Class 457 Network SouthEast Repaint Fund

Hello,

I'm Graeme Gleaves and nearly twenty five years ago I fundraised to buy the unique class 457 driving car 67300. At the time there were plenty who asked if this was worth preserving as it was basically 'new'; I felt then, as I do now that everything has its time and will one day become significant. History has proved me right as we have the worlds first three phase traction unit and an example of an un-refurbished BR Mk3 EMU preserved that no one else has and this will be the only one.

For over two decades the mission to not only restore the vehicle to display standard and the treasure hunt to replace the parts missing from it when it was robbed for spares has been a real labour of love. Using parts from 455, 313 and 317 units we have now got the vehicle 99.9% complete. In addition the floor has been replaced, the interior has been refreshed and the lighting has been set up so the vehicle can be fully illuminated from a mains socket.

In 2018 when the unit left the Electric Railway Museum for its new home at the East Kent Railway it was painted into the only livery it has ever worn in service, the red, white, blue and grey of Network SouthEast. Now a little over six years later it is time to repaint the vehicle once more into NSE livery so all that work that has been completed on the inside can be complemented with an exterior finish to match. We have priced the repaint using quality coaching enamel with varnish and a sealant paint for the roof to protect the interior from the weather.

Our volunteers are ready to do the prep work and apply the finish to a quality standard; they just need some assistance from the community to fund the cost of the materials so this vehicle can be ready to go on public display at the East Kent Railway. Can you spare a few pounds to help us out and make 67300 looks its best again ?

Thanks are due to the Network SouthEast Railway Society for their help in obtaining the correct logos and numbers for the vehicle.