That's before the unit ends were rebuilt

I worked on them as a Guard, but between Liverpool Street and Cambridge back in the 1990's.

Now posted the photo of the last 310 unit at Crewe onto my website

http://martin-grosberg.fotopic.net/p65868390.html

Photo file was dated 29/03/00, but I'm not sure if that is the date of the train or not.

Smashing photo mate, thanks for letting us see it.

48111

Thats interesting, I used to travel to work on the 312s when they were new and thought they were a copy of the 310s but obviously not.

Okay, the brakes were perfectly alright on the West Coast side. Like all brakes you didn't take liberties with them. They ran from the 60's until the 80's over here, and I don't recall any major problems with the brakes. Though someone will probably know better.
As for the 312's, there were four based at Bletchley for the West Midlands area. They were restricted to 75 mph to match the 310's and coud run in multiple with them. I remember a 310 was fitted with a 312 motor coach and ran trials between Rugby and Coventry at 90mph. Bletchley driver Norman Jeffcoate (sadly no longer with us) was the driver. Which reminds me of when 4472 Flying Scotsman was at Bletchley in 1974, Norman was the fireman on it to Oxford. Got a get well soon card from his former colleagues at Watford as a result!

310 units
 

Always liked these units used to ride on them from Tring very comfortable for a journey to Birmingham via Nortampton.Pity designers today cant match seat comfort and space when unleashing new units on us.

Superficially they looked alike but I will stand to be corrected. I think it was down to the set up of the brakes. I'm trying to recall and I think the difference was the 312 had disc brakes mounted on the wheels and the 310 had a Brake Disc arrangement mounted on the axle. I can only judge from a Drivers point of view on converting to 310s on their transfer to the Eastern Region. The 310 was I'm sure good in their day but the 312 was improving on the design with the benefits of service and time. The 312 had a hydraulic parking brake which was a modern development for instance.

Hello mate,did you know Bletchley drivers, Bill Tew and Billy Biggs ?

Both sadly no longer with us.

Both good mates of mine.

48111

Yeah, knew both very well. Bill Tew once bought in tea bags that were so weak, it took double the normal amount to make a pot of tea. As an aside, in those days, if you were on your break, or spare, you made a pot of tea, and everyone else helped themselves.
Billy Biggs, or chunky as he was usually known was always an excellent mate to be with. He never let the secondman drive, but was nevertheless a good mate. I was born, and lived a few doors down from Billy Biggs.