Class 502 EMU restoration continues to make progress
EX-LMS Class 502 EMU formed of Motor Brake Second 28361 and Driving Trailer Second 29896 that was once part of the National Collection is now in the care of the Class 502 Preservation Trust. Work is continuing on its restoration at its base, the Merseyside Transport Trust premises in Burscough, West Lancashire. Efforts have been continuing to restore the trailer car (29896) to its former glory and to reverse the damage caused to the bodywork following almost 10 years of outside storage, prior to the group gaining custody of the unit. The cab front had virtually disintegrated and has since been totally rebuilt. Most of the external steel body panels have been replaced, and a protective coat of BR green has been applied.
Three of the four interior saloons have been refurbished, with their wooden panels being restored or replaced as necessary. Work continues on the replacement of the last few external body panels and the reinstatement of the forward saloon behind the cab.
New steel guttering below the roof level, along with drainage pipes, have been fabricated, and some sections have been welded into place. The pair of sliding doors along one side are undergoing refurbishment, with one pair restored and relocated in the bodyside door pocket/door and roof channels.
Most of the original window glass has been cleaned and refitted into position, along with the wood retaining sections that hold the glass in the bodysides. There has been an ongoing project to refurbish the brass sliding window toplights and refit them to the window apertures.
The chassis and bogies have been cleaned and repainted in black. Additionally, the air system and the electrical wiring are undergoing refurbishment.
The Class 502 Preservation Trust is fortunate that a good number of spare parts and fittings were obtained from withdrawn Class 502s in the early days when the unit was first secured for preservation and kept at the now-closed Steamport Museum at Southport.
The Motor Brake Second, 28361, has also undergone some remedial work although the original bodywork has suffered from corrosion damage; much of the car is sound, along with the cab area. Work has commenced to assess the amount of bodywork repairs and renewals required, along with the refurbishment of the double doors in the brake van area at the rear of the car.
The small band of volunteers still have plenty to focus on, but good progress has been made to return this groundbreaking, unique and historic item of electric traction back to its former glory.
The latest progress and news on the project can be viewed at www. Class502.org.uk or www.facebook.com/502group, while a feature on the history and preservation of the Class 502 unit will be published in a future issue of Railways Illustrated.