5th August 2003
Nelsons no more:
Southern Railway history under threat

A double whammy is threatening 30 years of painstaking restoration of a special piece of Southern Railway history, and delaying a unique railway museum.

The Southern Electric Group has been told it must move its preservation activities out of their current home within a few months, and has also learnt that their long-term plans for a permanent Southern Electric Railway Museum in Worthing have been delayed for up to two years. If an affordable interim storage solution cannot be found quickly, a unique piece of Southern Railway history will be lost forever.

The group is preserving the last example of the "4 Cor" 3rd rail electric multiple units that were specially designed for the electrification of the mainline to Portsmouth in 1937. The "4 Cor" units introduced several innovative features to the rail system, but commuters and enthusiasts usually remember the single front driving window, which gave a one-eyed appearance. Combined with the association with the naval city of Portsmouth, this led to the units being given the affectionate nickname of "Nelsons" soon after their introduction.

Although much of the technology in the Nelson units is very different to that in conventional railway preservation, a dedicated team of enthusiasts has managed to research official archives and capture the practical experience of working and retired railwaymen in order to pioneer the techniques needed to continue restoration of the last remaining Nelson.

After thousands of man-hours of rebuilding, the "4 Cor" is the oldest surviving 3rd rail mainline electric multiple unit in the UK, but it must lose its current home by the end of the year. The group is appealing for help to discover affordable storage for this truly unique piece of heritage, ideally under cover, so that work can continue with the preservation.

Although ongoing changes within the railway industry have delayed the planned Southern Electric Railway Museum, it is hoped that interim storage will only be needed for a year or two. The group continues to work with the railway and local authorities to secure the planned museum as a permanent home to both display and encourage the study of the 3rd rail electric system.

Information is available from our website: www.southernelectric.org.uk

Or write enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

Southern Electric Railway Museum
2 Rope Walk
Shoreham-by-Sea
BN43 5WW

Or e-mail: enquiries@southernelectric.org.uk

The establishment of the Southern Electric Railway Museum is a joint project by The Southern Electric Group and the EPB Preservation Group.

Initially it will be a static display of Southern Electric rolling stock but in time we hope to operate third rail electric trains, which will be unique in railway preservation. The museum will become the fount of knowledge about the Southern Electric railway system including establishing a library and archive about the system.

We will work with local schools, to assist them with meeting curriculum targets, and with the local community, in ways including provision of a meeting room for use by local organisations.

The Southern Electric Group was founded in 1970. It preserved "4 Cor" 3142 in 1973; has run many railtours, organised Bazaars at railway stations and assisted with depot open days. It has published booklets and photographs relating to the Southern Electric.

• Bi-monthly magazine "Live Rail", which records the Southern Electric railway scene.
• Monthly meetings at Southwick and Eastleigh.
• Assistance to members interested in making railway models of the Southern.
• Visits to relevant railway installations.

"4 Cor" unit No 3142 was built in 1937 and ran in main line railway service until 1972. It saw regular use between London and Brighton/ Worthing, Eastbourne/Hastings, Littlehampton/Bognor Regis, Portsmouth via both Guildford and Horsham, Alton and Reading.

It has been preserved by the Southern Electric Group since 1973 and is under restoration to main line running condition. It is the oldest complete preserved electric multiple unit train in this country and represents the majority of pre-war Southern Electric stock in existence.

Enquiries about this press notice should be directed to: press@southernelectric.org.uk

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