EOR Thumper 205205

[Blackcab94]

Hi all

Just to let you know that we have started up 205205 at Ongar following a service and new set of Batteries.
If you pop onto http://www.youtube.com/user/EORtv1 you can have a look (and listen).

The next items on the list are roof repairs and bodywork followed by internal deep clean and repairs to the
seating. Repaint to BR Blue and of course renumbering to 1111.

If any of you guys and girls are interested in assisting us please pop onto http://www.eorailway.co.uk/ to
find out more about us or come on over and help us in getting this railway re-opened this year.

Barry

 

[royaloak]

Excellent news, started well for an EE engine

 

[ChampsRacing]

Great to see a thumper starting up again, loved these units when i was little

 

[royaloak]

, loved these units when i was little

Well you have put a bit of weight on lately but I didnt want to mention it

 

[yorksrob]

Good to see it up and running - will have to visit when it's back in service!

Is this the set which was experimentally refurbished in the 1980's?

 

[4SRKT]

Thumpers are the biz! Saw (and heard!) a few in revenue earning service on Thursday and Friday last week when I was over in Northern Ireland (sadly for my Grandmother's funeral )

 

[ChampsRacing]

Well you have put a bit of weight on lately but I didnt want to mention it

Ya cheeky git

 

[Blackcab94]

yes she started very well for an old English Electric, only about 5 minutes of priming oil manually due to small problem with priming oil pump not powering up.

205205 is the unit that was 'refurbished' in the 80's, we have decided to keep her as is internally.

Blackcab94

 

[theblackwatch]

Will the 205 be used rather than the 117 then, or will they share duties?

 

[yorksrob]

205205 is the unit that was 'refurbished' in the 80's, we have decided to keep her as is internally.

I remember using it quite often on the Ashford-Hastings line as it was/is unique internally. I also remember reading somewhere that it was modified so that it can run in multiple with EMU's!

 

[Domeyhead]

Well done to all of you - great to know there's another thumper out there again. I well remember the Hampshire variants of these units at Andover Junction running the last days of the Andover -Southampton line. Occasionally we'd ride them out to Clatford and walk back to town, and I can still remember like yesterday that musty, dusty smell from the big springy padded seats that permeated the carriages on hot afternoons, and the smell and sound of that diesel coming through the open windows. Clatford was the prettiest little village station you could wish to see, and as the unit rounded the bend on the way down to Stockbridge the birdsong would return, with the sound of the river gurgling just behind the tiny platform. Happy days.

 

[4SRKT]

Well done to all of you - great to know there's another thumper out there again. I well remember the Hampshire variants of these units at Andover Junction running the last days of the Andover -Southampton line. Occasionally we'd ride them out to Clatford and walk back to town, and I can still remember like yesterday that musty, dusty smell from the big springy padded seats that permeated the carriages on hot afternoons, and the smell and sound of that diesel coming through the open windows. Clatford was the prettiest little village station you could wish to see, and as the unit rounded the bend on the way down to Stockbridge the birdsong would return, with the sound of the river gurgling just behind the tiny platform. Happy days.

These happy days are still going on. Almost every train in this timetable is operated by a thumper: http://www.translink.co.uk/resources2007/pdfs/larne_timetable_131209.pdf (except on Sundays, when odious new CAF sets work). That's a hell of a lot of thumping, and in proper revenue earning service. It's unlikely to last more than another couple of years though, so I call on all thumper fans to make hay while the sun shines and get over there without delay, or live to regret it. I'm planning two trips over the summer.

There are two types in operation, both mechanically identical to the SR thumpers. The older version, of which three sets remain, is BR Mk IIb bodyshells, now run in 4-car formations DMBS-DTS-DTS-DMBS. These sets have really comfortable seats, and the guards on NIR don't seem to object to bashers leaning out of the windows (my lordz!). The other type have class 455 bodyshells (and seats), and there are nine 3-car sets DMS-TS-DTS. Clearly the twin power car sets (80 class) are more desirable, but they don't have regular diagrams outside the Monday-Friday peaks (although that doesn't stop them turning up anyway). I know which these diagrammed workings are, so if anyone feels compelled to go over, give me a shout and I'll give you the gen. The more modern sets (450 class) are still worth going over for. You can get a day ticket for £15 giving unlimited travel on public transport throughout Northern Ireland.

My publicity announcement on behalf of Northern Ireland Railways is now over!

 

[Drimnagh Road]

4SRKT, one went bang the other day....

Power car 8082 suffered an electrical fire prior to operating the 0957 ex Larne Harbour service on Thursday morning last (14th April). The other power car on the set was 8094. Although the damaged caused was minimal, one wonders if it'll be repaired and returned to service or is it the end of 8082 given the general lack of demand for the 80 class sets? The set was later hauled back to York Road by 8113.

 

[4SRKT]

I'd heard about this, but am hoping it will be put back into service. Given that there is only one scheduled diagram M-F, the fact that there are two instead of three sets doesn't reduce your chances as long as you go for the correct workings.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
While you're on Drimnagh Road, as you're both Irish and a fan of 'snatchers, if I get off the night Stena boat from Dublin that gets into Holyhead at about half midnight, is there anywhere I can hang around either in the ferry terminal or railway station until the 05:32 class 57 to Cardiff? I've got a very complex bashing/family holiday schedule going on this summer, and this may well be a move I can make.

 

[NXEA!]

Great to hear! Well done

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Hmmm,

never done it myself. I do the "bottle it" move and fly to Bristol, then do the WAG northbound,and do the overnight ferry home, and/or Travelodge it and head back on the WAG South the next day.

Not so bad coming off the Cardiff-Holyhead service at 20:45 then hanging round till 2 as at least Mc Donalds and the pubs do be opened.

One of my mates normally visits the South Stack hostelry in the town and throws them about £20 for a room for a few hours. Not worth chinging on the Travelodge for only a couple of hours.

But you are ok hanging around the ferry terminal, as the first train isn't off until 04:30 which is the only connection for footies off the evening sailings. Lots of people kip in the terminal, safe enough and warm.

 

[4SRKT]

Hmmm,

never done it myself. I do the "bottle it" move and fly to Bristol, then do the WAG northbound,and do the overnight ferry home, and/or Travelodge it and head back on the WAG South the next day.

Not so bad coming off the Cardiff-Holyhead service at 20:45 then hanging round till 2 as at least Mc Donalds and the pubs do be opened.

One of my mates normally visits the South Stack hostelry in the town and throws them about £20 for a room for a few hours. Not worth chinging on the Travelodge for only a couple of hours.

But you are ok hanging around the ferry terminal, as the first train isn't off until 04:30 which is the only connection for footies off the evening sailings. Lots of people kip in the terminal, safe enough and warm.

Cheers! I'll do that then. I was looking at getting the first train outta there at 04:25, but then I remembered the 'snatcher at 05:32 and thought that for the sake of an extra hour's hanging around, it'd be worth it for a rare drop of loco haulage.

 

[Blackcab94]

Yes the class 117 is also being restored and both units will share duties when we re-open.
Also 205205 was converted to run with EMU's.

Barry

 

[Ivo]

Without even knowing what these units were, I loved the Thumpers on the few occasions I used them. The little triangle always made me think that they were "happy" trains. But, I was 8 and on holiday near Hastings, so what do you expect? And bear in mind that the units I used were probably 207s, not 205s, but hey!

Great to "hear" such a work of art again

(I should add that, at the time, I knew only 302, 310, 312 and 317. And yet, I knew that LTS had ordered 44 357s (I thought they were more 317s!). Strange.)