Class 309 - The Clacton Express
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2022
- In order to help to save 309624 and find this unit a good home for restoration and a return to working order, be sure to check out the Clacton Express Preservation Group website, Facebook and Twitter at the following links, and donate a little something to secure the future of this important piece of British railway history!
Website: www.clactonexpresspreservatio...
Twitter: / cepg_309624
Facebook: CEPG.309624/...
PayPal: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...
Today, we look at the history of the Class 309, one of the most revolutionary express trains to come out of the Modernisation Plan era, and a machine which powered top line expresses out of London Liverpool Street for over 30 years as the first electric multiple unit capable of 100mph in the UK.
Special thanks to the Clacton Express Preservation Group for getting in touch and requesting this video be produced, providing me invaluable information about the history of these trains as well as many pieces of media which have been used to complete this work - their assistance is greatly appreciated, and I wish them the best for their fundraiser to save 309624.
Special thanks also goes out to Anbrico Felixjaz Transport Films for allowing permission to use footage from their superb The Great Eastern Class 309 (1988 - 1994) documentary now available for sale at Videoscene.co.uk. If you're a fan of Network Southeast era slam-door units, I thoroughly recommend this title as it contains over 60 minutes of fantastic footage of the Class 309s during their final years, both on the Great Eastern and in the Manchester area - check it out at the following link: www.videoscene.co.uk/the-grea...
Further thanks goes to Colin Brooks on Flickr for allowing permission to use photos from his extensive collection. Be sure to check out his Flickr page at the following address to see dozens of superb images of Class 309s in action across the UK: www.flickr.com/groups/1683283...
Base artwork for the diagrams used of the Class 309 formations were by Paul Cooper from Traincrew Graphics - his highly detailed work which perfectly captures the layout and design of the units is greatly appreciated.
All video content and images in this production have been provided with permission wherever possible. While I endeavour to ensure that all accreditations properly name the original creator, some of my sources do not list them as they are usually provided by other, unrelated TH-camrs. Therefore, if I have mistakenly put the accreditation of 'Unknown', and you are aware of the original creator, please send me a personal message at my Gmail (this is more effective than comments as I am often unable to read all of them): rorymacveigh@gmail.com
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.
If you enjoyed this video, why not leave a like, and consider subscribing for more great content coming soon.
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Thanks again, everyone, and enjoy! :D
References:
- Clacton Express Preservation Group (and their respective sources)
- M.W.Wilson at Gensheet (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references) - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Early electrics fascinate me. Imagine being a passenger who got to experience them when they were first came into service, when the previous train had been a steam engine. I imagine it would feel like stepping into the future.
Word!! Must have been very interesting.
Except for the fact that electric trains have been driving around since the early 1920s and England as usual was very late to the game.
Some Liverpool Street to Clacton services were diesel hauled, for a few years, by Class 31s (Brush type 2s).
@@MrJimheeren Doesn’t make a difference. These are early for the UK.
@@trainman665 yes. But in the early 60s most people were already very aware of electric trains. Plus the London Tube is of course electric so it was not that new
Remember the 309 stock so well From 1975 - 1986 - Witham to Liverpool St. 38.5 track miles also walking through coaches passing the cab of the next watching the speedo top 106 mph between Ingatestone & Chelmsford ! Memories - thanks for this journey down memory lane 👍
I worked as a guard at Colchester from 1988-90 and I loved these units, they felt like a proper train especially pre-refurbishment when they had separate compartments with corridors. I remember when I was route learning sitting with the driver on one occasion, going through ingatestone at 100mph. What a great experience. The guards vans were a little claustrophobic though.
Side corridor apartments should have remained as an option.
The end cab design is very reminiscent of the later Class 442 Wessex Electrics
IIRC it was influenced by the Swindon InterCity (later the Class 123) sets originally used on the WR and in its later years on the Trans-Pennine routes. Both the 123s and the 309s were under design at around the same time. The 123s were originally intended for the SR but they didn't want a y diesel mechanical multiple units.
I agree
My thoughts as well
Me too, in fact the whole unit bore a resemblance to the 442, with a good and quiet ride, and great performance, with Deltic-like power per 4-car unit.
Aha! It's not just me who thought that. Both classes had immense...class!
This brings back very happy memories for me as I was a driver at Colchester where I had the opportunity to drive these wonderful units. I well remember the 17:40 Liverpool Street to Clacton as it was the only train to run with 4 pantographs raised on it as it was made up of 2 X 309/1 units and a 309/2 and a 309/3 making this the most powerful train on the Great Eastern line.
Happy to find out we still have some preserved examples of these units.
First gen EMU's always got the raw end of the deal when it came to preservation.
It's not only EMUs, look at first gen electrics in general!
@@Ben31337l Although it's not entirely surprising, given there are no electrified heritage railways, so most of them can't be run - so there's not much attraction in preserving them. The only EMU I know of that runs on a heritage railway is a 3rd rail DC type that's now powered by batteries.
Yes it's unfortunate that for preserved electrics, unless the owners go to the great expense and investment of getting them mainline certified, cannot run under their own power.....at least until someone goes to the great expense and investment of wiring up a preserved line with 25kv wires! At a cost of around £150k per mile, it's a fairly unlikely prospect sadly.
@@soundseeker63 I always wondered if they could be used in push pull operations on non electrified railways like the 303's once did.
However I guess it's a big expense for what is essentially a carriage.
@@soundseeker63 Indeed. That’s a obvious barrier for the time being, but you never know, after all, as most such lines are low speed operations, there may be some tricks to learn from the forthcoming schemes in South Wales which might reduce the complexity and cost of low speed overhead line electrification. Someone might want to develop a heritage electric railway in the future!
When I was at Uni in London (1987-90) I used to catch the 0751 from Colchester to Liverpool St - made up of 12 cars. The refurbished trains, initially, came with onboard entertainment. With the window open when passing another train at speed the sudden gust of air coming in was directed onto the luggage rack causing coats to levitate up and drop down onto the unsuspecting passengers beneath. This matter was soon rectified with the fitting of a solid section of metal in to the luggage rack redirecting the gust.
The class 309s along with the class 303 EMUs in Glasgow are the only two classes of BR EMUs I never got to travel on but I do remember seeing the class 309s at Liverpool Street in the 1980s looking great in their refurbished state and 'Jaffa Cake' livery along with the Network SouthEast livery. I used to nickname the class 309s 'Pugs' as the front ends of the units with the black bits around their modified windscreens remind me of the face of a Pug dog.
Colour me impressed. Before watching this video I hardly knew anything about the Class 309s and their history.
I cannot get enough of these videos. Absolutely fascinating stuff!
Last time I was this early to a video, I didn't know what a Class 309 was.
I remember seeing a picture of a 309 going through my Home town of Sale, while on its way to Altrincham, was cool to see
Guessing this was before the '91 Metrolink conversion? Wish I could've seen that, Trafford Bar and Stretford etc still on the heavy rail network.
@@Palestina.non.grata86 There are some pretty good pictures on Flickr, Diverted 47 from London running through Brooklands, I think it was diverted anyway
In 1989 I worked in London for a few years and used these every day from Colchester. Comfy trains and quite fast with more character than it’s replacements. Jaffa cake livery was cool too!
Great choice of unit for a video
The replacement stock was vastly inferior to all of the original Modernisation Plan units. The slam doors could have been centrally locked by fitting a latching system to the Kay's locks, which would have kept them going safely for another 15 years.
Excellent video as always
What a marvellous documentary. These are by far my favourite emu. Growing up in Essex I remember riding these to London, Colchester and Clacton - fascinated by there sleekness, speed and uniqueness. I'm glad that one is being preserved. I'd do anything to ride a 309 again!
Those with the orange stripe livery looked very nice.
It's amazing how long this equipment served, well done.
These were some of the best electric units built by BR. They were worthy successors to the wonderful Britannias on the express services to the Essex coast(Clacton, Fronton, Walton). It is such a pity that none were saved for preservation as they would have been ideal to operate special trains anywhere on the 25kV electrified main lines. Thanks for the nostalgia.
We really did get so close to having the rail network we deserve in this country.
Amazing that by far the busiest networks I’m the country now are the ones whose electrification projects went ahead.
The Midland Main Line is busier than ever , sadly without any whiff of electrification
@@garrymartin6474 Hey, at least it’s capacity will now be decimated once HS2 dumps all of its eastern services onto it now they’ve cancelled it north of East Midlands Parkway… 🤬
MML electrification is currently planned out to just south of Leicester
Greatly enjoyed these trains. Comfortable and fast, with nicely angled seats, much better than the too low, flat angles of the seats on current trains that force you to slouch. I particularly liked the very large windows with low sills that gave great views of the passing scenery, with seating bsys aligned towindow openings. Designed by people who truly liked train travel. Newer trains feel like they were designed by people who hate train travel.
Well said! And totally correct! GE commuters today would relish the extreme comfort the 309s in their original format with proper Mk1 comfortable seating, as opposed to the hemorrhoid-inducing hard seats of the 321s and their 2021/22 replacement.
@@prof.hectorholbrook4692 seats be like mk1 mu
Quality TH-cam. Superb as always.
I live in Michigan USA and I thoroughly enjoyed this video . I grew up in the east near Philadelphia and often rode the Reading Railroad's electric commuter trains . Thanks for posting.
In the February 1964 half term holiday a kindly aunt took me on a day trip to Walton on the Naze by train. Ostensibly to visit a great aunt who lived there the real and generous reason was to provide a treat for a 15 year old train enthusiasts whose father had had a car all his life and subsequently only ever got to go on tube trains. In those days they were so smart in the original maroon with wraparound drivers windows, griddle car and compartment coaches. Tea in the Griddle car coming back was the final treat of the day. Easily the swishest train I had ever been on at that time. And did they go! Particularly as the previous year she had taken me to Brighton for the day on the hourly rattle traps that operated the hourly non-stop and running out of Victoria and stirred your tea for you if they got up to 60. Only regret you didn't have any pictures of them in their original glory and I'm afraid preservation of a single car in one of the gaudy later liveries won't really hack it.
I’m glad that at least one, and hopefully two, Clacton units will survive. A question for the enthusiasts: where will the first 25kV-electrified heritage line be located, and why choose that location? 🙂
An excellent documentary. I always liked those trains, but I never realised that they had been intended for the East Coast main line. I only had one trip on a 309 when I lived in Essex, many years ago, but I remember its comfort, sadly missing from the unreliable rubbish being built these days. Well done, British Rail and well done, Ruairidh.
Thanks for this video. I was always impressed when I occasionally went train-spotting at Bethnal Green circa 1962-3 and Clacton units would come through - looking very different from the mass of green suburban units in their distinguished lined maroon livery and with their wrap-round windows. I was used to the CEP-BEP-CEP formations on the Kent Coast lines so the gangway connections came as no surprise, but the stylish end treatment was a big contrast to the CEP end.
Tom, your Flickr account is Godlike.
My memories of the 309's was in the later years of their life when Regional Railways Northwest used them on Manchester - Crewe/Stoke on Trent & Liverpool to Birmingham New Street services. Making good use of their speed and comfort for longer distance commuter and short intercity services. They even had their NSE livery red stripe painted Green to match the RRNW 'North West Express" class 156 Supersprinters
Another interesting video, this one particularly peaked my interest because my grandparents live in Clacton
Verrrrrrrrrrrrr, clackety clack, clackety clack.
(An electric train). Remember seeing one of these when changing trains at Hitchin as a kid. (You had to back then as that was as far as the wires went.)
A unit from my childhood. Used to travel on them to London from Manningtree as well as to college in Colchester. A sad day when they went.
Loved the 309s though I didn’t often get to travel on them. True ‘Jaffa Cake’ livery on Southern Region was definitely dark chocolate brown on the upper/windows band, not black. Hence the name.
Which ones DID you ride, though...?
Used to commute on Class 309s into Liverpool Street from Kelvedon - very comfortable, fast and reliable. They would have been ideal for Euston to Birmingham, too.
Similar to myself for a few years from the late 1970s. Then employed in the BR Civil Engineering Department as a Technical Officer/trainer., I was even very kindly provided with a cab pass just prior to the class being withdrawn - although managed a couple of cab runs, courtesy kindly drivers. Glad that plans exist to preserve a couple of 309s. Could anyone back-up what I once overheard - that the 309s were "high speed jobs" NOT designed to stop at all stations??? (I think this was because their brakes might overheat.) There was a 2-car unit I saw a number times at Colchester.
I can see that I already said everything that I had to say two years ago! I must, however, just add this verse as a coda: in 1983, we lost the Great Robin Riddles. Around the same year, we lost the Great Eastern Griddles. Thank you, Ruairidh.
We spent two weeks on Brit Rail trains in May, 1982. I remember small self diesel powered train cars that were more like busses on rails. They were fantastic to get to the small towns. We travel to the coast of central Wales and as far north as rails could go into northern Scotland. The ride back to London was on the Intercity 125. It was a quiet train, but some of the second class car's air conditioning was not working. We hung out all day in the air conditioned dining car. The weather was way up into the 80's and the windows were sealed and double glazed glass.
The “bus like” units you’re talking about are the pacer units. Not very good but they kept a lot of small branch lines open.
@@roadwolf2 Thank you so much!
"formidable performance, first EMUs to run at a stained 100 mph on British railways", quite something if you think that the Berlin-Zossen 1903 tests achieved plus 130 mph in 1903!
I travelled on these units many times from their inauguration till 1986. In the early days I remember standing a threepenny coin on it's edge on the table between the seats and it stayed not moving till we approached Bethnal Green, over 40 miles of rock steady ride, wonderful emu's not the same when they went. Thanks for the great footage
I used to love working these as a guard out of Liverpool Street on the Harwich Boat Trains
Went to school on these for two years Clacton to Chelmsford 1984-86 very fast and quite comfortable several were in the Jaffa cake colours.
Amazed nobody has released a rtr model of the clactons.....so many variants and liveries!
Great insightful video.......
I remember them well going from Liverpool Street via Stratford, Ilford, Romford to Clacton.
The Class 309 slam door AC trains got replaced by the Class 321 and Class 360 Desiro (which are now with East Midlands Railway). And are slowly being replaced by the new 5-Car Class 720 Aventras. I kind of remembered them when I was very young and I also do remember Network Southeast. Very good video.
Superb video as always.👍👏
As a Mancunian I rode on them regularly in their last days.
Interesting stuff, very well presented as always, thanks.
I loved these units. We would travel from Kelvedon to Liverpool Street in 3/4 of an hour in relative comfort.
Of course with the compensation culture meaning the timetable was heavily slacked off to offset the claims and now with nearly everything stopping at Stratford it is alas no more. The wretched East Anglian railways for many of us outside of main city stops was a pretty abysmal service when I last used it which thankfully I do not have to any more. It looks like even the latest stock still has cable run on the floor getting in the way of your feet running down the edge coupled with the impossibly cramped 5 across seating in an aisle. This makes avoidance of using a train where possible still seem an excellent idea and the last time we did try the car park was full so we drove anyway.
It is strange how as the technology advances the services and facilities in just about everything regress and become more austere, limited and expensive.
Great presentation of the 309! Love it!
Nothing looks better than NSE paint on a EMU like that! Awesome video
Its lovely to see the old railways. Very nostalgic.
I'm not sure if its nostalgia (probably is to be honest) but i miss the Class 309s and The 312s so much, Mainly the sound, The sound they made as they took off from the station, and the clicking and rumbling of the compressor as they sat at the station is imprinted in my mind forever, I used to ride them everyday to and from college back in the early and late 90s, and although not the smoothest ride ever, they sure warmed you up in the cold Essex winters, I still remember the heating system on them being pretty good
I remember these as a child and live and work in Norwich was always a pleasure seeing a network southeast train roll in while waiting for a train to the coast..
Plus a bunch of awkward to get relays are missing (in September 2021)
Must be like gold dust these days all be it from 2021..
Top quality, just the right level of info, lovely footage. Really excellent, thank you.
Love a bonus video, also being train related makes me happy
Amazing amount of detail in this video. Those units certainly covered their development costs over the years. Their style definitely remind me of the 442's when they were used on the Gatwick Express. Very interesting - thank you.
Another superb video! These are so well produced and narrated. They’re a credit to you.
Another great job! Your videos is amazing.
Superb in-depth video, keep em coming!
Properly enjoyable video, great work. Thanks for creating it and your others.
Loved this homage to a fine machine. Keep up the great work.
I absolutely adore your videos related to rail. you al ways make the topic so interesting
A minor detail correction - "Jaffa cake" livery was was actually dark brown and buff with orange stripe (very 1980s!) not "black and grey" as stated here.
I am very pleased to hear a couple of units have survived into preservation though - That has sadly not been the case for most other classes of EMU, for somewhat obvious reasons. I recall seeing them in NSE livery around Colchester but never rode on one, it would be amazing to see one running under its own power again!!
Very fond memories of these thundering through Wivenhoe on their way to the coast. Great stuff!
Another very informative video. I had occasion to use these trains and they certainly flew!
Excellent video. These trains put me in mind of the similar ones that ran from London Victoria to Brighton.
The 321s were an absolute breath of fresh air on the GER.
A video on these?
Great video, thanks. I loved the 309's, travelled on them a lot in the seventies, very comfortable. It's a shame that todays trains are not the same, my backside is aching after only 15-20 miles now, we seemed to have gone backwards now where comfort is concerned, I suppose it's all about cost as usual.
Totally agree. Had it not been for the park-bench hardness of the subsequent Class 321 units, I wouldn't have contracted hemorrhoids on my long-term Commutes. The 309s were more like PROPER trains.
17:56 - this was North West Regional Railways' (long distance?) livery. When North Western Trains took over, they introduced a navy blue livery with gold stars, and then upon rebranding to First North Western, the navy, pink and white "Barbie" livery was introduced. The repainting job never was completed across the whole fleet before FNW lost the franchise and the routes were divided between Northern and Transpennine Express, so FNW branding was applied to the legacy NWRR livery for many years (as seen at 19:32).
And, on the subject of liveries, glad to see at least one trainspotter has made it into your videos in the correct snorkel parka livery (at 11:12)!! :D
Great story, well told, though! Thanks for putting this together. Not sure I ever rode on one of these, and I always thought the front looked grimy and functional, rather than stylish (not entirely unlike a snorkel parka, in that regard, I guess) - but this has given me a new-found respect for them.
Finally got purchased by the preservation group and is now saved from scrap.
Fantastic video. It shows how preservation and history is a continually-spinning wheel, which must always have some energy put in. History is always at threat of being lost.
Lovely units and great video.
Reminiscent of the Southern BIGs and CIGs. Like the Southern VEPs etc, the brake second was the motor coach. Much to my my regret I never got to see them in service or travel on them.
Really enjoyed video because I knew nothing about the 309s so it was all new to me.
Another top video 👍👍👍
Great video Rory.🌱👍
I remember these in their last years on the line (early to mid 90’s) not looking fanciest…however as a teen I knew them as fast, reliable but mostly the sound they made as they pulled out the platform -awww!
nice tribute, fantastic footage, great at emoting fond sentiments (I'd barely ventured eastward let alone downstream there) 🍸
love this a number of my travel bags and work breifcases get an airing in this as well
Very interesting. Growing up on the Braintree branch I mainly saw and travelled on 312s, but 309s were a familiar sight on the mainline and I would occasionally get to go on one. I always remember them having the wrap around windows, they look weird to me with the flat replacements!
great vid as always just wish I could go back to being on the 309s on a mani pic to Crewe run
nice to see the train passing through Ilford at the start of this film
Excellent video, thankyou. Pity there weren't more film of these in Maroon livery as they looked superb as introduced.
Good video that 👍🏻 I did like the 309s when I went train spotting in London in the 70s and then we got them in Manchester for me to enjoy 😂
Very interesting, well done 👏
Good Class 309 vid. Well done.
Brilliant video! You have my subscription.
I used to travel on these regularly. Such comfortable deep upholstered velour like seats and they went like the wind! As other comments, excellent video!
Very interesting educational video.
Brilliant videos! Would love to see something about the history of London Liverpool St Station/the renovation in the late 80s-early 90s.
Brilliant as always. I think some of the 2-car 309/1 sets also ran as 3-car sets from the early 80s until the full augmentation to 4 cars could be completed in the mid-80s.
I remember my sadness when the lovely Jaffa Cake units disappeared, being repainted in the horrid NSE livery (apologies to the great Chris Green). I also have fond memories, from the early 70s, of a school History Dept. trip from Romford (special extra stop) to Colchester and return. Most of the time was spent standing in the corridor where two units joined, watching the speedo reach 100 mph, which it often did! By the way, these Clacton-Walton units were known amongst enthusiasts as “Clacky-Wallies”!
Yes, the pure trailers (ex-hauled stock) were moved about between 601-608 and 611-618 once the griddles had gone, which was well before the refurbishment.
It was a pleasure to travel on these trains, Chelmsford>Liverpool Street, in 1962/63.
The Mark Felton of transport history.
The Jaffa Cake livery were also to be found on refurbished Class 411 4CEP sets as well. But every single one of these clips i still find very interesting to watch due mainly to them being detailed as much as possible.
I loved these trains so comfy separate carpets or the traditional long rows of seats with tables much more comfortable than the dusty bins which took over
loved it! i love videos related to slam doors!
Excellent video. Perhaps you could do one of the very similar third rail CEP units of the Southern Region.
Think I've been on a few of them going to Clacton while on holiday.
Used to catch the 15:10 from Liverpool Street on a Friday as the first stop was Romford - nice fast service. Can't think of any other EMU that had the pantograph over the cab though.
I remember trains like this on the Brighton mainline, minus the overhead pantographs. I only saw them as a child briefly but they remind me of trips to London. I loved them. They were white and yellow.
They did have a character to them and like many things of the past, I genuinely think these trains looked and sounded better than the new 377s that replaced them.
I remember riding on these in the Manchester area in the late 90's.
The 4CEP of the Eastern Region, bloody fast and powerful sets and I used to ride these when I was commuting from south London up to London Bridge then a brisk walk to Liverpool St to get the fast down to Brentwood then one day it was all them horrid plastic thingies and the journey became boring.
great video. I learnt a lot then
These trains bring back significant memories I used to catch one at Liverpool St to disembark at shenfield enroute to Billericay by the skin of my teath about 7pm on a Sunday night having taken my future wife to kings cross. The advantage of catching this train being I could buy a can of double diamond ale from the buffet car. And drink it in the the30 mins it took or less to get to shenfield.