The Class 117 DMUs were built by the Pressed Steel Company between 1959 and 1961 as 3-Car units, comprising of a Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS), a Trailer Composite with lavatory (TCL) and a Driving Motor Second (DMS). In total, 39 3-car sets were built along with three pairs of spare driving vehicles, and all were deployed initially to BR#s Western Region, working the suburban routes out of London Paddington with the units largely based at Reading and Southall depots.
Though not originally fitted, between 1965 and 1972 gangways were added to all vehicles in the class. As other first generations units were withdrawn, the 117s became more widespread with some moving from the Western Region to Birmingham and Scotland, prior to the delivery of new units to replace them. Selected for life-extending refurbishment during the 1970s, the entire fleet was refurbished with new interiors and returned to traffic. The following decade saw units repainted into Regional Railways livery as Sectorisation began, and later Network SouthEast livery was applied to those working around London and in the south east.
Withdrawals began as new, second generation units were introduced on their routes and the final bastions for the 117s were Haymarket depot in Scotland and Bletchley in England. The last units bowed out in 1999.
- Set No. R334
- 3 Car Unit comprising DMBS No. W51334, TCL - No. W59486 and DMS No. W51376
- Destination Blinds for Reading and Paddington
- Equipped with a PLUX 22 DCC Decoder Socket
- Length 816mm