Coventry Railway Centre

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Coventry Railway Centre is located in Warwickshire, south of Coventry city, outside Baginton, and near to Coventry Airport. The site is managed by the Suburban Electric Railway Association (SERA), and is home to their sizeable collection of preserved electrical multiple units, which is the most diverse and historically significant such collection in the UK, containing mostly unique items that are the last survivors of once typical and numerous classes. There are also some other railway vehicles on site which are owned by third parties.

The centre is not currently open to the public, although group and individual visits can be admitted by prior arrangement. The site purely serves as a storage and restoration base for the eventual Electric Railway Museum project and is not to be mistaken for an operational heritage railway, which it has never been. The SERA as operators of the site have considered developing it as the museum but factors that currently go against any such undertaking are the possible expansion of the nearby Coventry Airport which now sees European domestic charter traffic as well as the long established freight and flying club activity. Also the site has suffered from high levels of vandalism and the cost of providing the high levels of security equipment needed to safeguard the stock could be better spent in establishing a museum in a more welcoming area.

The vast majority of items not being actively restored are sheeted over to protect them from both the elements and the attention of unwanted visitors.

• Electrical Multiple Units
  • BR Class 405 4Sub unit 4732
  • BR Class 411 4Cep trailer 70345 (ex-unit 1500)
  • BR Class 414 2Hap unit 4311
  • BR Class 416 2EPB units 932053 and 6307
  • BR Class 419 MLV unit 9008
  • BR Class 422 4Big buffet coach 69339 (ex-unit 2205)
  • BR Class 457 unit 7001 vehicle 67300
  • BR Class 501 2 car unit formed DMBS vehicle 61183 + DTBS vehicle 75186
  • BR Class 503 unit 28690+29720+29289

[edit] Locomotives

• Diesel Locomotives
  • BR Co-Co Class 50 no. 50040 "Centurion"
  • Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 Diesel Electric 165DE b. 1950 Wks. No. 268881
  • Ruston & Hornsby 4wd Diesel Mechanical 88DS b. 1953 Wks. No. 338416
• Electric Locomotives
  • Spondon Power Station No. 1 = 4wd battery/Overhead Electric Loco b. 1935 English Electric Wks. No. E905
  • Kearsley Power Station No. 1 = Bo-Bo Overhead 550vDC Electric Loco b. 1928 Hawthorn Leslie Wks No. 3682

[edit] Gallery

British Rail Class 457, unit 7001, vehicle 67300

British Rail Class 503, DTS no. 29289.

British Rail Co-Co Class 50 no. 50040 "Centurion"

[edit] External links

• SERA