Class 158 153 original BR interiors

Trainfan2019 · 9 Jan 2020

I'm try to find photos online of the original BR interiors of class 158 and 153 carriages. Not having any luck though! Can anyone help with any links please? As I travel on both classes and after reading various threads on here, I'm curious to know what they were originally like inside. Thanks.

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sprinterguy · 9 Jan 2020

Here's one of the West Yorkshire 158/9s with it's original interior, taken from Wikipedia:
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_158#/media/File:West_Yorkshire_158906_interior.jpg

They differed from the main build units by having red striping to the edge of the overhead luggage racks and a red fleck element to the seat moquette, rather than the usual Regional Railways blue.

The first interior photo on the page linked below looks to be a fairly dark photo of the standard Regional Railways version:
https://www.mattypsrailwaypics.com/class-158.html

Before the current refurbishment, Northern were operating a number of 158s that seemed little changed from new beyond the colour of the seat covers.

As for 153s, the closest I can find is this interior shot of a 155: I recall them being little changed post-conversion, and the photo illustrates the Ashbourne seating and standard grey and orange chevrons seat moquette that also featured on the class 156s:
https://picclick.co.uk/British-Rail...-Dmu-Class-155-123994242914.html#&gid=1&pid=1

WesternLancer · 9 Jan 2020

sprinterguy said:
Here's one of the West Yorkshire 158/9s with it's original interior, taken from Wikipedia:
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_158#/media/File:West_Yorkshire_158906_interior.jpg

They differed from the main build units by having red striping to the edge of the overhead luggage racks and a red fleck element to the seat moquette, rather than the usual Regional Railways blue.

The first interior photo on the page linked below looks to be a fairly dark photo of the standard Regional Railways version:
https://www.mattypsrailwaypics.com/class-158.html

Before the current refurbishment, Northern were operating a number of 158s that seemed little changed from new beyond the colour of the seat covers.

As for 153s, the closest I can find is this interior shot of a 155: I recall them being little changed post-conversion, and the photo illustrates the Ashbourne seating and standard grey and orange chevrons seat moquette that also featured on the class 156s:
https://picclick.co.uk/British-Rail...-Dmu-Class-155-123994242914.html#&gid=1&pid=1

Yes, there were / still are? Northern 158 units with no significant modifications to the interior beyond a seat fabric change and removal of the phone. I was certainly on one last autumn. This was the basically light grey type panneling offset with darker blue colour bits / strips. I suspect OP has been on one without knowing how original it was.

Basically this but with a different seat fabric / poss different carpet - as indeed seen in matty's pics link.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:158768_transpenninexpress_Standard_Class_Interior.JPG

EMR 158s were completely changed by EMT at a refurb.

sprinterguy · 9 Jan 2020

WesternLancer said:
EMR 158s were completely changed by EMT at a refurb.

Yeah the refurbishments undertaken by East Midlands Trains and Arriva Trains Wales on their 158s were transformative, and really improved the look and feel of the trains in my opinion. Northern continue to operate hotch-potch of different BR and early privatisation era seated units: I'm not sure if the plan to fit them all with new seats is still going forward.

Sprinter107 · 9 Jan 2020

The tables in the 153s had the thick orange band around the tables when they were first converted, retaining them from their 155 days. If I remember correctly the carpet was an orange and dark grey stripe I think too.

hexagon789 · 9 Jan 2020

I did see one of a ScotRail unit original first class, showing that they had proper dividing sections with a door rather than those stupid little signs and no actual division they later had. See if I can find it again

dubscottie · 9 Jan 2020

hexagon789 said:
I did see one of a ScotRail unit original first class, showing that they had proper dividing sections with a door rather than those stupid little signs and no actual division they later had. See if I can find it again

I have been looking for a pic also but its not the one with red seats! They were first fitted in 1994.

The original ScotRail first class used the same grey with blue/green check pattern as used in the Centro 150/323.

I still have one of the embroidered white cloths from the headrests somewhere.

Edit - Found this bute of a video on youtube! (No first class shot however)

Multiple shots of the original 158 interior.

WesternLancer · 10 Jan 2020

dubscottie said:
I have been looking for a pic also but its not the one with red seats! They were first fitted in 1994.

The original ScotRail first class used the same grey with blue/green check pattern as used in the Centro 150/323.

I still have one of the embroidered white cloths from the headrests somewhere.

Edit - Found this bute of a video on youtube! (No first class shot however)

Multiple shots of the original 158 interior.

That video is bloody brilliant, well doen for posting - wonder who was expected to watch it - staff or customers? And to think that was what replaced 4 to 6 coach loco hauled sets!

dubscottie · 10 Jan 2020

WesternLancer said:
That video is bloody brilliant, well doen for posting - wonder who was expected to watch it - staff or customers? And to think that was what replaced 4 to 6 coach loco hauled sets!

I love this bit of the forum as I like a challenge! Still cannot find a pic or vid of the original ScotRail first class though. I remember it well!

I think it was aimed at the English audience as there is no shots of first class which were a Scotland only thing at the time.

Station shots were taken in Glasgow QS and Perth and the passing shots on the Ladybank to Perth line.

156 interior and plastic hot drinks! -

Trainfan2019 · 10 Jan 2020

Thanks so much for the photos links and videos. Loved the promotional video for the 158s! They must have been seen as ultra modern back in the day. Hard to imagine catering trollies on 156s.

dubscottie · 10 Jan 2020

Trainfan2019 said:
Thanks so much for the photos links and videos. Loved the promotional video for the 158s! They must have been seen as ultra modern back in the day. Hard to imagine catering trollies on 156s.

It was the norm back then on some routes.

Bletchleyite · 10 Jan 2020

dubscottie said:
It was the norm back then on some routes.

You still see catering trolleys on 156s on the West Highland Line.

Sprinter107 · 10 Jan 2020

When Central trains ran the Nottingham to Cardiff route, we had catering trollied on class 150s many times.

Bletchleyite · 10 Jan 2020

Trainfan2019 said:
Thanks so much for the photos links and videos. Loved the promotional video for the 158s! They must have been seen as ultra modern back in the day.

Indeed, the livery is very "1990s modern" as well. They are very well-thought-through units, though I'd dispute the "more legroom than a Mk4" statement. Shame they weren't built with 8 bays instead of 9, then they would have been generous.

Is the Class 397 perhaps a sort-of modern equivalent?

hexagon789 · 10 Jan 2020

Trainfan2019 said:
Thanks so much for the photos links and videos. Loved the promotional video for the 158s! They must have been seen as ultra modern back in the day. Hard to imagine catering trollies on 156s.

They had catering trolleys on 150s back then as well. You still get them on some 156s and 158s depending on the operator

WesternLancer · 10 Jan 2020

dubscottie said:
I love this bit of the forum as I like a challenge! Still cannot find a pic or vid of the original ScotRail first class though. I remember it well!

I think it was aimed at the English audience as there is no shots of first class which were a Scotland only thing at the time.

Station shots were taken in Glasgow QS and Perth and the passing shots on the Ladybank to Perth line.

156 interior and plastic hot drinks! -

Great 156 video too.

I recall once going in a 158 declassified 1st class on the far north line if memory serves me correctly - but I can't recall much about the interior design.

159s had a 1st class area too I seem to recall. I think that was in situ when they moved a few units to EMT IIRC, before refurb.

61653 HTAFC · 10 Jan 2020

hexagon789 said:
They had catering trolleys on 150s back then as well. You still get them on some 156s and 158s depending on the operator

It wasn't unheard of for Pacers to run with a catering trolley if it was subbing for a sprinter!

Failed Unit · 10 Jan 2020

I used to enjoy riding on the 154.

however we had all the same debates about seat comfort when the 15x and mk4s came out. Maybe not as bad as the ironing boards but the certainly were not as comfortable as the 1st gen stock

likewise capacity. The 153s were absolutely hated (and still are). BR needed to take measures reduce demand by a combination of increasing ticket prices and adjusting timetables to break connections. (7 min connect was reduced to 6 to make sure it wasn’t valid).

the seats collapsed to make the very uncomfortable.

Trainfan2019 · 10 Jan 2020

I only see the trollies on the 158s these days. The 158 in the video looks less dark than the red interiors of the EMR 158s. Although 158s are comfy for me but the vestibule area seems really dim. Can't imagine these once having first class sections. The original blue interiors on the 158s looks smart.

hexagon789 · 10 Jan 2020

61653 HTAFC said:
It wasn't unheard of for Pacers to run with a catering trolley if it was subbing for a sprinter!

ScotRail ran a Travellers Fare trolley on a 303 on a morning Helensburgh-Airdrie commuter for a period in the mid-1980s, so a Pacer doesn't surprise me!

Revaulx · 10 Jan 2020

The 158s were a revelation when they first appeared. Just a shame that they were so bloody short.

Revaulx · 10 Jan 2020

Double post removed

hexagon789 · 10 Jan 2020

Revaulx said:
The 158s were a revelation when they first appeared. Just a shame that they were so bloody short.

Perhaps on some routes, but I wouldn't say replacing 100mph 6-car Mk3 trains with 2-car 90mph 158s was a revelation on ScotRail. Nevertheless they are, in my view, still one of the best DMUs.

Bletchleyite · 11 Jan 2020

hexagon789 said:
Perhaps on some routes, but I wouldn't say replacing 100mph 6-car Mk3 trains with 2-car 90mph 158s was a revelation on ScotRail. Nevertheless they are, in my view, still one of the best DMUs.

90 vs 100 was probably not significant, but indeed the main problem with them was that they are too short. Replacing 6-car Mk3 trains with 6-car 158 sets on a low speed line would be quite reasonable.

Failed Unit · 11 Jan 2020

hexagon789 said:
Perhaps on some routes, but I wouldn't say replacing 100mph 6-car Mk3 trains with 2-car 90mph 158s was a revelation on ScotRail. Nevertheless they are, in my view, still one of the best DMUs.

Edinburgh- Glasgow was 4 cars off-peak so was fine. Not sure if frequencies were increased on the other mainlines but surprisingly I don’t remember severe overcrowding. That said it was a long time ago so can’t remember if my Inverness - Edinburgh service was 2 cars or 4.

the loss of 10 mph made no difference. The main thing you notice when a 158 subbed a 170 was the increase in dwell time.

I suspect however capacity was soon an issue. The 158s didn’t last long before getting replaced by the 170s. Nearly 30 years later E&G is on 8 cars and twice as frequent and the other lines back on coaches.

hexagon789 · 11 Jan 2020

Bletchleyite said:
90 vs 100 was probably not significant, but indeed the main problem with them was that they are too short. Replacing 6-car Mk3 trains with 6-car 158 sets on a low speed line would be quite reasonable.

Granted, I've checked and the timings on the Edinburgh-Glasgow are identical in 1988 and 1990, so no changes there.

Failed Unit said:
Not sure if frequencies were increased on the other mainlines

Glasgow-Aberdeen went from two-hourly to hourly in 1990, Edinburgh-Aberdeen from 3 internal workings plus IC services to approximately hourly from 1991 iirc.

WesternLancer · 11 Jan 2020

I recall it was shock to the system when I used to go on the settle and carlisle with a 47 and about 4 coaches - granted not very full off peak - to 2 car 156s and 158s - 156s more often I think, in that early 1990s changeover period. I do find the 'super sprinters' generally fairly cramped. But of that sort 158 original layout was not bad.

Richard5608 · 20 Jun 2020

so the first class seats moqutte used by scotail in first class was the same as that used by the centro class 323s

hexagon789 · 20 Jun 2020

Richard5608 said:
so the first class seats moqutte used by scotail in first class was the same as that used by the centro class 323s

Seems like it but I've mis-remembered the colour

dubscottie · 20 Jun 2020

Richard5608 said:
so the first class seats moqutte used by scotail in first class was the same as that used by the centro class 323s

Yes until 1994. They got a red first class interior then followed by the National Express refurbishment.

Also in mid/late 1995, 2 units (715 was one of them) got new seat covers in second class. It was a mid blue fabric with little dark blue/red/ orange ScotRail swoosh logos all over if I remember correctly.

Class 158 153 original BR interiors

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