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Class 313 On Merseyside!

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RichmondCommu

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G'day everyone

I have a photograph taken on the 05.11.78 which shows a class 313 at at depot on Merseyside with what looks like a match truck in front of it. Can anyone shed any light on how it came to be in the Liverpool area? I'm guessing here that the match truck was used as a barrier vehicle in order to allow the class 313 to be dragged by a loco from the London area.

Your thoughts / suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!
 
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Taunton

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I seem to recall this one, it was part of the introduction of the 507/508 on the Wirral Lines, before they arrived (secondhand from a couple of years operating out of London Waterloo) a 313 was sent up (same body design) for gauging. Has the pantograph been removed in the photo? Is it at Birkenhead North?

What a shame the changeover was made. The old Wirral 503s built in 1938 were, after 40 years, more comfortable, had less squashed seats which all lined up with the windows, more reliable, and the doors didn't rattle like their near-new replacements.
 
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RichmondCommu

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I seem to recall this one, it was part of the introduction of the 507/508 on the Wirral Lines, before they arrived (secondhand from a couple of years operating out of London Waterloo) a 313 was sent up (same body design) for gauging. Has the pantograph been removed in the photo? Is it at Birkenhead North?

In terms of the pantograph, from the angle at which the picture was taken there is no way of telling. However what I can tell you is that the picture was taken at Hall Road Depot.
 

Bevan Price

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The book "Merseyside Electrics" by Jonathan Cadwallader & Martin Jenkins contains a photo taken in October 1977 by the late Ted Baxendale, showing 313013+313063 near Fazakerley, on what were described as "clearance & performance tests". The pantograph area is on the second vehicle, so not entirely clear in the photo, but looks as if it might still be attached to the train (though fastened down)
 

RichmondCommu

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The book "Merseyside Electrics" by Jonathan Cadwallader & Martin Jenkins contains a photo taken in October 1977 by the late Ted Baxendale, showing 313013+313063 near Fazakerley, on what were described as "clearance & performance tests". The pantograph area is on the second vehicle, so not entirely clear in the photo, but looks as if it might still be attached to the train (though fastened down)

Ah that's very interesting because the photograph that I have is of 313003 so obviously at least three units made the journey north. Are 313013 and 313063 operating under their own power?
 

Bevan Price

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Ah that's very interesting because the photograph that I have is of 313003 so obviously at least three units made the journey north. Are 313013 and 313063 operating under their own power?

Yes. The caption implied that they were a little worried about the effects of possible voltage drops, due to the large distances between some sub-stations on the Ormskirk line, so they did tests before the 507s arrived (in addition to clearance tests). The photo shows the units on the single line section between Fazakerley & Kirkby. Weights were conveyed to simulate loaded passenger trains.

Apart from the pantographs, the 313, 507 & 508 body profiles are identical.

The book mentioned previously has been seen on offer at £6.99 in some "book remainder" shops and contains photos of Mersey Railway, LMSR and BR units, plus some from the Liverpool Overhead Railway. The only thing "missing" is the lack of photos of original L&YR units from the Southport line.
 

RichmondCommu

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Yes. The caption implied that they were a little worried about the effects of possible voltage drops, due to the large distances between some sub-stations on the Ormskirk line, so they did tests before the 507s arrived (in addition to clearance tests). The photo shows the units on the single line section between Fazakerley & Kirkby. Weights were conveyed to simulate loaded passenger trains.

Apart from the pantographs, the 313, 507 & 508 body profiles are identical.

The book mentioned previously has been seen on offer at £6.99 in some "book remainder" shops and contains photos of Mersey Railway, LMSR and BR units, plus some from the Liverpool Overhead Railway. The only thing "missing" is the lack of photos of original L&YR units from the Southport line.

Thanks for that, I'll see if I can get hold of a copy.
 

Requeststop

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Thanks for that, I'll see if I can get hold of a copy.

The book you mention, Merseyside Electrics, gets a few mentions in a book I have called "The Wirral Railway and it's Predecessors" published in 2009, ISBN 13: 9781899889 38 9 published by Lightmoor press.

It's a fairly decent book but very light on the history of the Wirral lines from the late sixties onwards. I understand that the editors of the book were under some pressure to publish as they were way behind schedule so the 70's plus are poorly represented, though there are a few photo's of the 1990's early 2000's. It doesn't have a photo as you describe but the period 1977 0nwards is during the change to MPTE? I think and the building of the Liverpool Circle. Could that stock have been moved to check out the curves in the new circle?

I'd be very interested to see this photo.
 

Polarbear

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I seem to recall the 313's were brought up to Liverpool to help with driver training/route learning etc, as the production of the 507's was running a bit behind schedule.

Certainly, 507001 & 002 had got to Merseyside by the date of the official opening of the "link" line as the Queen rode in 507001 on the opening day.
 

Taunton

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The book you mention, Merseyside Electrics, gets a few mentions in a book I have called "The Wirral Railway and it's Predecessors" published in 2009, ... but the period 1977 0nwards is during the change to MPTE?
I hadn't been aware of this book and will get one. By the late 1960s we had moved from Somerset to The Wirral, so local stuff for me. The MPTE was formed in 1969, and fairly rapidly got the funding for the Loop/Link that opened in the late 1970s. An early MPTE initiative was a logo that had a cartoon emu with a smiley face on it, Rev Awdry style, initially on publicity material but then applied to the sides of the old class 503 emu's alongside the BR double arrow, which looked faintly ridiculous.

The only publication around then was Oakwood's "The Wirral Railway" by Campbell Highet, published about 1960, which detailed rather dryly but in great detail the steam locos long gone. Highet had been shedmaster at both Birkenhead North and Bank Hall.

I do seem to recall a photo of the 313 at Birkenhead North in one of the magazines (probably Modern Railways) at the time of its visit.
 
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RichmondCommu

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The book "Merseyside Electrics" by Jonathan Cadwallader & Martin Jenkins contains a photo taken in October 1977 by the late Ted Baxendale, showing 313013+313063 near Fazakerley, on what were described as "clearance & performance tests".

The book arrived today and its fantastic! Many thanks for the heads up, much appreciated!
 

Patrick Killen

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The reason behind the 313 being in Merseyside is because before the class 507/508s were built they were used for testing as the new merseyrail trains
 

Ploughman

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If anyone is still looking for books on the subject.
John Gahan produced Seaport to Seaside in 1985
Published by Countywise Ltd
ISBN 0 907768 07 5

Partner book to 17 Stations to Dingle, Rails to Port and Starboard, Steel Wheels to Deeside and The Line beneath the Liners
 
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