Catching the very last rays of the setting sun, 309613 passes Slindon on 15 May 1997 with the 19:06 Birmingham New Street to Manchester Airport Regional Railways North West service. It was only in their last years that the Class 309 'Clacton' units strayed away from their original Essex home. At least by 1997 the units working in the Manchester area had acquired an appropriate livery, rather than the out of place  Network SouthEast colour scheme that they were painted in when they were first transferred.