British Rail Class 117
A Class 117 at Didcot Parkway, 1989
Interior of a Class 117.
In service	1959–2000; one unit used in departmental use until 2015
Manufacturer	Pressed Steel Company
Family name	First generation
Replaced	Steam locomotives and carriages
Constructed	1959–1961
Number built	123 cars (42 DMBS, 42 DMS, 39 TCL)
Number preserved	35 cars (17 DMBS, 16 DMS, 23 TCL)
Number scrapped	88 cars (25 DMBS, 26 DMS, 16 TCL)
Formation	DMBS-TCL-DMS
Operators	British Rail ScotRail Silverlink
Lines served	Western Region London Midland region Scottish region
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel
Car length	64 ft 0 in (19.51 m)
Width	9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Height	12 ft 8+1⁄2 in (3.87 m)
Doors	Slam
Articulated sections	Single car (2)
Maximum speed	70 mph (113 km/h)
Weight	Power cars: 36 long tons 0 cwt (80,600 lb or 36.6 t), Trailer cars: 30 long tons 0 cwt (67,200 lb or 30.5 t)
Prime mover(s)	BUT (AEC) then BUT (Leyland), of 150 hp (110 kW), (both types), two per power car
Power output	600 hp (450 kW) per 3-car set
Transmission	Mechanical
HVAC	Oil burning air heater
Braking system(s)	Vacuum
Safety system(s)	AWS
Coupling system	Screw
Multiple working	■ Blue Square
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units (DMUs) were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961. It was a licence-built variant of the British Rail Class 116.^[1]

Original work

A total of 123 Class 117 cars were built by Pressed Steel between 1959 and 1961, delivered as 39 three-car units plus three pairs of spare motor coaches. The Class 116 was ordered in large numbers which Derby Works could not fulfil, so the work was sub contracted. When first introduced in 1960, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage (railcar) units on British Railways Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington. The units were largely based at Reading and Southall depots. The units remained here for many years working these services.^[2]

The type was used for a railtour from Paddington to the south west on 31 May 1969.^[3]

Later operations

In the 1980s, expiry of other DMUs facilitated moves for some units from the Western Region to Birmingham, as below, and Scotland, prior to the delivery of new units to replace them. They were given refurbishments.

The first shake up in ownership occurred in the late 1980s, when the Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and Birmingham based units were transferred to Provincial Services, later Regional Railways, in the sectorisation of British Rail, while the Southall-based units transferred to Network SouthEast. The Regional Railways units were refurbished at Tyseley Locomotive Works.

In the early 1990s, several units were named: 701 (51350/92) was named 'Marston Vale' and 705 (51358/400) was 'Leslie Crabbe'.

They were replaced on the lines out of Paddington when the Class 165/1 'Network Turbo' units came into service by 28 November 1992.^[4]

They soldiered on in the former Western Region until replaced by Class 150 and Class 153 DMUs by 21 May 1993, although the type could be found running Penzance - Looe services until 1997. An attempt was made to remove them from Cornish work using Class 142 "Skipper/Pacer" railcars, but these fixed wheelbase units proved to be a liability on the tight Cornish branchline curves, increasing rail and wheel wear, and were transferred to the North of England instead. The 117s were finally replaced with the advent of more Class 150s and Class 153s freed up from other areas.^[5]

117308 in Scotrail livery at Edinburgh Haymarket in 1994

The type was used in Scotland between Edinburgh - Perth, Cowdenbeath and Markinch using the Forth Bridge and continued to work in Scotland until 12 January 1998, where they were replaced with Class 156s. The final day of 117s running in Scotland was 27 November 1999.^[6]

For many years, passenger services on the Birmingham Cross-City Line were worked by Class 117, along with Class 115, 116, 118 and 121 diesel multiple units, but all were withdrawn from service by 1995.

In 2000, Class 150 Sprinter units replaced the Class 117 units on Silverlink, finally bringing to an end decades of service on Britain's rail network in front line service.^[7]

Gallery

• 
  A Rail Blue and Grey liveried three car Class 117 DMU at Peterborough Nene Valley railway station on the preserved, heritage Nene Valley Railway.
• 
  The unpowered centre TCL vehicle from a Class 117 DMU.
• 
  The interior of the mid 1980s refurbished First Class cabin, in Network SouthEast moquette, aboard a three car Class 117 DMU.
• 
  The interior of the mid 1980s refurbished Standard Class accommodation, in Network SouthEast moquette, aboard a three car Class 117 DMU.

Preservation

Due to the type's longevity, 12 units have been preserved on heritage railways.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 117.

• The Railcar Association
• Motive Power Recognition: 3 DMUs. Colin J. Marsden
• British Railway Pictorial: First Generation DMUs. Kevin Robertson
• British Rail Fleet Survey 8: Diesel Multiple Units- The First Generation. Brian Haresnape
• A Pictorial Record of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units. Brian Golding