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5x Class 153 conversion to bike and baggage vans for Scotrail

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dubscottie

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That's correct, no 156 centre cars, but they were designed to run with driving cars split and added onto other sets to run as 3-car units of necessary and without (AFAIK) the need for any modifications as with 158s.

The 156s need a gangway conversion plate to run as 3 car units. I believe that the inner unit gangway is slightly smaller than the cab end gangway. The last time I saw one fitted was on a 156 in Liverpool many years ago (about 2005). You can tell if they still have them as it looks like there is a thin sheet of metal sticking out from the top of the inner gangways.

Not sure about the other 15X units.
 
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hexagon789

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The 156s need a gangway conversion plate to run as 3 car units. I believe that the inner unit gangway is slightly smaller than the cab end gangway. The last time I saw one fitted was on a 156 in Liverpool many years ago (about 2005). You can tell if they still have them as it looks like there is a thin sheet of metal sticking out from the top of the inner gangways.

Not sure about the other 15X units.

Same as 158s then; though as the 153s are getting tacked on the ends thankfully that won't be an issue.
 

scotraildriver

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The 156s need a gangway conversion plate to run as 3 car units. I believe that the inner unit gangway is slightly smaller than the cab end gangway. The last time I saw one fitted was on a 156 in Liverpool many years ago (about 2005). You can tell if they still have them as it looks like there is a thin sheet of metal sticking out from the top of the inner gangways.

Not sure about the other 15X units.


Class 156s do mot need a conversion plate. Only class 158s need one.156s could couple directly to the inner end of a vehicle. It can't be done now though as the inner ends have bar couplers now.
 

themiller

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If the 153s are coupled onto the ends of 156s, will there be enough room for fitting RETB equipment (especially in the small cabs)?
 

supervc-10

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Class 156s do mot need a conversion plate. Only class 158s need one.156s could couple directly to the inner end of a vehicle. It can't be done now though as the inner ends have bar couplers now.

That could presumably be converted back though to BSI couplers?

IIRC the inner gangways on the 158s are wider than the end ones hence the conversion plate, as the end gangways were designed to marry up to the existing sprinter fleets.
 

GrimShady

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153s are no improvement on 156s... quite the opposite in fact!

Yes I'm well aware of that. The point is Sprinters have never been and will never be suitable. The 153 addition is merely correcting issues the trains have always had since 1989.

Time to get rid of the lot.
 
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hexagon789

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Class 156s do mot need a conversion plate. Only class 158s need one.156s could couple directly to the inner end of a vehicle. It can't be done now though as the inner ends have bar couplers now.

Which explains why they've been put into and spilt out of 3-car formations in short periods.

If the 153s are coupled onto the ends of 156s, will there be enough room for fitting RETB equipment (especially in the small cabs)?

Would imagine so, there's probably the space somewhere as I think some 153s have had RETB in the past anyway.
 

380101

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What's the planned introduction date now?

They're planning on them being ready for the 2020 May timetable change. Progress on them looks to be slow at Brodies with 3 of them sat in the yard semi stripped and they've been like that for a few months now.
 

Highlandspring

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The latest ScotRail ‘The Platform’ survey email is right up the street of this forum as it’s asking you to rate what you think of possible liveries for the 153s and suggest your own...

8A0E4BC0-3725-4A6F-9316-8BC904A74945.jpeg 01FE373A-32FD-4E48-994B-D0E34408AEFE.jpeg
 

marks87

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Assigning 1-3 to the left image and 4-6 to the right...

It had to be 1 for me.

2 and 4 give me a headache with the repeated bike wheels, 3 looks like a cheesy callout advertising a special offer in a 70s/80s/90s shopping catalogue, and 5 and 6 break the Saltire look (6 less so, but if the red ever found itself next to the blue of a 156 it would just look odd).
 

RLBH

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Assigning 1-3 to the left image and 4-6 to the right...

It had to be 1 for me.

2 and 4 give me a headache with the repeated bike wheels, 3 looks like a cheesy callout advertising a special offer in a 70s/80s/90s shopping catalogue, and 5 and 6 break the Saltire look (6 less so, but if the red ever found itself next to the blue of a 156 it would just look odd).
Largely agreed - though the mural looks awful, and I'd like to see versions of 1, 4 and maybe 6 without it. The idea behind 6 is good - a contrasting colour to make the van space easily identified - but more careful treatment is needed to avoid the issue you identify.
 

takno

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The latest ScotRail ‘The Platform’ survey email is right up the street of this forum as it’s asking you to rate what you think of possible liveries for the 153s and suggest your own...

View attachment 66938 View attachment 66939
Yup, none of those. If they're going to stick a nasty wrap all over it, they may as well make it an advert and get some money for it. What's wrong with just having a nice normal livery?
 

ExRes

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Although I normally don't give a fig for one livery over another, would 6 not be the most appropriate but with green rather than red? surely cycling and green and readily identifiable together as environmentally friendly and green with the cycle overlay would be instantly recognisable to waiting passengers when the train arrives
 
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I’ll go number 4, the because the murals are confined to the centre of the unit and will match the 156s no problem.
 

Highlandspring

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I told them that my favourite was the one with Loch Awe viaduct, single bike and blue ends (number 1 according to the convention on this thread), that I prefer the single bike motif and I don’t like the red or the all over picture.

Incidentally I don’t know if they’re still letting folk sign up for ‘The Platform’ but it is worth looking at if they are because they do some interesting surveys like this one from time to time.
 

David M

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They need to be seen in context i.e. paired to a normal liveried 156. I would opt for number 5 but it might look dreadful when coupled to a normal unit.
 

delt1c

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For me standard Scotrail livery , with image of a bike at the luggage end and a red stripe and words Buffet at the Buffet end. Keep it simple and in line with the rest ofn the train, why do we have to have a hotch potch mixtures of liveries on 1 train
 

43096

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For me standard Scotrail livery , with image of a bike at the luggage end and a red stripe and words Buffet at the Buffet end. Keep it simple and in line with the rest ofn the train, why do we have to have a hotch potch mixtures of liveries on 1 train
Is the right answer.
 

takno

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For me standard Scotrail livery , with image of a bike at the luggage end and a red stripe and words Buffet at the Buffet end. Keep it simple and in line with the rest ofn the train, why do we have to have a hotch potch mixtures of liveries on 1 train
Agreed. I don't even mind the bike being full height like the ones in the pictures, I just don't get why they'd want to turn it into some kind of weird art project
 
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