Photo Desiro Class 350368 London Midland Trains EMU Train Northampton

Class 350368 Electric Multiple Unit Northampton Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Built by Siemens between 2004/5, 2008/9 and 2013/14, the Desiro Class 350 electric multiple unit UK passenger train, seen above in the photo of 350368 in London Midland Trains livery, photographed at Northampton station, was fundamentally built for regional express and commuter services.

As well as the 'family' of Desiro electric multiple unit passenger trains operating in Britain, such as the classes 360 emu, 380 emu, 444 emu and the 450 emu, it also includes the Class 185 diesel multiple unit.

Constructed to run on power generated by either pantograph 25kV 50 Hz AC overhead lines or 750 V DC contact third rail shoe such as that used in Kent, south-east England, the Class 350/1s originally had a top speed of 100 mph (160 Km/h), though from December 2012, the complete class of 350/1s were modified to allow for 110 mph (180 Km/h) running on the West Coast Main Line.

Between October 2008 and July 2009, with the intention of replacing the then current Class 321s, a batch of Class 350/2s was delivered to London Midland Trains – the final unit being 350/2 350267. As in the case of the 350/1s, the maximum speed was upgraded from 100 mph to 110 mph.

 

 

           Night photo of Class 350250 at Wolverton station.  Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

Other 350 EMU subclasses were built as follows:

350/3 – 10 units produced – 350368-377 – built 2014.

350/4 – 10 units produced – 350401-410 – built 2013-14. 

 

 

 Two Class 350 EMUs Pass at Bletchley Station

 

Class 350368 EMU on YouTube:

Class 350368 passes Cheddington.
Class 350368 passes through Tring.

Class 350368 & 369 arrives at Northampton.

Class 350368 at Rugeley Town.

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Photo Class 31108 'Eastenders' UK Diesel Loco Northampton 1990s

British Rail Class 31108 Diesel Locomotive, Northampton Sidings

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

UK British Rail diesel loco Class 31108 in BR Railfreight livery is seen stabled overnight on the weed-strewn sidings adjacent to Northampton station in the late 1980s early 1990s.

31108, original number D5526, was built by Brush Traction, Loughborough, on the 16/04/ 59.

Between 23/05/09 and 25/05/09 Class 31108 locomotive made a guest appearance at the 'Eastleigh 100' Works Open Weekend.

The diesel loco was withdrawn from British Rail mainline service on the 27/09/91 and is now preserved at the A1A Group, Butterley, near Ripley, Derbyshire.

Class 31108 was featured in an episode of 'Eastenders' (BBC1 tv) when 'Janine's' car is stuck on a level crossing...(Link).  

Filming took place at Wansford on the Nene Valley heritage Railway. 

Class 31 Diesel Locomotive Historical Note:

Whilst hauling a train in which Queen Elizabeth II was travelling on 4th January 1961, D5667 (31240), broke down south of Cambridge.  

 

Two onboard Brush fitters, on hand to deal with any mechanical problems that may occur, were unable to fix the problem and a steam loco had to be sent for in order to rescue the stricken diesel adding over an hour to the completed journey.

 

 

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Photo British Rail Liveried Class 310086 4-Car EMU Northampton 1988

Class 310086 British Rail EMU, Northampton Train Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Class 310 086 EMU British Rail commuter train, in standard British Rail blue livery, is seen waiting at platform 2 of Northampton railway station in June 1988 with a destination board that reads 'special'.

Class 310086 unit coach numbers are as follows: 76170  62111  70771  76220. 

    

Note the use of curtains in the windows of the First Class carriage. Talk about luxury!                                                                                                                                                          

50 of these 4-car slam-door trains were produced, as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification project, at British Rail C & W Works, Derby, between 1965 and 1967 and had a maximum speed of 75 mph. 

This class of non-corridor electric multiple unit was replaced on the Euston to Birmingham service in 1987 by the unattractive, box-shaped Class 317, which itself was superseded by the Class 321 and then by Class 350.

On the 11th October 1984 Class 310 310086 & Class 310 310067, forming an eight-car 17:54 service from Euston to Bletchley, was involved in a serious accident with a freight train.
The freight train, headed by Class 86 86006 & Class 85 85035, collided with the electric multiple unit.

The driver of the passenger train had passed a signal at danger.

Three passengers died as a result of the collision and the driver of the passenger train, along with 17 others, were injured.

Following refurbishment in 1985, the Northampton-line Class 310's continued in service until eventually being withdrawn between 2001 and 2002.

Class 317327 EMU in Network Southeast livery, Northampton.  Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

The Class 317 4-car electric multiple unit replaced the Class 310's on the Euston - Birmingham service.

          Class 321437 Waits at Wolverton Station en route to London Euston                               Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

       

 

The Class 321 4-car electric multiple unit (321437 seen above in Silverlink livery)  subsequently took over from the Class 317 units.

Class 350104 Waits at Rugby Station

                                                       Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

 

The Desiro Class 350 4-car electric multiple units subsequently replaced the Class 321 units on the Euston to Birmingham line.

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Photo British Rail Class 317327 Network Southeast EMU Train Northampton 1980's

Class 317327 Network South East EMU, Northampton Train Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

4-Car unit Class 317 327327 EMU in Network South East livery, allocated to Bletchley, stands at Northampton's Platform 2 in the 1980's on its way first to Rugby and then on to Birmingham New Street station, where seventeen of the class operated between 1987 and 1989.

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Class 317327 unit coach numbers are as follows: 77026  62687  71603  77074

This class of electric multiple unit replaced EMU Class 310.  The Class 317 was later to be superseded by EMU Class 321 operated by Silverlink Trains, and then by EMU Class 350 run by London Midland Trains. 

In all, 72 all-steel 4-car Class 317 commuter train units were produced in two batches between 1981 and 1987 able to reach a maximum speed of 100 mph.

 


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Blog update:  Previous photo posts are now easier to find.  

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