Current number:
977349
Any other previous number(s):
BR EMU 61183
Notes:
Moved to Finmere, Newton Purcell, Buckinghamshire 6/18. Moved to private site at Piddington near Bicester ?/20
Livery:
MERSEYRAIL - BLACK & YELLOW

Categories:
Preserved vehicles
977xxx series
Not seen recently / to check

Photos

Comments

The following comments have been left on photos of this vehicle. To reply, just visit one of the photos.

• 977349, 977346 (6910) & 977350

  4 August 2002 - Vince

  Just in case anyone is wondering which is which, from left to right they are 977349, 6910, 977350.

• 977349

  28 May 2004 - michael costar

  Are there any 501 cars left apart from the two that belong to the MOD for use as coaches.

• 977349

  26 October 2006 - Mike Porter

  I believe there are now only 2 class 501 cars left.

  75186 (ex MOD Marchwood) now at Coventry, which has very recently been joined by 977349 (ex Immingham). The other Marchwood item TS 70170 was found to have a twisted frame and collision damage. It went for scrap.

• 977349

  6 November 2006 - Ben Williams

  If anyone has any more history on this vehicle please contact me.

• 977349

  6 November 2006 - Dave Carson

  Have a gut feeling that this is one of the ex-LMR Euston-Watford/Broad Street-Richmond Driving Motor Brake Seconds used in regular service until the late 70s/early 80s when Broad Street closed and the fleet later replaced by 313s.

  The window bars mean that this would normally be a North London Line car (Broad Street-Richmond) because of the restricted tunnels around Finchley Road/Hampstead Heath, but were interchangeable with the Watford dc lines services.

  Surprised to see one make it to preservation, they were not my favourite emu, spent more time in these noisy, smelly, smoky cars getting wetter inside than in the rain outside at a miserable depressing Broad Street station!

• 977349

  7 November 2006 - Andrew Humphries

  This vehicle is a class 501 DMBS.

  It was delivered in 1957 to replace ageing LMS units, spending it's whole working life allocated to Croxley Green Depot in Watford.

  It remained in service until 1985 when it was replaced by transferred BR class 313 units

  3 class 501 units were kept and transferred to departmental service (Oct 85) working over Wirral/Mersey lines they remained in use until the end of 1995. They were dumped first at Birkenhead North then transferred to Chester, where the DTBS were coupled to class 73s for sandite duties. The vehicles were then withdrawn and sent to Immingham IRT for scrapping (Apr 02). With thanks to Immingham IRT this vehicle was set a side for preservation and was purchased by the SERA.

  977349(61183) was moved to Coventry on the 27th Oct 2006 and joins DTBS 75186 where both vehicles will be restored.

  If you require more information on this vehicle or would wish to help in its restoration please visit the SERA Web site @ http://www.emus.co.uk

• 977349

  7 November 2006 - Phil Scott

  Has the centre trailer 70170 from Marchwood been scrapped? I know it was sold to a scrap dealer, but last I heard it had not been cut. Is it intended to keep 61183+75186 as a pair, or augment them with a centre coach?

• 977349

  8 November 2006 - Ben Williams

  Yes - as per Mike's comment under the other photo it was found to have collision damage and a twisted frame and therefore sent for scrap - not sure when and where though.

• 977349

  22 January 2007 - Herbert Sprocket

  Very pleased to see this has been saved , were these 3 car units? does anyone know if a complete unit survives?

• 977349

  23 January 2007 - Michael Costar

  They always ran as 3 cars units, no others survive. On a personal note, very disappointed that SERA didn't purchase the centre coach, I understand it had bent frame but as the unit is practically a static exhibit and they never ran as 2 car units I don't see the problem especially as the remaining two cars require a lot of work to restore them. Saving two cars of a three car unit is to me a bit like saving a loco without its bogies.

  I know not everone will agree with me, but thats my opinion.

• 977349

  27 January 2007 - Robert Chilton

  I do absolutely agree with Michael Costar's comment re. not preserving the centre car, at the forefront of my mind having read the other day that one car from the only survivng class 311 has been sent for scrap for some reason, but nonetheless better to have some of a unit preserved than none at all.

• 977349

  30 January 2007 - Andrew Humphries

  Just to put the record straight. The SERA bid on both 501 vehicles that the MOD were selling, we were lucky, we got the driving trailer. The SERA gets its funds from a small collection of people and for what it achieves with it, is quite a feet. And yes the trailer was damaged, but as we are mostly static this would not have been a problem the vehicle also had all of the though cabling striped out so rebuilding would have been required, . Our goal is still to make it a 3 car 501 unit.

  It is hoped that a replacement can be found, any standard Mk1 57’ suburban 9 compartment coach can be rebuilt into a centre coach.

  By the way I believe that the trailer car is still intact.

• 977349

  30 January 2007 - Phil Scott

  Suburban second 46116 at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is for disposal or sale I think.

• 977349

  6 June 2008 - Jonathan Flood

  So does TS 70170 still survive or has it now actually been scrapped?

• 7 June 2018 - Ben Williams

  With most other vehicles reported now moved from Coventry this one remains unaccounted for... VCT suggests move to a "private site" but not sure where or whether this has happened yet? Any more news welcome.

• 10 June 2018 - Brian Cuttell

  Reported to have left Coventry (with the other Class 501 car M75186) on 8/6/18 for Finmere Station.

• 977349

  10 July 2018 - Christopher Jordan

  dear all has 977349 - Unit 936003 sandite & de-icing M & EE been taken for preservation to Bury in East Lancs Railway for tie up with another they are sposed to have already as I cant find out from anybody on at the site whois in the know on this special vehicle. thanx for ypour time if you reply to my request much apreciated kid regards Chris jordan aged 69

• 977349

  16 July 2018 - Simon Bendall

  It went to Finmere, near Bicester, with the other Class 501 car.

• 4 December 2022 - Vince

  A comment on trainlogger suggests that this (and 75186) didn't actually end up in Bicester after the Finmere clearance. Does anyone know where they did go to?

• 20 January 2023 - Ben Williams

  Still no news on this one?