End of an era at London Overground for 313's

I can't really say I'll be sorry to see the back of them but I suppose it'll be a bit of history. I was thinking about this the other day and half the problem I had was that awful colour scheme left over from the Silverlink days. Whoever thought that one up must have been a school kid going mad with Microsoft Paint!

Nice to see LO are giving them a good send off

I wonder if they will be allowed to travel over the former Southern Region lines as did the Class 501's on their First & Final tour.

Details available at www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/
Unable to directly link to page however search on Railtour files and go to 11th May 1985

L.C.G.B. / R.C.T.S.
The First & Final 501

Look out for a forthcoming article from me on Class 501's and this tour in a Railway Magazine later this year. More details to follow in due course.

Xerces Fobe

South West Train white livery does look quite stylish. I'm not so enamoured with the blue or (especially) red versions though.

Southern and London Midland are good liveries. Wales and West/Wales and Borders/Wessex Trains Alphaline livery was also good, but my favourite is Great Western (pre-First Group) although this would not now be DDA compliant. You do go a long way to beat London Underground and London Overground.

Just got some more info for you guys...
Class 313 Farewell Service for Friday 17 September.

Depart Stratford 23:42

Depart Hackney Wick 23:45

Depart Homerton 23:48

Depart Hackney Central 23:50

Depart Dalston Kingsland 23:52

Depart Canonbury 23:55

Depart Highbury & Islington 23:57

Depart Caledonian Road & Barnsbury 23:59

Arrive Camden Road 00:02

Depart Camden Road 00:03

Arrive South Hampstead 00:14

Depart South Hampstead 00:16

Arrive Kilburn High Road 00:18

Depart Kilburn High Road 00:20

Arrive Queens Park 00:22

Depart Queens Park 00:25

Arrive Kensal Green 00:27

Depart Kensal Green 00:29

Arrive Willesden Junction 00:36

Odd times by this must be down to pathing gaps...

Except Class 450s are blue.

That's pretty much how I feel about them as well. They're far from being my favourite rolling stock and I can't see myself ever being very nostalgic for them - but nonetheless they are a piece of railway history.

I believe such a thing is called a class 377.

In seriousness, I kind of like the seats on the class 378. The longitudinal arrangement makes them feel extra spacious. They are kind of hard, but my butt interprets that as new.

I couldn't agree more re Class 378 seats being good for posture! I used to love Met Line slouch city (the 'high speed sofa travel experience') but as the years clock up, support is much more welcome. Re the 313s, I feel the same as many on here. Pretty sad, not a particularly nice place to be, slow (at least on the lines I used them on) and won't be missed but as well as the general historic value they have sentimental signifiance to me. They are ingrained on my memory as part of the image of Watford Junction station as long as I can remember, and they worked Watford DC/Croxley Green services (my locals) throughout my lifetime. I recently travelled on an FCC 313; definitely more comfortable as many have noted elsewhere, but that was on DC only so I didn't get to test for myself the reportedly better performance on the wires. Still, all in all, I'm much happier using 378s, just a shame the DC line seems sooo sloooow...

And the Silverlink livery was UGLY, such a horrid colour combination... Whilst I'm off topic, Chiltern's is surely amongst the current best. Generic classic British railways (small r) sort of look

As an aside it was a pleasure to work 313123 today, after 7 months of 378s it made a change to be able to sit after giving the driver the signal. Such is the fact that it will be the very last time i work on one of these i took a couple of pics for posterity.

Info recieved from LOROL -

Last 313 on 17th September will be

16:38 Willesden Junction - Clapham Junction

17:10 Clapham Junction - Stratford

18:29 Stratford - Richmond

19:42 Richmond - Stratford

20:52 Stratford - Richmond

22:16 Richmond - Stratford

THEN

23:42 Stratford - Willesden Junction (Low Level) - as previously reported.

The train will go into Platform 2 at Willesden where a 378 will arrive at Platform 3 to enable people to take side-by-side shots of classmates.

So, the 313's are being used on Southern's Brighton Suburban services... Lets hope that they don't end up working through to Pompey..

I going to get all nostalgic now and state that I prefer the 313's, as they had character... they make a decent noise when accelerating. Oh well, perhaps a trip to Brighton is on the cards?

Shame I missed the 501's too!

I disagree. 313s are slow to accelerate, uncomfortable, clunky, noisy and hot. Maybe that was the standard for the 1970s when they were first designed but not for the 21st Century. I think we need to contrast with Intercity 125s. Of the same era, Intercity125s are classics by comparison in terms of quality, durability and technology (of the time).

The line also had some EPB's at one point... but yes... I'd have loved to have travelled on an Ooerlikon set... I think there is one preserved somewhere... do correct me if I am wrong!