British Rail-era DMU/EMU - which will be the last one standing?

[jh64]

By now just about everything built under British Rail has passed the 30-year-old mark, some going strong, others not so strong. I've knocked together a quick list which should exclude units currently running but under imminent replacement such as the old Merseyrail EMUs, or in their final few months/weeks of operation like the 321s at Greater Anglia (100% accuracy not guaranteed). Of the remaining examples of pre-privatisation stock, which do you think will still be carrying passengers a few years from now, and which will be off the knacker's yard before long?

---

DMU (and one bi-mode)

Class 150 - 1984 (Age 39)
Great Western Railway, Northern, Transport for Wales

Class 153 - 1987 (Age 36)
Scotrail, Transport for Wales

Class 155 - 1987 (Age 36)
Northern

Class 156 - 1987 (Age 36)
Northern, Scotrail

Class 158 - 1989 (Age 34)
East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Northern, Scotrail, South Western Railway, Transport for Wales

Class 159 - 1992 (Age 31)
South Western Railway

Class 165 - 1990 (Age 33)
Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway

Class 166 - 1992 (Age 31)
Great Western Railway

Class 769 - Originally built 1987 (Age 36)
Northern

---

EMU

Class 318 - 1985 (Age 38)
Scotrail

Class 319 - 1987 (Age 36)
Northern

Class 320 - 1990 (Age 33)
Scotrail

Class 323 - 1994 (Age 29)
Northern

Class 455 - 1982 (Age 41)
South Western Railway

Class 465 - 1991 (Age 32)
Southeastern

Class 466 - 1993 (Age 30)
Southeastern

---

My guess is that it will be the 158/159s, living out their last days at Northern. Place your bets now...

 

[D365]

Class 150, Marston Vale?

 

[Ash Bridge]

I’ll go for 158/159 DMU’s

 

[A0]

SWR 159s would be my bet.

All the EMUs will be gone in the next 10 years.

 

[Ken H]

150. They have a workhorse where a short train with a decent capacity is needed. no bells and whistles so little to go wrong.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

For DMUs, I can definitely see the 158/159 going strong for another 10-20 years, eventually being cascaded to allow withdrawal of most of its older 15x counterparts.

150. They have a workhorse where a short train with a decent capacity is needed. no bells and whistles so little to go wrong.

Of course some niche branchlines may continue using the 150, such as virtually every branch in Cornwall (although the 165 could eventually spend its last days filling in those roles) and the Marston Vale.

As for EMUs, most likely the Class 323 for Northern or the 320 for Scotrail if more of the 321s get converted to replace the 318s.

 

[Intercity110]

class 150- marston vale

 

[Brubulus]

For EMUs it'll be the 323s while for DMUs it'll be the 158s/159s. It definetly won't be the Turbos as they're already running out of parts. The 150s aren't going to spend long on the Marston Vale as it'll be 196 operated very shortly after Bicester-Bletchley is finished and the signalling/platform alterations are made.

 

[Iskra]

I think it will either be the 150’s due to their numbers which will take quite a bit of replacing or 158’s due to their popularity, passenger environment and higher top speed.

 

[AndrewE]

What about the EMUs on the Isle of Wight? LUL, but still BR-era!

 

[W-on-Sea]

323s should, if the TOCs and Rolling Stock leasing cos have much sense, have a lot of life left in them yet. 158s/159s should outlast the other DMUs.

 

[D365]

class 150- marston vale

Glad I'm not the only one!

 

[43096]

the 320 for Scotrail if more of the 321s get converted to replace the 318s.

That is not going to happen.

 

[bramling]

By now just about everything built under British Rail has passed the 30-year-old mark, some going strong, others not so strong. I've knocked together a quick list which should exclude units currently running but under imminent replacement such as the old Merseyrail EMUs, or in their final few months/weeks of operation like the 321s at Greater Anglia (100% accuracy not guaranteed). Of the remaining examples of pre-privatisation stock, which do you think will still be carrying passengers a few years from now, and which will be off the knacker's yard before long?

---

DMU (and one bi-mode)

Class 150 - 1984 (Age 39)
Great Western Railway, Northern, Transport for Wales

Class 153 - 1987 (Age 36)
Scotrail, Transport for Wales

Class 155 - 1987 (Age 36)
Northern

Class 156 - 1987 (Age 36)
Northern, Scotrail

Class 158 - 1989 (Age 34)
East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Northern, Scotrail, South Western Railway, Transport for Wales

Class 159 - 1992 (Age 31)
South Western Railway

Class 165 - 1990 (Age 33)
Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway

Class 166 - 1992 (Age 31)
Great Western Railway

Class 769 - Originally built 1987 (Age 36)
Northern

---

EMU

Class 318 - 1985 (Age 38)
Scotrail

Class 319 - 1987 (Age 36)
Northern

Class 320 - 1990 (Age 33)
Scotrail

Class 323 - 1994 (Age 29)
Northern

Class 455 - 1982 (Age 41)
South Western Railway

Class 465 - 1991 (Age 32)
Southeastern

Class 466 - 1993 (Age 30)
Southeastern

---

My guess is that it will be the 158/159s, living out their last days at Northern. Place your bets now...

I’d go for either 150 or 158/159 on the diesel side. 150 seems to have an advantage as little seems to have been produced since which ticks all the same boxes.

Harder to say on the electrics, other than that I don’t think it will be class 319.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

150s with Northern (Huddersfield to Sheffield/Castleford routes) and GWR (Looe and Tamar Valley lines). Simply because those routes are awkward to serve with the newer, longer vehicles so will end up being the last bastion of 20m mk3.

Well, that or the TfW 153s. In both cases held together with spit, hope, and a mixture of bondo and gaffer tape!

 

[Bertie the bus]

323s on Northern. I expect they will still be around in 15 years.

 

[gg1]

None of the above.

I'd be very surprised if the 325s don't outlast all of them.

Of the passenger carrying classes, I'll go for 323s.

 

[EnchantGaming]

323s on Northern. I expect they will still be around in 15 years.

Our 158’s here in Scotland are starting to show their age now, and are starting to fall apart a bit, each one having its own little fault, where as our 156s are still going strong, even mechanically.

Which one do I think is better:

Class 158 Cons:

Very little legroom and a tight squeeze to sit at a table seat

If you sit on top of one of the engines you can feel it working/vibrating.

The Toilets are small and the door on the disabled friendly toilet can be temperamental.

They do have AC but it barely works, you actually almost can’t feel it at all.

Class 158 Pros:

The engines sound absolutely fantastic, especially from the passenger saloon.

Bigger doors and step area compared to the 156’s.

Much quieter and faster that the 156s.

Class 156 cons:

The engines are Noisy, rattly, and if they’re being worked hard they reek of diesel.

The seats are rather firm but there is more legroom that the 158s.

The TrainFX PIS systems are not of a very high standard in terms of visual and audio quality.

You travel on a 156 at its top rate and you’ll need ear defenders. We are talking loud here.

So all in all I do prefer the 158s to the 156s.

As for which one will be around the longest, I think the 156’s will, considering the condition of some of the 158s.

 

[Brubulus]

As for which one will be around the longest, I think the 156’s will, considering the condition of some of the 158s.

What about corrosion?

 

[EnchantGaming]

What about corrosion?

Yea good point actually, generally the 156s have less corrosion underneath than the 158s, or at least from what I’ve seen.

 

[Ken H]

Yea good point actually, generally the 156s have less corrosion underneath than the 158s, or at least from what I’ve seen.

158's are aliminium. Isnt there a metal fatigue life consideration? Or just weld it up.

 

[Bevan Price]

All the DMUs except 153 & 155 will be made to survive at least another 10-20 years unless a future government decides that a rapid extension of electriication is vital (for anti-pollution reasons).

Class 323 will also probably be required to survive for another 15-20 years.

 

[popeter45]

the GWR 165/166's could last out the other as while the 15X's are all in fleets with never replacements there/in the works (e.g. 19X's, 231,75X's etc) the 16X's and 159's dont have anything on the books to replace them

 

[RobShipway]

the GWR 165/166's could last out the other as while the 15X's are all in fleets with never replacements there/in the works (e.g. 19X's, 231,75X's etc) the 16X's and 159's dont have anything on the books to replace them

I have to agree there is newer replacements for the 15x fleets, but as yet nothing that is in the pipeline to replace the SWR 158/159 or the Chiltern 165/168 fleets or the GWR class 165/166 fleets.

We have had 23 years of the class 170 units and 20 years of class 171 units. I wonder if these units will have a life the same as the class 313 units, as even though there is possible future replacements out on the market, I did wonder if they will be converted to be Hydroflex units and as such possibly get more towards the 50 year service mark?

 

[mike57]

I think it will be a bit of a lottery, based on things outside actually 'fitness for purpose' (DfT wranglings etc. etc.). On the basis of usefulness my guess would be 158/9 based on the higher top speed and improved comfort over the earlier units.

We were on a 158 from home to Doncaster a few weeks ago, and for a 30+ year old (but refurbished) unit it was OK, normally on our local route its 170s. It kept to time and was comfortable. Looking at it from a non enthusiasts point of view if a refurbished 158 turns up in place of a 170 passengers will not mind, if its a 150/3/5 they will notice.

 

[EnchantGaming]

158's are aliminium. Isnt there a metal fatigue life consideration? Or just weld it up.

Yea there is

 

[DanNCL]

The last BR era locomotives in daytime (not sleeper) passenger use is the 91, following the removal of 37s and 90s from TFW and GA respectively in 2020 the 91s are the only ones left.

The last BR era EMUs will likely be the 318s or 320s, whichever is in better mechanical condition.

The last BR era DMUs will likely be the 158s in England and Scotland, but they might be outlasted by the 153s in Wales.

 

[43096]

The last BR era locomotives in daytime (not sleeper) passenger use is the 91, following the removal of 37s and 90s from TFW and GA respectively in 2020 the 91s are the only ones left.

Only if you ignore the Class 43s.

 

[popeter45]

The last BR era locomotives in daytime (not sleeper) passenger use is the 91, following the removal of 37s and 90s from TFW and GA respectively in 2020 the 91s are the only ones left.

The last BR era EMUs will likely be the 318s or 320s, whichever is in better mechanical condition.

The last BR era DMUs will likely be the 158s in England and Scotland, but they might be outlasted by the 153s in Wales.

depends on if you count the class 43's as locomotive or DMU's

 

[D365]

depends on if you count the class 43's as locomotive or DMU's

uh oh... not again!