Shortest lived stock that saw regular service?

[317 forever]

Mod note - split from:

TPE Nova 3 (Class 68 + Mk5s) updates and withdrawal from service

The fact that they are slashing their North Route timetable in December 2023 seems lost on the cheerleaders. It’s now there for all to marvel at on Realtime Trains… I see we are back to 15-minute stops at Manchester Victoria now that the Liverpool-Newcastles make two stops via Chat Moss. The...

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With the imminent withdrawal of the TPE Class 68 and Mark 5 stock, I wonder what the batch of previous trains to be withdrawn after such a short time was?

I exclude aborted batches of refurbished stock like SWR 442s and GWR 769s.

 

[JonathanH]

I wonder what the batch of previous trains to be withdrawn after such a short time was?

Midland Mainline 170s only did about 6 years, being replaced by 222s, but they found immediate deployment with Central Trains.

 

[317 forever]

Midland Mainline 170s only did about 6 years, being replaced by 222s, but they found immediate deployment with Central Trains.

A bit like 317s only being on Network South East services from Euston or C2C for a short time.

What interests me here is trains withdrawn after only a short time in service.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

The Class 460 Juniper Gatwick Express stock that was introduced about 2000? Though I think the trailer cars were reused in other units.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

1983 Jubilee Line stock
360/2 on Heathrow Express
365
Many of the Mark 3 sleepers
APT

 

[bramling]

1983 Jubilee Line stock
360/2 on Heathrow Express
365
Many of the Mark 3 sleepers
APT

Can add the LU 72Mk1 stock, which as a fleet managed just 25 years on the Northern Line. A handful of units managed to survive by being incorporated into the Victoria and Bakerloo fleets, the latter still running today. By contrast the virtually identical 72Mk2 stock is still going and is about to touch 50 years with no replacement immediately planned. Funny old world!

I think the LU 83 stock will probably be the winner if one excludes prototype stock. Some of these barely managed 10 years and the whole fleet only 14 at the most. One particular unit was withdrawn by the 90s so didn’t even manage that.

Certain class 365 units barely scraped 20 years in traffic, but others managed close to 25.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The 151s didn't last in service too long, though as they were pre-series prototypes may not be in the spirit of the question being asked.

 

[43096]

The Class 460 Juniper Gatwick Express stock that was introduced about 2000? Though I think the trailer cars were reused in other units.

Motor cars were re-used as well.

 

[Rescars]

How far can we go back? I'd guess some GWR convertible stock only ran for a very short period on the broad gauge. Others have more details, no doubt.

Also, the final batch of broad gauge Rover class 4-2-2s lasted less than four years before the broad gauge was finally abolished,

 

[Class15]

Class 210?

 

[A0wen]

Surely the early BR railbuses must count ?

The AC Cars ones lasted 10 years, the Bristol and Wickham ones 8 years, the Park Royal ones 10 years and the W&M 9 years.

Staying on DMUs the Class 125s which managed 19 years, initially on the Lea Valley lines then GN suburban.

 

[Magdalia]

Various Modernisation Plan acquisitions had very short service lives.

The Craven class 112 and 113 DMUs lasted about 10 years.

The Waggon and Maschinenbau railbuses lasted less than 10 years, though 4 of the 5 were preserved. Some of the other railbuses may have had even shorter lives.

There are also some loco classes with very short BR careers notably the Paxman class 14s none of which worked on BR for more than 5 years, though many went on to have longer careers in industrial use. Various pilot scheme loco classes had careers lasting about 10 years.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Blue Pullmans?

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Many of the BR standards had short lives - celebrity 9F 'Evening Star' just 5 years in BR service. The record for Modernisation Plan diesels probably goes to Class 17 'Clayton' - some just 3 years in operation.

 

[Grumpy]

Class 210 DEMU

 

[bramling]

Looking back, there was a thread about this a couple of years ago, turns out the winner was the DLR P89 fleet. Classes 141, 311 and 312 also came up in addition to those already mentioned on this thread.

Amusingly, back in September 2021 it was mentioned in jest that the class 701 still hadn’t entered service. Here we are two years later, and….

 

[Taunton]

The last, "heavyweight" WR Pannier tanks, 84xx, some of which only lasted four years in service, built 1956, scrapped 1960. They were still being built after hundreds of Class 08 diesel shunter replacements had been delivered.

Evening Star itself only lasted four or five years, built 1960, out of service end of 1964. It was actually one of the first 9Fs to be withdrawn. And it wasn't to be immediately preserved, I recall seeing it dumped, rust-streaked and rods off, in the weeds at Pontypool Road early in 1965.

 

[urpert]

Looking back, there was a thread about this a couple of years ago, turns out the winner was the DLR P89 fleet. Classes 141, 311 and 312 also came up in addition to those already mentioned on this thread.

Amusingly, back in September 2021 it was mentioned in jest that the class 701 still hadn’t entered service. Here we are two years later, and….

At least the P89s are still going strong in Essen!

 

[Rescars]

The last, "heavyweight" WR Pannier tanks, 84xx, some of which only lasted four years in service, built 1956, scrapped 1960. They were still being built after hundreds of Class 08 diesel shunter replacements had been delivered.

Evening Star itself only lasted four or five years, built 1960, out of service end of 1964. It was actually one of the first 9Fs to be withdrawn. And it wasn't to be immediately preserved, I recall seeing it dumped, rust-streaked and rods off, in the weeds at Pontypool Road early in 1965.

What with the 84xxs and the broad gauge Rovers (see upthread), it seems that Swindon had form for this sort of thing!

 

[43096]

What with the 84xxs and the broad gauge Rovers (see upthread), it seems that Swindon had form for this sort of thing!

Add in the Class 14s as well! Although many, thankfully, had lengthy lives in industrial use.

 

[Grumpy]

What with the 84xxs and the broad gauge Rovers (see upthread), it seems that Swindon had form for this sort of thing!

To say nothing of the class 14 diesel locos, some of which had less than 3 years in service

 

[XCTurbostar]

Southeastern 508s a contender?

 

[Harvester]

Pannier tank 9499 lasted only 4 years 2 months in BR service. Some of the rebuilt Bulleid Pacifics which were virtually new locos, failed to see five years of service. 34109 lasted only 3 years 6 months after being rebuilt!

 

[Krokodil]

The LM 230s?

TfW are still ploughing on with their examples but they won't be staying any longer than it takes to find a suitable replacement.

 

[bramling]

Southeastern 508s a contender?

They managed a touch over 25 years so did more years than the 365s. However this doesn’t take into account that they spent some time in storage between Merseyrail and Connex. One managed to get torched as part of this and never ran again.

 

[Mainline421]

TPE Mark 3s - in service for one day

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Did any of the Southern AC stock have short lives, I seem to recall some overhead electrification ending very quickly (Coulsdon North) but given Southern Railway’s parsimonious nature I suspect there was a fair amount of reuse.

 

[xotGD]

TPE Mark 3s - in service for one day

We have a winner!

 

[Taunton]

These more recent steam locos only lasting about 4-5 years likely coincides with the period they went at the time between heavy overhauls. If due for their first when steam overhauls had just been given up, that would be it.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

There's also the Nightstar stock. 0 years, 0 months as far as the UK was concerned...