Rail enthusiast saves 1970s train from scrapyard - after buying it for £1
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00:00A rail enthusiast has realised his boyhood dream after buying a 1970s commuter train
00:05for £1 to save it from the scrap heap.
00:08Robert Hampton, 41, felt like he owned his own massive Hornby locomotive after agreeing
00:13to take charge of the three coach Mersey Rail train in September.
00:16The IT consultant had fond memories of the network, which he used for trips to the sea
00:20and days out with friends across the city.
00:22So when he heard that the new state-of-the-art trains were destined to put the 46-year-old
00:26Class 507 locomotives out of service, he took steps to preserve the Scouse icon.
00:30Robert negotiated with the owner's Angel Trains to purchase one of the vehicles that Queen
00:34Elizabeth travelled on when she opened the network back in October 1978.
00:38But the Preservation Society he founded now needs to raise £10,000 to move the roughly
00:42180-foot-long train to a heritage railway by road.
00:46He founded the Class 507 Preservation Society after it was announced the old trains would
00:50be replaced with new Class 777 engines four years ago.
00:54And after a bit of persuading, Angel Trains agreed to sell him one of the old models.