Another Bubble Car Saved

摘要

The ranks of preserved Class 121 single car DMUs have been swelled again with the news that 977859, the former 55025, has been saved for future use by the North Somerset Railway. Known by its departmental name Pandora, the lime green 1960-built unit was originally allocated to Staines and then Wolverhampton before passing into departmental use. It saw a period of service as a route learner and Sandite vehicle before being converted into a video survey unit in the early 1990s. It has been stored for some years at Tyseley depot. Restoration to working order will require the rebuilding of the interior, which was heavily modified for its departmental role. This purchase brings up to nine the number of Class 121s preserved from the 16 originally built. In addition there are still three more in either departmental or mainline service that will likely see heritage use. There are also eight of the similar Class 122s preserved.