The British Rail Class 104 diesel multiple units were built by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company from 1957 to 1959. A product of British Rail's Modernisation Plan of 1954, the 104s were designed for general branch line and commuter routes. The first units ordered were for the London Midland Region, with the majority of the class for use in North West of England. The Class 110 was a re-engineered version of the 104 with more powerful engines, but did not last as long in service. The 104s had asbestos insulation removed during the 1970s. Operations Greater Manchester The 104 was introduced on 17 June, 1957. The type was seen regularly on services from Manchester to Buxton, Marple, New Mills and Blackpool. The 104 was ideal for these routes as the lightweight chassis were well suited to the hilly lines in the northwest of England. A regular sight in the Greater Manchester area for over 30 years, the 104s were replaced by Sprinters by 1990, with the last running on 4 May 1990. Scotland In early 1984 a few units reallocated to Scotland to replace Class 107s. A fire at Ayr depot had destroyed several trains and the 104s were called in to replace them. One unit was repainted in a unique maroon and white livery for services to Oban – it became known as the "Mexican Bean". The 104s were withdrawn from Scotland in April 1989 and were replaced by Sprinter DMUs. London Region Other vehicles spent time in London and the last vehicles could be found on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line. They were withdrawn in 1995. Orders Gallery Accidents and incidents On 18 January 1986, a Class 104 unit (vehicles 53433 & 53482) suffered a brake failure, ran past three signals at danger and collided with Class 47 locomotive 47 111 near . Forty-four people were injured. Departmental Use A number of Class 104s were used following their withdrawal from passenger services. The last two London Midland DTCL vehicles to survive, M54182 & M54183, were converted in 1987/1988 into loco hauled Sandite cars and renumbered ADB977554/ADB977555 respectively. Used until 1994, M54183 was scrapped in February 1994 while M54182 was stored at Buxton until June 2000 and was saved for preservation. Other Sandite cars included 53472, 53478 & 53530 which were used in Scotland until April 1989. Derby RTC, known for their railway testing, used 53475, 53506