53437

53437 is the earliest surviving Class 104 Driving Motor Brake Second. It was introduced in 1957 as part of a batch of 51 three car sets for British Railways’ London Midland Region. Numbered M50437, it entered service with Trailer Composite Lavatory M59145 and Driving Motor Composite Lavatory M50489. Unfortunately both vehicles were later scrapped. A feature which makes 53437 a little different is the roof mounted marker light, which was only fitted to the first 19 Class 104 sets. M53494 is the only other vehicle to survive with this configuration. 53437 weighs 31 tons and seats 54 passengers in two second class saloons. Two passenger “vestibules” separate the saloons with passengers exiting the vehicle through four exterior doors. Additional doors are located in the drivers cab and the guard’s compartment. The vehicle is fitted with two standard Leyland 680 horizontal diesel engines providing 300hp. Standard transmissions and control systems enable 53437 to operate in multiple with other DMUs that carry the “Blue Square” coupling code, the most common of the multiple working types.

53437 entered service in the North West in 1957. The earliest known record of the vehicle in service was on a Sunday excursion working from Manchester to Newcastle on the 3rd November 1957 where the 3-car set listed above was paired with M50449/M59157/M50501 in a six coach formation. The Class 104 3-car sets proved versatile replacements for previously steam hauled secondary & branch line services in the area, and 53437 would have worked many of the routes around Manchester, particularly the Manchester-Buxton line, which was to have an association with the class for years to come.

Around 1960, the short lived light green livery that 53437 was delivered in was replaced by the more conventional BR green that was to last much longer. 53437 continued to work around the North West routes it was designed for throughout the 1960’s & 1970’s. During this time, British Railways’ policy resulted in the vehicle losing its lined green livery in favour of all over blue. This was also the start of the BR’s DMU refurbishment program. Although Class 104’s were never selected for proper investment and full refurbishment (unlike other more common classes such as 101 & 108) most vehicles went through a major overhaul, which included the removal of the original asbestos

insulation and several front end changes which were to change the character of the vehicle. The two character headcode box under the centre window was plated over and an additional two marker lights were positioned either side, to match the later build of 104. The original top marker light was to be eventually removed and plated over.

The 1980’s were to see M53437 (as it had now been renumbered to) transferred away from its North West home south to the London area, where it was operating the lines that had not been electrified. Working a poor area of the BR network during a time of underinvestment, added to the fact the vehicle was now thirty years old, took its toll and reliability of all the units left much to be desired. The vehicle was moved around several times paired with many different vehicles as maintenance dictated. 53437 was even noted working with DTCL M54182 from Cricklewood depot, a pairing which could one day be recreated, as M54182 is also now preserved at the CVR.

Luckily, 53437 was to see an extended period of service when it was one of eight DMBS vehicles selected for refurbishment for the newly created Network SouthEast, which wanted them for use on its Gospel Oak-Barking line. Three of these eight vehicles were to survive in preservation (53437, 53455 & 53479). It was overhauled for the last time at Doncaster works in 1988 and was unveiled with 53479 as set L701 in the garish red, blue & white striped “toothpaste” livery. 53437 was the first class 104 to carry this colour scheme, and has now become the last, the other seven vehicles either having been scrapped, or returned to older liveries in preservation. Towards the end of service, the vehicle would have been split and run in many hybrid formations with other classes of DMU, as it didn’t make much sense to keep the Network South East 104 sets together with there being two brake vans in a set.

In January 1992 the Gospel Oak-Barking service (that 53437 was dedicated to) was given over to Class 115 units, and 53437 was withdrawn with electrical faults alongside 53479 leaving the other six vehicles to soldier on. 53437 was condemned with many other DMUs at that time for scrap.

However the vehicle was purchased in 1992 as part of a bulk buy of twelve vehicles from enthusiasts Kevin Dowd and Robert Simpson. The vehicle was particularly important to preserve as the roof lamp will be essential in recreating the Buxton 3-car set, which is the main long term aim of the BRCW Group. After a brief period in storage on the mainline, 53437 was moved onto the Churnet Valley Railway during the mid 1990’s. However following inspection M50455 was found to be the DMBS in better condition and so 53437 was stored awaiting its turn in the restoration queue.

Ten years later in 2004, with the restoration of M50455/M50517 complete, the group were

53437 has never run in preservation, and remains in storage awaiting its turn for restoration. Unfortunately nearly 20 years stood idle has taken its toll on the condition of the vehicle, and restoration will not be a small task.

However as the only other brake vehicle on the railway, this vehicle will one day form part of our second Class 104 set, a project we will start once M59137’s restoration is complete, and our current set is made up to three vehicles.

53437’s long term place is the DMBS in the group’s flagship 1980’s Buxton 3-car set, along with M59137 & M53494.