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British Rail Class 308

British Rail Class 308
British Rail Class 308 at Leeds 1996.jpg
308 143 at Leeds station
In service 1959–2001
Manufacturer BR
Order no.
  • 30652 (BDTCOL, 308/1)
  • 30653 (MBSO, 308/1)
  • 30654 (TCsoL, 308/1)
  • 30655 (DTSO, 308/1)
  • 30656 (BDTCOL, 308/1)
  • 30657 (MBSO, 308/1)
  • 30658 (TCsoL, 308/1)
  • 30659 (DTSO, 308/1)
  • 30694 (BDTSO, 308/3)
  • 30695 (MBSO)
  • 30696 (DTSO, 308/3)
  • 30701 (MLV)
Built at York Works
Family name 1959 EMU
Refurbishment 1981–1983, 1994
Number built 45 trainsets
Formation 3 or 4 cars per trainset:
  • BDTS+MBS+TC+DTS (308/1)
  • BDTCOL+MBSO+TSOL+DTSO (308/1, refurbished)
  • BDTS+MLV+TC+DTS (308/2)
  • BDTSOL+MLV+DTLV (308/2, refurbished)
  • BDTS+MBS+DTS (308/3)
Diagram
  • ED207 (MBSO)
  • ED216 (MBSO, 308/1)
  • EE209 (DTSO, 308/3)
  • EE220 (DTSO, 308/1)
  • EF205 (BDTSO, 308/3)
  • EF208 (BDTSOL, 308/1 as built)
  • EF302 (BDTC)
  • EF304 (BDTCOL, 308/1 refurbished)
  • EH223 (TSOL, 308/1 refurbished)
  • EH305 (TCsoL, 308/1 as built)
  • EW501 (DTLV, 308/1)
  • EY501 (MLV)
Design code AM8
Fleet numbers
  • 133-165 (308/1, sets)
  • 75878-75886, 75896-75919 (BDTS, 308/1)
  • 61883-61915 (MBS, 308/1)
  • 70611-70643 (TS, 308/1)
  • 75887-75895, 75929-75952 (DTS, 308/1)
  • 313-321 (308/2, sets)
  • 75920-75928 (BDTS, 308/2)
  • 68011-68019 (MLV, 308/2)
  • 70644-70652 (TC, 308/2)
  • 75953-75961 (DTS, 308/2)
  • 453-455 (308/3, sets)
  • 75741-75743 (BDTS, 308/3)
  • 61689-61691 (MBS, 308/3)
  • 75992-75994 (DTS, 308/3)
Capacity
  • 19F/344S (308/1, as built)
  • 19F/248S (308/2)
  • 272S (308/3)
  • 24F/302S (308/1, refurbished)
Operator(s) British Rail
Depot(s)
Specifications
Car body construction Steel
Train length
  • 268 ft 8 1⁄2 in (81.902 m) (4-car)
  • 189 ft 9 1⁄2 in (57.849 m) (3-car)
Car length
  • 64 ft 0 5⁄8 in (19.523 m) (driving cars, over body)
  • 63 ft 6 in (19.35 m) (others)
Width 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Height 12 ft 7 in (3.835 m)
Doors Slam
Articulated sections
  • 4 (308/1, 308/2 as built)
  • 3 (308/2 refurbished, 308/3)
Wheelbase 46 ft 6 in (14.17 m) (bogie centres)
Maximum speed 75 mph (121 km/h)
Weight
  • 153 long tons (155 t) (308/1)
  • 150 long tons 12 cwt (153.0 t) (308/2)
  • 11 long tons (11 t) (308/3)
Traction motors 4 × EE 56A of 143.5 kW (192.4 hp)
Power output 574 kW (770 hp)
Train heating Electric
Electric system(s)
Current collection method Pantograph
UIC classification
  • 2'2'+Bo'Bo'+2'2'+2'2' (4-car)
  • 2'2'+Bo'Bo'+2'2' (3-car)
Bogies
  • Gresley ED5
  • Gresley ED8
  • Gresley ET5
  • Gresley ET8
Braking system(s) Air (EP/Auto)
Safety system(s) AWS
Coupling system
Multiple working Within ER EMU stock, later within class
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail (BR) Class 308 alternating current (AC) electric multiple units (EMU) were built by BR at York Carriage Works, in three batches, from 1959–61. They were initially classified as AM8 units before the introduction of TOPS.

The first batch of 33 units were built in 1959, numbered 133–165. This was later changed to Class 308/1 under the TOPS system, and units were renumbered 308133–165. These units were built to operate commuter services on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) from London Liverpool Street to Shenfield, Witham, Colchester, Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton. Each unit was formed of four carriages: two outer driving trailers, an intermediate trailer, and a motor coach.

Electrically the Class 308 stock has the same equipment as the Class 302 stock with a few modifications, some of these are the types of overload, the use of fan cooled rectifier continued until the rectifiers were modified to 8 diode type from 1982, this modified main rectifier was also modified and used on the Class 309 stock due to the problems of fan cooled types suffering from blocked filters causing failures in traffic.

The Braking system is basically the same as the Class 302 stock with the exception of Motor coach retaining the 16 in (406.4 mm) cylinder rather than the 12 in (304.8 mm) as fitted to Class 302 after replacing the cast Iron brake blocks with Composite (Ferodo) type.

From 1981–83, the units were refurbished, which included opening out compartments, fitting of gangways between carriages, and moving first class seating from the intermediate trailer to one of the driving trailers, with the same problems as the Class 302 stock of having First class passengers sitting above the Westinghouse CM38 compressor, however the Gresley bogies being retained In this modified form, the technical description of the formation was BDTCOL+MBSO+TSOL+DTSO. Individual carriages were numbered as follows:


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