Long Distance Single Class 153 Working

[swt_passenger]

Just thinking about the few GWR services to/from Southampton that are not part of the Portsmouth/Cardiff cycle. Up until about 3 or 4 years ago they were often 153s, didn’t one or two run as far as Gloucester or Great Malvern?

 

[Sprinter107]

Just thinking about the few GWR services to/from Southampton that are not part of the Portsmouth/Cardiff cycle. Up until about 3 or 4 years ago they were often 153s, didn’t one or two run as far as Gloucester or Great Malvern?

There was an afternoon train from Great Malvern down towards that way that was booked a 153 for a time.

 

[D6130]

I'm aware of a single 153 turning up on a Leeds-Carlisle working at least once.

Some 153s have turned up on Sheffield-Scarborough services, however as far as I can tell they've always been paired (with a classmate or another unit) so probably don't count.

I did my 153 practical handling training on a single unit between York and Scarborough about 25 years ago. Never managed to get it going faster than 68 mph and took miles to reach that speed. Rice pudding skins come to mind! The only time I ever managed to get 75 out of them was when coupled to a 158 between Skipton and Leeds and - once - when coupled to a 142 between Carnforth and Lancaster.

 

[Hadders]

There was an afternoon train from Great Malvern down towards that way that was booked a 153 for a time.

Wasn't there a Brighton to Great Malvern service that was a single 153?

 

[PHILIPE]

Wasn't there a Brighton to Great Malvern service that was a single 153?

Definitely not. 153s can't go beyond Southampton

 

[NoMorePacers]

I did my 153 practical handling training on a single unit between York and Scarborough about 25 years ago. Never managed to get it going faster than 68 mph and took miles to reach that speed. Rice pudding skins come to mind! The only time I ever managed to get 75 out of them was when coupled to a 158 between Skipton and Leeds and - once - when coupled to a 142 between Carnforth and Lancaster.

Earning their nickname of Tin Rockets then.

 

[Arthurfical]

Definitely not. 153s can't go beyond Southampton

I don't believe so, they're put a 150 on it before however all the way to Cardiff.

 

[Sprinter107]

Wasn't there a Brighton to Great Malvern service that was a single 153?

No, i don't think so. It was usually booked for a 150 or 158. However, it did throw a 153 occasionally, but as far as I know, it didn't go all the way to Brighton. I dont think they were allowed past Southampton, but I'll stand corrected on that.

 

[PHILIPE]

No, i don't think so. It was usually booked for a 150 or 158. However, it did throw a 153 occasionally, but as far as I know, it didn't go all the way to Brighton. I dont think they were allowed past Southampton, but I'll stand corrected on that.

I've already answered that in Post #35. They have never been booked for a 150 although they have worked on numerous occasions but only substituting for a 158. They are now booked for 158s and 166s.

 

[Sprinter107]

I've already answered that in Post #35. They have never been booked for a 150 although they have worked on numerous occasions but only substituting for a 158. They are now booked for 158s and 166s.

They were regularly worked by 150s. We were booked to travel on em.

 

[Whistler40145]

I'm surprised that single 153s are permitted on the mainline without PRM mods

 

[PHILIPE]

I'm surprised that single 153s are permitted on the mainline without PRM mods

They are not, but strictly untrue. Northern. TFW and EMR have 153s and although TfW have a number which are PRM those that are not can run so long as they are attached to a PRM unit..

 

[swt_passenger]

I'm surprised that single 153s are permitted on the mainline without PRM mods

Well yes, but this thread was asking about historic usage, based on post #1’s examples...

 

[D6130]

They are not, but strictly untrue. Northern. TFW and EMR have 153s and although TfW have a number which are PRM those that are not can run so long as they are attached to a PRM unit..

Not forgetting the ScotRail ones, which are being converted into self-propelled bike racks!

 

[BoroAndy]

I'm aware of a single 153 turning up on a Leeds-Carlisle working at least once.

Some 153s have turned up on Sheffield-Scarborough services, however as far as I can tell they've always been paired (with a classmate or another unit) so probably don't count.

Hull to Scarborough used to have a 153 as a 3rd car on a Saturday morning service going north in summer. Would be uncoupled at Scarborough. Then return south as a 3rd car maybe about 16.30. As near as the service ever got to 3 cars until the 170s arrived.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Hull to Scarborough used to have a 153 as a 3rd car on a Saturday morning service going north in summer. Would be uncoupled at Scarborough. Then return south as a 3rd car maybe about 16.30. As near as the service ever got to 3 cars until the 170s arrived.

Yeah I remember those - there was also at one point a pair booked to run up the line by themselves on Sundays.

 

[PHILIPE]

Hull to Scarborough used to have a 153 as a 3rd car on a Saturday morning service going north in summer. Would be uncoupled at Scarborough. Then return south as a 3rd car maybe about 16.30. As near as the service ever got to 3 cars until the 170s arrived.

The OP was asking about single 153s. Coupled ones are or were commonplace

 

[ashkeba]

. Due to a failure of the 158 one day, the 153 worked singly from Milford Haven to Penzance.

300 miles in a dogbox! Or not quite because of reversals?

 

[SeanG]

To this day I think the route is partially covered by "North West" or as it is these days "Northern - West" crews and units from Carlisle (until North West and North East were joined together with the advert of Northern, historically Newton Heath units though I suppose nowadays they're probably from Heaton).

I believe the booked traction is 156 but until a few years ago 142s would occasionally sub.

Not sure which of the messages on this tangent to reply to, but the Windermere branch was worked at one point by Heaton 143s with Carlisle crews.

Back to the dog boxes...
In 2013 I did Cardiff to Fishguard on a single 153 via Swansea District - the return was rather cosy

 

[Kite159]

Weymouth via Yeovil Pen Mill services? Maybe during winter months when loadings were low.

IIRC there was an early morning Westbury - Weymouth which was a single 153 to attach to another unit at Weymouth for the return

 

[LowLevel]

Another 80 plus miler was the 0550 Nottingham to Skegness which some summers in the last few years has been booked a 153 to allow another train to be strengthened, on arrival at Nottingham returning a 156 was added to form the 1045 departure. It was a nightmare - a popular shoppers train from Grantham and you had to resort to things like giving out free tea vouchers for the trolley to get people to catch the Liverpool train 15 minutes behind to leave room for Bottesford and Bingham passengers.

 

[DannyMich2018]

Back in Central Trains days often a single 153 would work Coventry-Lincoln/Grimsby service. This was via a reversal at Nuneaton before the track layout was altered and platform 6 and 7 added. Up until two or 3 years ago have seen pairs of 153 on the Leicester-Lincoln service but not for a while, believe due to non PRM they can only be used on certain routes- tends to be 156 or 158s now.

 

[Steve Harris]

Earning their nickname of Tin Rockets then.

Down my way they were always called "scuds" (you never knew where they would end up).

 

[PHILIPE]

Down my way they were always called "scuds" (you never knew where they would end up).

We call them Dog Boxes

 

[D6130]

We call them Dog Boxes

At Skipton we called them "Doodlebugs", because you'd be tramming along quite nicely at their maximum speed of about 60 mph (if you were lucky!).....and then suddenly the engine would cut out without warning. Cue locking the toilet out of use and hoping there would be enough water left in the tank to pump into the engine cooling system and get you home.

 

[Sprinter107]

At Skipton we called them "Doodlebugs", because you'd be tramming along quite nicely at their maximum speed of about 60 mph (if you were lucky!).....and then suddenly the engine would cut out without warning. Cue locking the toilet out of use and hoping there would be enough water left in the tank to pump into the engine cooling system and get you home.

Yes, i had that happen too a couple of times. Had to resort to the plunger and empty the tank.

 

[TEW]

Just thinking about the few GWR services to/from Southampton that are not part of the Portsmouth/Cardiff cycle. Up until about 3 or 4 years ago they were often 153s, didn’t one or two run as far as Gloucester or Great Malvern?

The service from Southampton Central around 1200 was booked a single 153 for many years, ran to Great Malvern via Bristol Temple Meads and then returned back to Southampton Central via Swindon and Melksham for a while.

 

[Sprinter107]

The service from Southampton Central around 1200 was booked a single 153 for many years, ran to Great Malvern via Bristol Temple Meads and then returned back to Southampton Central via Swindon and Melksham for a while.

Always caused a few raised eyebrows at Worcester that one. Those not familiar with it heard the Southampton announcement, and expected an express type train, then in rolls 1 carriage.

 

[Bayum]

It wasn’t diagrammed but the short lived Arriva Trains Northern service between Leeds and Glasgow Central via the S&C produced a 158+153 combo on one occasion, which I believe is the only occasion that a Leyland Super Sprinter has operated north of the border.

I’m sorry, Leeds to where!? How often did that actually manage to run the full route?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

I’m sorry, Leeds to where!? How often did that actually manage to run the full route?

It was a once daily service in each direction via the S&C, calling at Shipley, Keighley, Skipton, Settle, Appleby and Carlisle only, then up the WCML via Carstairs. Basically an ORCATS raid on Virgin, I imagine it was an operational headache due to the crew route knowledge required. Think at the time it was the only S&C service not diagrammed to a 156 and I imagine (although guessing) that 90mph capability was required to keep time north of Carlisle, so I expect when it produced a 153 it ran rather late. Only lasted a few years so I guess it was deemed unsuccessful. It ran at a good time of day for leisure travel / walkers provided you were headed to one of the principle shacks it actually called at!