29Jan 2017 by Digital Minion

Strawberry Hill Work Day – Sat 21 January 2017

News
At Last! AT LAST!! We're into Strawberry Hill depot! Last Saturday marked the first work day we've been able to arrange for nearly 12 months. I won't bore you with the drawn-out story of Why and Where, but suffice it to say that we have been impatiently waiting to finally regain access to 3417 for a very long time, and working very hard behind the scenes to make it happen. To illustrate where we are at this moment, and where our restoration project starts from, we should explain the current state of the unit: The unit is stabled inside Strawberry Hill Depot - for the benefit of clarity, the doors of the shed are classed as the London-end, whilst the buffer stops are the Country-end. From the London end, the…
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29May 2015 by Digital Minion

Bombardier Ilford Depot Visit 29/05/2015

News
On Friday 29th May representatives from the Southern Electric Traction Group visited Bombardier's Ilford Carriage Works to assess progress on the restoration of the Bluebell Railway's unique 4VEP EMU No. 3417. As those of you who are following the unit's progress on Facebook and Twitter will be aware, the first vehicle - Driving Trailer No. 76262 - has already been processed through Ilford's state-of-the-art paint facility. Bombardier have informed us with a wry smile that this first coach required "more prep" than they were expecting. It also acted as the test bed for the vehicles yet to be processed so that the rubbing down, prepping and undercoating can be carried out as efficiently as possible on the remaining three coaches. To say that we are impressed with the results would…
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25Jan 2015 by Digital Minion

Bombardier Ilford Depot Visit 23/01/2015

News
"Bombardier's Ilford Depot - No.3417's current home." On Friday 23rd January representatives from the SETG and Bluebell Railway visited Bombardier's Ilford Carriage Works to discuss the timetable for commencing work on the Bluebell Railway's celebrity 4VEP multiple unit, No. 423 417 'Gordon Pettitt.' As has been mentioned in previous reports, Bombardier have offered both bodywork repairs and a complete repaint for the unit. This work will be carried out by trainees as part of Bombardier's apprenticeship scheme. Paul Oldacre (project manager) talked through the specifics of the refurbishment, involving re-skinning the coaches before giving the unit a high-quality repaint in two-pack paint. Bombardier will process one coach at a time, with the first vehicle due to move into the sheds by mid-March at the latest. Bombardier have additionally agreed to fit…
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08Oct 2014 by Digital Minion

Bombardier Sponsorship Announcement

News
Bombardier Sponsors Refurbishment of Unique Southern EMU Press Release Here (Opens New Window) October 8, 2014 Berlin Bombardier apprentice program helps renovate historic electric multiple unit (EMU) rail vehicle Bombardier Transportation, in partnership with the Southern Electric Traction Group (SETG) and the Bluebell Railway, are delighted to announce their sponsorship of the refurbishment of the Bluebell Railway's unique 4VEP unit, No. 3417 Gordon Pettitt. Undertaken as part of Bombardier's extensive apprenticeship programme, the four-month refurbishment will include corrosion repair and a high-quality repaint. A living piece of British Rail heritage, the No. 3417 Gordon Pettitt, was part of the British Rail Class 423 series of trains that served Southern London, Kent and Sussex starting in 1967. After being taken out of service in 2005, No. 3417 was handed over to…
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04Oct 2014 by Digital Minion

Gordon Goes to Ilford

News
Unit 3417 Moves from Clapham Junction to Ilford On Saturday 4th October, the SETG are moving the Bluebell Railway’s 4VEP unit No. 3417 from long-term storage to Bombardier’s Ilford Carriage Works in Essex. The train will run as 5L23, 07:50 Clapham Sidings to Ilford EMU Depot. The preliminary work to enable this move has been carried out over the last fortnight. On Saturday 20th September SETG volunteers removed 3rd-rail collector shoe gear from the 4VEP to enable the unit to be hauled ‘off-region’ without coming into unintended contact with ballast or line side equipment. The equipment removed was stored on the unit and will be serviced and refitted at a later date. Seven days later, SETG volunteers returned to Clapham Yard to carry out further work on the unit. A…
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23Sep 2014 by Digital Minion
3417 Shoegear Removed for Repair

3417 Shoegear Removed for Repair

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.…
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15Jun 2014 by Digital Minion

Keeping You Updated

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.…
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18May 2014 by Digital Minion

Coming Along Nicely

News
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…
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21Mar 2014 by Digital Minion

More Spring Cleaning

News
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…
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17Mar 2014 by Digital Minion

In the Beginning

News
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…
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