Northern 150/3

[507021]

Is 150/3 an official designation?

I don't think it is, considering the reformed units are numbered in the 150/0 series.

 

[SteveyBee131]

Is 150/3 an official designation?

I would guess not, as the Northern diagrams refer to the Neville Hill allocated 150s as 150/1 just the same as the other Newton Heath 150s, however only 150/2s are allocated to Neville Hill.

 

[greatvoyager]

I would guess not, as the Northern diagrams refer to the Neville Hill allocated 150s as 150/1 just the same as the other Newton Heath 150s, however only 150/2s are allocated to Neville Hill.

Fair enough.

 

[Llama]

No, just a way of Northern identifying the 'cut & shut' three car sets for diagramming purposes.

 

[Neptune]

150001 & 002 are also designated 150/3 officially.

 

[greatvoyager]

No, just a way of Northern identifying the 'cut & shut' three car sets for diagramming purposes.

150001 & 002 are also designated 150/3 officially.

Thank you for the info.

 

[peters]

Untidy choice I'd say picking 150147 and 150224 on the basis they both are North Western Trains refurbished units with Chapman seats. Seemingly one of the
units forming the 150/3's will have coaches either end with Ashbourne seats and a mid-coach with Chapmans.

I don't think that the passengers would be too worried about that so long as the 3 Cars help them better to get a seat

Sounds like a good idea to me. Those getting on the train first get a choice of seats so if they find they don't get on with one type they just need to move down to the next carriage to get a different type.

When I've travelled on Southern trains I've noticed there are trains which have 5 seats across in some carriages and 4 seats across in others and no-one seems to complain about it being inconsistent or untidy.

 

[CR165022]

Are the /2 coaches going to be painted in plain white or are they going to keep the blue at the front?

 

[M60lad]

Not to sure if I was seeing things but as I was on the bus home from work last night I'm sure I saw a 3 car 150 stabled up at the side of the new workshops at Newton Heath Depot fronting St Mary's Road and I'm sure it was labeled up as 150004.

 

[175001]

004 is ready

 

[superkev]

I wonder if the reformed units will stray away from the dedicated duties for the prototype sprinters 150 001 and 002.
K

 

[skyhigh]

I wonder if the reformed units will stray away from the dedicated duties for the prototype sprinters 150 001 and 002.
K

If you look at the diagrams they're all in one pool and all will just work the same routes.

 

[greatvoyager]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Those getting on the train first get a choice of seats so if they find they don't get on with one type they just need to move down to the next carriage to get a different type.

When I've travelled on Southern trains I've noticed there are trains which have 5 seats across in some carriages and 4 seats across in others and no-one seems to complain about it being inconsistent or untidy.

I tend to agree, getting a seat is all most passengers will be concerned with.

 

[ash39]

Are the /2 coaches going to be painted in plain white or are they going to keep the blue at the front?

There's a photo of 004 formed up at Newton Heath on Flickr and no, they've left the blue end on the now intermediate vehicle. Looks pretty terrible!

 

[507021]

There's a photo of 004 formed up at Newton Heath on Flickr and no, they've left the blue end on the now intermediate vehicle. Looks pretty terrible!

One can only hope the 150s won't be around too much longer anyway!

 

[DannyMich2018]

One can only hope the 150s won't be around too much longer anyway!

Sorry but the 150s will be around for at least 5 more years as there is no replacement on the horizon, same goes for Class 155, 156, 158 so most 150s will get 40 years service!!

 

[greatvoyager]

There's a photo of 004 formed up at Newton Heath on Flickr and no, they've left the blue end on the now intermediate vehicle. Looks pretty terrible!

I’ve seen the photo, looks a little strange.

 

[507021]

Sorry but the 150s will be around for at least 5 more years as there is no replacement on the horizon, same goes for Class 155, 156, 158 so most 150s will get 40 years service!!

I know, it was more wishful thinking on my part!

I'll be very happy if the 155s, 156s and 158s reach 40 years (and more) of service, though. Even though they're such a unique fleet, I'd imagine Angel Trains won't be very keen on disposing of the 155s any time soon considering the amount of money that's gone into them recently. I hope Northern have the foresight to get as many spares for them as they can when the redundant 153s start going for dismantling.

I’ve seen the photo, looks a little strange.

I agree, it looks dreadful. I can't understand why 150209 was given blue ends considering the likelihood of it being split into two centre cars again.

 

[O L Leigh]

No, just a way of Northern identifying the 'cut & shut' three car sets for diagramming purposes.

That's fair enough, but I would imagine that it is a little different from a traincrew competence position. Each sub-class is different and I'm given to understand that each one is listed separately on traincrew traction cards. I certainly recall GWR drivers at Gloucester complaining about this, especially with regard to 001 and 002.

 

[Llama]

No, class 150 is just shown as one entry on traction cards and TDLCR certificates here, whether it's 150/0 or /1 or /2.

Ex - ATN crew needed a written brief on 150/1s when ex-FNW units started to be used on diagrams that incorporated visits to ex-ATN land from late 2005, as ex-ATN crews had not worked 150/1s for a decade or so. Ex-FNW crews were already familiar with both 150/1 and 150/2 from the time they were introduced in the mid-'80s.

When the 150/0s 150001 & 150002 appeared up here last year the crews who would be diagrammed to work them needed a written brief on the differences (physical, electrical, air system etc).

If you are competent on class 150/1 and 150/2s then having a 3-car set simply formed of /1 and /2s by rights shouldn't require briefing. The only likely briefing requirement would be if any operational/safety equipment is isolated or removed from the buried /2 vehicle or changed. I'm aware there have been some bits removed/changed on the intermediate /2 vehicles for these recent 3-car sets being made up so I imagine there will be a basic brief posted in notice cases for crews when the time comes for them to enter service.

 

[43096]

Even though they're such a unique fleet, I'd imagine Angel Trains won't be very keen on disposing of the 155s any time soon considering the amount of money that's gone into them recently.

I would think Angel would be totally disinterested in the future of the 155 fleet.....


.....because the 155s are Porterbrook owned.

 

[507021]

I would think Angel would be totally disinterested in the future of the 155 fleet.....


.....because the 155s are Porterbrook owned.

Good point, more tea required I think!

 

[O L Leigh]

No, class 150 is just shown as one entry on traction cards and TDLCR certificates here, whether it's 150/0 or /1 or /2.

Fair enough. I guess Northern are doing things a bit differently to GWR, who I am told kept them separate on the traction card as a way of tracking who had had the brief and who hadn’t.

Going from what I’d heard down in Wessex territory I wasn’t expecting any issues with the /1s or /2s or any hybrids made up from such units, but more with the /0s which are not quite the same. Putting them all together into one sub-class might have caused issues in the event of a member of traincrew who hadn’t had the brief suddenly encountering a unit they were not familiar with.

 

[greatvoyager]

I agree, it looks dreadful. I can't understand why 150209 was given blue ends considering the likelihood of it being split into two centre cars again.

I did wonder that, but at the time it probably made sense just to paint them all the same.

 

[507021]

I did wonder that, but at the time it probably made sense just to paint them all the same.

I would say so, particularly as the plan for three car 150s seemed to be on/off/on/off as much as the kettle in my kitchen.

 

[greatvoyager]

I would say so, particularly as the plan for three car 150s seemed to be on/off/on/off as much as the kettle in my kitchen.

I’m glad the 3-car sets are now coming to fruition, hopefully will be useful.

 

[507021]

I’m glad the 3-car sets are now coming to fruition, hopefully will be useful.

The original plan was for eighteen originally, the two 150/0s and sixteen reformed units.

I agree it's nice to finally see the plan being put into action, even if it's on a much reduced scale.

 

[greatvoyager]

The original plan was for eighteen originally, the two 150/0s and sixteen reformed units.

I agree it's nice to finally see the plan being put into action, even if it's on a much reduced scale.

Is there a reason for the reduction?

 

[507021]

Is there a reason for the reduction?

Yes, the original plan was to use them on the east side of the Pennines on a larger number of routes, but this idea was binned. The fleet plan that's been implemented is very different from "Plan A", in fact there's been that many changes to it we must be on something like Plan P or Q by now.

As we know, the idea has now been revived to boost capacity on the west side, but on less routes so less units (six units for six diagrams) are required.

 

[CR165022]

There's a photo of 004 formed up at Newton Heath on Flickr and no, they've left the blue end on the now intermediate vehicle. Looks pretty terrible!

Ah right
Do you have the link to the photo?