I bought 1970s Merseyrail train for £1 but now I've got a £10k problem

A rail enthusiast has realised his boyhood dream after buying a 1970s Merseyrail train for £1, in an attempt to preserve it for future generations.

Robert Hampton, 41, said he felt like he now owned his own ‘massive’ Hornby locomotive after agreeing to take charge of the three-coach class 507 commuter train in September.

The IT consultant had fond childhood memories of the trains, which he used for trips to the sea and days out, so when he heard that new state-of-the-art trains were destined to put the 46-year-old locomotives out of service, he took steps to preserve the ‘Scouse icon’.

Robert, from Liverpool, founded the Class 507 Preservation Society after it was announced that the old trains would be replaced with new class 777 engines four years ago and negotiated with owners, Angel Trains, to purchase one of the vehicles for just £1. He will take ownership of the train in summer when it is retired.

He has found a home for the vehicle at the Tanat Valley Railway in North West Shropshire but now needs to raise £10,000 to move the roughly 180ft (55m) long train to a heritage railway by road.

Discussing the journey so far, Robert said: “It does feel like I’ve got my own massive Hornby train in a way. But I don’t think it will quite sink in until I’m standing there at the heritage railway and it's actually rolled off the back of the lorry and onto the track again.

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve always been interested in trains and rides on them. I’ve always been fascinated with how they work and things like that. So to actually get to this point where we have everything in place is very satisfying. It’s been quite a journey and hopefully, we’re near the end of it.”

The train Robert purchased is the first of the fleet, the 507001, and was travelled on by Queen Elizabeth II in 1978, after she opened the Merseyrail network. “That’s why we’re quite excited that we’ve been able to get this little piece of Merseyside history and keep it,” he explained.

Robert said he and his society would need to now find the funds to bring the train to its final resting place, while the rest of the 507 fleet are set to be scrapped in the next twelve months.