Class 117 - Diesel Multiple Unit
DMS 51407 & DMBS 51365 - T304

In October 1958 the British Transport Commission placed an order for 168 vehicles. 57 DMBS, 57 DMS and 54 TC for the Western Region. The Pressed Steel Co. at Linwood, Paisley was to build 123 and the BRC&W were to build 45 vehicles, what were to become class 118's. At the time 108 vehicles were allocated for suburban services out of Paddington, 15 for the Taunton - Bristol area, and the remaining 45 for Devon and Cornwall. Deliveries of the 117's commenced in November 1959 and continued for 12 months. The units were based on the BR Derby high-density suburban design, but were not corridor fitted originally, although 2 toilets were fitted in the un-powered centre trailer cars. By 1965, 4 sets had been fitted with corridor connections within the sets, and the rest converted by 1968 for "paytrain" operations.

They were delivered in Brunswick Green, mainly unlined, but with speed whiskers and white cab roof domes. From 1964, yellow warning panels replaced the speed whiskers, and they were lined out as they went through the shops. Inside the seats were originally maroon with tan headrests, with a green floor and Drivers seats. The partitions were in light tan coloured wood grain formica. After 1967 they were re-painted into standard BR Blue with yellow ends, and in the 1980's they started to receive the blue and grey livery. Following the launch of Network SE in June 1986, some received the red, white, blue and grey livery, with some of the sets transferred to Haymarket receiving regional railways and orange PTE liveries. One Bristol based set was painted a chocolate and cream livery, in connection with the GWR 150 celebrations in 1985. Some class 117 sets were retained in the London area for working the North London lines until class 150 units could be released to replace them in the late 1990's, and some sets worked in the Manchester area in 2001, then over 40 years old.

51365 and 51407 along with TC 59517, now also preserved on the Paignton and Dartmouth line, were allocated to Southall depot by October 1965, and were working the Paddington - Slough - Reading local services. By 1984 the set was allocated to Bristol as B427, and could be seen working to places like Weymouth. In 1987 the set was back in the London area as L427, based at Reading, but had been transferred to Tyseley, Birmingham, by 1989 as set T304. We believe that in 1992 the set was withdrawn from service and sold for scrap, but due to the unsuitability of the class 142 "Skipper" units, as they were called in Devon & Cornwall, a fleet of 1st generation units was drafted back in as replacements, until class 150 and 153 "Sprinters" were available. T304, now only a 2 car set, was one of these sets and was rescued from the scrap line and refurbished before being sent to work the Cornish branch lines, based at St. Blazey.

Late in 1993, after servicing one night, 51407 derailed on a set of points in the yard and received slight damage to the body work and buffer locking with 51365. During the recovery operation the cardan drive shafts were removed along with some of the suspension blocks and a main spring. The unit was then stored in a siding beside the turntable at St. Blazey until the Plym Valley Railway purchased the two power cars in 1995. Moving the set to the railway proved interesting, as St. Blazey depot has restricted road access and is surrounded by low bridges and narrow roads. The only way to get the unit out, was by loading the cars onto the Allelys transporter in Par Docks, which then traversed the road now built on the old Par to Fowey branch line, is this the first DMU to have covered that line, albeit on a lorry, then through the lanes to the main road, and across to the A30 at Bodmin. They then had to travel up to Exeter, being too long or heavy to come direct, and back down the A38 to Plymouth, arriving on two separate days.

Since arriving at the Railway the missing spring and suspension blocks have been replaced, along with the fuel tanks from 51407, which had been taken off at some stage. 51365 was successfully started and used to shunt 51407 around as we had problems with the fuel pumps on this car. When we started up the engines they went to full power as the governors had stuck, they have now been overhauled. We have now taken the opportunity to have all four fuel pumps and injectors overhauled, to hopefully ensure we do not get this problem again. The body work has been rubbed down, with some corrosion being cut out and filled, and the unit is now repainted back into green livery, with speed whiskers. Inside she has been given a good clean out with some wall panels being replaced in the guards compartment, which had become damaged with water leaking in from the gutters where they had rotted out.

Until a new satisfactory automatic fire extinguisher system has been fitted, the D.M.U. cannot run in passenger service under her own power. 13002 or Albert will be used to power the unit on service trains whilst arrangements are made to fit a new system.

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D.M.U. entering the platform before passenger operations start on a  running day	51407 on a Weymouth service at Westbury on 21-9-84	The first train over Bridge No. 1
D.M.U. and 13002 start to climb up from Marsh Mills	D.M.U. at World's End	D.M.U. being propelled through the cutting by Albert

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