully operational and running with M50455. At the moment the set can be enjoyed on roughly 20 days a year on bank holidays and some special events. The mechanics are currently being serviced, each component being removed, overhauled and but back on between running dates so the vehicle remains operational. In the short term future, it is planned to overhaul M50517 in 2009, with the interior having a quick tidy up. The exterior will also be rubbed down and repainted, along with M50455. This repaint will coincide with the completion of centre car M59137 which will be inserted between M50455 & M50517, meaning a fully overhauled 3-car set can be launched into service. Running maintenance is just as important as vehicle restoration, and the more volunteers the group can attract, the higher the standard of our running vehicles can be. If you have any amount of spare time and interest then perhaps you should consider joining us?