As built the 309s, originally known as the AM9, were in two and four car sets though the two-car 309/1s were strengthened in the 1980s to four car sets by the addition of loco-hauled Mark 1 stock [2]. Restaurant facilities (the griddle cars) were however removed at the same time from the 309/2s.
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Number built: | 76 cars (2 and 4 car sets) |
| Built: | 1962-63 |
| Builder: | BR York, Wolverton |
| Motor: | 4 GEC WT101 traction motors per unit (25kV AC OHLE) |
| Power: | 1, 128 hp (841 kW) |
| Formation: | (309/1) Driving Motor Brake Standard Corridore (DMBSK)+ Battery Driving Trailer Standard (BDTS) (later) Driving Motor Brake Standard (DMBS)+Trailer Standard (TS)+ Trailer Composite (TC)+BDTS (309/2) Battery Driving Trailer (BDTC)+Motor Brake Standard Corridore (MBSK)+Trailer Restaurant Buffet (TRB)+ Driving Trailer Composite (DTC) (309/3) BDTC+MBSK+Trailer Standard Open (TSO)+DTC (later) BDTC+Motor Brake Standard (MBS)+TS+DTS |
In the privatisation era some units moved to the North West where they continued in service around Manchester but these were withdrawn in 2000. A couple of units were converted to departmental use testing cab-signalling as the Class 960/1. These were preserved in 2009.
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| Preserved 309 616 in London & South East ("Jaffa Cake") livery as these received in the mid-1980s [3] |
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| 309 616 and 960 102, then at the Electric Railway Museum |
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| Front view of 309 616 |
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| Side view of 960 102 |
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| Side by side |
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| Another view of this livery, the forerunner to Network South East |
[1] Alec Swain, Overhead Line Electric Multiple-Units (Ian Allan, 1990) p. 48
[2] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 227
[3] Colin J. Marsden, Motive Power Recognition 2: EMUs (Ian Allan, 1986) p. 35