Pair of Northern 153s

alexl92 · 11 Jul 2015

Tonight I witnessed a sight I've not seen for a long time, if ever - a pair of Northern's 153 railcars operating as a 2-car set, in plat 6 at Huddersfield.

Is this to compensate for the 150 that's half out-of-action, half merged into a hybrid set following the Knaresborough incident, or is it a regular diagram I've simply never seen before?

Also, I noticed that whilst they were paired up to look like a regular set - ie the white swoosh stripe coming down and pointing to to the outer end on each vehicle - the outer end on each one was the 'new' smaller cab. So to my mind, the livery is the wrong way round on the 153s. Any reason for this?

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johnpeter3 · 12 Jul 2015

Yes, the 153s are often paired up or tripled if they are a 150 or 155 down.

There's a rumour of a hybrid set 150/1 and 150/2 but I've not seen it yet. But here it is - http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2228498&postcount=19

I think the white stripes are at the small cab end as there is more metal rather than window at that end - that's the only reason I can think of - that end can't be popular with drivers!

gimmea50anyday · 12 Jul 2015

Sure it wasnt an actual 155 set? But yes 2x153 is a normal occurance. It simply depends on which units are allocated to diagrams. Usually a 153 works alone, on wakie selby shuttles or on the lincs/yorks coasts, or coupled to a 155 or 158 on s&c or calder valley diagrams.

61653 HTAFC · 12 Jul 2015

I don't see a huge number of 153s on my travels, especially not alone. Had my first solo dogbox for ages on a Huddersfield to Wakefield service a couple of weeks ago. They do crop up on Leeds to Victoria via Brighouse every so often, but usually along with a 155 or 158. I did see 3x153 on that run last summer. For those less familiar with the stock round here, an easy way to tell a 155 from (from a distance) 2x153 even if coupled with the new cabs on the inside, is that the 155s have vinyls promoting West Yorkshire whereas most if not all Northern 153s are in standard Northern livery (which does look a little lopsided when they're running solo).

As for the cabs, I've heard more than one driver say that despite being smaller the "new" cabs are more comfortable, as a bit more thought was put into the ergonomics due to the limited space.

alexl92 · 12 Jul 2015

gimmea50anyday said:
Sure it wasnt an actual 155 set? But yes 2x153 is a normal occurance. It simply depends on which units are allocated to diagrams. Usually a 153 works alone, on wakie selby shuttles or on the lincs/yorks coasts, or coupled to a 155 or 158 on s&c or calder valley diagrams.

Absolutely certain - both ends of each car were yellow with cabs and both were numbered 153XXX!

61653 HTAFC said:
I don't see a huge number of 153s on my travels, especially not alone. Had my first solo dogbox for ages on a Huddersfield to Wakefield service a couple of weeks ago. They do crop up on Leeds to Victoria via Brighouse every so often, but usually along with a 155 or 158. I did see 3x153 on that run last summer. For those less familiar with the stock round here, an easy way to tell a 155 from (from a distance) 2x153 even if coupled with the new cabs on the inside, is that the 155s have vinyls promoting West Yorkshire whereas most if not all Northern 153s are in standard Northern livery (which does look a little lopsided when they're running solo).

As for the cabs, I've heard more than one driver say that despite being smaller the "new" cabs are more comfortable, as a bit more thought was put into the ergonomics due to the limited space.

The easiest way to tell a 155 from a 153 is that 153s have the smooth white stripe whereas on the 155s it's angular - straight down, straight across.

http://www.docbrown.info/docspics/ArchiveSteam/archive2/Img_3072.jpg

Interesting about the cabs though as I was led to believe that the smaller end was unpopular with drivers!

61653 HTAFC · 12 Jul 2015

alexl92 said:
Absolutely certain - both ends of each car were yellow with cabs and both were numbered 153XXX!

The easiest way to tell a 155 from a 153 is that 153s have the smooth white stripe whereas on the 155s it's angular - straight down, straight across.

http://www.docbrown.info/docspics/ArchiveSteam/archive2/Img_3072.jpg

Interesting about the cabs though as I was led to believe that the smaller end was unpopular with drivers!

Personally I find the picture (or lack of) of Huddersfield station more noticeable than the angle of the lines, especially from a distance. If you're close enough to see that you'll also notice the yellow ends on the internal cabs!

I've heard guards moan about the smaller cabs for sure, in fact I know one bloke who hated them as a guard but changed his tune when he qualified as a driver!

the sniper · 12 Jul 2015

There's more leg room for drivers in the 'small' end.

Tetchytyke · 12 Jul 2015

Heaton drivers refused to drive them many moons ago, which is why they're not in the north east (where they'd be welcome compared to a 142).

Darren R · 12 Jul 2015

Arctic Troll said:
Heaton drivers refused to drive them many moons ago, which is why they're not in the north east (where they'd be welcome compared to a 142).

What have Heaton drivers got against 153s?

Greybeard33 · 12 Jul 2015

The 10:09 Barrow to Lancaster was a pair of 153s when I was last up that way on 10th June. I must admit I was already on board before I noticed it wasn't a 156!

alexl92 · 12 Jul 2015

61653 HTAFC said:
Personally I find the picture (or lack of) of Huddersfield station more noticeable than the angle of the lines, especially from a distance. If you're close enough to see that you'll also notice the yellow ends on the internal cabs!

I've heard guards moan about the smaller cabs for sure, in fact I know one bloke who hated them as a guard but changed his tune when he qualified as a driver!

Oh I know that the photo wasn't Huddersfield - I just plucked that one off the internet :lol:

! But supposing you're at an angle where you can't see the inner ends of the vehicles, the shape of the stripe gives it away.

61653 HTAFC · 13 Jul 2015

alexl92 said:
Oh I know that the photo wasn't Huddersfield - I just plucked that one off the internet! But supposing you're at an angle where you can't see the inner ends of the vehicles, the shape of the stripe gives it away.

Sorry, I meant the photo displayed on the sides of 155 vehicles, not the photo you'd posted on this thread (which was of course of L**ds)...

DarloRich · 13 Jul 2015

Arctic Troll said:
Heaton drivers refused to drive them many moons ago, which is why they're not in the north east (where they'd be welcome compared to a 142).

it cant have been all of them as we used to get 153's on the Darlo - Bishop/Redcar runs

EDIT - i have seen a couple of 153 power times at times around leeds. I assume they are standing in for a missing 150/155.

Tugzrule · 13 Jul 2015

Fair few diagrams booked a pair of 153s it seems, weekdays there's a pair out on the Cumbrian Coast which works the 1513 Carlisle to Barrow. Believe there are a couple of diagrams around Yorkshire on a weekend that are booked too

plastictaffy · 13 Jul 2015

Darren R said:
What have Heaton drivers got against 153s?

Most drivers that I know hate 'em. The one cab is okay, it's the end that was never originally a cab that causes a problem. Because it was squeezed in, it's very cramped, and, to be quite honest, horrible.

61653 HTAFC · 13 Jul 2015

plastictaffy said:
Most drivers that I know hate 'em. The one cab is okay, it's the end that was never originally a cab that causes a problem. Because it was squeezed in, it's very cramped, and, to be quite honest, horrible.

It's a good job it was 155s that were split rather than 156s (I believe that was considered at the time) as based on where the inner-end doorway is, both the cab and doorway would be considerably more cramped than it is on the 153s.

alexl92 · 13 Jul 2015

Interesting... so the small end cabs to some are actually better because they're more well thought-out, or alternatively they're too cramped! :lol:

Iskra · 13 Jul 2015

Cumbrian Coast services can be double 153's fairly often. Don't think I've seen it happen anywhere else though.

darloscott · 13 Jul 2015

I saw a double 153 on a Leeds-Nottingham a few months back. Certainly not planned, though!

Bob Ames · 13 Jul 2015

Speaking of double dogboxes, can you claim haulage for both units or just the unit you rode in?

SqUaShIe P · 14 Jul 2015

I saw a 3 car class 153 before at Cleethorpes. They were East Midlands Units on a football special. They actually looked like a proper train though, quite impressive ha ha

ValleyLines142 · 14 Jul 2015

Bob Ames said:
Speaking of double dogboxes, can you claim haulage for both units or just the unit you rode in?

I always thought it is just the unit you ride in, but I think it can include both. That's what most spotters tend to do anyway!

On the subject of 153s, the 1718 Cardiff to Maesteg was a trio of 153s the other day. It's usually a 3 car 175 that has come from Holyhead, and is an amalgamation of the two hourly Holyhead to Cardiff service and the Cardiff to Maesteg stopper (hence the 175). Presumably the 175 had conked out at Cardiff, or somewhere beforehand and had limped to Cardiff, and so the only other option was to fuse three 153s together!

craigybagel · 15 Jul 2015

alexl92 said:
Interesting... so the small end cabs to some are actually better because they're more well thought-out, or alternatively they're too cramped!

If you're sat in the drivers seat, the small end has much more legroom. But it does feel very cramped, you wouldn't want to be claustrophobic even though the windscreen ends up being only a few inches from your face!

CraigS · 15 Jul 2015

Iskra said:
Cumbrian Coast services can be double 153's fairly often. Don't think I've seen it happen anywhere else though.

I recall a pair of 153s arriving into Carlisle from the Cumbrian Coast line back in October 2013. They then split, with one going back out to Barrow. Was interesting seeing everyone (including myself) trying to squeeze into the dogbox :lol:

sprinterguy · 15 Jul 2015

DarloRich said:
it cant have been all of them as we used to get 153's on the Darlo - Bishop/Redcar runs

Heaton had a fleet of 11/12 class 153s from when they were new in 1993, for use on Bishop Auckland & Darlo to Saltburn services, and the half hourly Sunderland to Newcastle/Metrocentre trains. They were latterly allocated to Neville Hill under Northern Spirit, but were only moved away from their typical north east diagrams by Arriva Trains Northern in early 2002; I presumed as a result of the opening of the Sunderland Metro extension and the corresponding reduction in heavy rail services on the coast, rather than due to traincrew complaints.
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Arctic Troll said:
(where they'd be welcome compared to a 142).

Not by me they wouldn't

: A 153 has fewer seats than a 142. Even when pairs of 153s worked Durham Coast services, I remember that they quickly became very cramped compared to a 156, and were slow to unload on busy services due to the small cab impinging on vestibule space.

Hence pairs of 153s were a fairly common sight in the north east at one time, and, as CraigS says above, they remain so on Cumbrian Coast services. I've seen plenty of doubled up class 153 formations on East Midlands Trains services through Derby as well; they also seemed common under their predecessor, Central Trains.

portervalley · 15 Jul 2015

darloscott said:
I saw a double 153 on a Leeds-Nottingham a few months back. Certainly not planned, though!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8614049@N04/17758065406/in/album-72157654872192628/ Photographed a double 153 on Leeds - Nottingham at Chesterfield on 17/05/15. Highly unusual - 150s are the usual sub for the 158s on Leeds to Nottingham.

bb21 · 15 Jul 2015

153s and 155s are not unheard of, although quite rare.

155345 I had once when going from Sheffield to Nottingham a couple of years back. A single 153 on one occasion last year, 153328 iirc off the top of my head.

Crossover · 15 Jul 2015

I was at Lancaster a while back (couple of years maybe) waiting for a train back to Leeds - it came in formed of 3 x 153's, which surprised me. They detached one to go back to Morecambe I believe, and we had the other two back to Leeds

BurtonM · 15 Jul 2015

I was very surprised to find a 150+153 on Man Vic to Huddersfield one evening a few weeks ago. Is that normal?

Pair of Northern 153s

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