Not the Last Thump 205205 at the Epping Ongar Railway

One of the events to mark 10 years since the final withdrawal of the Thumpers units.
Held at the Epping Ongar Railway with DEMU 205205

[@stephenpowell5912]

What a beautiful sound these Commuter trains make ,Long live the Thumpers and a beautiful location down the south of the UK ❤️

[@alistairkewish651]

My first Thumper ride must date from the late 1950s. Dunton Green being the destination.And at that time as an added bonus, the Westerham branch still open and operated by H Class.What wonderful memories! As for the Ongar line, seeing as how rural it is, no huge surprise to learn it never paid its way.The final irony being that now privately owned, it comes into modest profit at last. The wheel turns full circle. No pun intended.

[@IndigoJo]

I suspect that if LUL had run direct trains to London at least at peak times, it would have paid its way - Ongar is only a few miles outside the M25 and had no other rail link to anywhere. Running down lines rather than investing in them was a theme of how rail was managed in the BR era and only started to change when privatisation wax on the horizon and lines like the Thames/Chiltern and the entire Kent rail network (especially the suburban lines which still had slam-door trains without corridors) needed modernising.

[@SiVlog1989]

I never got the chance to ride on a thumper when they were still on the national rail network. When I get the chance, I'll go on one...

[@SiVlog1989]

What a time warp! The unit is painted in NSE livery, colours I remember from when I was a kid!

[@preservedthumpers]

There are a few thumpers in this condition the Spa Valley, the Lavender Line and Hastings Diesels all have units restotrd to the same standard. The reason it sounds like a class 20 is because it has a 4 cylinder version of the engines the 20's had which was mounted in one of the coaches and not puny bus engines as found under the floor like in a normal DMU. To find out more have a look at our website www.preservedthumpers.com

[@bowlerstuff9589]

wait the spa valley has a thumper.I didn't see it when I went there

[@pompeyman444]

Midhants railway has one too.. (also known as the watercress line)

[@robnewman6101]

You're a really useful railway.

[@williamradford9631]

The good old 2 coach DMU Thumper. In immaculate condition, in Network southeast livery.

[@robnewman6101]

Keep Cool in the summer.

[@KenBrownekb71000duke]

Very good and enjoyable video - I Don think I've ever seen such an immaculate DMU! Is it my imagination or does she really sound a little like a class 20? Really enjoyed the trip and can you tell me how they came to be nicknamed "Thumpers?" Thanks. Ken

[@williamradford9631]

The Spa valley railway does a thumper day on Thursdays

[@sladeblade103]

you could have shown us the inside rather than the view out of the window because Ive seen about a hundred video's showing scenery but no the inside.

[@TransportCambs]

Nice video. I love thumpers.

[@leesmith8366]

Robin smith enjoyed this.

[@steventhornton4716]

Were the thumpers not v12s like their locomotive counterparts I seem to remember the hastings units sounding a little different coming through hampden park outside of eastbourne

[@paulcowell7588]

Didnt recognise the last station at all...

[@Faulty720]

What happened to this unit? Seems to have been withdrawn again at the EOR

[@tomhami]

It was taken out of service a few years ago with cam shaft or bearing issues I believe. Its recently moved to the carriage work undercover areas at Ongar Station for fingers crossed there is action with it.

[@Faulty720]

@@tomhami ah thats some good news then. Thanks for the info

[@Juniper458]

wasn't 205205 originally in connex livery?

[@IndigoJo]

No train that age was originally in Connex livery - they took over the franchise after privatisation in 1993. They would have been in NSE livery before that with a badge showing which line (either South Western Lines for the Olympia shuttle or Oxted Line for the Uckfield branch). Before that, British Rail blue and grey.

[@Andrew-xg5ge]

The train was in Connex livery when it first arrived on the EOR.

[@bowlerstuff9589]

ive bin In DEMU 205205