50454 Class 104 Driving Motor Brake Second
Home Railway |
Location History |
Llangollen RailwayApr 93-Present |
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Current Location |
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Current Status |
Operational |
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Current Livery |
BR Blue (Full Yellow End) |
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TRA Designation |
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Partner Vehicle(s) |
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Owner |
Kevin Dowd |
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Website |
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Record Last Updated |
24 May 2025 |
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Preservation Modifications |
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Preservation Information After some restoration 50454 and partner 50528 were quickly put into service still in BR Blue livery. The set was later embellished with a "Blackpool" white stripe down the side. During 1994 50454 underwent a heavy refurbishment and emerged in BR Green livery with half yellow panel. In 1996 the roof was repainted. The late 1990's and early 2000's saw the vehicle performing reliably, the set becoming a regular performer for many years, clocking up over 20,000 miles in traffic. In 2007 50454 was fitted with a new cab after the original became so rotten that it was unable to be repaired. The replacement is, however, difficult to distinguish from the original and the route indicator blinds were refitted. The vehicle was briefly given a full yellow end to protect the new cab before the whole set was due for a repaint. In the winter of 2008/2009 much of the skin of the bodywork was replaced and, after this rebuild, it was turned out in the 1964 livery of blue with a small yellow warning panel. In 2012, the set became the first DMU since the 1960's to work west of Carrog on the Llangollen Railway's new Corwen extension, the set being used for driver training. During 2013 the interior passenger areas received a mid life refurbishment, with the wooden panels being revarnished and the seating reupholstered. 50454 received a full repaint into BR Blue with a full yellow end during 2014, debuting at the Railcar Convention weekend in October. For the summer of 2018, 50454 was reformed on a temporary basis to run with Class 108 56223. This was allow repairs to be undertaken on both vehicles' partners: 50528 and 51618 respectively, also showing the flexibility that common multiple working systems can give. 50528 was duly repaired later that year and the 104 set reformed as normal. 50454 lasted until the Covid-19 pandemic when extended periods stood idle added to the vehicle's accelerating bodywork issues. The set was withdrawn for a refresh in 2021 and with DMBS vehicles being in short supply that year, 50454's full repairs were postponed in favour of a quicker tidy up and repaint, which was duly completed in time to form a hybrid set with Class 108 56223 for the remainder of the season. The 104/108 combo continued to run throughout the 2022 season, during which repairs to 50454's normal partner 50528 were progressed. The pair were reformed correctly in time for that year's railcar gala in October. 2022 was a particularly busy year with 50454 doing its share of over 9,000 miles of running at the railway, which post-Covid had been using DMU's more than ever before. 50454 also celebrated clocking up over 50,000 miles in preservation (it being the highest mileage Class 104) during 2022. 2023 was another split year with 50454 running 50/50 with either 50528 or 56223. 2024 saw 50454 & 50528 withdrawn again with the bodywork becoming increasingly difficult to manage, with only 200 miles operated that year. The set was spuced up again and returned to traffic for the annual gala in October, but shortly afterwards 50454 suffered a wheel bearing failure knocking it out of traffic once again for over six months. 50454 received another bearing, extracted from a spare wheelset and transplanted onto its original axle, over the winter and spring and returned to traffic for summer 2025. 50454 continues to operate, usually with partner 50528, on a limited basis as it is now the operating set in the poorest condition based at Llangollen. |
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Future Plans |
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M50454 lifted on jacks at Llangollen, with the front bogie removed to allow wheel bearing replacement, 13/4/25. Richard Waterhouse |
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An unusual corridor end view of M50454 during winter shunting at Pentrefelin depot, 5/2/23. Mike Martin |
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M50454/M56223 is viewed from the cab of Class 108 M56504 during a shunt at Pentrefelin depot, 6/4/22. Llangollen Railcars |
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Hybrid set M50454/M56223 proves its worth at Llangollen during a difficult period for the line with only two sets in traffic for parts of the year, 25/9/21. Mark Elkin |
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A Corridor end view of M50454 wating to depart Llangollen during the annual Railcar Gala. Part restored Class 127 M51618 stands in platform 2 on a later departure, 14/9/19. Chris Moxon |
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M50454 is lifted during a major exam and for some overdue bogie work to be completed at Pentrefelin, 12/11/18. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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M50454 passes fellow BRCW built E51842 at Glyndyfrdwy, 3/6/18. Chris Moxon |
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M50454/M50528 arriving into Carrog, 4/6/17. Chris Moxon |
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M50454/M50528 at Llangollen, 21/6/15. Chris Moxon |
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M50454 sporting its new full yellow cab end at Carrog during the "Railcar 60" event, 4/10/14. Chris Moxon |
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M50454/M50528 gleam in the sunshine at Carrog during departure for Llangollen on the final day of the Railcar Gala, 22/6/14. Richard Hargreaves |
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M50454/M50528 approach Berwyn, 15/2/14. Peter Dickinson |
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M50454 requires a new windscreen! 23/7/12. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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M50454 & M50528 during a shunt at Prentrefelin, 16/7/12. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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M50454 at Carrog during the Railcar Gala, 24/6/12. Chris Moxon |
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M50454 & M50528 undertaking driver training on the Llangollen Railway's new extension to Bonwm, 16/4/12. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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The engineering team have been attending to the No 1 engine on M50454. This had blown a cylinder head gasket and so was dismantled so this could be replaced, 5/9/11. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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With M50454 leading the power-twin accelerates away from a brief stop at Berwyn station during the Railcar Gala, June 2010. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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M50454 compares faces at Carrog with Class 109 E50416 during the Railcar Gala, 26/6/10. Chris Moxon |
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M50454/M50528 leads the 127/108 set at Garthydwr during the Railcar Gala, 26/6/10. Chris Moxon |
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M50454/M50528 on the approach to Glyndyfrdwy during the Railcar Gala, 26/6/10. Chris Moxon |
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Its duties finished, M50454/M50528 depart Llangollen in the evening sunlight during the Railcar Gala, 26/6/10. Chris Moxon |
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With rain pouring from the gutters, M50454 arrives into Berwyn, 17/5/09. Chris Moxon |
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Corridor view of M50454 at Glyndyfrdwy, 17/5/09. Chris Moxon |
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M50454 following its repaint into plain blue livery, 2009. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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"Fill her up, please!" M50454 calls at the fuelling point in Pentrefelin Depot while LMS Black Five 4-6-0 44806 passes by on the main line. If empty the 104 will take about 800 litres of fuel at each fill. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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During 2008 a cancelled event meant that two railcars were working the line at the same time - the Wickham unit is seen here passing the class 104 at Deeside Halt. The 104 was at this time running in green with a full yellow end, October 2008. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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M50454 in multiple with the Wickham set during the 2007 Diesel Gala. The full yellow end is protecting the new cab which has been fitted, 6/10/07. Chris Moxon |
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M50454 & M5528 depart Llangollen, 17/3/07. Simon Edwards |
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For most of its life in preservation M50454 has run in British Railways lined green livery, seen here in 2007. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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At Carrog during the Llangollen DMU Gala, 11/6/06. Bill Taylor |
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M50454 at Berwyn during the 2006 Railcar gala, 10/6/06. Chris Moxon |
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M50454 arriving into Glyndyfrdwy during the 2006 Railcar gala, 10/6/06. Chris Moxon |
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During restoration in the shed at Llangollen, 21/8/01. Stuart Mackay |
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M50454 & M50528 stabled at Glyndyfrdwy, 1/5/99. On tour with the class 13 army |
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M50454 at Llangollen Station during the 3rd National DMU convention, 28/6/98. Stuart Mackay |
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M50454 at Llangollen Station during the 3rd National DMU convention, 28/6/98. Robert Chilton |
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For part of 1994 and 1995 Llangollen's Class 104 unit ran in blue with all-yellow ends and it is seen here in that livery at Deeside Halt with M50454 leading. Llangollen Railcar Group |
Interior
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Reupholstered seating inside M50454, 16/9/13. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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Revarnishing the front saloon, 26/8/13. Llangollen Railcar Group |
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M50454's guards van, 17/5/09.Chris Moxon |