First Class 156 up for disposal

[JModulo]

Morning All,

May be of interest to some to note that the first 156 appears to be up for disposal/sale.

The unit in question is 478, owned by Brodie Engineering, Kilmarnock after it was written off in a flood a few years ago And then refurbished by them and leased back to ScotRail.

Said unit has also been off lease with ScotRail for sometime and Brodie have now put it up for auction, starting bid £50k.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Said unit has also been off lease with ScotRail for sometime and Brodie have now put it up for auction, starting bid £50k.

Where is it up for auction? I've taken a look at Brodie Engineering's website and can't see a link to anywhere, or any reference to the 156 at all.

 

[hexagon789]

Where is it up for auction? I've taken a look at Brodie Engineering's website and can't see a link to anywhere, or any reference to the 156 at all.

Link below :

It's being sold via the Apex Group.

There's also 18% auction fees, VAT and the cost of removal to consider.

British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter Diesel Multiple Unit Passenger Train Available Immediately​

(1 Item Available)​

Ex Scot Rail service British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter Diesel Multiple Unit Passenger Train (1987–1989)Available to Purchase Immediately. Please See the Sale Information Section for Any Additional Fees That May Be Applicable Upon Purchasing an Item. NOTE: Vendor to Approve All Closing Bids Prior to Apex Final Invoicing.

Auction | Apex Group

Apex Group | Supporting companies around the world buy, sell and manage their surplus assets

apex-group.com

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Link below :

It's being sold via the Apex Group.

There's also 18% auction fees, VAT and the cost of removal to consider.

Auction | Apex Group

Apex Group | Supporting companies around the world buy, sell and manage their surplus assets

apex-group.com

Looks like the minimum cost is
£50,000 minimum auction
+20% tax = £10,000
+18% buyers premium = £9,000
+20% tax = £1,800

Which assuming I got it all right, equals £70,800

Not sure how to deal with the

Tax Rate on Charges: 20% or as specified on individual items

not sure what that relates to.

 

[westcoaster]

Isn't there loads of ex EMR 156's parked at Ely collecting rust and corrosion.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Isn't there loads of ex EMR 156's parked at Ely collecting rust and corrosion.

I believe 156470, 473, 497 and 498 are at Ely
They weren't sent to Northern because they're already too badly corroded.

156907 is at Long Marston apparently.

 

[45076]

Looks like the minimum cost is
£50,000 minimum auction
+20% tax = £10,000
+18% buyers premium = £9,000
+20% tax = £1,800

Which assuming I got it all right, equals £70,800

Not sure how to deal with the

not sure what that relates to.

that's a lot of money for a 156

 

[pokemonsuper9]

that's a lot of money for a 156

And it doesn't include transport costs, storage, maintenance (if wanted to be in usable condition) and so much more.
And whatever the "Tax Rate on Charges" is.

 

[45076]

And it doesn't include transport costs, storage, maintenance (if wanted to be in usable condition) and so much more.
And whatever the "Tax Rate on Charges" is.

absolutely buying it is only the beginning. A story I know only too well.

 

[hexagon789]

that's a lot of money for a 156

Bargain compared to buying new though!

 

[DarloRich]

is unit this being offered for sale for use by a TOC, for preservation, for scrap or for any of the three if someone will pay up? Is it up to the same standard of internal fitting and mechanical gubbins as a "standard" 156?

 

[JModulo]

is unit this being offered for sale for use by a TOC, for preservation, for scrap or for any of the three if someone will pay up? Is it up to the same standard of internal fitting and mechanical gubbins as a "standard" 156?

Its for sale to the highest bidder, so anyone.

Fitted out to the standard layout as any Scotrail 156 with Fainsa seating and at seat plug sockets.

 

[skyhigh]

is unit this being offered for sale for use by a TOC, for preservation, for scrap or for any of the three if someone will pay up? Is it up to the same standard of internal fitting and mechanical gubbins as a "standard" 156?

From memory this 156 was fairly comprehensively rebuilt so corrosion shouldn't be an issue. From the photos it has all the equipment required (such as GSMR, OTDR, TrainFX, PRM mods including toilet retention tanks) for it to be suitable for use on the mainline.

However the only TOCs left with 156s are Scotrail and Northern. The unit was off-leased by Scotrail so I presume they decided there's no need for it. Given that leaves Northern as the sole passenger TOC I imagine Brodies will have made enquiries to either lease or directly sell the unit to them and they weren't interested either so they've decided to put it up for auction.

I can't see any other TOC being interested in a single 156. Given the headline price I'm not sure a preservation outfit will be able to afford it either - units such as 142s were effectively given away so given there's still 100+ 156s in existence I don't see anyone snapping it up for preservation.

I would guess the most likely buyer may be one of the Charter operators - LSL have some 142s in mainline use, a 156 with big windows, table arrangement and plug sockets might find some use for scenic tours.

 

[DarloRich]

Its for sale to the highest bidder, so anyone.

Fitted out to the standard layout as any Scotrail 156 with Fainsa seating and at seat plug sockets.

Thanks - so conceivably it could go to a TOC to strengthen services ( OBVS that needs DfT approval...............)

 

[172007]

Wonder what the lease is a year for the 156's in TOC service. May well be a national scandal if this one is sold for the suggested auction price.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Wonder what the lease is a year for the 156's in TOC service.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's different rates between Angel and Porterbrook.

 

[adc82140]

I wonder if the Scottish Government would make a bid. It would save them the leasing cost for one unit.

 

[skyhigh]

I wonder if the Scottish Government would make a bid. It would save them the leasing cost for one unit.

That would surprise me.

Brodies own 1 unit - this one. If Scotrail decided to hand it back due to cost I'm sure Brodies would have negotiated on lease fees as they basically bought it as a speculative purchase for Scotrail when it was written off. If Scotrail were interested in outright purchase why would Brodies go through the effort of getting an auction house to sell it, along with associated costs on both sides? They'd only do that if Scotrail weren't prepared to pay the amount Brodies wanted for the unit - so why would that change at an auction instead?

 

[43096]

I wonder if the Scottish Government would make a bid. It would save them the leasing cost for one unit.

Not necessarily. It depends when the lease contracts on the existing ScotRail 156 fleet expire - which is March 2027.

 

[STINT47]

I wonder if a DMU preservation group might raise funds and buy it. This could be the first sprinter in preservation, which would pull in the crowds.

 

[Russel]

What is the reason Scotrail handed it back?

Leasing cost maybe, or has it proven unreliable after it's rebuild?

 

[meld3]

I wonder if a DMU preservation group might raise funds and buy it. This could be the first sprinter in preservation, which would pull in the crowds.

Crowd. (corrected for you).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I would guess the most likely buyer may be one of the Charter operators - LSL have some 142s in mainline use, a 156 with big windows, table arrangement and plug sockets might find some use for scenic tours.

One of the operators of mainline registered Pacers could make use of it in theory- would allow the charters to be accessible to persons of reduced mobility... and compared to a Pacer a 156 could serve as the "Premier Dining" class (as long as a trolley was on board)!

 

[pokemonsuper9]

What is the reason Scotrail handed it back?

Leasing cost maybe, or has it proven unreliable after it's rebuild?

ScotRail basically gave up on it after a flood as far as I'm aware, which lead to it ending up with Brodie who repaired it and now it's at auction.

 

[Starmill]

ScotRail basically gave up on it after a flood as far as I'm aware, which lead to it ending up with Brodie who repaired it and now it's at auction.

It went back and worked at ScotRail for a period of time after being repaired.

I wonder if the Scottish Government would make a bid. It would save them the leasing cost for one unit.

The unit was surplus to requirements anyway. The full 156 fleet is being run down for hand-back within the next three or so years.

I believe 156470, 473, 497 and 498 are at Ely
They weren't sent to Northern because they're already too badly corroded.

156907 is at Long Marston apparently.

I think these ones are still on the books of their ROSCOs? Of course, they may be under offer, or soon disposed of anyway, whether that be to scrap or elsewhere.

 

[DanNCL]

I believe 156470, 473, 497 and 498 are at Ely
They weren't sent to Northern because they're already too badly corroded.

156907 is at Long Marston apparently.

The four at Ely didn't go to Northern as they're owned by a different leasing company from the other ex-EMR units (Angel instead of Porterbrook).

907 is the unit that has the corrosion damage.

 

[45076]

The four at Ely didn't go to Northern as they're owned by a different leasing company from the other ex-EMR units (Angel instead of Porterbrook).

907 is the unit that has the corrosion damage.

My friend who works for Porterbrook mentioned that 907 is only fit for strip out and then the bin. 407 as it was, was the first one I had a ride on way back when....

 

[Geeves]

I wonder if a DMU preservation group might raise funds and buy it. This could be the first sprinter in preservation, which would pull in the crowds.

Only issue is Northern probably have another decade of use and you can enjoy one being hammered up the West and East Coast Mainlines so why would you pay to go trundle round on one a preserved railway currently?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Only issue is Northern probably have another decade of use

With Northern's new trains coming with first one expected 2028, unless they take 5 years to reach full use (and choose to get rid of the 156s last), they won't have a decade.

 

[driverd]

Only issue is Northern probably have another decade of use and you can enjoy one being hammered up the West and East Coast Mainlines so why would you pay to go trundle round on one a preserved railway currently?

In fairness, for the same reason people paid to go trundle around in a 101 for years before FNW finally withdrew theirs from the mainline. I think the appeal is, to some extent, still there.

The only thing I would point out, however, is a 156 fitted with Fainsa seats is going to look very modern at any preserved railway. Given 156s still have a fair bit of life in them, I would expect a ROSCO/mainline operator to take this on.