British Rail Class 205 & 207 'Thumpers'

Built in 1962 at Eastleigh near Southampton, the Class 207 'Thumper' units lasted for 42 years of service. Following their introduction they were used primarily on the Oxted line but found their way onto other non-electrified routes across the Southern Region during their career. Several examples of this type of unit can be found in preservation today. Here are a few recorded examples from the 1990s of the class in revenue-earning service.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Great seeing those classic DMUs with a great sounding English electric 600hp engine 👍🏻 Living in Manchester we only had DMUs with horrible bus engines 😫

[@simongurden9848]

Just character all over! Used to see the tadpoles often at Reading station

[@replay6896]

Magic.

[@replay6896]

Magic

[@OlafProt]

I grew up in Dorking (born 1972) with the Reading-Tonbridge (the North Downs Line, apparently) running behind my house so the sound of the 206 Tadpole Units was as familiar as bread and butter. Such a wonderful sound. I think when I was very little I found standing on the platform next to the engine room quite scary! I travelled on them right up until they were replaced by the Class 117 DMUs in about 1979-1980. We used to travel to Gomshall quite a lot as kids to see Grandparents and when we heading home they used to thunder down the hill from Guildford direction and I still have a clear memory of how they rocked side to side on the tracks as they went over the pedestrian crossing (Gomshall has a staggered platform - now replaced with a boring footbridge but of course better for disabled access). I always thought the black triangle was the train sticking its tongue out at me lol! VERY occasionally an Oxted 207 would show its slimmer face on that line which was always exciting!
Thanks for this!

[@chrischillingworth4812]

Oh thanks for that, I thought when I was young I'd seen these on the Reading-Tonbridge line, nice to have my fading memory confirmed.

[@pn112upfast]

Brilliant. Thank you for videoing these 'everyday' things. 👍👍

[@foretrak]

Glad you like them!

[@johnhenstock9668]

Very good!

[@foretrak]

Thanks!

[@brendangarvin7787]

NiR 80 and Castle Class had the same engine and were also known as Thumpers

[@toddhunter3137]

Wow I never knew epb would be in 3 car diesel version. I grew up in Kent and only ever saw 2 and 4 car electrics and that was in the 80s.

[@EM-yk1dw]

Excellent once again ❤

[@BobC250]

Great trains but very under-powered. Pulling off from Bromsgrove - up the Lickey Incline - these things only just scrape 15mph!