December 2011

A Happy New Year for the 502… with your help!

Posted by Robert Hampton on 24th December 2011 at 5:22 pm

Class 502 in Southport Sidings, 1989The Friends of the 502 Group and the Merseyside Transport Trust have provisionally agreed that the 502 can move to the MTT’s new base in Burscough, Lancashire. Further discussions between the two groups are still taking place, but it is hoped that the unit will move in February 2012.

This move will provide the Group with a long-term, secure, undercover work area where restoration work can progress faster than at present. However, this type of accommodation comes at a cost – approximately £250 per month, although this does include utilities etc.

Therefore, in addition to raising £4,000 to cover the costs of moving the two carriages of the 502, we also need to increase the amount coming in by standing order, to ensure we have a regular income stream to cover our rent payment and other running costs. Therefore, we are asking current and prospective members to consider setting up a standing order.

A monthly standing order of £10.04 per month (502p per vehicle!) will help considerably with our monthly payments. If you want to ensure that these historic EMU vehicles have a secure future, please visit our membership page to read up about setting up a standing order, and to download the necessary forms.

If you already have a standing order with us, is it possible to increase it? An extra pound or two per month may not seem like much, but in combination with other members over the course of a year, that small additional amount could make all the difference. You will need to contact your bank directly to amend the standing order, but please also let our treasurer Robert Hampton, know.

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502 photo prints now available

Posted by Robert Hampton on 17th December 2011 at 5:00 pm

Supporter of the Friends of the 502 Group, Clive Hanley, was present when the 502 first ran in preservation back in April 1986.

He has now made some of his photos of that event available to buy as prints through his Zenfolio web site. All profits from the sale of these prints will go to the group.

Thanks to Clive for his continuing support. You can view the photos and buy the prints here.

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Twelve Weeks to Move the 502

Posted by Robert Hampton on 1st December 2011 at 8:56 pm

We need your help!

The 502 faces the prospect of being homeless in the near future. The arrangement we have to store the unit at Tebay will soon come to an end as the landlords have had another offer for the site. We have twelve weeks left at Tebay before the unit must be moved.

We are urgently investigating new homes for the unit, however we face a bill of roughly £4,000 to move the 502 vehicles to any new site. This is a figure which is beyond our means at the moment.

Therefore we are launching an urgent appeal for donations. Please visit our donations page for information on how to donate. You can donate online by credit card via Paypal, by sending a cheque in the post, or by a regular standing order.