Visitors to this year’s Classic Transport Weekend at the Llangollen and Corwen Railway will have the rare opportunity to take the controls of a Class 507 train when an exclusive driving simulator makes an appearance at one of the UK’s premier heritage transport events.
Taking place on July 4 and 5, the Classic Transport Weekend has grown into one of the largest and most diverse celebrations of historic transport in Britain, attracting visitors from across the UK. Located in the historic waiting room at Llangollen Station, the simulator has been painstakingly created using genuine components rescued from withdrawn Merseyrail trains and offers a unique hands-on experience that railway enthusiasts are unlikely to find anywhere else in Wales.
The attraction is being brought to the Dee Valley by the Class 507 Preservation Society, a pioneering group formed in 2023 with the ambitious aim of preserving one of Merseyrail’s iconic Class 507 electric multiple units for future generations.
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Following a successful fundraising appeal, the Society purchased pioneering unit 507001 from Angel Trains in January 2025 for the symbolic sum of just £1. Since then, the train has become one of the most talked-about preservation projects in the UK railway heritage sector.
The unit was a major attraction at Alstom’s prestigious “The Greatest Gathering” event in 2025 and has since achieved another remarkable milestone by operating at speeds of up to 40mph on the Derby test track, making it the fastest preserved third-rail powered electric train in Britain.
Now, for the first time at the Llangollen and Corwen Railway, visitors will be able to experience what it is like to drive a Class 507 for themselves.
Using authentic controls and equipment salvaged from withdrawn units, the simulator places participants in the driver’s seat for a virtual ten-minute journey through South Liverpool. Volunteers from the Society will be on hand throughout the weekend to guide visitors through the experience and explain the group’s ambitious plans to convert their preserved former Royal Train vehicle to battery power.
Tim Hines, one of the organisers of the Classic Transport Weekend, said, “We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing the Class 507 simulator to this year’s event. We are always looking for new and unique attractions, but this really is something special. This isn’t simply a computer game. It’s a simulator built using genuine railway equipment by a preservation group that is making headlines across the railway heritage world. For many people, this will be the closest they ever get to driving a modern electric train.
“The Class 507 project is one of the most exciting railway preservation stories in Britain right now and we’re incredibly grateful to the Society for choosing our Classic Transport Weekend as one of the places where people can experience their work first-hand.
“Our Classic Transport Weekend has become one of the UK’s leading heritage transport events, attracting visitors from across Britain. With close to 400 vehicles, intensive train services, vintage buses, the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir, behind-the-scenes experiences and now the exclusive Class 507 simulator, visitors simply won’t find another event quite like it anywhere else in the country.”
Paul Knapton, Secretary-General of the Class 507 Preservation Society, said, “We are thrilled to be bringing our Class 507 driving simulator to the Llangollen and Corwen Railway for the first time.
“Our Society was formed to preserve an important part of Britain’s railway heritage and to tell the story of a class of train that carried millions of passengers across Merseyside for more than four decades. The simulator allows people to experience that story in a truly hands-on way.
“Built using genuine components recovered from withdrawn units, it provides a remarkably authentic driving experience. Whether you’re a lifelong railway enthusiast or simply curious about what happens behind the controls, we’re confident visitors will enjoy the opportunity to drive a virtual Class 507 through South Liverpool.
“We’ll also be sharing the incredible story of 507001, from being acquired for just £1 to becoming one of the most ambitious electric railway preservation projects in the country. Visitors will be able to learn more about our pioneering plans to fit batteries to the unit allowing the sights and sounds of classic electric traction to be recreated away from the 3rd rail for generations to come.”
The Class 507 simulator joins an already packed programme for the Llangollen and Corwen Railway’s Classic Transport Weekend, which takes place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July.
The event will feature close to 400 classic vehicles, including cars, buses, motorcycles, tractors, military vehicles and commercial vehicles, alongside intensive steam, diesel and heritage railcar services operating throughout the Dee Valley.
On Saturday evening, visitors can also enjoy Party in the Park at Glyndyfrdwy Station, featuring a special performance by the internationally acclaimed Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir in a beautiful field next to the station from 6pm.
For more information and tickets, visit HERE
