4-VEP heading to Ilford

[colchesterken]

Gosh! lots of friends for Gordon wouldnt it be great to have them all, and the Belle running a Sunday service somewhere, pairs of them doing London to Brighton ?

Just a thought

 

[yorksrob]

Gosh! lots of friends for Gordon wouldnt it be great to have them all, and the Belle running a Sunday service somewhere, pairs of them doing London to Brighton ?

Just a thought

Seaford Branch perhaps?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Gosh! lots of friends for Gordon wouldn't it be great to have them all, and the Belle running a Sunday service somewhere, pairs of them doing London to Brighton ?

Just a thought

Yes, Linda, Gordon & the Belle, back on the main line would be good.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, Linda, Gordon & the Belle, back on the main line would be good.

Who (or what) is Linda ?

 

[Smudger105e]

Who (or what) is Linda ?

A track by Hue and Cry?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Who (or what) is Linda ?

She is another preserved electric unit, 3 carriages I think and was, until very recently, used for the SouthWest Trains Shuttle service from Brockenhurst to Lymington, AKA Linda Lymington Flyer.

 

[yorksrob]

She is another preserved electric unit, 3 carriages I think and was, until very recently, used for the SouthWest Trains Shuttle service from Brockenhurst to Lymington, AKA Linda Lymington Flyer.

Ah, then yes, I would very much like to travel in Linda on the main line, perhaps in multiple with Gordon. The two would make beautiful music together!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Ah, then yes, I would very much like to travel in Linda on the main line, perhaps in multiple with Gordon. The two would make beautiful music together!

Do you think that if Linda & Gordon were coupled togeter, they may produce offspring? and if so what would it be? HAP/VEP/BEP etc or even a 4-DD

 

[colchesterken]

On Gordon's twitter page there is an update from his carers SETG with some pics
Ilford are doing a great job on his paintwork, and they say they have all the bits for TPWS & GPS radio, Main line here he comes, nice and smart for a date with Lynda & Belle
Anyone know if the interior is being done as well, I assume they would not do the top part without doing his "underparts" bogies motors etc.

 

[yorksrob]

Do you think that if Linda & Gordon were coupled togeter, they may produce offspring? and if so what would it be? HAP/VEP/BEP etc or even a 4-DD

Maybe a couple of 2HAP's. They could watch them grow up into 4CAP's

 

[Smudger105e]

Maybe a couple of 2HAP's. They could watch them grow up into 4CAP's [emoji38]

Oi, I'll have you know I helped with that major modification....

I think it was a renumber and removal of one guards' seat

 

[yorksrob]

Oi, I'll have you know I helped with that major modification....

I think it was a renumber and removal of one guards' seat

As modifications go, that one sounds fairly cost effective!

 

[BingBong50]

An interesting update and teaser about the renovation and future use of Gordon in the Bluebell Railway periodic news email today and link to Southern Electric Traction Group web page.

"Finally we are continuing to meet with potential sponsors who are keen to speed the return of this icon of the Southern Electric to the mainline where it belongs.

We hope to unveil the next leg of the 4VEP’s restoration in the next few months.

We may be going far further off-region than Ilford. We may well have some unusual help to get the VEP to it’s next location.

It might be someone else in the heritage movement who owes the 4VEP a favour; after all, one good turn deserves another.

We will be keeping you informed".

http://setg.org.uk/ilford-depot-visit-290515/

 

[yorksrob]

Many thanks for the highly intriguing update!

 

[colchesterken]

A short engagement with one of the rebuilt 73,9s would see them going any ware
Go for it Gordon! seaside trips to North, East,South & West

 

[colchesterken]

Some new pictures of Gordon on his twitter page. Driving car finished looking fantastic
that seems to be the only one finished at the moment

 

[fgwrich]

Some new pictures of Gordon on his twitter page. Driving car finished looking fantastic
that seems to be the only one finished at the moment

Would appear to be the motor coach that's finished. Looking good anyway!

https://twitter.com/Gordon_3417

 

[yorksrob]

Looking very nice indeed - can't wait for a ride.

Would be lovely to get it on a stopper from Victoria to Ashford like the old days !

 

[colchesterken]

Anyone know how Gordon s new paint job is going
His scribes have not updated his twitter page for ages has the work been put on hold for them to do other work?

 

[NSEFAN]

Here's a picture from the Railway Herald from earlier this month

 

[colchesterken]

Great Thanks very much..One coach to go
Then TPWS .OTMR and new radio
Main line here he comes

 

[Townsend Hook]

Great Thanks very much..One coach to go
Then TPWS .OTMR and new radio
Main line here he comes

It should already have TPWS (although if anyone knows better..), which I seem to recall was fitted to the slam-door fleets some time in the early 2000s.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Can someone tell me if that full window minus top lights in the intermediate car containing the guards compartment/van area was a later modification or was it fitted from new?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Can someone tell me if that full window minus top lights in the intermediate car containing the guards compartment/van area was a later modification or was it fitted from new?

That would be from the rebuilding in around 1989/90; that entire section of that vehicle was originally part of the then much larger luggage compartment ( van area )

 

[Ash Bridge]

That would be from the rebuilding in around 1989/90; that entire section of that vehicle was originally part of the then much larger luggage compartment ( van area )

Ah right, I do recall now that BR built a batch of 4VEPs for Victoria - Gatwick Rail-Air services around 1973/74, so was it just those units that had the larger luggage van areas or was it standard across the fleet?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

No, it was standard - they were all built with about 50% of that vehicle consisting of a van area.

You're thinking of the 4-VEG conversions for the early version of Gatwick Express; the extra luggage space was provided by the removal of a few seats in each carriage. Once the 73/2s and Mk2 stock arrived, the VEG reverted to VEP.

 

[Smudger105e]

The 4 VEGs were a forerunner of the Gatwick Express. The were a standard VEP with some of the saloon seats replaced with luggage racks.

 

[yorksrob]

Ah right, I do recall now that BR built a batch of 4VEPs for Victoria - Gatwick Rail-Air services around 1973/74, so was it just those units that had the larger luggage van areas or was it standard across the fleet?

I believe the Gatwick units were a temporary rearrangement of a small sub-set which were classified VEG. This involved replacement of some seats with luggage racks which were removed when these units went back into the main VEP fleet (when the Mk 2 sets were introduced).

The replacement of half of the guards vans with the small saloon happened across the VEP fleet when they were all refurbished in the late 80's.

Gordon's looking good!

 

[Ash Bridge]

No, it was standard - they were all built with about 50% of that vehicle consisting of a van area.

You're thinking of the 4-VEG conversions for the early version of Gatwick Express; the extra luggage space was provided by the removal of a few seats in each carriage. Once the 73/2s and Mk2 stock arrived, the VEG reverted to VEP.

The 4 VEGs were a forerunner of the Gatwick Express. The were a standard VEP with some of the saloon seats replaced with luggage racks.

Many thanks for that chaps.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I believe the Gatwick units were a temporary rearrangement of a small sub-set which were classified VEG. This involved replacement of some seats with luggage racks which were removed when these units went back into the main VEP fleet (when the Mk 2 sets were introduced).

The replacement of half of the guards vans with the small saloon happened across the VEP fleet when they were all refurbished in the late 80's.

Gordon's looking good!

Yes, looks very nice indeed, all over rail blue looks as different again when applied to stock with metallic or chromed window frames such as VEPs.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, looks very nice indeed, all over rail blue looks as different again when applied to stock with metallic or chromed window frames such as VEPs.

Yes, a bit more exciting than without the metallic window frames which would have looked a bit sombre!