Last run of Class 303's on 30th December 2002. Also including the scrap move to Immingham on 27th January 2003. Preserved Class 303 Blue Train at Bo'ness: • Class 303 Preserved.dv
You've caught a great piece of history there. I remember bouncing about on the brown striped seats when they were fitted with springs, ashtrays under the windows of the smoking cars, wooden fit and finish on the partitions beside the doors. Travelled on these up to 6 times a week then. There were two that got the orange paint job but not the windows, can't remember which running no's they were.
Well preserved and high quality footage here despite the year of it being filmed - not all pixelated. I never was able to ride in one of these, and If I did I was probably too young to remember. But these are an interesting piece of history that are now gone, safe for the preserved unit at Bo'ness. They looked like they had quite more character compared to the modern 334 "Junipers"...
Living in the east end of Glasgow as a child I seen them pass threw cambuslang all the time . that train should have gone into the transport museum in partick
Good to have the memories of the Blue Trains. I recall them in the early 1960s. Not only the superb saltire blue livery (no yellow panels) and the forward view but also the curved front windows. The 303s as they became were a world first - the first 25kV AC electric multiple units designed from the start for the new voltage, and by an industrial designer. The British Rail Design Panel took a special interest in them as did the Chairman of the BTC Sir Brian Robertson. The very first 25kV AC suburban emus in France and Britain [the two countries that inaugurated the new voltage] that were in use from the mid-1950s were adapted versions of the earlier 1500v DC suburban trains, so the Blue Trains were the first emus in the world designed specially for the efficient high-voltage ac system that has spread everywhere. Restoring a unit to its original 1960 look, design and character would be a great achievement if it were also able to operate specials on the now much more extensive electrified network of Central Scotland. So far the SRPS has not completed a full restoration of a unit to its early 1960s look and able to run on the main line.
Hated these after the revamp with formica, the new seats and the removal of the curved wind screens. Prior to that they were comfortable and a pleasant run.
Some of these "303s" were sent to work lines in the North-West of England in the '80s: they still carried "Trans-Clyde" maps and transfers for a time. They often broke down because of their condition, they were pretty tatty inside (low-backed seats with woid-effect formica) and had been built without toilets (that were probably unnecessary back in the pre-Beeching era when there were proper railway-stations instead of bus-shelter facilities.
As I grew up in Hertfordshire and had never been to Glasgow before 2002, I never made a journey on one of these trains as much as I like them and it's worse to hear that only a small number were preserved. They look quite comfortable and I think they were quite safe to ride on aswell. Scottish electric trains of today are good like the 320's, 318's and 334's but they're never going to be as good as these
Hi "RoanokeAEnthusiast1995" I have very happy memories of the very first electric trains on the Glasgow North Line, it was 6th November 1959 or was it 1960 that I first travelled on a Class 303 from Westerton to Helensburgh Central and enjoyed the journey very much, there were no problems with the trains whatsoever, it was a Sunday but they were on a weekday timetable to test the trains out. However, the next day, 7th November, a Monday I understand there were a lot of delays and unfortunately those delays mounted up so much that after only 6 weeks the Class 303's were withdrawn from service for about 6 months or more due to 'mechanical' problems, it was back to the steam trains. After they returned there were no more problems by which time I had left school and travelled on them to work which was always a joy as the Class 303's were very reliable and seldom late, even during the severe winter of 1961 they ran on time, unlike now when in severe weather trains tend to be late or cancelled, yes I have very many happy memories of Class 303's. They were fully replaced in 2002 by Class 334's which I like as well
I liked those trains having travelled on them around Glasgow. Also the original 300's (was it?) I liked the sounds they made, and being able to see the track ahead through the driver's cab. Likewise the original slam door diesels on the Shotts line!
A batch of run-down "303s" replaced the eight "506" D.C.- powered units on my local line at the end of 1984: it was rumoured that they had been diverted from a scrapline to the North-West of England because of their 3-car/power-doored layout, but they broke down a lot, being replaced themselves by "304" and "305" units ( the latter from the L.T. & S. route). Does anyone know why it wasn't possible to retain a "complete" three-car "303" in preservation, instead of two-thirds of a unit plus another car salvaged from a different one ?
Yes I remember riding them around Manchester as a small child. Always wondered why you always get bagpipe music in 303 videos; Manchester's more a brass band place:-)
A sad day i remember getting them from shettleston to airdrie most weekends in the late 60s and early 70s before we moved away from glasgow in 1973. 5*
As Graham Pearson has intimated, the class 303 was Mark 1 stock which became unlawful to use without modification (or an derogation being issued) after the end of 2002 due to the poor collision resistance compared to later designs. With these units being elderly, it is no surprise they were replaced.
@@DavidWood2 they were Good units but your right about safety, my uncle Arthur was killed in the Wemyss bay crash after vandalism on the line. He was the driver only 35 yo at the time, a passenger who had sat directly behind the drivers cab was also killed. My aunt mags and cousin still haven't got over it despite it happening in 94. That crash hit the staff at Glasgow Central hard as my mum, dad and uncles all worked there in various roles. I suppose there was nothing wrong with the train, the problem was with the vandals who placed concrete on the track causing the derailment.
I lived in Milngavie as a kid. I remember when the Blue Trains first arrived there, brand new. A friend and I hopped aboard one day, while one was sat there empty.. We were only on for a minute before the station master spotted us, and chased us off.
I went on these trains to go to school Pollokshields East to Crosshill and back for many years. Miss these trains even though they were manky most of the time it loved the look of them.
For some reason the 303's always smelled like it was about to catch fire....any one know why? I'd guess it was something to do with the heating system but can't be sure.
Dale Sanders they weren't designed for 25kv ac overhead I believe originally and became dual voltage. Some of the transformers in them exploded as a result.
When they were first introduced on the Glasgow North line some of them did catch fire. Nobody was hurt and none of the trains were destroyed but the entire class had to be taken out of service and replaced by steam until a fix for their serious transformer problems was found.
I will do the car tomorrow morning if you have any time thanks brother thanks 🙏 is your day and how are things tomorrow morning thanks brother thanks 🙏 was a time of fun night and we had some great news on
