Last 101 and 108 units in all-over blue?

[fezza]

Here's one for the livery experts - does anyone know which were the last 101s and 108s in all-over blue livery and when they were repainted into blue and grey?  I know the refurbished white was extinct in 1984, but I have a feeling all-over blue was extinct on 101s and 108s before then?  (Extinct at least on operational passenger stock - from memory I think a 101 survived in all over blue in departmental service for some time, although with considerable modifications).

 

Sorry if this has been covered on here before, but I can't find anything by searching.  Thanks for any help.

[Bomag]

They would have been repainted when refurbished, this was completed sometime about 1982

[Halvarras]

I can shed light on the first blue/grey Class 101 units and it's earlier than most people think. Around May/June 1974 five 3-car sets were reallocated all the way from Hamilton to Laira, where they received WR set numbers P800-4. P800/1 initially went to work on Devon and Cornish branch lines still in plain blue livery but P802-4 arrived in the area freshly repainted in blue/grey. Note that this was the same year that the first DMU refurbishment 'white with blue stripe' set was sent on its rounds (coincidentally this was from the same batch of Class 101 units), which means that these blue/grey Met-Cams were not refurbished, and retained their two-character headcode panels. The most likely explanation is that on their way to Laira they passed through Swindon Works where their low-density seating saw them classified as cross country units so they were repainted to match the local Classes 119s & 120s. They didn't stay in the far South West for long and were reallocated to Bristol the following year. When refurbishment eventually caught up with them they went white/blue stripe, which seemed a backward step!

[stovepipe]

A quick look through the extensive image collection of Railcar.co.uk reveals the last blue 108s were the Chester-based power-twins, fitted with headlights for working the Central Wales line, which lasted until late 1983.

 

[fezza]

Thanks, yes I've found a picture of a blue 108 in a 1983 spotter book so that would make sense.  I can't find any blue 101s after 1981.

 

I've dug through old railway magazines to check for articles on the extinction of all over blue on 101s and 108s but can't find anything (although my collection is not complete by any means).  One would have thought it would have been notable enough for someone to record the dates and numbers?

 

Interesting that there seem to have been some Western oddities that were painted in blue grey before full refurbishment. I don't know if any were painted blue after refurbishment in error or because some regions weren't keen on constantly cleaning white DMUs!

[Steamport Southport]

I think there were a few blue 108s around Manchester as well which worked the Buxton line.

 

They were mostly B/G in the North West as far as I can remember. I don't think I ever saw a white one in service, I only ever saw one at an open day. Possibly at Northwich.

 

I'm talking late 1970s, early 1980s.

 

 

Jason

Edited April 25, 2020 by Steamport Southport

[montyburns56]

This picture of a 104 at Man Vic says it was taken in Dec 1989.

 

 

Last day of 104's on Buxton services May 1989

 

 

 

 

Are we including Sandite units?

 

Buxton 1991

 

 

Edit:  Sorry I've just realised that you were only enquiring about 101/108s. 

Edited April 26, 2020 by montyburns56

[adb968008]

I thought I had a 108 here, but I think its a 116...

 

eitherway its a long way from Home in Bolton, only time I ever saw one in the North west, but it would be c1989... its all Blue, with a 101 centre car in it... 

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by adb968008

[DavidB-AU]

A couple of odd 101 vehicles still around after 1981.

 

Barmouth, September 1982.

 

Stanlow & Thornton, October 1982.

 

 

[fezza]

Thanks. Interesting to see at least some 101s lasted into Autum 1982. That's later than I thought. Does anyone have any later 'bids' or is David-B the winner? There could be some in departmental use I guess. 

 

I remember how mixed up dmu liveries were in the very early 1980s - a three car unit could have three different liveries. 

[stovepipe]

6 minutes ago, fezza said:

Thanks. Interesting to see at least some 101s lasted into Autum 1982. That's later than I thought. Does anyone have any later 'bids' or is David-B the winner? There could be some in departmental use I guess. 

 

I remember how mixed up dmu liveries were in the very early 1980s - a three car unit could have three different liveries. 

 

This one is 19th Feb 1983

https://www.railcar.co.uk/images/11850

 

and 27th May 1983

https://www.railcar.co.uk/images/11769

 

and this looks like the centre car might still be blue  2nd August 1983

https://www.railcar.co.uk/images/10436

[fezza]

I'd forgotten how useful the Railcar.co.uk image archive is.  The last 108  in blue could be this one,  on Christmas day 1983.  They may have crept into 1984, but I can't find any photographic evidence of that yet:

 

https://www.railcar.co.uk/images/14629

 

 

[Swindon 123]

On 25/04/2020 at 06:19, stovepipe said:

A quick look through the extensive image collection of Railcar.co.uk reveals the last blue 108s were the Chester-based power-twins, fitted with headlights for working the Central Wales line, which lasted until late 1983.

 

Such as this pairing at Crewe in Feb 1983. I think it was the last all blue one I captured.

 

 

Paul J.

 

[EddieK]

A quick trawl through my observations at Chester has found the following Class 101 and 108 vehicles in plain blue:

 

May 1982:   50933 - 51566 Class 108

May 1982:   51197 (Blue) - 56339 (Refurbished)  Class 101

May 1982:   50625 - 56213  Class 108

May 1982:   51176 - 56360  Class 101

 

Aug 1982:   50939 (Blue/Grey) - 52046 (Blue)   Class 108

 

Sept 1982:  51175 (Blue) - 56333 (Refurbished)  Class 101

 

Dec 1982:  51174 (Blue) - 56333 (Refurbished) Class 101

 

Jun 1983:  51947 - 52062  Class 108

 

Reference to Overhaul records shows the subsequent overhauls to when I saw these vehicles as:

 

50625  C1R Overhaul Swindon 21-1-83

50933  C3 Overhaul Swindon 4-5-84

51174  C3 Overhaul Derby 13-4-84

51175  C1R Overhaul Derby 31-3-83

51176  C3 Overhaul Swindon 10-12-82

51197  C3 overhaul Swindon 5-11-82

51566  C3 Overhaul Swindon 4-5-84

51947  C3 Overhaul Doncaster 10-2-84

52046  C3 Overhaul Swindon 20-1-84

52062  C3 Overhaul Doncaster 10-2-84

56213  C1R Overhaul Swindon 7-1-83

56360  C3 Overhaul Swindon 19-11-82

 

So the last plain blue set at Chester was Class 108 50933 - 51566 which emerged from Swindon in May 1984, so must have gone into works March or April that year.

[EddieK]

A look at my notes for Tyseley Class 101s from mid 1982 found the following plain blue vehicles

 

June 1982:

50325 in TS401

50313, 50237 in TS409

50310, 59128 in TS418 (Think this set is in one of the images above)

59118 in TS556

 

April 1983:

59536 in TS419

 

Reference to Overhaul records shows

 

50237  C3 Overhaul Swindon 23-1-83

50310  C3 Overhaul Derby 24-2-84

50313  C3 Overhaul Swindon 28-1-83

50325  C3 Overhaul Swindon 19-11-82

59118  C1R Overhaul Derby 22-4-83

59128  C3 Overhaul Derby 10-2-84

59536  C1R Overhaul Derby 16-12-83

[EddieK]

A look at Heaton Class 101s found: -

 

Dec 1981

Blue vehicles 56081, 51429, 51210, 56387, 56391

 

Feb 1983

51427 - 56380 in Blue

 

My memory recalls 56393 also being Blue quite late.

 

Darlington 101s

 

Dec 1981

Blue vehicles 50164, 59092, 50751

 

Oct 1982

Blue vehicles 50200, 56091

 

Feb 1983

51246 was still Blue

 

 

Overhaul dates for the above:

 

50164  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 9-4-82

50200  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 13-5-83

50751  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 11-11-82

51210  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 17-12-82

51246  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 12-8-83

51427  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 15-7-83

51429  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 25-3-83

56081  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 14-5-82

56091  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 22-4-83

56380  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 8-7-83

56387  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 10-12-82

56391  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 10-6-82

56393  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 25-3-83

59092  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 4-6-82

[EddieK]

A Look at 101 and 108 in West Yorkshire found:

 

Apr 1982

50626 - 59384 - 50636 Blue Class 108

 

Oct 1982

51432 Blue 101

51425 Blue 101

50602 - 50634 Blue 108

51498 Blue 101

51504 Blue 101, still Blue in Jan 1983

 

Overhaul dates:-

 

50602  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 9-3-83

50626  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 30-7-82

50634  C3 Overhaul Swindon 18-2-83

50636  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 30-7-82

51425  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 6-5-83

51432  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 28-1-83

51498  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 11-2-83

51504  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 22-4-83

59384  C1R Overhaul Doncaster 23-7-82

 

Also, 59388 (108) was never refurbished and I suspect this ran in Blue until C3 Overhaul Swindon 19-11-82

 

[fezza]

Fabulous info mate - many thanks! 

[Halvarras]

FWIW I have found two photos I took of the WR Class 101 sets painted into blue/grey livery but still unrefurbished - note the headcode panels still in place. P803 approaching St Blazey/Par on 27/8/74 and B800 at Swindon in 1976. Apologies for the quality of the earlier shot, that Halina camera really was cr*p!

(Also note the tidy branch line track in 1974 - this stretch looks like somebody's neglected back garden at the moment - appalling!!)

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Neil Phillips
Format error corrected.....