| factory = Linwood, Renfrewshire
| family = BR First Generation Mark 1
| replaced = Various steam engines/early carriages
| successor =
| yearconstruction = 1959–1961|DTSO+MBSO+BDTSO (rebuilt)
| diagram =
| code = AM3
| fleetnumbers =
| lines =
| carbody = Steel A further 19 near-identical units were built from 1966 to 1967 following the Inverclyde electrification, although these units were built by Cravens in Sheffield. the entire stock of Class 303s had to be hastily withdrawn from service after only a few weeks' service. This also delayed the handing over of the Cathcart Circle service to electric operation.
The units had many features which made them state of the art at the time of their introduction. This included the use of pneumatically operated sliding passenger doors, the only Mark 1 based EMU to use this feature, with passenger-operated door opening buttons. In practice, the doors were usually operated by the train guard and, later, by the driver after modification for driver-only operation).
When built, the driving cabs had distinctive wrap-around front windows, although these were replaced by flat, toughened glass in the 1970s to better protect drivers following some incidents of stone-throwing vandalism. Glass partitions behind the cabs allowed passengers in the front and rearmost carriages to see the drivers' view of the track. This was particularly appreciated in the scenic riverside areas around Craigendoran and Helensburgh.
thumb|left|Class 303 in unrefurbished condition with [[Strathclyde Partnership for Transport|TransClyde markings at in 1984]]
Following the electrification of the lines from to Gourock and Wemyss Bay in 1967, the Class 303s started to be used interchangeably with the almost identical new . The interiors of the Class 303s were fitted with tungsten light bulbs, whilst the Class 311s had fluorescent lighting.
The Class 303 fleet were nicknamed the "Blue Trains" upon their introduction, owing to the striking Caledonian Blue livery. to replace the last of the elderly units. After an introduction plagued with teething problems, the Class 334 fleet entered service on the SPT network in 2001,
|-
| --/--/80 || 303002 || Ran away at station and became the first unit to be scrapped.
|-
| 07/03/85 || 303072 || Struck a girder placed on track at Singer while working 22.46 Airdrie to Balloch. The front bogie of 75782 was ripped off.
|-
| --/--/86 || 303057 || Motor coach fire.
|-
| 11/09/86 || 303026 || Two units collided in the tunnel near Bridgeton Depot, leading to the death of a driver and a guard.
|-
| 30/01/87 || 303051 || Ran away and collided with diesel locomotive 37011 near .
|-
| 06/03/89 || 303005<br>303071 || Head-on collision between 303005 and 303071 at Bellgrove junction.
|-
| 01/05/91 || 303038 || Motor coach exploded at Shields Depot.
|-
| 21/07/91 || 303037 || Involved in Newton Crash.
|-
| 25/06/94 || 303046 || Hit object placed on track by vandals on Wemyss Bay branch.
|-
| --/--/99 || 303058 || Motor Coach blew up in service.
|}
Further use
A few vehicles were converted for departmental use, following withdrawal from service:
- BDTSO 75613 from unit 303013 is currently at the Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre in Gravesend, Kent.
- Unit 303049 was converted into a test unit, numbered 303999. It was used by Network SouthEast from 1991 until 1996, based at Ilford and then Clacton; it was later scrapped.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! !! DT !! Old Number !! MB !! Old Number !! DT !! Old Number
|-
| 303999 || ADB977711 || (75759) || ADB977712 || (61825) || ADB977713 || (75815)
|}
Preservation
One complete unit has been saved for preservation. It is a hybrid unit consisting of the driving vehicles from set 303032 and the motor coach from set 303023, which replaced set 303032's own damaged motor coach. Unit 303023 was one of only four to carry the later SPT carmine/cream livery. The set has been modified to operate in multiple with a blue-star compatible diesel locomotive, typically a , so that it can be driven on an unelectrified heritage line.
{| class="wikitable"
!Unit no.
!width=50|DTSO
!width=50|MBSO
!width=50|BDTSO
!Livery
!Location
!Photograph
|-
|align=center|303023
|align=center|-
|align=center|61503
|align=center|-
|SPT Carmine/Cream
|rowspan=2|Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway
| rowspan="2" |frameless
|-
|align=center|303032
|align=center|75597
|align=center|-
|align=center|75632
|Strathclyde PTE Orange/Black
|}
A complete Class 311 unit, which were almost identical to the Class 303s, was preserved at Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge, although one driving trailer has since been scrapped.
Named units
Unit 303089 was named Cowal Highland Gathering 1894-1994.
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Hall, Stanley (1999). Hidden Dangers: Railway Safety in the Era of Privatisation. Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. .
- Hall, Stanley (2003). Beyond Hidden Dangers: Railway Safety into the 21st Century. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. .