The LNER Encyclopedia

Sole surviving Class 306 No. 306017 has now left Eastleigh for the East Anglian Railway Museum for static display.

It is seen passing through Basingstoke (not my video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6QmFJiheS8

It has now arrived, someone has posted some shots of it at the museum on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsangl ... 883620605/

put a door in the middle of the cab, lose the buffers,lose also the drawbar and re place with a cow head coupler alter the passenger doors respace the windows and finaly make it an articulated set and you could have a passable north tyneside electric train.

Thanks v.m.for the visuals kieranhardy.

I hadn't heard for a long time where 017 had been hiding, or that it was to appear at Chappel.

Is it known whether it is to be 'permanently' static, or could it venture out under its own power again?

I always liked when it occasionally came out of Ilford on special runs in the early '90s.
And one owner along the way (NSE? GE trains?) kitted it up with Cab Secure Radio (formerly known as D.O.O. radio), by then, de rigeur for normal service EMUs on GE's routes.
So when 'out 'n about', like all CSR-equipped trains, it showed up on the signal box's CSR Radio List of trains actively out on the network, displayed including their Unit numbers : But amongst all the many 312s, 315s, 317s, 321s, and 322s, it stood out like a sore thumb when 306017 appeared in the list.

StevieG wrote:Thanks v.m.for the visuals kieranhardy.

I hadn't heard for a long time where 017 had been hiding, or that it was to appear at Chappel.

Is it known whether it is to be 'permanently' static, or could it venture out under its own power again?

It seems to have come out of the blue it was going to Chappel, i make regular visits to the museum and knew nothing about it, having said that i only knew the N7 was returning there a few weeks before it happened!

I personally can't see the museum making it operational unless there is some agreement in place to display it x amount of years then restore it. It doesn't help that the Museum is also situated on a non electric line however it's only a few miles from Marks Tey which does have overhead wires. One thing i will say it is a rather large exhibit for the museum so am somewhat surprised it's gone there. How long it will stay i have no idea. If i go there this sunday i will see if i can find out anything else.

Lets hope it does not suffer the same fate as it's sister class 506 unit and is well looked after. It will not take long for it to suffer if it is stored outside. Pity it still can't operate somewhere.