East Lancashire ‘Thumper’ goes to new home

OUT of action for around eight years, the East Lancashire Railway’s Class 207 DEMU, which was recently offered for disposal, has been transferred a new home at Bicester.

The ‘Thumper’ had been at Bury since 2004, but now joins No. 73118 and several EMUs at Bicester that were formerly at the Finmere site in Oxfordshire, which has been taken over as part of the HS2 project. Also moving with the ‘Thumper’ is a spare English Electric 4SRKT power unit.

The DEMU, No. 1305 (or 207202 in its final guise when withdrawn), has been disposed of as a two-car set – its centre car, the former 4-CEP trailer

No. 70549 that was added to the unit in the 1995, is being retained by the East Lancashire Railway.

■ Two other DEMUs, Nos. 205028/32 at Meldon Quarry, have recently been offered for sale by RMS Locotec.

No. 205032 was used on the Dartmoor Railway and is described as operational, but No. 205028 is unrestored and is believed not to have operated in preservation. A number of EMU cars and coaches have also been put up for sale.