The Bluebell Railway has purchased former Southern Region DEMU No. 1305 and will become part of the heritage railway’s fleet.
The Unit was previously owned and looked after by the Coulsdon Old Vehicle & Engineering Society and saw a team focus on restoring No. 1305 to working condition ahead of its sale to the railway.
Introduced in 1962 following favourable results from the Hastings and Hampshire units, the Southern Region were specifically built for use on the Oxted Line to East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells West.
No. 1305 was built and numbered in BR days and was based at St. Leonards and Eastleigh and finished its hard-working life at Selhurst ahead of being moved to preservation. This class of DEMU saw many passenger duties including regular operation out of London Bridge or London Victoria to East Grinstead and may have even seen work on Imberhorne Viaduct.
Paul Russell, Locomotive Engineering Director, said: “I am pleased that we have been able to acquire this DEMU which completes another part of the jigsaw that will allow us to depict the Southern Region scene in the sixties and seventies and these units were synonymous with commuter services to and from East Grinstead. It will form a useful and economic means of bringing passengers to our railway earlier than is currently possible and allowing them to spend a full day exploring the line and experiencing the sight and sound of steam and for some the nostalgia of the daily commute.”
No. 1305 is the very first and only Bluebell-owned diesel unit which will be used for passenger services on the railway as other diesel locomotives at the railway are privately owned.
The DEMU will be restored further and maintained by the 1305 Thumper Group which operates a similar approach to that of the successful Bluebell Rail Goods Division and will save both time and the use of personnel from the Bluebell Railway Carriage & Wagon department.
The railway is still finalising No. 1305’s arrival with all parties involved.
A donations page is being set up by The Bluebell Railway Trust and will allow anyone who wishes to support the group to make a donation.
For further information about 1305 or for anyone wishing to get involved, please get in touch with Ben Wetherall by email – [email protected] or visit the 1305 Oxted Thumper Gang Facebook Page
Responses
i cant wait to see it maybe able to have a look in the cab and honk the horns
Awesome news thumper mad and will fit in nicely!!😎🚃🚃🚃🇬🇧
An appropriate home for it. Can’t wait to enjoy a ride in the Thumper!
The ‘Thumper’ owned and managed by the Hastings Diesel charity has been successfully running for years. It is stabled at St.Leonards. A few years ago it was hired by a groups day trip to Hereford and back. It drew quite a few railway buffs on our trip cross country, with its distinctive engine note!