This Class 144 unit is composed of two cars, 55804 & 55827. The bodies were built by Walter Alexander, in Falkirk. These were mounted on underframes built by British Rail Engineering Ltd. in Derby. The unit was delivered to Neville Hill depot, Leeds, in 1986 and was used on local services sponsored by West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE). Accordingly, its first livery was the red/buttermilk of WYPTE.
The unit was based at Leeds for its entire working life, serving major towns and cities such as Sheffield, York, Huddersfield, Hull, Doncaster and Scarborough. Outside Yorkshire it ventured to Morecambe in the west and Cleethorpes in the east, as well as Manchester Victoria.
The unit arrived at the Aln Valley Railway (AVR) in December 2020 by road, having been stored at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and then at the Wensleydale Railway.
Before it entered service with the AVR Covid-19 plastic screens were fitted and the seat arrangement was modified. 144004 operated its first AVR passenger services in June 2021.
During 2022, the set was repainted into Regional Railways livery.
This Class 144 unit is composed of three cars, 55816, 55852 & 55839. The unit was originally delivered as a two-car set in 1986. The centres car, 55852, was ordered in 1987 to create a three-car set. 23 Class 144 sets were built but only ten were fitted with centre cars. Five of the centre cars have been preserved.
Like 144004, the unit was based at Neville Hill depot, Leeds for its entire working life. As a three-car unit, it worked at least one Middlesbrough – Whitby return service, with its three cars enabling the train to meet the demand for school travel to Whitby from outlying villages in the Esk Valley.
The unit arrived at the Aln Valley Railway (AVR) in December 2020 by road, having been stored at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and then at the Wensleydale Railway.
The interior of the centre car is currently (2023) being refurbished, with the interiors of the driving cars to subsequently receive attention. The unit is essentially in working order, though some refurbishment work is required.
