4SUB 4732 - Car one now complete! Open day 15th/16th August

[4SubAsociation]

Hi all

A video has been produced regarding the restoration of 4SUB 4732. Starting with Car one 12796.

To get the first coach cosmetically restored for this purpose the Heritage Electric Trains Trust, a registered charity needs to raise £50 000.

Ways to donated can be found here - https://www.hett.org.uk/support-us

Also we do have a facebook group of which items for sale can be found here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/4SubAssociationSales

Also we will be attending the following events with the sale stand

East Kent Railway Hazard Retro show – 25th June
G Scale Society Kent Group Ashford Multi gauge Model Railway show – 9th July
Pevensey Model Railway Exhibition – 15th July
Spa Valley Railway Diesel Gala - 4th - 6th August
Epping Ongr Diesel Gala - 23rd/24th September.
Folkestone Model Railway Exhibition - 7th - 8th October.
Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts Society Exhibition Northfleet – 4th – 5th November.

 

[ACMU Society]

Hi all

A video has been produced regarding the restoration of 4SUB 4732. Starting with Car one 12796.

To get the first coach cosmetically restored for this purpose the Heritage Electric Trains Trust, a registered charity needs to raise £50 000.

Ways to donated can be found here - https://www.hett.org.uk/support-us

Also we do have a facebook group of which items for sale can be found here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/4SubAssociationSales

Also we will be attending the following events with the sale stand

East Kent Railway Hazard Retro show – 25th June
G Scale Society Kent Group Ashford Multi gauge Model Railway show – 9th July
Pevensey Model Railway Exhibition – 15th July
Spa Valley Railway Diesel Gala - 4th - 6th August
Epping Ongr Diesel Gala - 23rd/24th September.
Folkestone Model Railway Exhibition - 7th - 8th October.
Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts Society Exhibition Northfleet – 4th – 5th November.

From one EMU group to another, all the very best of luck. Getting "Car One" Restored will be a big boost to the project and should hopefully allow for the others to be done afterwards.

 

[Mag_seven]

Hi all

A video has been produced regarding the restoration of 4SUB 4732. Starting with Car one 12796.

To get the first coach cosmetically restored for this purpose the Heritage Electric Trains Trust, a registered charity needs to raise £50 000.

Ways to donated can be found here - https://www.hett.org.uk/support-us

Also we do have a facebook group of which items for sale can be found here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/4SubAssociationSales

Also we will be attending the following events with the sale stand

East Kent Railway Hazard Retro show – 25th June
G Scale Society Kent Group Ashford Multi gauge Model Railway show – 9th July
Pevensey Model Railway Exhibition – 15th July
Spa Valley Railway Diesel Gala - 4th - 6th August
Epping Ongr Diesel Gala - 23rd/24th September.
Folkestone Model Railway Exhibition - 7th - 8th October.
Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts Society Exhibition Northfleet – 4th – 5th November.

Thread unlocked for an update.

 

[4SubAsociation]

Thank you @Mag_seven

The Car One Appeal Starting Soon

In order to have the cosmetic renovation of DMBS 12796 carried out the Heritage Electric Trains Trust needs to raise an additional £25000. This, together with the funds raised so far, will see the vehicle transformed from a tired weather beaten carriage into a pristine museum exhibit. Who doesn’t want to see that happen?

Part of our fundraising plan will be a series of silent auctions carried out on our Facebook page over the summer. We have railwayana, models and some bespoke experience days on offer to the highest bidder.
Anyone can participate and the listings will be publicly shareable, so even if you don’t want to bid yourself please feel free to share the posts to groups and pages where you think people might be interested; the more people that see them the better the chance we have of getting the best bid.
When an item is listed there will be a limited time for you to submit a bid ABOVE THE RESERVE, OR MINIMUM BID VALUE. At the close of the auction the highest bidder will win. As these are silent auctions we will not post the level of the highest bid received so there are no second chances - if you want an item then please bid well.

BIDS ARE ONLY ACCEPTED VIA MESSAGE TO THE PAGE AND NOT BY COMMENTING ON THE PHOTO.

So please support this as all the money raised will go towards bringing 4732 back to looking its best.

4-SUB Unit 4732

4-SUB Unit 4732. 3,716 likes · 27 talking about this. The official page for the last remaining Southern Railway 4-SUB EMU based at one:one collection

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Photo of 12796 at Coventry six years ago for effect.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jul 2024 ==

09/07/2024.

4-SUB 4732 Car One Auctions

We are raising £25000 for the restoration of the first vehicle of 4732, we will be running a series of silent auctions.

Here is our first lot and 2nd lots.

Our 1st item is an authentic metal sign from Morden Road Tram Stop, part of the Croydon Tramlink. This style of sign was only in use for a few years before the corporate identity of trams was changed. The sign is made of lightweight metal and is 160cm long and 25cm high. It has not been renovated or altered and is in the condition it was in when removed.

Our 2nd item is a route map, believed to be from the interior of a London Underground CO/CP unit. The map measures 185cm in length and is 28cm high. It is mounted on a foam board and has suffered some slight damage around the edges over the years but is in otherwise good condition and will be a great addition to the collection of any underground enthusiast. The absence of any reference to the Jubilee line dates this to before 197

MINIMUM BID is £25
Postage or delivery will be by courier and will be in the region of £25.
IMPORTANT - HOW TO BID
Bids must only be submitted by Facebook MESSENGER, do not bid by commenting on the photo - this is a SILENT auction. ( https://www.facebook.com/4SUBunit/)

Bids close at 16:00 on Sunday July 14th

The highest bid above the minimum bid will be the winning bid and we will only contact the winning bidder to arrange delivery, collection in person is also available.
Please feel free to share this post to help us reach the maximum number of potential bidders

 

[4SubAsociation]

Ok. We have another three items for our silent auctions

BIDS ARE ONLY ACCEPTED VIA MESSAGE TO THE PAGE AND NOT BY COMMENTING ON THE PHOTO.

So please support this as all the money raised will go towards bringing 4732 back to looking its best.

4-SUB Unit 4732

4-SUB Unit 4732. 3,756 followers · 25 talking about this. The official page for the last remaining Southern Railway 4-SUB EMU based at one:one collection

www.facebook.com

Our 1st lot is a is for a brass control plate from the console of a BR class 08 locomotive (left hand side)

2nd lot is for a set of driver’s manuals for class 253/254 High Speed Trains. These are from the BR33056 series

3rd lot is a bit niche. We think is a bean bag or furniture cover made for Hitachi and featuring images of IET and class 385 units

Minimum bid on the Class 08 control plate is £15, Driver Manauls for the Class 253/254 HST is £10 and the Hitachi been bag/furniture cover is £5

Bids close at 18:00 on Sunday August 25th

The highest bid above the minimum bid will be the winning bid and we will only contact the winning bidder to arrange delivery, collection in person is also available.

 

[4SubAsociation]

Today we launch our crowdfunder to get the restoration of the first car of 4732 completed so it can go on display at the One One collection building at Margate.

£25000 is needed to make this happen and we are reaching out to the wider community to donate what they can to the fund.

The SUB unit is an icon of South London commuting from the 50s to the early 80s with millions of miles and millions of passenger journeys made day in day out. An essential part of the story of Britain’s rail network.

As we start the 200th anniversary year of that network there would be no more suitable time than now to celebrate the contributions of the humble electric commuter train.

Donate, share and help make this happen.

http://bit.ly/4dECDot

 

[4SubAsociation]

We have another four items for our silent auctions

BIDS ARE ONLY ACCEPTED VIA MESSAGE TO THE PAGE AND NOT BY COMMENTING ON THE PHOTO.

So please support this as all the money raised will go towards bringing 4732 back to looking its best.

4-SUB Unit 4732

4-SUB Unit 4732. 3,756 followers · 25 talking about this. The official page for the last remaining Southern Railway 4-SUB EMU based at one:one collection

www.facebook.com

Our 1st lot is a is for a brand new boxed set of three 00 gauge Palbrick wagons, generously donated to us by KR Models. These are the B type wagons with the full body. Palbricks were so named as they were designed to carry loads made up of bricks and had shock absorbing subframes so the bricks did not shatter or crack during transport. They were in use during the 1950s and 60s across the country and fell out of use by the early 70s.

2nd lot is for an original Class 508 Southern Region destination blind. This was fitted to the roller blind above the driver’s side window and has all the via routes for the South Western Division metro. This is a genuine item removed from a class 508 unit before they went to work on Merseyside and is this fairly rare, it has the suppliers stamp on the reverse side

3rd lot is for an original Metropolitan Line route diagram sticker that was for fitting to A Stock. It was never used and has the backing paper on it still. Not sure of the date this was made but it appears to be a later issue near the end of A Stock operation.

4th lot is for an original East London Line route diagram sticker that was for fitting to A Stock. It was never used and has the backing paper on it still. Not sure of the date this was made but it appears to be a later issue near the end of A Stock operation and the conversion of the line to the Overground network.

Minimum bid on all the items is £20

Bids close at 18:00 on Sunday October 27th

The highest bid above the minimum bid will be the winning bid and we will only contact the winning bidder to arrange delivery, collection in person is also available.

 

[4SubAsociation]

We ha a further item for the silent auction

This silent auction is a rare opportunity to own a Hornby Engineering Sample. More specifically a Hornby 4VEP driving coach. We believe this is from the 2010 release of the 4VEP, not the latest release.

NOTE THIS IS A SINGLE VEHICLE AND NOT THE COMPLETE UNIT.

MINIMUM BID is £25

Postage or delivery will be by courier and will be in the region of £5

IMPORTANT - HOW TO BID

Bids must only be submitted by MESSENGER, do not bid by commenting on the photo - this is a SILENT auction.

Bids close at 16:00 on Sunday November 24th.

The highest bid above the minimum bid will be the winning bid and we will only contact the winning bidder to arrange delivery, collection in person is also available.
Please feel free to share this post to help us reach the maximum number of potential bidders.

4-SUB Unit 4732

4-SUB Unit 4732. 3,756 followers · 25 talking about this. The official page for the last remaining Southern Railway 4-SUB EMU based at one:one collection

www.facebook.com

 

[4SubAsociation]

Another two items have been listed for the silent auction.

The 1st item is a rare opportunity to own a Hornby Engineering Samples. More specifically Hornby Brighton Belle Trailer Coaches. We believe this is from the 2011 release of the Brighton Belle Carriages. One is missing its bogie.

NOTE THIS IS A SET of THREE TRAILERS AND NOT THE COMPLETE UNIT.

MINIMUM BID is £30

The 2nd item is for a Network South East advertising sign advertising day trips from London Paddington to Startford Direct.

Dimensions of the sign is 61cm long by 28cm width. It is made out of plastic.

MINIMUM BID is £20

www.facebook.com/4subunit

Bids must only be submitted by MESSENGER, do not bid by commenting on the photo - this is a SILENT auction.

Bids close at 16:00 on Sunday December 7th

The highest bid above the minimum bid will be the winning bid and we will only contact the winning bidder to arrange delivery, collection in person is also available.

Please feel free to share this post to help us reach the maximum number of potential bidders.

 

[4SubAsociation]

There are many of you and you all chose to follow this thread for a reason. If that reason is to see the last SUB unit back to its best then we have a message for you.

IT'S NOW OR NEVER !!

We have worked so very hard for the last six years since the closure of the Electric Railway Museum to not only bring the SUB back to the South of England, but to find a future for it that is both safe and will see it appreciated. Railway preservation is an expensive activity. Thousands of pounds have been spent to get us to where we are now and we are within touching distance of a major milestone.

With your donations we can have Car One, the driving motor brake 12796 sent away for a full repair and repaint and be back in time for RAIL 200 celebrations at Margate in August. Imagine that, a 4-SUB vehicle, one of the icons of 20th Century rail travel as a star attraction at the biggest rail celebration of the year. It can happen and it can happen with your support. We have had donations ranging from £2 to £10000 so far and they all count, every penny goes toward our target. Can you spare anything to get us the rest of the way - we can not miss out on this opportunity.
These photos are a reminder of the last time 12796 was loaded onto a lorry, June 2018 when it left Coventry to an uncertain future. back then we had faith there was still enough love in the community to bring it back to looking its best, we still believe in you and here is your chance to deliver.
You can donate any amount and it will help. If you are a UK tax payer you can add gift aid to your contribution and allow HETT to claim back the tax you paid on that amount, boosting our funds even further.

Find the fundraising link here: (link corrected after it went through facebook first time around).

http://bit.ly/4dECDot

 

[4SubAsociation]

4-SUB 4732 Car One Auctions

We are raising £25000 for the restoration of the first vehicle of 4732, we will be running a series of silent auctions. Here is our latest lot.

With the 465 Networkers very much in the news this week we have a topical lot, these three posters were fitted to 465/466 unit when new in the frames on the coach ends and draught screens. They are 43.5cm across and the two NSE maps are gloss/satin finish but the Kent Link Networker introduction is a plain paper poster. All are authentic items from 1993 and are NOT reproductions, this is a genuine piece of NSE heritage.

You are bidding on all three posters and we won’t split them up.

MINIMUM BID is £40
Postage or delivery will be by courier and will be in the region of £8. This will be in addition to the bid price. It may also be possible to collect or deliver in person so we are open to that suggestion from the winning bidder.

IMPORTANT - HOW TO BID

Bids must only be submitted by MESSENGER, do not bid by commenting on the photo - this is a SILENT auction.

Bids for this item close at 16:00 on Sunday March 9th 2025. The highest bid above the minimum bid will be the winning bid and we will only contact the winning bidder to arrange delivery or collection etc.

Please feel free to share this post to help us reach the maximum number of potential bidders

 

[4SubAsociation]

4-SUB Update.

We have made two visits to Margate during March to remove interior components from Car One in preparation for its move to the engineering facility where the cosmetic work will be undertaken on the bodywork. The interior will be renovated separately at Sellindge.

 

[Rail_Sussex]

This is great news it’s being refurbished! Would anyone know when it’s due to be moved by road?

 

[4SubAsociation]

This is great news it’s being refurbished! Would anyone know when it’s due to be moved by road?

We don't know at present, it is something we won't be publicizing either.

 

[Mag_seven]

We don't know at present, it is something we won't be publicizing either.

Thread reopened.

 

[4SubAsociation]

Thank you very much.

After six years of fundraising, planning and promotion it’s finally happening.

Car One - DMBS 12796 was loaded onto transport at the One : One Collection building in Margate last night and is right now on its way to Barrow Hill for delivery to Ramparts where the cosmetic restoration work of the vehicle will be undertaken.

This is a £60000 project in total and would not have been possible without the support of those of you who subscribed to our 750 Supply Scheme, donated to our fundraiser, purchased items from our sales stand and also our silent auctions. Thank you to all of you.

And then there is the very small team of volunteers who made all of that happen. Legends one and all.

We will be bringing you updates over the next few weeks as the work starts and then progresses.

4-SUB Unit 4732

4-SUB Unit 4732. 3,716 likes · 27 talking about this. The official page for the last remaining Southern Railway 4-SUB EMU based at one:one collection

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Photos by Chris Hurst

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Amazing milestone!

So presumably, Ramparts will work on one vehicle at a time; return a restored coach and take away a new coach (?) Do we know what livery it will return in or is it too early to speculate?

 

[Trainlog]

Amazing milestone!

So presumably, Ramparts will work on one vehicle at a time; return a restored coach and take away a new coach (?) Do we know what livery it will return in or is it too early to speculate?

It would be interesting if it were like the Spa Valley Railway's Thumper, where there is a different livery on either side of the unit.

 

[4SubAsociation]

Amazing milestone!

So presumably, Ramparts will work on one vehicle at a time; return a restored coach and take away a new coach (?) Do we know what livery it will return in or is it too early to speculate?

To put it simply, we would need to fund raise again for a similar amount.

With regards to livery. We will be informing our donors first then everyone else.

 

[4SubAsociation]

Update on the 4SUB

Work has started on Car One at Rampart Engineering at Barrow Hill. These pictures, supplied by Rampart, show the corrosion repairs and replacement of wasted metal in progress. Work has started on preparation of the bodywork for painting and cleaning the bogies and under frame.

 

[alf]

I am delighted you got 4732 to Barrow Hill without trouble.
Well done & best wishes
But why did you load it with the heavy traction motor bogie over no road axles & the light unmotored bogie end supported by 5 axles under it?

If the driving cab end had been at the rear, not facing forward as loaded, the cab windows, horn & wipers would have been protected from stones etc, in the way trains of trucks are loaded from the midlands to Southampton Docks, with cabs facing the back.

 

[4SubAsociation]

I am delighted you got 4732 to Barrow Hill without trouble.
Well done & best wishes
But why did you load it with the heavy traction motor bogie over no road axles & the light unmotored bogie end supported by 5 axles under it?

If the driving cab end had been at the rear, not facing forward as loaded, the cab windows, horn & wipers would have been protected from stones etc, in the way trains of trucks are loaded from the midlands to Southampton Docks, with cabs facing the back.

Thats the hauliers decission. Also the way things are loaded on at Margate is you have to back the truck up rear end. It sits at a higher level. Not at ground level.

 

[4SubAsociation]

Update 27.01.2026

Photos by Graeme Gleaves

HETT (Hertiage Electric Train Trust) Trustees visited Rampart at Barrow Hill this afternoon to check on the considerable progress being made with Car One.

Well let these photos speak for themselves. I think you can agree this is progressing very well.

 

[507016]

What are its far future plans? Get it running or a push-pull set? So glad to see a rise in EMU restoration and preservation as a member of the 507 preservation society its really good to see other people trying to bring back suburban workhorses!

 

[4SubAsociation]

What are its far future plans? Get it running or a push-pull set? So glad to see a rise in EMU restoration and preservation as a member of the 507 preservation society its really good to see other people trying to bring back suburban workhorses!

At preesent static display and raise further money the remaining carriages. The next carriage would the other motor coach which we would need a similar amount to restore that one.

As for the future. It could run as push pull but running. 3rd rail is out of the question as it is 660volts not 750volts and myriad of other issues preclude that.

 

[UP13]

As for the future. It could run as push pull but running. 3rd rail is out of the question as it is 660volts not 750volts and myriad of other issues preclude that.

That's interesting. How did it all work back in the day?

 

[4SubAsociation]

That's interesting. How did it all work back in the day?

Track voltage was 660 volts orignally. It was upped over time. Some areas are higher than 750 volts these days

 

[WesternLancer]

Update 27.01.2026

Photos by Graeme Gleaves

HETT (Hertiage Electric Train Trust) Trustees visited Rampart at Barrow Hill this afternoon to check on the considerable progress being made with Car One.

Well let these photos speak for themselves. I think you can agree this is progressing very well.

really nice to see this - well done to all involved

 

[4SubAsociation]

Update 17.03.2026

Photos by Graeme Gleaves and Chris Hurst

A sight you have waited so long to see; for some of us involved in the project this has been nearly 30 years in the making.

We hope you approve of the livery choice, this is after all how most of you will remember the 4-SUB units; the trains that took you to work, took you to school and took you on days out; and then brought you home.

This was the view Rampart’s, Barrow Hill workshop today where their team of craftspeople have transformed this once derelict hulk into something that can now sit proudly in the Onene Collection on display and be a representative of the decades of its service to the people of South London.

By the end of this month it will be ready to return and take that role. Can we ask for one last push on our fundraiser to get us over the line? 4732 is the last 4-SUB and this Car One project has been the start of the journey bringing it back to its former glory. Please help us ‘Bring Her Home’.

Find the fundraising link here:

Graeme's fundraiser for The Heritage Electric Trains Trust

Help Graeme Gleaves raise money to support The Heritage Electric Trains Trust

www.justgiving.com

 

[WesternLancer]

Brilliant news and thanks for posting this update. Well done indeed to all who’ve made this happen!