‘Thumper’ DEMU and ‘ED’ to join Bluebell Railway fleet

THE Bluebell Railway has confirmed acceptance of former Oxted line ‘Thumper’ DEMUNo. 1305 (207202) comprising DMBSO No. 60130 and DTSO

No. 60904, as well as Class 73 Electro-Diesel (ED) No. 73133 (E6041), one-time named The Bluebell Railway.

The two-car Class 207 DEMU, offered free of charge to the Bluebell Railway, is in working order. The proposal is for a separate organisation known as the 1305 Oxted Thumper Gang to undertake completion of restoration so as not to take resources away from the carriage & wagon department.

The DEMU is among the stock being disposed of by COVES (Coulsdon Old Vehicle & Engineering Society) following closure of its Bicester site.

The unit was acquired by COVES in poor condition in 2021 following long-term storage on the East Lancashire Railway. It was moved to the COVES site at MoD Graven Hill, Bicester, where it was restored to operational condition.

Bodywork attention is required before it can enter passenger service at the Bluebell.

It is appropriate geographically for the Bluebell as it was used on the final DEMU working from Uckfield to Oxted in 2004.

The unit was moved in late November to Cockshute Sidings, Stoke-on-Trent where it temporarily joined ex-COVES Class 416/2 2-EPB sandite deicing set DMBSOs Nos. 65379 (977925) and 65382 (977924). The Class 73 has been acquired by a benefactor from Transmark Trains and has been with Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh.

In mid-December the timeframe for the movement of the additional diesel rolling stock to the Bluebell Railway remained to be confirmed.