This vehicle was new in June 1957 and was initially allocated to 9A Longsight Depot, Manchester (on loan),paired with power car 50342, but soon moved on to Scotland and was allocated to 64A Edinburgh, St Margaret's, by 1959. It moved on to 66C Hamilton by 1965 and onto 64H Leith Central by 1967. Many units were ousted from Scotland by the Glasgow suburban electrification and the class 100s moved on to other parts of the country before becoming early candidates for withdrawal due to their non-standard design.

It was withdrawn by British Railways in 1974 and passed to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where it was paired with power car 50341 and used on some very successful workings through the National Park. The NYMR had two identical sets, the other being power car 51118 and trailer 56099. The NYMR later sold both sets to the Swanage due to their deteriorating condition but it is thought they were never used there. Both went to the West Somerset in 1986 where 56097 was paired with 51118 before the other two vehicles were scrapped. Our set was withdrawn by 1995 and 56097, along with 51118, were taken to Snetterton in East Anglia  for storage for a proposed museum project which later failed.
Both vehicles were rescued by the Llangollen Railcars after an ultimatum was given for them to be removed from site or scrapped. They were then taken to the Midland Railway-Butterley where they were cleared of dangerous blue asbestos. Currently the Gloucester 100 set is stored awaiting finance for restoration.