Rolling Stock Department
Diesel-Electric Multiple Units
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'Thumper' DEMU
We have one 2-car DEMU on the railway, a 1957 "Hampshire" Class 205 unit, commonly known as a "Thumper", which we have welcomed back from its foray up north.
These diesel-electric multiple units (DEMU) were once common on many commuter lines and nicknamed "Thumpers" due to the characteristic noise they produce. "Thumper" 205205 has been brought back to the South East from its former home on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, so it can be restored and once again carry passengers.
"Thumper" 205205 is the only unit with a corridor connection being experimentally converted and 'modernised'. Because of this it was saved for preservation, and over the coming months the volunteer team at EOR will be carefully restoring the unit, complete with its "commuter" style interior. This both ensures the preservation of this period of our transport history, and is attractive to film and TV companies who require a "modern" train.
History of Thumper 205205
John Atkinson has kindly written an article about the history of 205205.
Unit 1111 was new with 'paint date' 20/09/1957 and entered service as a 2H unit formed 60110 + 60810 based at Eastleigh Diesel Depot for 'Hampshire Diesel Scheme'. Unit plain green with green ends and whistle. MBS code was NA, diagram 652. It weighed 56 tons (split 32 tons on leader bogie, 24 tons on motor bogie), seated 52 second in one open five-bay saloon.
DTC code was VA, diagram 679. It weighed 32 tons and seated 13 first and 62 second, the full width compartment behind the cab vestibule was second (12 seats) and the two first compartments seated 7 (outer) and 6 (innermost with gangway past it).
The remaining 5 bay saloon seated 50 as there was a door at the cab end of it into the toilet.
Overall unit was 133' 3.5" long, weighed 88 tons and seated 13 first and 114 second.
The unit first worked on Portsmouth/Southampton to Salisbury and when all were ready, from 4th November 1957 they also took over the Portsmouth/Southampton to Alton line. Units worked on the Romsey - Andover line from new.
The new units proved almost too successful as overcrowding became a problem, and were taken off the Andover line to strengthen other services. Early in 1958 their engines were uprated from 500hp to 600hp (different turbocharger fitted).
From October 1958 units covered the Fawley branch on Sundays Eighteen TS coaches were built and began being added to the units from August 1958, 1111 receiving 60660 eventually.
This coach seated 104 second (two 5 bay saloons) so the unit was now 199' 6" long, weighed 118 tons and seated 13 first and 218 second. The unit also gained 'express' gear ratio motors during late 1959, but this, in combination with the extra coach, was not a success and 1111 was one of five units hastily reduced to 2H for use on the Alton line 11/1959 until 'suburban' ratio motors were refitted, when it was made-up to 3H once again early in 1960. Once to 'Berkshire' units were delivered in 1962 units also then worked the Reading - Salisbury service.
They had other 'odd' workings, a few as far as Weymouth.
1103 + 1111 were loaned to the Central Division briefly in February 1963 and worked on the 'Oxted' lines. Units gained a luminous orange 'vee' on the MBS cab end from 1960, later from 1964 a small yellow warning panel was painted onto both cab ends, that on the MBS having an inverted black triangle within it.
DTC 60810 temporarily replaced by 60827 (ex 1128) in July
1965 in connection with AWS tests, and the unit itself was fitted with AWS in December 1965 when the second class compartment was also stripped as a luggage space, the DTC now seating 13F 50S with overall unit capacity 13F 208S.
1111 was painted plain blue with full yellow ends from 09/10/1967 and went blue/grey by May 1981. It remained allocated to Eastleigh until 05/1972 when it moved to St Leonards for Oxted line work, returning to Eastleigh 10/1974 and stayed there until 02/1980 went back to St Leonards.
DTC 60810 was damaged late in 1972 and MBS 60110 was used in 3D 1307 for a while.
Unit 1111 sent to Eastleigh 04/05/1978 as prototype 'refurbish' unit and asbestos stripped at this stage and extensively rebuilt internally.
In the MBS, the original guard's compartment became a luggage space and a new guard's compartment replaced the innermost seating bay, the resultant 4bay saloon now seating 39.
The TS now seated 98 and the DTS (no first class) seated 76 giving a unit total of 213. Gangways were fitted between the coaches.
DTS 60810 was inspected at Waterloo 07/06/1979 and the unit was formed-up at Strawberry Hill during August and ran to Stewarts Lane for tests 30/11/1979, and it worked in multiple with a 4CIG unt on the Shepperton branch on test 30/12/1979, though this feature was then removed as unit had to work with other DEMU units. It finally moved to St Leonards 27/02/1980 for commissioning and went into traffic shortly afterwards, mostly restricted to the Hastings - Ashford line on account of no first class seating.
Unit 1111 was renumbered 205101 from July 1986 and was painted into NSE livery about June 1989. It was allocated to Selhurst depot following the closure of St Leonards depot from 05/10/1987. The 'St Leonards' nameplates off 'Hastings' unit 203001 were fitted to MBS 60110 from 05/1990, though these were later 'removed'. The unit was reduced to 2H from 01/1993 and 60660 withdrawn and converted to a 'Sandite' coach numbered ADB977870, this coach finally being scrapped at St Leonards during the summer of 2009. Unit now weighed 89.26 tonnes and seated 115.
The unit was made-up to 3 cars again during June 1995 by the addition of 4-CEP coach 71634 (ex 1542), this being one of the former Mark 1 loco-hauled TSO coaches converted during the 4-CEP refurbishing, from coach 4059, a 1956 vehicle built at Swindon on Ashford underframe.
Unit was then renumbered 205205 at this time and outshopped in NSE livery.
DTS 60810 was damaged when the pit road at Selhurst collapsed under it 20/10/1997 and out of use until repaired 23/12/1997. Unit out of use from July 1998 with engine defect and sent to Eastleigh for overhaul, repair and repaint (into Connex livery) 10/1998, it was released and into traffic 08/10/1998 as 2 car with 71634 stored at Selhurst. 71634 was back in the unit from 09/01/1999. It was again reduced to 2H from 29/09/1999 until 20/02/2000 for winter period. It again went to 2 car from 29/01/2001 as 71634 had wiring faults, and unit restricted to Uckfield line work, always 'in multiple' with another owing to reliability problems.
Unit resumed unrestricted working from 24/09/2003 following a power unit change at St Leonards, but 71634 was never restored to it and sent to Immingham for scrapping 19/08/2003 and cut-up 04/09/2003.
Unit 205205 was withdrawn at Selhurst 23/07/2004 after working on 07:26 Uckfield to London Bridge that day which terminated at East Croydon. It was hauled to Tonbridge West Yard for store 24/11/2004 and taken to St Leonards for engine repairs 30/12/2004, returning to Tonbridge 02/03/2005. It was then sold to NYMR and hauled to Darlington 21/03/2005 and on to Grosmont the next day.
Little used by NYMR owing to a broken fan clutch whilst in use. It was then taken out of service.
Unit was resold and moved to Ongar (by road) 12/11/2009, where it has now been repaired and is in service once again.
