Homes needed for 4cig and 4vop

See here: http://www.semgonline.com/gallery/class423_01.html

Essentially it is an interior re-modelling of one carriage in the set. The fact that the difference is so slight is probably the evidence you need that, with a 4-VEP already in preservation, the historical significance of preserving a 4-VOP is pretty slight. Given limited resources, I'd suggest that there are more worthy vehicles (including EMUs) in need of support.

Tom

 

A VOP is a VEP with the first class down graded to second class and the internal partitions removed with the O in the VOP meaning open. Also these sets have no toilets they will be of no use for longer railways, and the non driver coaches aren't able to be used as normal coaches as they are fixed coach formation.

 

Especially as the VOPs had a short life, there were few (19?) of them, and they were only used in a narrow area.

The challenge for EMU preservation, even more than sustaining what's there, will be ensuring that there is something representative of the PEP and Mk3 families of units. All of the drawbacks mentioned, without the couplings or the steam era looks.

 

My suggestion might be to add another two units to The Bluebells existing VEP and main line certify them. Then you might have a potential main line excursion set.

 

how on earth would you fill 12 cars? even once.....

 

Just needs a railway with air braked locos to operate them. There are a few about, but its whether those who wish to preserve them are prepared to volunteer at said locations. Sadly not everything can be preserved on your doorstep.

 

.. and whether that railways needs extra coaches, has the space to store them, wants emu's rather than loco-hauled stock, and wants to work with these external groups, etc etc. Having the right sort of locos to pull them is only part of the equation.

 

The practical problems over preserving EMU's have been discussed on the EX 3 Cig thread

 

Update on finding a home. They will be charged from today rent as they want the railway (the American company that owns it) want the space. They are going to try and get both units restored so it is more appealing to heritage railways and it will be easier to find a home. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=646216442220574&id=135004650008425

 

If EMU stock was presented nicely, and the Motor Vehicle wasn't in the rake they would be appealing to some heritage railways as decent coaching stock with a twist, the problem is the heat and light as other have mentioned, this could be easily rectified with modifications and silent running generators, not original I appreciate but makes the vehicles useable and haulable.

 

"They would be appealing... "? Doesn't look like it so far.

 

Possi

Maybe because it's unrestored and I believe partly graffitied?

 

Most railways have already got rows of unrestored vehicles to deal with. Having another set of four scruffy carriages which need to be kept together is a big ask.

Maybe a private site might be a more realistic (and safer) option until they are restored. Anyone got a few thousand square feet of warehouse space available for a few years?

Richard

 

I'm not sure I'm very happy with the sort of 'told you so' thing that goes on as yet more 40's/50's/60's EMU's are lost.

If we are supposed to be a heritage movement then we need to find some way of preserving what was for many people their daily (and only) experience of the railways for 40 years or more. The list of stuff that was preserved and has either been broken up or is steadily deteriorating to a beyond help condition is just plain embarrassing. I grew up in Essex and there is virtually nothing left of the hundreds of units that once plied out of Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street on what were then still the most intensively used terminii in London. The situation for the SR is if anything even worse, as is the loss of most of the pre- BR units that at one time were saved.

This is a serious problem and some serious thinking about solutions is required. If we are only going to keep what is 'appealing' then we are not a heritage movement, we are in the theme park business.

 

I sympathise with the poster above; one thing has not been mentioned in connection with the above types of stock though and that's the A-word - asbestos.

Never mind the practicality of them ever running under their own power, unless they can be got to a main line and then you have all the fun of central locking, &c.

 

I can't see any "told you so" going on - just reasons why it might be difficult to find a new home and some suggestions about alternatives.

"We need to find ways ..."
"Just plain embarrassing ..."

Unless you set up your own heritage project (where you can choose what you preserve), you are tied to the host railway's objectives. Also, there simply isn't enough space (or volunteers) to preserve everything.

 

to be blunt, almost no one cares about EMUs. They aren't particularly useful and are represented in most of their aspects by Mk1 coaches. DMUs are tolerated as useful (as are mk1s come to that) EMUs need only a couple of coaches preserved to tell their story, most of what there is currently existing has a bleak future. The problem really is where EMU groups try to piggy back on to Steam orientated lines, never going to work

 

The trouble with some of those who seem most insistent that EMUs "must" be preserved is that they appear to have little idea of just what does exist in preservation. For example, a complete set of LNER design 306 vehicles is preserved at the East Anglian Railway Museum and a pair if 302 driving trailers at Mangapps, the latter seeing fairly regular use. Not a lot I'll grant you, but rather more than "virtually nothing."

By the way, there's no need for any EMU enthusiast to be embarrassed about the alleged state of EMU preservation; if you're really keen to do something about preserving them, may I suggest that a good start would be to offer practical help to those organisations who are already committed to EMU preservation.

 

I spent near on 30 years committing on the things, they were ruddy awful, ruddy awful journeys. Don't see any need to have them preserved.

 

committing what? nuisance, armed robbery, suicide, bigamy ...we need to know(wun)