Electric Railway Museum Open Day

[justin1985]

I've only just read about the Electric Railway Museum Open Day in Coventry in the latest Rail Express, so there is no chance of me being able to make it up there.

 

Has anyone managed to go over the weekend? If anyone has (is about to) and can get detail shots of the class 309s I would be extremely grateful!

 

I'm about to start work on a Worsley Works kit of a 309, so detail shots of the cab area and the underframes (generally obscured\murky in most shots online) would be a great help!

 

Cheers

Justin

[pete_mcfarlane]

Justin,

 

I went, but didn't see your post until after I got back. I only took a couple of pictures of the 309s - I was mainly interested in the 3rd rail units.

 

Here's the two I took:

 

 

 

And some of the other photos I took. This and the nearby air museum made a good day out, plus there was an airshow at the airport so I saw the Vulcan flying (last time I saw it was about 86 or 87). The people at the centre seem a friendly lot as well.

 

 

[Oldddudders]

These are brave people. If you save a kettle, then coal and water, plus a boiler certificate, will probably get you running, with plenty of admirers and helpers. Diesel fitters are a world-wide resource, so a heavy-oil loco can probably be made to run again, and may well also be the subject of adulation from paying fans. But electrics? I see enormous obstacles in the way of a preservation group that attempts to run its own 750 v trackwork - let alone 25kv - due to the lethal nature of the power supply, especially in the informal atmosphere of a society. The fans may not be so numerous, either.

 

These people have some fine kit, and I'd love to see it run, but I hae me doubts.

[10800]

The group's website http://www.electricrailwaymuseum.co.uk/ sensibly suggests that they have a more practical objective for now which I hope would include secure covered accommodation and good cosmetic restoration. This could lead to future runs pulled or pushed by diesel traction?

 

I would love to see some of these run under electric power again, but apart from existing 3rd rail networks and possibly the Bluebell's Ardingly branch in the future where would it happen? And as for the overhead stock ...

 

Those 309s are beautiful things though.

[Oldddudders]

The group's website http://www.electricrailwaymuseum.co.uk/ sensibly suggests that they have a more practical objective for now which I hope would include secure covered accommodation and good cosmetic restoration. This could lead to future runs pulled or pushed by diesel traction?

 

I would love to see some of these run under electric power again, but apart from existing 3rd rail networks and possibly the Bluebell's Ardingly branch in the future where would it happen? And as for the overhead stock ...

 

Those 309s are beautiful things though.

I think that this last weekend, somewhere in S Wales, there was an EDL hauling a 3CEP, so such things do make some use of the stock, of course.

 

The 309s made a big impact when I first saw them at Liv St in the early '60s, with the wrapround front, which seemed much more modern than the seamed CEPs and so on. Of course, CIG and subsequent SR stock went part way to the same look, but the 309 was a classic good-looker - if you like EMUs, of course!

[justin1985]

Pete,

 

Thanks very much for these shots! The detail of how the sides transition onto the cabs around the small replacement window was one of the details I had been trying to figure out, these really help. Perhaps I might be able to find another time to visit them when I eventually get around to working on the underframes.

 

Is that a 312 or 310 I see in the corner of the first shot too?

 

I agree with 10800 though, the only future for these units can be as hauled stock. There is a fair bit of nostalgia for these units. I'm sure a fair few people might even pay for a railtour on a preserved (but hauled) "slammer" if they could have the experience of running down the platforms at Victoria and jumping on as it pulled out!

 

Thanks

 

Justin

[Kris]

Until this thread came up I was not aware that this even existed. It looks like they have an interesting range of stock.

[m0rris]

Is that a 312 or 310 I see in the corner of the first shot too?

 

 

 

It be a Class 312, two coaches were saved, on Driving and one saloon, unfortunately the 310s missed preservatioon by a whisker but I suppose that is how these things go. The remaining 312 coaches are (I believe) the last remaining BR MK2 Coach based EMUs left, which is quite a sad state of affairs. Hopefully the SERA will be able to put these under long term cover, two years ago coventry was seen by some as being a bit of a joke but they are coming on leaps and bounds and I personally cant wait to see where they will take their forward momentum!

 

m0rris

[PhilJ W]

I don't see why not the 309's could not run under their own power as they were built for 25Kv?

[Oldddudders]

I don't see why not the 309's could not run under their own power as they were built for 25Kv?

If they can be certified in some way to still be operated on 25Kv, then you're right. But who would do the certification, and how would the tests be undertaken, other than on Network Rail property with 25Kv available? Again, other forms of motive power make such things much easier to do in private sidings etc. I suspect certification could be costly.

 

The other point about most EMUs is that in their latter days they may well have been refurbished with modern seats, thus rather reducing the appeal, compared with the more comfy cushions that most may have started with.

[Etched Pixels]

Small units at low speed don't need 25KV, 25KV is picked for reasons of transmission efficiency (plus it makes it harder to steal the wires )

 

Crich and other groups run tramways at much lower voltages and have managed to navigate the H&S maze involved so in theory there isn't anything stopping someone doctoring a unit for 650 or 750v OHLE with different transformers. Not a trivial business but not a showstopper either.

 

Mainline would involve things like pantograph work and meeting the current rules and inspection regime. Network Rail seem a little jumpy about people pinging the string.