Liverpool: Man buys 1970s train for £1 to save it from scrap

“The Class 507 trains are our trains,” he said.

“Lots of trains work all across the country but the 507… has only ever worked on the Merseyrail network.”

Mr Hampton said he had a “sentimental attachment” to the fleet and had always associated them with summer holiday days out.

“It was always a treat to go on these trains,” he said.

“They have a great a great deal of character. They are representative of 1970s technology.”

The train Mr Hampton has bought is the first of the fleet, the 507001, which he says “has a special place in railway history”.

“Not only is it the first of its class and thus the oldest still in service, but it also served as a Royal Train,” he said.

“On 25 October 1978, Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a plaque at Moorfields station to open the Merseyrail network, before travelling on 507 001 to Kirkby,” he said.

The 507001 was recently restored to British Rail blue and grey livery to commemorate its long service, which Mr Hampton said has made it “something of a celebrity among rail enthusiasts”.