Final 507 Encounters - November 9th and 20th 2024

SIGNIFICANT VIDEO ALERT This won't be my last class 507 video I'm sure. I'm a member of the class 507 society for a start so I certainly intend to get down to 001s new home at the Tanat Valley Railway when time allows. Additionally, and as announced on the Sefton Sparkler tour on 3rd November, 507 001 is going to star (with a a real dream list of other exhibits) at Alstoms "Great Gathering" events in Derby marking 200 years of the first passenger railway from 1st-3rd August 2025. Indeed it has already been accepted into the care of Derby Litchurch Lane works to get ready for the event. Needless to say I'm attending that too! However, this is finally it (after saying "possibly last ever" on about 8 videos) - these are the last times I encountered my beloved 507 units on their home network. I wasn't there at the very end, the last working occurred on 28th November 2024 with 507 003 and 029 operating a couple of morning peak services on the Southport line and unfortunately it ended in a unit failure. By then there was nothing to repair them with and money would not be released to mend them yet again when they were due for imminent removal to Simms Newport. I suppose that is what eventually happens to finish a class off once and for all- they can't justify endless expenditure for ever but it's somewhat sad that it did end like that. Mind you, after 46 years faithful service and keeping going long after they should have been withdrawn they don't owe anybody anything by now so I will certainly never be ungrateful for what they acheived My last ride occurred on 9th November, nearly a week after the Sefton Sparkler railtour. Some shift changing at work resulted in me being able to attend the North West Vehicle Restoration Trusts nocturnal running event at Kirkby. However, in the morning it was apparent that 507 003 was going into service on the New Brighton line so I hot footed it over to Liverpool first and got as far as Birkenhead Park before the rumoured train was due the other way. And lo, was it not 507 003 that duly turned up! I therefore had a couple of round trips before making my way out to Prescot later in the day to pick up a feeder bus to the event. I know this unit didn't have a lot of fans over the last few months as it was VERY subdued (but nice and sparky!) when it returned from repair last year but it's the last one I ever got to ride in service so will always hold a significant place for me (with plenty other people also taking the opportunity too as you can see). But my last ever encounter with these wonderful, wonderful friends actually occurred on November 20th. The idea was to head into town after work in the morning to try to get on one of the Southport morning peak trains that had been the last bastion of 507 operation. However the overnight weather had other ideas..... I got into Liverpool and it was bitter, bitter cold and the network was at a standstill. First trains of the day had frozen to rails causing abject mayhem on the Northern line. After a good hour at Central stood on a Headbolt Lane train, it was eventually released to travel as far as Sandhills only. With no guarantee of anything at all moving it was crazy to contemplate staying out really, but for no apparent reason I did head up to Sandhills and just stood around on the platform aimlessly watching lots of irate customers shout at staff, trains and other customers before the whole network was announced as being suspended and people eventually headed off for their alternative arrangements. Not really having alternative arrangements, I just hung around. And then a VERY familiar sound comes from behind me. It's 507 023. My pal from the Sefton Sparkler and always one I was fond of. I hoped against hope that it could be in service but it wasnt. What it was doing was going up and down the Northern line branches proving the lines so that a service could gradually be resumed. Despite the cold I gleefully took in those familiar sights, sounds and ticks as it made several runs through Sandhills using the turn back siding south of the station. Somewhat fitting that the last thing I saw a 507 doing was something they couldn't get a 777 to do. It eventually ran back to Kirkdale with its route proving duties completed and I headed off to Newton as the service started to resume, really very certain now (as I knew I couldn't get back into town until well into December) that I really had eventually said my final farewell to these iconic companions and all the memories they hold. And I was right to be certain as that was it. The unthinkable has actually happened. They are gone. Class 507s (and of course 508s too), farewell my faithful friends and thank you for everything you brought to my life. It was nothing but goodness and happiness and I will forever be grateful for all those wonderful times and adventures spent with you from being a small child through to being an apparently mature adult. Then why am I crying so?