British Rail Class 309

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Blazin, Feb 10, 2022.

  1. Blazin

    Blazin Well-Known Member

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    The Class 309 was one of the first EMUs to hit 100mph. They would be a nice addition to the game, and it's been a while since we've got an old British EMU. According to the wikipedia they ran on the Great Eastern Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, so scenarios could be included for one or both of those routes.
    Here is some extra information.
    - At first they ran 2 car units, then they became 4 car EMUs.
    - In Service: 1962-2000
    - Maximum Speed: 100mph (161 km/h)
    - Power output: 1,128 horsepower (841 kW)
    - Some liveries they were most commonly in: Jaffa Cake livery, Network Southeast livery, and BR Blue/Grey

    Here are some photos of the locomotive.
    21.03.81_London_Liverpool_Street_309.625_(5958456051).jpg
    26582299375_9a231a7720_b.jpg 26257362821_ee0db13edf_b.jpg 1200px-Class_309_at_Norwich_(16055848203).jpg
    Please do let me know if I got any of the information wrong.
     
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  2. Reef

    Reef Well-Known Member

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    You forgot to mention the first version curved front windowed versions, all yours are after the retrofit to combat the expense of replacements due to scrotes throwing rocks.

    [​IMG]
    Not my pic, all credits to original author.

    Also they were 2 car, 4 car griddle car and standard 4 car, later they removed the griddle car and added extra carriages, the 2 car was later made a 4 car but was unique in that the pantograph was above the drivers cab unlike the original 4 cars which had pantographed MBSK's.

    Maybe you haven't watched Ruairidh MacVeigh's videos, I recommend you do if you want to learn more about the history of the 309's (and other traction). https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC8R7kmt-W14zWUcr8mymEQ
     
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  3. hayward.john48

    hayward.john48 Well-Known Member

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    They were originally allocated and dedicated to the Liverpool Street - Clacton services and were known as "Clacton Units" back in the 60s.
     
  4. Tank621

    Tank621 Well-Known Member

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    I believe the Clacton Express Preservation Group are working on bringing the Class 309 to TS2022 alongside a route to Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze.
     
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  5. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    A decent idea. I am for it. We have the Scotsman for first 100, why not EMU?
     
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  6. A Rail Fan From Wokingham

    A Rail Fan From Wokingham Member

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    They were meant for the ECML but because of King's Crosses roof they did not do it and so they put the them on the GEML but once the ECML was electrified they started to do some rail tour work, then as the final few units were being retire by the NSE, they were moved up to Manchester to help electric stopping services, then they were retired & Railtrack started to use them and then final the last two where sold into heritage railway company's.
     
  7. classx#9142

    classx#9142 New Member

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    It was a splanded idea ! I would like to see this in a Railworks.
     
  8. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    A great shame a batch was never built for the line out of Euston. Would have been great on the Birmingham semi fasts via Northampton rather than the 310s, good though they were.
     
  9. Wivenswold

    Wivenswold Well-Known Member

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    A Class 309 is on the way, it will be in the post-refurbishment condition with the hopper side windows and the smaller cab windows (though the cab window replacement actually started long before the mid-80s refurb.
     
  10. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    Got a source for this?
     
  11. Wivenswold

    Wivenswold Well-Known Member

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  12. Reef

    Reef Well-Known Member

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  13. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    This is duplicated here. Tell your friend to stop being so private! :D
     
  14. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    Would be a nice addition, but I do have to say they are ugly devils!
     
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  15. jrpageuk

    jrpageuk Member

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    Remember seeing these on Manchester - New Street daily evening run in late 90's with Northwest Trains
     
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  16. PhÜnKî_Rø0sTā

    PhÜnKî_Rø0sTā Well-Known Member

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  17. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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  18. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Bring them on since they Match the Great Eastern Mainline set in 1960s-1970s if you own the proper trains
     
  19. Wivenswold

    Wivenswold Well-Known Member

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    Always thought a 1963/64 era Liverpool Street to Clacton/Ipswich would be a superb route to have. Especially if it included the functioning goods yards that were common place at nearly every station. Throw in Bishopsgate Yard, Temple Mills and Stratford traction depot and you have a wonderful mix of electric/diesel/steam passenger along with shunting and goods traffic which back then was a mixture of steam and diesel. However, the list of traction needed to be authentic is beyond practical.
     
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  20. 749006

    749006 Well-Known Member

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    They were not designed in the 1960s for the ECML as it was not Electrified. The units were built for the GEML.
     
  21. Kyle_Lennard1

    Kyle_Lennard1 Active Member

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    They were originally intended for the ECML but went to the GEML when BR cancelled the electrification of the ECML due to the issues of wiring Kings Cross Station
     
  22. Wivenswold

    Wivenswold Well-Known Member

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    Well, somewhere in between the two stories, the design was meant for mass production on electrified lines out of Euston, Kings Cross and Liverpool Street. In the event the Clacton units made it into production then service, the Kings Cross electrification was delayed and the LMR took the newer but slower Mk2 design for their EMUs (AM10/Class 310). They would end up making infrequent trips into Euston when a few were retained for later use on the WCML Manchester- Birmingham services.
     
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