Class 139 additional third unit.

[stadler]

There used to be a third Class 139 that operated on the Stourbridge branch back in late Central Trains days and early London Midland days. It was initially numbered 999000 and then changed to 139000 and then changed to 139012 which i think is its current identity.

My question is what is the current status of this and who owns it? The most recent photos i can find are from early 2024 just over a year ago where it seems to be stabled at the Severn Valley Railway nearby. So it appears to have stayed very closed to the Stourbridge branch. Is it owned by the same people that own 139001 and 139002 and is it being kept as a spare or are there any plans for it?

 

[fgwrich]

I’m not entirely sure as it lived something of a Vagabond life. After the arrival of 139001/002, it returned back to Parry Ltd. It was then hired out to Go-Op (Yes, that lot) who initially planned to use it on a commuter service from either Ropley or Medstead and Four Marks on the Mid Hants into Alton. Unfortunately it failed fairly early on in this trial and laid dormant ever since. At some point it was moved up to the Severn Valley - I don’t think it ever returned back to Parry’s own base, and since then the company itself has descended into administration.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I also tried to find as much info as I could about it recently, the trail went cold in May 2024 in that SVR siding.
Presumably it is visible from a heritage train, although understandably they wouldn't want to bring attention to a graffitied, broken train

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Certainly last time I was it was at the SVR, more than a year ago and it was in a sorry state from what I remember, vandalised.

 

[stadler]

Thank you for the replies. I completely forgot about that Mid Hants Railway proposed trial. Another one of the dozens of things proposed by Go Op that never happened. That would have been funny to see such a small train at Alton alongside 450s on London services.

I wonder who took over ownership of this third unit since PPM ceased to exist? Does anyone know who currently owns 139001 and 139002 at the moment? Possibly whoever this is could have inherited this third unit too? If they had taken over all the assets of PPM then it may have been included?

I was wondering if it might be considered as a spare third unit to use on the Stourbridge shuttle again. Especially as 139001 and 139002 get older the reliability will likely decrease so a third could be useful.

 

[tom1649]

Have a look at this page near the bottom: https://www.svrlive.com/bljul24

 

[norbitonflyer]

It was at Highley when I visited in 2023 and 2024, and I have no reason to suppose it has moved since then. However, there is no sign of it there in Google Street View in 2022

EDIT - written before I saw the previous post: pleased to see it has a new home.

 

[D365]

Have a look at this page near the bottom: https://www.svrlive.com/bljul24

As per forum rules I have provided the relevant section in quote:

A ‘long goodbye’ for the Parry People Mover
Since 2021, the Parry People Mover, PPM 50 prototype Car 12 has been at the Railway. Two days ago, after repeated delays, it finally left!

The vehicle came to the SVR for testing, but after its flywheel was damaged, it was stored, awaiting collection by the owner.

In 2023, vandals 'tagged' it at Highley, and smashed two windows. This unfortunately left this unusual little vehicle as more of an eyesore than an asset, and negotiations have been underway to arrange for its retrieval.

Delays continued till the end – Allelys loaded the Parry onto their transport on Monday, but it wasn’t until Tuesday 9 July that it finally left the SVR.

Its new home is at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre at Dudley. This also houses another Parry, Car 10, which is fuelled by biomethane.

However, given that Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) - which owned the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre - has now fallen into administration, this begs the question of what the future holds for those Parry vehicles.

 

[tom1649]

Ooops, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break the rules

 

[CharlieSpotted]

As per forum rules I have provided the relevant section in quote:

However, given that Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) - which owned the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre - has now fallen into administration, this begs the question of what the future holds for those Parry vehicles.

BCIMO and the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre were bought out of administration by Dudley Council.

Rail research firm bought by council​

Andrew Dawkins
BBC News, West Midlands

Published
23 July 2025

An organisation that has been involved in a Very Light Rail system for Coventry has been bought by a council, after going into administration.

Dudley-based Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO), a not-for-profit research organisation, was sold to the area's council, administrators RSM UK said.

It also stated it ensured the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre, operated by BCIMO, remained operational.

Dudley Council said the authority had previously given the Black Country organisation financial support and decided to bid "to protect this investment".

Dudley-based rail research firm bought by local council after going into administration

The organisation operates the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre, administrators say.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[william.martin]

As of a few weeks ago, 139012 was in a siding at Highley, easily visible from the road that goes down from the engine house, to the carpark and footbridge. She was in an awfull state - the glass in one of the doors was cracked and it had heavy graffiti. I'm aware they have spruced up Highley lately, so I'm not sure if 139012 was moved or cleaned.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I'm aware they have spruced up Highley lately, so I'm not sure if 139012 was moved or cleaned.

The picture (Copy below) in the article linked to in post ~6 shows that it was definitely moved onto a low loader earlier this month, last year - but the graffiti were still there

EDITED as I misread the date

 

[Wyrleybart]

Interesting.
I had seen it in the siding at Highley a couple of years ago, but never "joined the dots". Is it identical to the Stourbridge pair ?

 

[TwinTurbostar]

Is it identical to the Stourbridge pair ?

I believe it is about a metre shorter than the two in service on the branch line.

 

[Dave W]

Interesting.
I had seen it in the siding at Highley a couple of years ago, but never "joined the dots". Is it identical to the Stourbridge pair ?

I believe it's a PPM50 whereas the delivered Stourbridge pair were PPM60s.

Only difference is length... About 3 feet in it - I seem to recall the 50 that was used in the test was more stylised on the front end. Other practical differences on the ground have been lost to the sands of time in my memory! Seem to recall the driver position and layout compared to the cab was slightly different, but I may be misremembering.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Any reason it was given the number 12? Were there any others?

 

[Razorblades]

Wikipedia is your friend here.

Parry People Movers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[tfw756rider]

Apparently there was a PPM35 built as long ago as 1998, in addition to the 2002-built PPM50 and the two 2008-built PPM60s / 139s.

Photo by P L Chadwick with a Creative Commons licence.

Parry People Mover PPM35 railbus on Bristol Harbour Railway in 1998
The railbus has just left the stop for the SS Great Britain and is on its way to the former Industrial Museum. This demonstration service ran for 30 months in the 1998-2000 period. The whole area has changed greatly since that time, although the railway tracks, or most of them, have survived. Although this series of photographs were taken on black & white film, they accurately represent the vehicle's livery, which was white.

 

[Yorkshire09876]

Apparently there was a PPM35 built as long ago as 1998, in addition to the 2002-built PPM50 and the two 2008-built PPM60s / 139s.

Photo by P L Chadwick with a Creative Commons licence.

The Wikipedia page has a photo of that unit (PPM35) at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. Anyone know where it is now? The fleet list further down the page doesn't mention it.

 

[norbitonflyer]

As of a few weeks ago, 139012 was in a siding at Highley,

Arw you sure about that? - the article quoted says it was taken away in July 2024

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Short Stay at Stourbridge [4]

Why did you tarry Mr Parry? In December 2008, the diesel service between Stourbridge Town and Stourbridge Junction Station was withdrawn an...

publictransportexperience.blogspot.com

According to the above article there were five; in addition to the PPM-35, PPM-50 and two PPM-60s there was a car with a tram-style body (car 7 of 1993) which was trialled in Weymouth in 1996, and in various other places before and after. It was reported in a front garden in Merton, Surrey in early-2024 and may still be there.
Below is a piece of Parry advertising literature retrieved from the internet. Most of the photos show car 7, but D and E appear to show two additional (and different) vehicles. However there is some speculation that the car in photo E is number 7 with a different body; apparently some rebuilding took place at various points.

https://media-eu.invisioncic.com/y320084/monthly_2024_02/ParryPeopleMoversflyerc1994-3.jpg.be9787d71bc3da4329b87446bbc4004f.jpg

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2025 ==

Edit; there was also an engineering test vehicle numbered 10 which was run in Weymouth, video below;

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2025 ==

And some news reports of the Bristol trial in the video here;

 

[Russel]

Very interesting thread, I remember heading over to Stourbridge just before Christmas 2008(?) to ride one of these only to find out they hadn't entered service yet!

One question, what became of the PPM50 that was initially trialled on the branch (see below Wiki photo), I thought it may be the one that ended up at Highley but the front end looks different?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Parry_People_Mover_-_2006-03-12.jpg

 

[TwinTurbostar]

Very interesting thread, I remember heading over to Stourbridge just before Christmas 2008(?) to ride one of these only to find out they hadn't entered service yet!

One question, what became of the PPM50 that was initially trialled on the branch (see below Wiki photo), I thought it may be the one that ended up at Highley but the front end looks different?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Parry_People_Mover_-_2006-03-12.jpg

That one is now 139012, which ended up at Highley for a time. It was rebuilt/refurbished, and has since moved to the Very Light Rail centre in Dudley.

 

[Russel]

That one is now 139012, which ended up at Highley for a time. It was rebuilt/refurbished, and has since moved to the Very Light Rail centre in Dudley.

Ah, so it's been rebuilt, that'll be why I didn't recognise it from the photos of it operating in Stourbridge all those years ago.