British Rail Class 306
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 306 was a type of electric multiple unit
(EMU) introduced in 1949. It consisted of 92 three-car train
s which were used on newly electrified suburb
an lines between and London Liverpool Street.
LNER design by Metro Cammell
and Birmingham RCW, and were equipped with English Electric
traction equipment. Each carriage featured two sets of twin sliding passenger doors, which could be opened by either the guard or the passengers using the passenger operated buttons fitted next to them, on both the outside and inside of the trains.
When first built the trains were energised at 1,500 V
direct current
(DC) which was sourced from overhead wires, being collected by a cross-arm pantograph
located above the cab on the Motor Brake Second Open (MBSO) vehicle.
In the early 1960s the overhead wires were re-energised at 25,000 V alternating current
(AC) (and 6,250 V AC in the London
area) and the trains were rebuilt to operate using this very different electrical system. This entailed the fitting of a transformer and rectifier unit, which were located on the underframe between the bogie
s of the intermediate carriage. At the same time the location of the pantograph was moved to this carriage as well. Because this reduced the headroom inside the train, the guards' compartment was relocated to be directly below the pantograph, which was replaced by the more modern Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph design. The trains were then re-numbered 001-092 with the last two digits of each carriage number (previously numbered in the LNER coaching series) the same as the unit number.
The 306 unit was in store at MoD Kineton awaiting the resolving of issues such as asbestos contamination. The contamination was removed at Eastleigh and the unit was transferred by rail to the East Anglian Railway Museum
at Chappel overnight 28-29/06-2011 for display as an exhibit, under a 5-year loan agreement.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 306 was a type of electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
(EMU) introduced in 1949. It consisted of 92 three-car train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s which were used on newly electrified suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an lines between and London Liverpool Street.
Overview
Class 306 trains were built to a pre-World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
LNER design by Metro Cammell
Metro Cammell
The Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company was a Birmingham, England based manufacturer of railway carriages and wagons, based in Saltley and subsequently Washwood Heath....
and Birmingham RCW, and were equipped with English Electric
English Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
traction equipment. Each carriage featured two sets of twin sliding passenger doors, which could be opened by either the guard or the passengers using the passenger operated buttons fitted next to them, on both the outside and inside of the trains.
When first built the trains were energised at 1,500 V
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
(DC) which was sourced from overhead wires, being collected by a cross-arm pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
located above the cab on the Motor Brake Second Open (MBSO) vehicle.
In the early 1960s the overhead wires were re-energised at 25,000 V alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
(AC) (and 6,250 V AC in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
area) and the trains were rebuilt to operate using this very different electrical system. This entailed the fitting of a transformer and rectifier unit, which were located on the underframe between the bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s of the intermediate carriage. At the same time the location of the pantograph was moved to this carriage as well. Because this reduced the headroom inside the train, the guards' compartment was relocated to be directly below the pantograph, which was replaced by the more modern Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph design. The trains were then re-numbered 001-092 with the last two digits of each carriage number (previously numbered in the LNER coaching series) the same as the unit number.
Withdrawal and preservation
The Class 306 trains were withdrawn in the early 1980s, and one unit, 306017, has been preserved. It has been repainted in a near original green livery, albeit with a yellow warning panel on the front to comply with present-day safety regulations.The 306 unit was in store at MoD Kineton awaiting the resolving of issues such as asbestos contamination. The contamination was removed at Eastleigh and the unit was transferred by rail to the East Anglian Railway Museum
East Anglian Railway Museum
The East Anglian Railway Museum is located at Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station in Essex, which is situated on the former Great Eastern Railway branch line from Marks Tey to Sudbury...
at Chappel overnight 28-29/06-2011 for display as an exhibit, under a 5-year loan agreement.
See also
- Class 506British Rail Class 506The British Rail Class 506 was a 3 carriage Electric Multiple Unit built for local services between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield on the Woodhead Line, which was electrified in 1954 on the 1,500V dc overhead system.-Design:...
EMUs - similar to the Class 306 EMUs, but built for the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railwayManchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railwayThe Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway was an early electrification scheme on British railways. The route featured long ascents on both sides of the Pennines with the long Woodhead Tunnel at its central summit close to the Woodhead pass...