A rail enthusiast has bought a 1970s train for £1 to save it from the scrapheap.
The historical vehicle was the first of its fleet of Class 507s and served as a Royal Train to take the late Queen Elizabeth II from Moorfields station, Merseyside to Kirkby in 1978.
Yet despite its regal history, the 507 001 faced being reduced to scrap within 12 months of its retirement this summer – with several trains in its class already on the scrapheap.
Fortunately, Robert Hampton was able to save the train for just £1 – yet he is now having to raise £10,000 for the cost of transporting it to its new home.
The IT consultant told the BBC he had “a sentimental attachment” to the fleet which he associated with summer holidays and days out.
“It was always a treat to go on these trains,” he said.
“They have a great deal of character. They are representative of 1970s technology.”
Mr Hampton, 41, said the train had a “special place in railway history” and claimed its recent restoration to British Rail blue and grey livery to commemorate its service had made it “something of a celebrity among rail enthusiasts”.
He told the broadcaster: “Not only is it the first of its class and thus the oldest still in service, but it also served as a Royal Train,” he said.
“On 25 October 1978, Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a plaque at Moorfields station to open the Merseyrail network, before travelling on 507 001 to Kirkby,” he said.
The Class 507s were built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Holgate Road Works, York and first introduced in 1978.
They are now set to be replaced by the Class 777 fleet.
Mr Hampton acquired the train after setting up The Class 507 Preservation Society and approaching Angel Trains – a company that owns and maintains more than 4,000 rail vehicles – with the idea of transforming the 507 001 into an educational exhibit.
He secured the deal for a nominal £1 and will take ownership of the vehicle this summer, once it has retired.
Mr Hampton has now launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the £10,000 needed to move the train to Mr Hampton to its new home in Tanat Valley Railway, North West Shropshire.
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