Class 306

[Humberside]

The Class 306 has been moved from Ilford depot by road to an unknown location according to the RailwayCentre.com

 

[1VWC]

MoD Kineton awating onward transport.

 

[ChrisCooper]

Any idea where? It will be a terrible shame if it never runs again, especially if it ends up rotting away somewhere. When it's run in the past it's been very popular with enthusiasts and "normals" (the time I went on it, someone commented on how posh it was compared to the normal trains), and it is the only preserved unit capable of running on the mainline, and the only preserved EMU capable of running under it's own power. The fact that it's exempt from both the slam door (since it's got sliding doors) and Mk1 (since it predates Mk1s) rules is a further advantage to future mainline use, especially on regular services (as it's been used in the past). I presume the cost of fitting TPWS and a data recorder are a big problem though.

 

[Coxster]

Am I right in thinking it used to work normal service trains on the Upminster branch quite a few times when the franchise was with First? I know it used to run charters. I also believe First (rather cheekily for their benefit) got a group of engineering apprentices keep it in working order at one point

 

[1VWC]

Any idea where?

The NRM eventually.

New transformer, TPWS and OTMR are needed so further mainline running is extremely unlikely.

 

[960012]

The NRM eventually.

New transformer, TPWS and OTMR are needed so further mainline running is extremely unlikely.

Yet something else to be stuffed and mounted 73201 is also going up there some time and returning to its 73142 'Broadlands' Guise!

 

[theblackwatch]

Am I right in thinking it used to work normal service trains on the Upminster branch quite a few times when the franchise was with First? I know it used to run charters. I also believe First (rather cheekily for their benefit) got a group of engineering apprentices keep it in working order at one point

I'm not aware of it being used for that. It was brought out for special occasions though, the last I'm aware of being in 2002 when it was used on Southminster-Southend services. The unit has been used by engineering apprentices since the 1980s, long before First existed - in fact, I believe that was the 'reason' for keeping it at Ilford in the early 1980s when the rest of the fleet went for scrap.

 

[Coxster]

The unit has been used by engineering apprentices since the 1980s, long before First existed - in fact, I believe that was the 'reason' for keeping it at Ilford in the early 1980s when the rest of the fleet went for scrap.

Oh right - cheers for that extra information

 

[ChrisCooper]

On Saturday 4th May 2002 it was used on a number of Liverpool St to Shenfield runs. It did some other work on the Monday aswell (bank holiday). There was also a steam hauled service from Liverpool St to Norwich and back both days (that was a railtour though, not normal service). I had a run on it on the Saturday, and I was very impressed with how nice it was. I've just uploaded some pictures to my fotopic site, and they can be found at http://chriscooper.fpic.co.uk/c1219939.html.

It was also supposed to do a run later in the year, in connection with the Harwich sea festival, but this was when the transformer failed, so it was unable to work. For me, it turned out to be a right cock up, due to delays getting to Manningtree (I was delayed on MML, the Underground and FGE), only to find the 306 not running and the 312 running in it's place not going anywhere due to lacking a guard. IIRC it was over an hour before it left (all that time waiting around on a very hot day), so I didn't even get to see more than the end of the sea festival. I then ended up on a packed 321 back from Manningtree to London (the 306 was supposed to run through to London after the festival, but the 312 couldn't since it was needed for the Harwich service), and then had even more delays on MML, along with a packed train with no air-con in half the coaches.

I've just put some Videos on YouTube aswell. They are on a digital camera, so arn't that good (remember, they were taken nearly 5 years ago), but arn't too bad. They might take a little to finish processing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q42OLim8Yg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q42OLim8Yg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVB_2f1zA4I

 

[theblackwatch]

Interesting information there Chris - I actually went down to ride on the 306 on the BH Monday (May 6th 2002) as I'd never done so. Lucky I did, as it appears that was the last time it ever worked.