Rules are that payment must be received by the 29th Feb and for existing members to be entered, their name and membership number must be noted on the new applicants form.

The prize will be a selection of ’502′ branded merchandise, and the draw will be made on Thursday 1st March. Winner to be notified as soon as possible afterwards.

If you joined the group on or after 1st December 2011, you will already be entered in the draw and there is no need to do anything.

We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of donations from well-wishers over the past few months, some of which came from as far away as the USA and Australia. To everyone who made a donation, large or small: thank you.

However, this is not the end of the story. We still need to ensure we have a regular income stream to cover our rent payments and other running costs. Therefore, we are repeating our request for current and prospective members to consider setting up a standing order.

Our suggested amount is £10.04 per month (502p per vehicle!) which will help considerably with our monthly payments. However, we will accept any amount from £2 per month upward.

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. Alternatively, contact our treasurer, Robert Hampton to get the necessary details for setting up a standing order using online or telephone banking.

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.

(Photo shows the preserved 502 at Port Sunlight on 2nd May 1988 – picture credit to Paul Gorton)

The new owners of the site have already started development, with the area surrounding the 502 currently being used to store the construction machinery. Eventually the ground where our unit stands will be built on as well.

We were helped by the mild and (mostly) dry weather, enabling us to get a lot of work done. The primary task today was to begin emptying the storage containers, which will not be coming with us to Burscough.

Several more work parties will take place at Tebay before the unit is moved at the end of February. Details are sent out to all current members. If you want to become involved, join the group!

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.

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.

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.

The Friends of the 502 Group are pleased to offer a unique 4mm finescale model of the Class 502 EMU. This model was on display at the recent Tebay Heritage Transport Rally, and is being sold to raise funds to continue the restoration of the unit.

The model – built for the Group by Matt Farrell of E-traction Kits – is a mixture of etched brass and resin parts and has been finished in LMS maroon to represent the unit when it first entered preservation. It is unpowered and fixed to the display plinth, but the successful bidder can opt to have the unit motorised (additional costs may apply). An interior can also be fitted if required (again, an additional charge may apply).

For more information, and to place your bid, visit the Class 502 Model Auction Page

As well as part of the 502 being open for public viewings, a variety of heritage road vehicles were on display.

We were pleased to welcome John McGoldrick, Curator of Railways at the National Railway Museum, for the official handover of the Class 502 vehicles into the ownership of the Friends of the 502 Group. Mr McGoldrick is seen below with the 502 Group chairman, Duncan Reed.

Also present at the Rally was a completed model of the Class 502 Kit produced by Matt Farrell of E-Traction. This 2-car set has been painted to show our unit as it appeared in preservation, before the ravages of open storage took their toll. It is an excellent illustration of the exceptional quality of this model. The completed, painted model will be auctioned on eBay to raise funds for the group — details to be announced shortly.

All the pictures on this post are by Paul Gorton

For more information about the Rally, or to book advance tickets, please visit tebayrally.co.uk.

On our stand, photographs and information about the 502 will be on display and items from our shop will be on sale. Members of the group will be on hand to speak to you and answer any questions. If you have not yet joined the group (why not?!) you will be able to do so in person.

At 2pm on the Saturday the Friends of the 502 Group will hold their Annual General Meeting at the show. All members are welcome to attend to discuss the many developments which have taken place over the past year, and our plans for the future.

More information on the show is available from the Southport Model Railway Web Site.