Class 158/159 recovery following Salisbury collision

[trebor79]

Class 158 do not crash well. What might seem limited damage will be very difficult to repair.

Interesting. Why is that?

 

[Tynwald]

Alluminium bodyshells are very difficult to repair. Heat distortion during welding is a massive problem.

 

[43096]

Alluminium bodyshells are very difficult to repair. Heat distortion during welding is a massive problem.

One vehicle lost from damage in 30 years until Salisbury suggests it hasn't been a huge issue.

 

[Efini92]

Class 158 do not crash well. What might seem limited damage will be very difficult to repair.

I don’t think they’ve fared that badly. Prior to this accident I can’t recall any that have been written off.
All the ones I can think of that have hit trees/bridges and other trains have all returned to traffic.

 

[fgwrich]

One vehicle lost from damage in 30 years until Salisbury suggests it hasn't been a huge issue.

I don’t think they’ve fared that badly. Prior to this accident I can’t recall any that have been written off.
All the ones I can think of that have hit trees/bridges and other trains have all returned to traffic.

Indeed, I recall one of the spare bodies at Derby was used to replace the damaged one. Which incident was that by the way, the one where the 158 met the 47 or Newton Abbot and the HST?

 

[43096]

I don’t think they’ve fared that badly. Prior to this accident I can’t recall any that have been written off.
All the ones I can think of that have hit trees/bridges and other trains have all returned to traffic.

52861 from 158861 was written off when almost new when it was hit by a runaway 47 near Hazel Grove:

The vehicle was replaced using a spare bodyshell and was given the same number.

 

[northernbelle]

One vehicle lost from damage in 30 years until Salisbury suggests it hasn't been a huge issue.

The original point was that the bodyshells are difficult to repair, not that they haven't needed to be.

 

[Efini92]

52861 from 158861 was written off when almost new when it was hit by a runaway 47 near Hazel Grove:

The vehicle was replaced using a spare bodyshell and was given the same number.

Great video, I hadn’t heard about that one. Good job hazel grove wasn’t wired back then.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Great video, I hadn’t heard about that one. Good job hazel grove wasn’t wired back then.

It actually was, that 158 was working a passenger service too at the time this occurred.

158861

Regional Railways Norwich Crown Point allocated Class 158 dmu 158 158861 stands in the siding at Hazel Grove, after being involved in a collision with runaway class 47 locomotive 47343 at Hazel Grove 7 days earlier on the 18th June. 25th June 1992

www.flickr.com

 

[Wyrleybart]

That wont be forever though, so I can see them needing a 3 car unit of sorts. GWR will remain stretched unless they can sort out the HST reliability, and hurry the 769 program up to release a Turbo replacement.

The truth though is that none of us know the future shape of the railway timetables. Much of the covid travel restrictions are lifted from Thursday and people are being encouraged to return to their places of work instead of WFH. Despite that, many of the swingeing cuts to services are still in place for another month at least, and we don't after that. We are told the Treasury is running the industry now and is expecting huge savings from the passenger TOCs. Four and five hpur breaks in service provision at stations might be the future in order for Rishi Sunak to balance the exchequer.

I wouldn't predict anything in terms of railway investment apart from maybe HS2 and it's rolling stock. An indicator is that WMR are storing brand new 196s at Bletchley at the moment, but are reputed planning to lease some to EWR from 2025. Based on the fact there is no money on the table for electrification, those 196s will probably not see at least their first ten years of service with WMR

Would Porterbrook want to spend a signiificant amount of money on rebuilding a 30 year old DMU ?

 

[43096]

Would Porterbrook want to spend a signiificant amount of money on rebuilding a 30 year old DMU ?

It would be the insurers paying; presumably the insurers of either SWR or Network Rail.

 

[D365]

An indicator is that WMR are storing brand new 196s at Bletchley at the moment, but are reputed planning to lease some to EWR from 2025.

They’re being stored due to the fact that they cannot enter service in their current state…

 

[DanNCL]

A train being “written off” doesn’t automatically mean it won’t return to service. 156478 was “written off” but was repaired (I think by Brodies Kilmarnock?) and leased back to ScotRail

 

[Neptune]

A train being “written off” doesn’t automatically mean it won’t return to service. 156478 was “written off” but was repaired (I think by Brodies Kilmarnock?) and leased back to ScotRail

That was flood damage rather than catastrophic collision damage.

 

[47444]

158763 was written off virtually immediately after removal to Long Marston, according to GWR insiders posting in another forum in early November.

Is 159102 at Long Marston too?

 

[158747]

159102 is also at Long Marston.

 

[47444]

159102 is also at Long Marston.

Thanks

 

[Towers]

159102 is also at Long Marston.

Opportunity to open an SWR rolling stock museum?!

 

[northernbelle]

The truth though is that none of us know the future shape of the railway timetables. Much of the covid travel restrictions are lifted from Thursday and people are being encouraged to return to their places of work instead of WFH. Despite that, many of the swingeing cuts to services are still in place for another month at least, and we don't after that. We are told the Treasury is running the industry now and is expecting huge savings from the passenger TOCs. Four and five hpur breaks in service provision at stations might be the future in order for Rishi Sunak to balance the exchequer.

I wouldn't predict anything in terms of railway investment apart from maybe HS2 and it's rolling stock. An indicator is that WMR are storing brand new 196s at Bletchley at the moment, but are reputed planning to lease some to EWR from 2025. Based on the fact there is no money on the table for electrification, those 196s will probably not see at least their first ten years of service with WMR

Would Porterbrook want to spend a signiificant amount of money on rebuilding a 30 year old DMU ?

I'd be curious to compare the cost of a further 2+4 HST conversion with the repair of 158763 (assuming the later is even technically feasible).

Given the reduced timetable requirement, I can't see there being the need for a replacement - even with additional services planned for May 2022.

 

[D365]

Opportunity to open an SWR rolling stock museum?!

What other SWR stock is at Long Marston?

 

[fgwrich]

What other SWR stock is at Long Marston?

Junipers, 455 and 456.

 

[43096]

Junipers, 455 and 456.

Although the 458s there are not SWR stock as they’re off lease.

 

[Towers]

Although the 458s there are not SWR stock as they’re off lease.

You mean the 456s? Or are the Junipers temporarily between leases while they're refurbished?

 

[XAM2175]

You mean the 456s? Or are the Junipers temporarily between leases while they're refurbished?

A few of the 458s aren't being refurbished, so they're off-lease in the traditional manner.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

You mean the 456s? Or are the Junipers temporarily between leases while they're refurbished?

458507/517 currently off-lease prior to refurbishment at Widnes and redeployment on mainline routes.

458534 is off-lease for good but I believe it’s still at Wimbledon.

A few of the 458s aren't being refurbished, so they're off-lease in the traditional manner.

I believe all at Long Marston currently are planned to be refurbished.

 

[XAM2175]

I believe all at Long Marston currently are planned to be refurbished.

Ah, I'd lost track of where they were moving them.

 

[43096]

Ah, I'd lost track of where they were moving them.

The plan seems to be Wimbledon > Long Marston (remove 5th car) > Widnes > Bournemouth.

 

[Bigfoot]

A few of the 458s aren't being refurbished, so they're off-lease in the traditional manner.

Bar one in Clapham that is quiet broken, the units intended to not be refurbished are all still in service.

Although this is all rather off topic

 

[43096]

Bar one in Clapham that is quiet broken, the units intended to not be refurbished are all still in service.

Although this is all rather off topic

Nope. 458534 is stopped as above and 458535 is the demic one in Clapham Yard.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Bar one in Clapham that is quiet broken, the units intended to not be refurbished are all still in service.

Although this is all rather off topic

That’s actually incorrect, as 458535 is the one broken at Clapham whereas 458534 has been withdrawn officially.

Can I ask what is leading people to think that the loss of one of the thirty 159s will be so badly felt? I genuinely doubt it will cause a problem.