The Preserved Unit
Throughout its working life it was just another unit in the fleet but that changed in 1982 when British Rail recognised the sterling service and iconic status of the units as part of the fabric of suburban life when they retained one complete set and stopped it from going the way of the rest of the class to the breakers yard.
This solitary last survivor was repainted green and kept in retirement by British Rail for the next 13 years where it was used on charters, special events and open days as a celebrity of travel from that bygone age.
In 1998 with British Rail now fragmented and privatised, there was no longer any protection for 4732 and a group of enthusiasts bought her at scrap value and stored her at the Electric Railway Museum site near Baginton on the outskirts at Coventry.
The preserved 4-SUB No. 4732 was built at British Rail’s Eastleigh Carriage Works in 1951 and was one of the last batch of SUBs to be constructed.
The closure of the museum in October 2017 prompted a need to develop a long term plan to secure the future of 4732 to ensure she has a retirement plan that allows her to be both seen and operated in the future.
The Heritage Electric Trains Trust has been formed with the aim of planning this major project and the 4-SUB Association is the group to join for those who are supporting this exciting and historic project.