British Rail Class 104
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 104 diesel multiple unit
s were built by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
from 1957 to 1959.
The first units ordered were for the London Midland Region, with the majority of the class for use in North West of England with sets also in Tyneside (being made redundant by the opening of the Tyne & Wear Metro in 1980). In the mid-1980s a few units reallocated to Scotland, with one unit being repainted in a unique maroon and white livery for services to Oban
– it became known as the "Mexican Bean". Other vehicles spent time in London and the last vehicles could be found there in the early 1990s.
The class was gradually taken out of service from the early 1980s. The final vehicles were withdrawn in 1995.
trains with Class 37 Diesel 37075.
The Llangollen Railway run a two-car set (M50454/M50528) and have a spare power car (M50447) which is currently out of service. They were the first to return a Class 104 to passenger service back in 1994 and have kept it in service every season bar one since.
The Telford Steam Railway is home to the other four vehicles, a two-car set (53479/53531) being used as hauled passenger stock. The other two (53556/59228) are stored out of service.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 104 diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s were built by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was a railway locomotive and carriage builder, founded in Birmingham, England and, for most of its existence, located at nearby Smethwick, with the factory was divided by the boundary between the two places...
from 1957 to 1959.
The first units ordered were for the London Midland Region, with the majority of the class for use in North West of England with sets also in Tyneside (being made redundant by the opening of the Tyne & Wear Metro in 1980). In the mid-1980s a few units reallocated to Scotland, with one unit being repainted in a unique maroon and white livery for services to Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
– it became known as the "Mexican Bean". Other vehicles spent time in London and the last vehicles could be found there in the early 1990s.
The class was gradually taken out of service from the early 1980s. The final vehicles were withdrawn in 1995.
Orders
| Lot No. | Car type | Qty | Fleet numbers | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30290 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 4 | 50420–50423 | L.M.R. three car sets |
| 30291 | Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DMCL) | 4 | 50424–50427 | L.M.R. three car sets |
| 30292 | Trailer Lavatory Composite (TCL) | 4 | 59132–59135 | L.M.R. three car sets |
| 30293 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 52 | 50428–50479 | L.M.R. three car sets |
| 30294 | Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DMCL) | 52 | 50480–50531 | L.M.R. three car sets |
| 30295 | Trailer Lavatory Composite (TCL) | 52 | 59136–59187 | L.M.R. three car sets |
| 30296 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 10 | 50532–50541 | L.M.R. two car sets |
| 30297 | Driving Trailer Lavatory Composite (DTCL) | 10 | 56175–56784 | L.M.R. two car sets |
| 30298 | Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DMCL) | 42 | 50542–50583 | N.E.R. four car sets |
| 30299 | Trailer Second Lavatory (TSL) | 21 | 59188–59208 | N.E.R. four car sets |
| 30300 | Trailer Brake Second Lavatory (TBSL) | 21 | 59209–59299 | N.E.R. four car sets |
| 30301 | Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DMCL) | 10 | 50584–50593 | L.M.R. three car sets |
| 30302 | Trailer Second Lavatory (TSL) | 5 | 59230–59234 | N.E.R. four car sets |
| 30303 | Trailer Brake Second Lavatory (TBSL) | 5 | 59240–59244 | N.E.R. four car sets |
| 30404 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 5 | 50594–50598 | N.E.R. two car sets |
| 30405 | Driving Trailer Lavatory Composite (DTCL) | 5 | 56185–56189 | N.E.R. two car sets |
Preservation
The Churnet Valley Railway is the main location for Class 104 preservation, with six of the thirteen preserved vehicles based there. The line is geographically appropriate to the Class, being close to Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, and other lines that the Class 104s served for most of their lives. A small restoration team has returned two of the four power cars to service, the set (M50455/M50517) being launched in 2004. Attention has now turned to unique Trailer Composite Lavatory (TCL) M59137, which when completed will strengthen the current 2-car set to 3 cars. Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL) M56182, was recently cosmetically restored into BR Blue livery and performed demonstration sanditeSandite
Sandite is a substance used on railways in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands to combat leaves on the line, which can cause train wheels to slip and become damaged with flat spots...
trains with Class 37 Diesel 37075.
The Llangollen Railway run a two-car set (M50454/M50528) and have a spare power car (M50447) which is currently out of service. They were the first to return a Class 104 to passenger service back in 1994 and have kept it in service every season bar one since.
The Telford Steam Railway is home to the other four vehicles, a two-car set (53479/53531) being used as hauled passenger stock. The other two (53556/59228) are stored out of service.
| Number | Vehicle Type | Livery | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50437 | DMBS | Network SouthEast | Churnet Valley Railway Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where... |
Stored awaiting restoration |
| 50447 | DMBS | Green | Llangollen Railway Llangollen Railway The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of... |
Stored awaiting restoration |
| 50454 | DMBS | BR Blue Small Yellow Warning Panels | Llangollen Railway Llangollen Railway The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of... |
Operational (paired with 50528) |
| 50455 | DMBS | Green | Churnet Valley Railway Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where... |
Operational (paired with 50517) |
| 50479 | DMBS | Green | Telford Steam Railway Telford Steam Railway The Telford Steam Railway is a heritage railway located at Horsehay, Telford in Shropshire, England, formed in 1976.The railway is operated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas... |
Operational (paired with 50531) |
| 50494 | DMCL | Blue | Churnet Valley Railway Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where... |
Stored awaiting restoration |
| 50517 | DMCL | Green | Churnet Valley Railway Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where... |
Operational (paired with 50455) |
| 50528 | DMCL | BR Blue Small Yellow Warning Panels | Llangollen Railway Llangollen Railway The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of... |
Operational (paired with 50454) |
| 50531 | DMCL | Green | Telford Steam Railway Telford Steam Railway The Telford Steam Railway is a heritage railway located at Horsehay, Telford in Shropshire, England, formed in 1976.The railway is operated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas... |
Operational (paired with 50479) |
| 50556 | DMCL | Blue | Telford Steam Railway Telford Steam Railway The Telford Steam Railway is a heritage railway located at Horsehay, Telford in Shropshire, England, formed in 1976.The railway is operated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas... |
Stored awaiting restoration |
| 56182 | DTCL | Blue | Churnet Valley Railway Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where... |
Stored awaiting restoration (ex sandite car) |
| 59137 | TCL | Green | Churnet Valley Railway Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where... |
Undergoing major restoration |
| 59228 | TBS | Blue | Telford Steam Railway Telford Steam Railway The Telford Steam Railway is a heritage railway located at Horsehay, Telford in Shropshire, England, formed in 1976.The railway is operated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas... |
Stored awaiting restoration |