A couple of questions regarding the AM10 and AM12 EMU's

[Western Magic]

I trained on these in 1984 and the main differences were, 312 were ganwayed through, 310 were in 2 groups of 2 (Toilet access?) 312 had brake disc on the wheels and not inboard discs, this gave 312 a bit more assured braking, 312 had a hydraulic parking brake as against manual wheels, and the circuit brakers for the EP brake were arranged differntly, if I remember correctly a 312 was stopped by AWS brake application when EP failed, on a 310 nothing happened!
In my time 312's were fully occupied between New St and Coventry/Wolverhampton/Walsall working out of Soho CS, it was quite rare to see one at Rugby and other than ECS to Bletchley I never saw one south of Rugby-not saying it didn't happen, obviously I wasn't there 24/7, just never saw it. I did have a 304 in and out of Euston once and they were supposedly banned in passenger use south of Northampton! Crews south of Rugby not trained on 304 and i think only Bletchley on 312, so both types unable to interwork and any appearance very exceptional.
When the Trent Valley service was mostly DMU, the last up local was booked 2x304, one night at Stafford one came in as a 310, the other as a 303! Half a trian slam doors, half sliding, did this happen anywhere else?? I think we never saw a303 on the TV locals ever again, super units, quick getaway and stop on a sixpence, dont get me started on those 310 brakes....

 

[Ken H]

I trained on these in 1984 and the main differences were, 312 were ganwayed through, 310 were in 2 groups of 2 (Toilet access?) 312 had brake disc on the wheels and not inboard discs, this gave 312 a bit more assured braking, 312 had a hydraulic parking brake as against manual wheels, and the circuit brakers for the EP brake were arranged differntly, if I remember correctly a 312 was stopped by AWS brake application when EP failed, on a 310 nothing happened!
In my time 312's were fully occupied between New St and Coventry/Wolverhampton/Walsall working out of Soho CS, it was quite rare to see one at Rugby and other than ECS to Bletchley I never saw one south of Rugby-not saying it didn't happen, obviously I wasn't there 24/7, just never saw it. I did have a 304 in and out of Euston once and they were supposedly banned in passenger use south of Northampton! Crews south of Rugby not trained on 304 and i think only Bletchley on 312, so both types unable to interwork and any appearance very exceptional.
When the Trent Valley service was mostly DMU, the last up local was booked 2x304, one night at Stafford one came in as a 310, the other as a 303! Half a trian slam doors, half sliding, did this happen anywhere else?? I think we never saw a303 on the TV locals ever again, super units, quick getaway and stop on a sixpence, dont get me started on those 310 brakes....

Before the DMU's on Trent Valley it was all 304. One worked through from Rugby to Manchester via Stafford and Stoke. Stopped everywhere. I needed an early start in Manchester 1 day a week then so I was a reg on that. Long journey

 

[EveningStar]

The most visible difference in the 1980s was that the four 312s had black window surrounds whereas the 310s were all yellow

Not always ... silver window surround 312202 at Coventry, 28 August 1980 (photo blue cast due to film fading).

 

[Revaulx]

So did the 312s have flat windscreens from the start?

 

[Ken H]

So did the 312s have flat windscreens from the start?

The clacton units had problems with curved windscreens causing fake signal aspects, so curved windscreens were not allowed.

 

[SargeNpton]

So did the 312s have flat windscreens from the start?

Yes.

 

[SteveM70]

Not always ... silver window surround 312202 at Coventry, 28 August 1980 (photo blue cast due to film fading).

View attachment 112334

Fair enough - in my defence, that's just before my time

 

[43096]

So did the 312s have flat windscreens from the start?

Interesting that they were built in all over blue livery. They must have been the last units built like that?

 

[matchmaker]

The clacton units had problems with curved windscreens causing fake signal aspects, so curved windscreens were not allowed.

But the 303s and 311s had curved windscreens for years, until they were replaced by flat laminated ones after a driver was killed/injured by an object thrown at the screen.

 

[AM9]

But the 303s and 311s had curved windscreens for years, until they were replaced by flat laminated ones after a driver was killed/injured by an object thrown at the screen.

The curved windscreens on the 309s were replaced at the same time as for the 303s. I believe that at that time there wasn't a manufacturing process that could economically produce curved glass that was tough enough. By the time the 442s were designed, there was a solution (although I'm not sure whether the curved windscreens on those are laminated glass or composite - maybe somebody here could assist).

 

[john prytherch]

I was very fond of these units, particularly AM10s. I nearly always rode in the motor coach and enjoyed the music!

Merle Haggard's post (20 March) is interesting. I am sure that an AM10 and an AM4 were definitely not meant to work in multiple. But because it was never actually forbidden, it did, very rarely, happen. I think I experienced this on two occasions. Both trains rode like bucking broncos! At the lower speeds the AM4 bossed the AM10 about, at higher speeds the reverse.

The AM10s worked mainly south of Wolverhampton but quite often got north of it. They occasionally reached Altrincham - I think one summer Saturday diagram may have taken one nearly all stations Euston - Altrincham via Walsall and Stoke on Trent. More recently (early 1980s I think) one reached Preston on Saturdays.

 

[TheHovisKid]

I was very fond of these units, particularly AM10s. I nearly always rode in the motor coach and enjoyed the music!

Merle Haggard's post (20 March) is interesting. I am sure that an AM10 and an AM4 were definitely not meant to work in multiple. But because it was never actually forbidden, it did, very rarely, happen. I think I experienced this on two occasions. Both trains rode like bucking broncos! At the lower speeds the AM4 bossed the AM10 about, at higher speeds the reverse.

The AM10s worked mainly south of Wolverhampton but quite often got north of it. They occasionally reached Altrincham - I think one summer Saturday diagram may have taken one nearly all stations Euston - Altrincham via Walsall and Stoke on Trent. More recently (early 1980s I think) one reached Preston on Saturdays.

They certainly ran to Lancaster at times- had one south out of 3 a few times

 

[Beebman]

The AM10s worked mainly south of Wolverhampton but quite often got north of it. They occasionally reached Altrincham - I think one summer Saturday diagram may have taken one nearly all stations Euston - Altrincham via Walsall and Stoke on Trent. More recently (early 1980s I think) one reached Preston on Saturdays.

I remember watching cricket test matches at Old Trafford on TV in the 70s when there would often be views of 304s passing by during wider camera shots of the ground and I can clearly remember one occasion when a 310 appeared. However it appeared several times during the day (assuming it was the same unit) so my guess is that it was working instead of a 304 on local services.

 

[Ken H]

I remember watching cricket test matches at Old Trafford on TV in the 70s when there would often be views of 304s passing by during wider camera shots of the ground and I can clearly remember one occasion when a 310 appeared. However it appeared several times during the day (assuming it was the same unit) so my guess is that it was working instead of a 304 on local services.

Probably manchester - chester when they went that way. Vice a DMU

 

[Magdalia]

I remember watching cricket test matches at Old Trafford on TV in the 70s when there would often be views of 304s passing by during wider camera shots of the ground and I can clearly remember one occasion when a 310 appeared. However it appeared several times during the day (assuming it was the same unit) so my guess is that it was working instead of a 304 on local services.

The Altrincham service was every 15 minutes with class 304s. Johnners was still doing TV in those days, and occasionally got quite excited about the hourly Chester DMU, probably when Sir Geoffrey was batting.

 

[SteveM70]

Probably manchester - chester when they went that way. Vice a DMU

Any overhead electric unit would have done well to get to Chester!

 

[Ken H]

Any overhead electric unit would have done well to get to Chester!

sorry for 310 I read 31. oops!

 

[Revaulx]

The Altrincham service was every 15 minutes with class 304s. Johnners was still doing TV in those days, and occasionally got quite excited about the hourly Chester DMU, probably when Sir Geoffrey was batting.

310s weren’t that rare on the Alty service. I was a regular school commuter from DC days up to 1976, and one would appear at least once a month.

They seemed a lot more modern than the 304s; the first batch of the latter felt especially ancient by comparison. Both classes rode poorly, though in very different ways, and neither were as sprightly as the old DC units.