The Kent Alliance is going to upload videos about electric traction preservation projects being run by both the Suburban Electric Railway Association (SERA) and the Southern Electric Group (SEG) at two sites in Kent. Firstly, the East Kent Railway where the SEG have two driving motor coaches from a 4-COR unit and the SERA have the class 457 driving motor coach, at Eythorne there is also the Kearsley Bo-Bo industrial electric locomotive which is privately owned by the Kent Alliance will cover this too. The other site is (A New) Hope Farm in Sellindge where the SERA have 2-EPB Unit 6307 along with support vehicles and also a Liverpool Overhead and City and South London railway coach bodies in store. The SEG have three coaches of 4-COR unit 3142 at Sellindge.
In addition this channel will host videos on behalf of the Heritage Electric Trains Trust, a charity that is restoring the last example of a 4-SUB and also owns the sole surviving class 503 unit that used to run on Merseyside.
Was this Unit stored for a while on the old Winkleigh Airfield in Devon? I do remember seeing a Unit up there back along. I remember riding on these during the 1950s and sixties between Norbury, East Croydon and Victoria 94 Headcode. Great, wish you all the best.
Bloody marvellous, shame you've no full set and no juice Rail but great to see the old Girl. I remember seeing these Units in Lewes occasionally when going up to Work at Southern House. We called them Nelsons and I remember how the front connecting Door used to sway when she went over Switch and Crossings at speed like at Three Bridges.
How lovely to see a surviving 4SUB, I remember travelling on them between Norbury and East Croydon where I worked at Southern House for BR SR or up to London. Thank you for sharing, best of luck with the restoration Project, pity you haven't a 4BIL or 4LAV as well.
I did my earlier degrees at Sussex University and occasionally there would be a 4-COR unit from Falmer back to Brighton. The 'thrum' sound was very entertaining and a welcome change from the rather dull electric multiple units.
From 1967 to 1972 I used to catch these trains from Maidstone East to Victoria station 3 times a year to get back home from school for the holidays. You had to make sure you got in one that had a loo on it as you could not go from carriage to carriage. They also had smoking and non-smoking carriages. Once, having arrived late we jumped into a carriage and as the train drew off we were scolded by a very irate woman.. that's when I discovered that it was a Ladies only carriage!
Being involved with our rail heritage elsewhere, it is being identified that there is a changing demograph and culture going on which challenges all aspects of any restoration, and the emphasis is changing more to conservation by those remaining who have the skillsets and knowledge to do it. Sadly, there's an emerging generation who now don't know how to bang a nail into a piece of wood - let alone engage in anything like this. The progressive debunking of hands on base skills over the years in favour of virtual reality from the ipad or mobile phone, presents future challenges not only with other heritage aspects, but our own industries and ultimately - life in general. Sad though it is, but at least part of it will be conserved. Thank you!
Glad to see there is someone else that thinks like me. As a past heritage railway volunteer, I've been concerned about it for some time now. If you look at what has been planned over the past 4 years it will not take Einstein to work out how it could all affect the future of our coal and oil powered heritage railways. The changing of demograph and culture is still the dream of the minority and we should always remember that.
Think that the SUB was repainted in 87 prior to Lovers Walk Open Day and later appearance at Thanet Gala day the same year when is used to shuttle visitors to and from Ramsgate, I was one of the organisers for the event being based at Ramsgate as a Driver. In 1982, 4732 was dumped in Hither Green Continental sidings, withdrawn, along with many of her sisters, it was dragged out and went to Selhurst for a repaint, next thing she was back in traffic , and as I said again in 87 she got another repaint. Saw it arrive at Margate 1:1, I used to work in that goods inwards building when I left the railway in 93 Used to see 4732 all over the place, especially Waterloo in the 80s, she
Please pass onto Richard - that he would be better cutting a little more off behind the compartment sliding doors to allow (if possible) them to be a moving piece ie can open and closed rather permanently close.
Lovely to hear that MG set running! I have happy childhood memories of COR unit MG sets gently humming away at Portsmouth Harbour, whilst awaiting departure for London. I also travelled on them to Reading in their twilight years.
A lot better than nothing, It is still a shame no railway wanted the full unit though. I hope all goes well with the cutting, saw a video where the prize went up in flames.
All three cars were at Stoke today, 28289 is close to the road bridge at the west end as seen in the video. The other 2 cars are at the extreme east end of the site, on low loaders. Easily visible from trains between Longport and Stoke, or from the adjacent paths and woodlands if you like a hike like me!
All that work that has gone in to saving these and thers not one heritage line that is willing to have it! it is ridiculous it is all these younger ones they just dont care
you'll find that quite a few younger ones do care, but like yourself we don't have the facilities to store an entire unit in our gardens when we can barely afford the weekly shop.
@@jensen1909 absolutely spot on. we're getting poorer and that trend will not reverse. we care, but we're working harder than ever for less pay than ever during a housing crisis, a world disease event, and about 4 major recessions in our lifetimes. there are no government programmes for heritage and the railways have been privatised basically our whole lives. how is this our fault??
awwwww really mixed goodness let’s get this classic back to its original self.. in BR/SR green without small yellow panel annnnd that horrid headlight has to go!!! I hated it when BR put them on all the slammers and locos alike back at the turn of the 1990s
Great video and good to see that this unit is receiving some love. What a pity that the two surviving carriages of unique 4DD are not being so fortunate.
I remember these units showing headcode 18 on the Waterloo to Weybridge and Windsor service. The train divided at Staines, with 4 coaches usually going to Weybridge and 2 to Windsor & Eton Riverside.
More power to your elbow. I class emu cars very low on priorities for preservation, BUT representative examples should be preserved. Well done and every success to you.
Hehe I remember that train so well, can't say anything but in my teen years rode that whenever possible including when it was running to and from Gravesend making for a lovely day out with me girlfriend. Funny too is that I featured in Hornby's magazine some years prior as they gave me a personal guided tour in that factory, was only 11 and so fond of those memories. In 84-85 I serviced the 4SUB's requirements at Waterloo, so if you ever saw a gangling lad trudging to and fro with a trolley loaded with boxes of Palmolive soaps, paper towels, several lit lamps etc that was me as I had to be up for the incoming Exeter train then over the other side to do the west London SUBs. In the 70's I used to go to school on a 4SUB, now these were rare couple of units that ran out of plat 8 which had still the corridor compartment coaches still in place and a loo too, fun sitting in what was first class downgraded but they got scrapped.
Unlikely due 3rd rail nowadays is 750volts not 660. Also so much would need to be changed it would affect the originality. Cosmetically it needs 50k per coach before you get to the mechanical side of things
660v dc was always inner London suburban voltage, hence 60 mph speed limit, once out the catchment it was 750v dc, the SUBs permanently kept within catchment area, once she was classed as a celebrity unit and had restrictions she could run on 750v dc but wasn't permitted to run overspeed, it still had to be kept to 60mph everywhere she went, usually accompanied with the 2 BIL too
To me emus come well down on the list of railway vehicles for preservation. ButSOME examples should be. Well done and more power to your elbow to complete this project.
Great days, I was on the farewell tour with 3142 and the non stop run from Waterloo to Pompey was marred by a signal stop in Guildford where some of the punters threw empty bottles and cans at the box. 11187 was the motor coach off 3135 and my records show that 3142 was running with 11161 and 11201.
