Multiple Units and Locos website changes

Mike, compliments on a great collection of information, good reading and a very useful resource. (I never guessed that 'units' could keep me reading so long... :-) ) I look forward to reading some other sections.

One addition/correction from my limited knowledge however, Class 310 (AM10) did exist - looking very much like the 312s they predated them, build (Derby?) around '65 and were the mainstay of the Euston - Northampton - Birmingham services throughout the 70's - I'm sure they must have worked other areas too as I remember there were about 50 of them. I believe when displaced some of were them transferred to the East Anglian electrification area.

Hope this info is of use.

Delivered between 1965 and 1967, the AM10s were all based at BY (Bletchley), and as Ian says worked Euston-Northampton-Birmingham services almost exclusively until 1987, when 310052 was transferred to East Anglia, its new home being IL (Ilford). By the end of the year many other Class 310s joined it, but they transferred en mass back to BY in 1988, leaving only 310084. In

1989 a few units trickled back to IL, while others were transferred to Fenchurch Street-Tilbury-Southend workings, displacing aging Class 302s at EM (East Ham). Later that year, BR re-organised them into Class 310/0 and Class 310/1, the latter being fully declassified to Standard Class for Provincial Sector/Regional Railways in the West Midlands. These units lasted until 2000, seeing in the privatised era with Central Trains. The earlier Class 310/0s continued to work on LTS/Great Eastern services until 1991, when they were concentrated on LTS services. The Class would see it's final days here, the last examples being withdrawn by c2c in 2001.

Many thanks gentlemen - I had googled on this but was not able to find any information so I assumed it was one of the missed out class numbers (must've typed it in wrong)

Try

for info on the various classes of EMU, and elsewhere on for DMUs, locos, rolling stock, etc.

Thanks for the pointer

Mike

Mike, I note that on several items about the AC EMUs you mention the 6.25kV and state that it was never used. This is incorrect, the LT&S, GE and Glasgow suburban areas all had areas of 6.25kV and all the EMUs running on those sections had the voltage change facility operative. The contemporary Locos and AM4s originally had the kit but it was quickly removed as there were no 6.25kV sections on the WCML. The 6.25 sections allowed for tight clearances and easier conversion from 1500V DC in the case of the London lines. However serious trouble was experienced using the 6.25kV with switching surges damaging the transformers and the blue train fleet and some of the GE/LTS fleet had to be taken out of service for extensive repairs. Later experience showed that clearances for 25kV could be reduced and the 6.25 sections were gradually converted to 25kV. Even so it was not until 1883 that the last 6.25kV overhead was changed over.

Keith (If you google for any of this info don't believe the first site you read, there's a lot of misinformation out there. eg just in checking this I found one site that said the electric locos had seperate pantographs for each voltage, untrue, and another that said the South end of the WCML was originally 6.25kV, also untrue). Try not to add to all this misinformation, distortion of history, there are enough dources around to allow the facts to be researched. K

Even so it was not

Try not to add to

Hmm, "1883" eh? Might this be somewhat of a distortion of history?

Just asking!

Cheers, Steve

Looks like the keyboard gremlin got me again, just add 100 to that. Cheers Keith

Many thanks for the feedback - It is proving to be rather more difficult than anticipated to sort though all this - I just found out that the AM1s were in fact 6.6kV - The end on my electric rubber is wearing out.

Regards

Mike

Would you like a website listed in the 'contributors page'?

Mike