The Weardale Railway has announced the return of a 2-car Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit to passenger service for the first time since 2019. It is scheduled to return to public service on Thursday, 22nd August.

The Weardale Railway Trust, staffed by volunteers, owns and maintains the set that includes twin-power cars No. 50980 and No. 52054, both of which were built at Derby under British Railways. DMBS ‘50980′ was completed in 1959, and DMCL ‘52054′ was completed in 1960.

The two railcars, originally from separate sets, were paired when they were preserved after retiring from British Rail’s main line service in 1993.

They spent the majority of their early preservation career at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway in Cornwall before being acquired by the Weardale Railway Trust in 2018.

Following a phase of maintenance and thorough cleaning, the duo was put into service on the Weardale Line in October 2019.

Since then the set had been withdrawn from service, where a small team of volunteers and engineers at Walsingham Depot have undertaken a major mechanical overhaul throughout both cars.

This project is still in progress. Earlier in the year, the worn and cracked marmoleum flooring of 52054 was removed down to the plywood subfloor and replaced with new linoleum.

Additionally, the seat frames were refurbished, and the heating ducts were cleaned and polished before being reinstalled. After this operating season concludes, they intend to apply the same refurbishment to 50980.

The plan is to eventually repaint the entire set, but before this can happen, it will be necessary to repair the gangway ends and steel cab, which have been subject to corrosion.

Luckily, as the set is lightweight, the majority of the body is made of aluminium, and these panels are in very good and sound condition.

A significant restoration effort was the thorough dismantling, repairing, and repainting of the roofs on both carriages in 2021. This required the replacement of 600 rivets that had deteriorated, leading to water leakage into the passenger compartments.

While some ceiling panels still need to be replaced, the set is currently watertight, and the remaining work will be addressed as time permits.

As the return to service approaches, volunteers have made an extraordinary effort to refurbish the interior of the set, including both driving cabs.

Over the past few months, the restoration team has also carried out repairs to the saloon lighting and other electrical systems in both cars.

Test runs took place in May, July, and August of this year to pinpoint and resolve any lingering issues.

Additional maintenance was performed on the gearboxes and electro-pneumatic valves of car No.52054. Concurrently, volunteers received conversion training and completed assessments to operate the unit.

The reintroduction of the set to service will enhance the resilience and operational versatility of the Weardale’s diesel railcar fleet.

It also offers heritage traction with increased seating capacity, essential for the days when services run between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland, which also reduces workload and dependence on the Class 142 pacer during the busier times of operation.

The Class 108 will enter service on Thursday 22 August, with the set also running on the Bank Holiday Monday 26th August.

More running days are planned for September and in the Autumn, as drivers and guards are passed out to operate the train safely. This will be the second class 108 DMU to return to traffic this year after the Severn Valley Railways 2-car set returned to service in January.

The return of the 108 to active service has been eagerly awaited, as it prepares to transport passengers through County Durham once again.