BernardTPM Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 27 minutes ago, rodent279 said: Always was a mystery to my, why BR didn't perpetuate MK2 based EMU designs. A MK2 version of a 309 would have been a nice machine to ride on. They built Mk.2 DEMUs for Northern Ireland, though to quite a different pattern. There was also a very basic outline drawing of a Mk.2 based EMU with sliding doors in a mid-'60s Modern Railways I've got. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northmoor Posted August 24, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 24, 2021 36 minutes ago, rodent279 said: Always was a mystery to my, why BR didn't perpetuate MK2 based EMU designs. A MK2 version of a 309 would have been a nice machine to ride on. I suppose the answer to your question, is what would they have been required for? Every electrified route on BR was operated by EMUs that were far from life-expired, while there were unlikely to be more electrified suburban routes (perhaps MML 10-15 years earlier than actually undertaken) as passenger traffic on the railways was still declining (including London commuting). By the time 310s/312s were built, BR was set into a period and mindset of managed decline which didn't really end until the late 1980s. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 309617 Manchester Piccadilly 1999 by Laurie Mulrine 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 27, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 27, 2021 (edited) Unidentified class 380 seen amongst the clutter at Ardrossan Harbour, from the "Caledonian Isles", CalMac boat to Arran. Edited September 3, 2022 by rodent279 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 Class 304 020 - Manchester Piccadilly 1979 by Martyn Hilbert 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arun Sharma Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 (edited) Was it the 304s that were loaned to the Eastern region and operated out of Ilford in 1963-4? The units were in green livery but with a thin cream waist line. Edited August 28, 2021 by Arun Sharma Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2021 304020 again, this time at Rugby, on a damp, chilly October Sunday in 1985, and now in blue & grey. 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 AM6 Liverpool St 1962 by Trainsandtravel 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsforever Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 The AM6 swingers because of the ride qualities ,very comfortable ,fast ,good quality units shame when they retired .They even made to Sarfend now that was ride to remember fast and bumpy over points the deep seat cushions were most apreciated! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I remember these from a young age. They had lovely interiors with polished wood, chromed handrails and etched glass light shades. The ride was lively, but mostly in the vertical plane, not lurching from side to side much. Strange to think the replacement Class 315s were actually in service for longer though. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 AM2 Upminster 1964 by Trainsandtravel 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 The last of those three is Romford. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 1 hour ago, montyburns56 said: AM2 Upminster 1964 by Trainsandtravel Last one; the LNER didn't want their OLE to fall down, did they? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 From memory I think they used to have compound catenary on the lines through Forest Gate. That's certainly what they have there at Romford. Must have been replaced sometime, I would guess in either the '70s or '80s. As that photo shows, it was still there after the conversion to 25kV A.C. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 31, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 31, 2021 1 hour ago, BernardTPM said: From memory I think they used to have compound catenary on the lines through Forest Gate. That's certainly what they have there at Romford. Must have been replaced sometime, I would guess in either the '70s or '80s. As that photo shows, it was still there after the conversion to 25kV A.C. Is it 25kV, or is it 6.25kV? Looking at the size of the insulators, I'm inclined to think the latter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 It could be. I'm not sure when they upgraded all the line to 25kV but perhaps that's when the compound catenary was replaced with simple catenary too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 AM5 Hertford East 1963 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 304015 Macclesfield 1974 by Hugh Searle 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DY444 Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 On 31/08/2021 at 19:13, montyburns56 said: On 31/08/2021 at 21:10, BernardTPM said: From memory I think they used to have compound catenary on the lines through Forest Gate. That's certainly what they have there at Romford. Must have been replaced sometime, I would guess in either the '70s or '80s. As that photo shows, it was still there after the conversion to 25kV A.C. On 31/08/2021 at 22:59, rodent279 said: Is it 25kV, or is it 6.25kV? Looking at the size of the insulators, I'm inclined to think the latter. On 31/08/2021 at 23:20, BernardTPM said: It could be. I'm not sure when they upgraded all the line to 25kV but perhaps that's when the compound catenary was replaced with simple catenary too. At the date of that picture it was 6.25kV. The GEML 6.25kV sections were converted to 25kV in stages in the late 1970s. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 On 25/08/2021 at 03:12, rodent279 said: A MK2 version of a 309 would have been a nice machine to ride on. It was! BREL built a series of EMU's for Taiwan based on a Mk2 bodyshell and riding on a narrow gauge (3'6") version of a standard BR EMU bogie. Introduced in 1978 they were withdrawn from regular service in 2009, though one has been retained by TRA as a working heritage unit. They rode very nicely. Interior fixtures and fittings were very BR Mr2, except the seats which in Asian fashion were a comfortable rotating design so that you always travel facing forward. I remember being sent to the Taiwan Representative Office in London to pick up a visa for my manager who was being sent out to help resolve the teething issues, but when I rode on one in 1998 all was good. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 (edited) The bogies were based on those used under the Class 313 units, which makes for an interesting combination. Edited September 5, 2021 by BernardTPM 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 3 hours ago, david.hill64 said: It was! BREL built a series of EMU's for Taiwan based on a Mk2 bodyshell and riding on a narrow gauge (3'6") version of a standard BR EMU bogie. I'd not heard of those before - they're interesting looking units https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMU100_series 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 The GE retained it's compound system until quite recently, it was only renewed this Century. Until then it was still the original wire installed as part of the 1949 on DC scheme that got as far as Chelmsford and Southend. The original wire was thick stuff, and as the current it needed to carry went down as it was converted from 1500V DC to 6.25kV AC and finally 25kV AC for the introduction of the 25KV only class 315s, the maximum allowable wear went up too. At the rate things were moving the wire would never have worn out, but the issues with it being fixed termination rather than automatically tensioned were just causing too many reliability issues in hot weather, so it had to be upgraded. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 304039 Cheadle Hulme 1977 by Hugh Searle 15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted September 20, 2021 Share Posted September 20, 2021 And their replacements.... 323239 Manchester Piccadilly 2003 by Mark Edgall 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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