British Rail Class 304

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "British Rail Class 304" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

British Rail Class 304
Class 304 at Manchester Piccadilly in 1992
In service	1960–1996
Manufacturer	British Rail
Order no.	304/1 30428 (MBS) 30429 (BDTSOL) 30430 (DTBSO) 30431 (TCsoL)[1] 304/2 30607 (MBSO) 30608 (DTBSO) 30609 (TCsoL) 30610 (BDTSOL)[2] 304/3 30642 (MBSO) 30643 (DTBSO) 30644 (TCsoL) 30645 (BDTSOL)[3]
Built at	Wolverton Works
Family name	BR First Generation EMU
Refurbished	1984–1986[4]
Scrapped	1985–1998[5]
Number built	45
Number scrapped	45
Successor	Class 323
Formation	4 cars per unit (as built) BDTSOL+MBS+TCsoL+DTBSO[6] 3 cars per unit (1984-96) BDTSOL+MBSO+DTBSO[7]
Diagram	As Built Class 304/1 408 MBS 411 DTBSO 434 BDTSOL 456 TCsoL [1] Class 304/2 & 304/3 409 MBSO 412 DTBSO 435 BDTSOL 457 TCsoL [8] TOPS Codes Class 304/1 ED202.0A MBS (As Built) ED205.0A MBSO (Refurbished) EF203.0A BDTSOL EG202.0A DTBSO EH303.0A TCsoL [9][10][11] Class 304/2 & 304/3 ED203.0A MBSO EF204.0A BDTSOL EG203.0A DTBSO EH304.0A TCsoL [9][11]
Design code	AM4
Fleet numbers	Class 304/1 304001-015 75045-75059 BDTSOL 61045-61059 MBS 70045-70059 TCsoL 75645-75659 DTBS Class304/2 304016-035 75680-75699 BDTSOL 61628-61647 MBSO 70483-70502 TCsoL 75660-75679 DTBS Class304/3 304036-045 75868-75877 BDTSOL 61873-61882 MBSO 70243-70252 TCsoL 75858-75867 DTBS [4]
Capacity	As Built 4 Car 318 Standard + 19 First (304/1) 294 Standard + 19 First (304/2 and 304/3)[12] Refurbished 3 Car 246 Standard (304/1) 236 Standard (304/2 and 304/3)[7]
Operators	British Rail Provincial Regional Railways
Depots	Crewe Electric[13] Longsight[13]
Lines served	West Coast Main Line Crewe to Manchester Line Crewe to Liverpool Line Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway Chase Line
Specifications
Train length	4-Car formation 253 ft 8 in (77.32 m) 3-Car formation 190 ft 3 in (57.99 m)
Car length	63.42 ft 5 in (19.46 m)[11]
Width	9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)[11]
Height	12 ft 8+3⁄4 in (3.880 m)[11]
Doors	Slam Door
Articulated sections	4 (As built) 3 (Refurbished)
Maximum speed	75 mph (121 km/h)[11]
Weight	Total - 151.85 long tons (154.29 t; 170.07 short tons)
Traction motors	4 × BTH[14]
Power output	620 kW (830 hp)
Electric system(s)	25 kV 50 Hz AC (OHLE)[4]
Current collector(s)	Pantograph
UIC classification	4-car: 2′2′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′ 3-car: 2′2′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′
Bogies	Gresley ED4 (MBS / MBSO) Gresley ET8 (BDTSOL / DTBSO / TCsoL)[11]
Braking system(s)	Air (EP/Auto)
Coupling system	Drophead buckeye (outer) Solid shank Alliance No.2 (inner) [11]
Multiple working	Within class, and other pre-1972 25kV EMUs
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 304 (Originally classed as AM4) were AC electric multiple units designed and produced at British Rail's (BR) Wolverton Works.

The Class 304 was produced for BR's new electric suburban services, enabled by the first phases of the West Coast Main Line electrification between Crewe and Manchester/Liverpool/Rugby. The units conformed to the 1959-design for alternating current (AC) electrical multiple units, and were externally very similar to the Class 305, Class 308 and the 1,200 V direct current (DC) Class 504 units.

Following their introduction during the early 1960s, the Class 304 could be found in operation across the southern and Midland section of the West Coast Main Line. Midway through their service life, the units were reclassified as the Class 304 under the TOPS numbering system. The fleet was withdrawn from service during the early to mid 90s, largely due to the arrival of cascaded rolling stock such as the Class 305/2 units and new Class 323 units. Despite efforts to do so, no units survived into preservation, all examples being eventually scrapped.