Category: News

We have had a busy few weeks, both on and away from the unit. Last week saw several meetings regarding the future of the unit; we hope to have news on the outcome of those conversations within the month. One of Gordon’s Minions has written an article for inclusion the July edition of the ‘Bluebell News’, published by the Bluebell Railway for it’s membership – this includes an exclusive piece of news regarding the unit. Once the membership of the Bluebell Railway has been informed of our progress we will be releasing the news to the wider public. Keep your eyes peeled! The unit has benefitted from the recent warm weather, and minions have been dispatched to open windows and doors to allow fresh air to ventilate through the coaches.…

Good afternoon! This is the latest minion communication, designed to keep you all posted on the current goings-on regarding No. 3417. After the work carried out some weeks ago, all has been quiet regarding attention to the unit. We will be carrying out an inspection on the unit within the next two weeks to confirm that nothing has deteriorated since the last viewing. Behind the scenes, however, things have been extremely busy. As you will all be aware, there are many significant obstacles standing in the way of returning the unit to revenue-earning condition. The SETG have been hard at work trying to find ways around those obstacles. In the past few weeks we have had productive meetings with various individuals within the railway industry who are keen to see…

Today two minions spent another productive few hours aboard No. 3417, this time completing the internal clean. The fruits of the previous work was immediately obvious – the unit no longer smells stale inside! The first job involved walking through the unit, opening windows and getting more fresh air into the carriages. It’s rewarding to see how much better the unit looks after simply removing accumulated dust and detritus. After this the internal clean continued, taking in Motor Brake Luggage Standard No 62236 and the country-end Driving Trailer Composite N 76263. The comparison between the rebuilt and un-rebuilt ends of the motor brake is striking. The re-built end, converted at Eastleigh when 4VEPs lost their full-length luggage space in the late 1980′s, is completely water tight. There is almost no…

THE STORY SO FAR . . . In the beginning there was a 4VEP called Gordon. It was much loved, but there were many people who were too busy to look after it properly. It sat at Clapham Yard and slowly became faded. People thought it had been forgotten, but they were wrong. Minions arrived and were told “fix this VEP, because it’s the last one left.” They agreed, and the Southern Electric Traction Group was born. Now, read on. This is the new Southern Electric Traction Group workshop page. This is where SETG technical staff (known as Gordon’s Minions) will keep you updated on the work being carried out to bring 4VEP No. 3417 back to serviceable condition. WORK CARRIED OUT SO FAR: • Cleaning. • Coach No. 76262…