I grew up in Dorking and we had the Tadpole Class 206 units on the Reading-Tonbridge line so this is the sound of my childhood!

The thumper in the rain is just magic. Very much how I remember them.

Whoever made this has a natural talent for filmng and editing. Captures the essence.

Perfect introductory soundtrack

Used to see these going through East Croydon on their way to Uckfield. Loved the noise!!

Ian, that was nostalgia par excellence! I worked on the Uckfield line 1991-92. on morning shifts i worked Crowborough ticket office until 10.00, then went out on the trains checking / selling tickets. Late shifts were all spent on the train. When there was any problem with points etc i would wind the points, pilot work etc. The sight and sound of the thumpers was unforgettable, thanks for rekindling the happy memories. Standing on Crowborough footbridge with the exhaust underneath, the bridge would shake. Travelling with the driver as we thumped through the night. Doing the Oxted shunt. I was on the last train out of the old Uckfield station when they shut Uckfield signal box, every detonator was put on the track, the train jumped from detonator to detonator. Those were the days. When the points at Greenhurst jn didn't work i would have to jump off the train and wind them by hand. At night in the pitch black all you could hear were heavy breathing cows and the train thumping up the hill from Buxted, the sound echoing off the hillsides. After finishing a late shift i would sometimes travel back to East Croydon with the driver, going down hill through Upper Warlingham you were doing 90MPH (Thumpers are 75MPH units) the train would thump and wouldn't so much ride the curvature of the track, as bounce round the curves. You could write a book on the staff on that line, Thanks!!😃

Don't Thumpers make the most delicious sound when they start to move? I miss them too.

Remember 1984/86 time When travelling on these Commuter trains from school and back with my Mum or Dad from East Grinstead to London Bridge,Loved the sounds they made when I was a kid born in 1973 time ,Feel a certain sense of Nostalgia when I think of the 1980s with these 1950s Trains still operating back then .❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The sound of these trains is so evocative for me. I lived close to the Portchester-Cosham line and these things formed part of my childhood soundtrack. I took one of these when I left home permanently in 1974, aged 19, with my parents waving me goodbye from the platform at Portchester.

love everything about this video - captures the flavour of the stock and the lines served to perfection

What a lovely film. The Thumpers were lovely, such a nice sound.

Don't remember them being 2 car units. Great footage.

Not usually a big unit fan, but I do like Thumpers! Great video.

Superb stuff!

Thank you, that was the idea and it was a fun day out.

Super video

Well done for editing - makes such a difference: we want action and noise and that's what we get. Also interior shots, doors slamming etc - a bit more creative than most enthusiast vids, well done - this is now a good historic record.

Top video! I spent lots of time Thumper chasing in their last days. I live in Scotland now but recently took a trip down to the Spa Valley Railway and had a great trip on 1317/207017 now in blue and grey. Magic! I enjoyed footage of the only VEP in Southern livery too.

Thanks. They had the same engine as a 37 but smaller. The triange indicated which end the brake van was.

You can always tell a Thumper Clag albeit Approaching or leaving with Classic Clag, Miss these on the Railways Going from East Grinstead to London Bridge in 1984 /86 time when I was a kid going from school During the Holiday seasons with Mum or Dad Taking me from East Grinstead to London.

Great Video.

Excellent video,wel lmade.

Didn't they end their days in a sorry state - awful Connex livery, bars on the windows, florescent lights. Can remember day trips to portsmouth on them from winchester. It was always a thumper that came from Alton, change at Eastleigh and another thumper to Portsmouth. I remember being really excited seeing one in the then new BR Blue

I remember taking a 117 on the old Gospel Oak to Barking. I miss the seats on the old units, much more springier than the rigid ones on the modern units.

207017 was the last train nto run on the tunwells west - eridge and is now on the spa valley railway line being resotred to BR blue and grey. and what an awosme sound. thumper 1001 is out this weekend

i saw 205205 at 0:54 which is now preserved at the EOR

They share the same pistons and cylinder heads as a 37 and other EE engines but there the simularity ends. They use a '4SRKT' engine (4 cylinder, 600HP).

No probs, i know you didnt! Tell you what, i sure miss these old things now! Just had a trip behind the Dartmoor railways example, bought it all back!

Nice little vid

nice, are you tresspassing on the bridge bit? Looks great though

That is a 4-VEP EMU - pretty common at the time but somehow found its way into the video.

Aaah, fantastic sounds, and well done for recording the opening and closing of the old slam doors, sadly now gone from the main line.

I miss that lovely whining sound they made when idling

great video at around 3 mins 5 secs looks like a four car thumper i thought they only came in 2 or three car rakes are they running as 2 x 2 car units or is there another reason hope u can help cheers, thumbs up

I noticed the guy with headphones on at the start ... or were they ear-defenders :->

I just love the sound of thumpers. Uckfield has lost part of its charm now they are no longer used. I live at the top of the town, and always remember the sound of an approaching train on a summers evening. Good for telling the time too.... well approximately. The new ones have no charm at all. Bit like the railway station!!!! Used to stand on the footbridge to listen to them by the station, before it was systematically vandalised.. oops, wonder what I meant by that?

Nice video; can just about hear the traction motor 2:35

what class are they ?

They need to bring back the slam door trains they are much better

Multiple units don't usually interest me. Give me a locomotive over a few coaches with bus engines turned on their side any day of the week. These 'Thumpers' on the other hand are incredible. The engines sound a lot like a Class 31, I don't know a lot about them, but have they got the same or similar engines? Great video by the way.

Never come accross these before - what's with that triangle? Great sound, sounds a bit like a 37, but in a DMU? Great vid!

RIP 205012

Anyone able to tell me what the difference between a Class 205 and a Class 207 is?

No, always the right side of the fence.

Where bumpers turbocharger nice wine of a turbo fan

the triangle is to tell people whitch end the gaurds in

All you ThumperHolics should get yourselves over to northern Ireland where the mechanically identical 80 & 450 class are stil banging their way around the place. KZfaq search for NIR 80 Class & NIR 450 class

were did thumpers used to run ?

Beautiful sound what a shame they are gone :( WOW was that the old 442 Wessex units at 4:33? I worked for SWT for 5 years an engineer got a chance to have a cab ride in one before they also got binned due to the disgusting German DESIROS :( The old Wessex were so modern looking and streamlined!!

Yes, sorry. I didn't really mean exactly the same; very similar but a lot shorter.

opening the doors through the window & the outside handle - definitely not for the old & infirm, they'd be on the platform before you could say "multiple unit"

Not an easy colour scheme to keep clean ( ? ) ... DAVE™ 🛑

stoatfest more like

sad too see 205012 shame they got rid

What is 450 class rip off branch line looking ahh