4-SUB unit 4732 - The Big Push

The Heritage Electric Trains Trust (HETT) has launched the appeal to fund the remaining cost of the restoration of the first vehicle of 4-SUB unit 4732.

The restored vehicle has been offered the chance to go on permanent display at the One:One Collection building in Margate, but only if it can be completed in a realistic timescale. The only obstacle preventing this is having the remainder of the funds required to complete the work. The total cost for 'Car One' is £52000 of which HETT has to date raise £27000, leaving a £25K shortfall.

The SUB unit is an icon of South London commuting from the 50s to the early 80s with millions of miles and millions of passenger journeys made day in day out. An essential part of the story of Britain’s rail network. The appeal is so important as there is no plan B for the SUB, this is the only way we get to keep it alive.

As we start the 200th anniversary year of the railway network there would be no more suitable time than now to celebrate the contributions of the humble electric commuter train which has thus far been criminally neglected in the railway heritage sector.

4732 ran for 13 years after the end of regular SUB operations as a celebrity unit, retained on BRs books as capital stock, it was retired from this role in 1995 when rail privatisation put an end to such ventures.

Stored at the Coventry Railway Centre (later Electric Railway Museum) from 1998 until the site closed in 2017 4732 was never more than ‘saved from scrap’ as there was no plan and no resource to do anything with it. The HETT was created to address this and had the unit moved undercover for the first time in decades at Margate. Having paid the bills to keep it there the charity wants to take the vehicle to a specialist engineering facility who have quoted for the work. It is here that the bodywork and running gear can be repaired to a display standard as the first of the four coaches to go on display.

The fundraiser can be found here:

http://bit.ly/4dECDot

Donations are eligible for Gift Aid, so if you are a UK taxpayer then please select this option as it enables HETT to reclaim the tax you paid on this money.

 

A modest donation made

 

Thank you, all donations get us further toward the target so very much appreciated.