Final departure for the last surviving Class 507s
Posted on 21st January 2025 at 7:54 pm
We're hoping it's a case of “third time lucky” as we prepare to welcome 507001 into preservation.
The previous two attempts to transport our historic electric train into preservation were both thwarted by poor weather. The first attempt on 9th December had to be abandoned after Storm Darragh caused multiple blockages of the railway along the train's intended route. The second attempt on 6th January was cancelled following a landslip in Gobowen which blocked the line for several days.
507001 and 507029 will leave Birkenhead North depot at 6:05am on 23rd January, hauled by a Rail Operations Group diesel locomotive. 507001 will be at the rear of the train, meaning the very first 507 delivered in 1978 will also be the very last on the network.
Full timings for the journey are now available on Realtime Trains. The convoy will pass through Bidston at 6:11, then travel onwards via Wrexham, Shrewsbury and Hereford to Newport Docks, home to Unimetals (formerly Sims). There, 507029 will be scrapped, but 507001 will be loaded onto lorries provided by Allelys for onward transport to Derby, where it is expected to be one of a host of trains taking part in The Greatest Gathering for Railway 200 in August.
The road movement from Newport to Derby is required because there is no rail route which is cleared for 507s, and Newport Docks is a convenient location to carry out the loading procedure.
Following its time at Derby, it is expected that 507001 will be moved to its permanent home at the Tanat Valley Light Railway, where it will be on display to visitors to educate about the history of Merseyside’s electric railway network.
Further updates will be posted on our social media, so please follow us on Bluesky, Instagram or Facebook.
The movement from Birkenhead North to Newport is sure to attract plenty of attention from rail enthusiasts, so please tag us in your photos if you see the train on its journey.
