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.
Following a phase of maintenance and thorough cleaning, the duo was put into service on the Weardale Line in October 2019.
![50980 during test runs near Witton-le-Wear on 17th July 2024 - Tom Hatton](https://www.railadvent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/50980-during-test-runs-near-Witton-le-Wear-on-17th-July-2024-Photo-Tom-Hatton-750x563.jpg)
Since then the set had been withdrawn from service, where a small team of volunteers and engineers at Walsingham Depot have undertaken a major mechanical overhaul throughout both cars.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.
![Class 108 at Stanhope Station with 50980 nearest the camera - Tom Hatton](https://www.railadvent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Class-108-at-Stanhope-Station-with-50980-nearest-the-camera-Tom-Hatton-750x563.jpg)
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.
![Class 108 arrives at Stanhope for the first time since 2019 on the 20th August 2024 - John Askwith](https://www.railadvent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Class-108-arrives-at-Stanhope-for-the-first-time-since-2019-on-the-20th-August-2024-John-Askwith-750x502.jpg)
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.
Responses
Wasn’t it great to be able to sit behind the driver of a DMU and see where you were going.
It has been a long uphill struggle for many years for the Weardale for various reasons not of their making and it is good that it is emerging from this and being successful again. .
I am a volunteer from the Keith & Dufftown Railway. We have been using 108 DMUs almost exclusively for passenger services for many years. Their aluminium bodywork helps to ensure their survival against the elements but mechanically they do require quite a bit of TLC!
Having ridden these trains on this line a few times, they really are ideal for the service, and ride far better than the more ‘modern’ heritage Pacers now being used on other heritage lines. The Weardale Railway is a beautiful line anyway, well worth a visit to Stanhope for the ride down the valley to Bishop Auckland – and can easily be combined with the National Railway Museum’s ‘Locomotion’ exhibitions at Shildon simply by walking a few hundred yards fom the WR’s Bishop Auckland platform to the BR station for the short train trip.
Great news well done to everyone involved!!😎🚃🚃