Established 1996

Suburban Electric Railway Association      
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SR 2-EPB Restoration Project

Updated September 2024

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The Suburban Electric Railway Association (SERA) has acquired four vehicles of SR EPB stock. The four vehicles are:

2-EPB Unit 6307 comprised of DMB 14573 and DT 16117, this is a face-lifted unit featuring fluorescent lighting, Public address and refreshed interior.

4-EPB DMBs 14351 & 14352 from unit 5176, these are un-refurbished and have original interior and tungsten lighting. 14352 has been stripped internally to serve as a stores and workshop for the project with its internal fittings salvaged as spare parts. 14351 was unable to move to Kent to join the other vehicles and has had to be located at the Lllanelli and Mynad Mawr Railway in South Wales, to whom we were very gratefull to for making the space available to us. This vehicle is considered restorable and is not going to be robbed or altered from its present condition as it is considered a future project.

In addition the SERA is working with the Heritage Electric Trains Trust who own 4-EPB TSO 15354 which is a source of spares for their 4-SUB unit, but has other components that are not compatible with that class but are suitable for the 2-EPB. A working arrangement exists whereby 15354 is located at Sellindge under the care of the SERA who use it for storage and possible component recovery.

The project therefore has ownership or access to the last five surviving examples of SR EPB stock and will make use of all the best options from these vehicles to make an example of a two coach unit. The initial purpose of that unit will be as coaching stock on a heritage railway where it can be hauled by a diesel locomotive.

'The Sandcrawler'

  

DMBSO 14352 and TSO 15354 are parked together at Sellindge and have been lightly repainted BR Blue to improve their appearance. Inside the driving car has had its seating removed to create two working spaces, one is a storage facility for SERA Team Kent projects and the other is a workshop where interior components such as seating, trim, woodwork and other fittings can be serviced, renovated and repaired. To this end a mains power hook up was installed and plug sockets fitted to the walls. The work to complete the fitting out will be completed by the end of October 2024 and this will provide us with an all weather facility to work on the project. This static two car set has been nicknamed The Sancrawler after the larger battered vehicle used by the Jawas in the Star Wars universe that was full of droid components and workshops.