received Regional Railways livery. By this time, however, more recently refurbished Class 305/2 units had become available, displaced from the London, Tilbury and Southend line by Class 310s, and with the imminent arrival of brand new Class 323 units, the Class 304s began to be withdrawn. The end came for the type in March 1996, with 304002 and 304033 running a series of farewell specials in Birmingham. Known amongst enthusiasts as "Dinosaurs", due to their advancing age, the Class 304 followed their namesakes to extinction. Preservation attempts 304021 was purchased for preservation in 1998 and was stored in sidings in Crewe. During this time, many windows were smashed, which, as a consequence of the cost of replacing them, led to the abandonment of the project. The long period of storage was due to the difficulty in finding a home on a preserved railway for EMU coaching stock, and thus it became the last of its class to be scrapped in November 2000. Liveries British Railways Green (1960–c.1967) BR Blue (c.1967–c.1983), with a yellow rectangle on the cab front (Chromatic Blue), then all-yellow cab front. BR Blue and Grey (c.1980–1996) Regional Railways (c.1992–1996), "aircraft" blue over white, with a light blue stripe at waist level. References Sources Further reading 304 Train-related introductions in 1960 25 kV AC multiple units