The Terror of Class 153 Rail Travel

[Trainfan2019]

It seems the holiday-makers of Skegness aren't too bothered about travelling in 153s. The last time I visited Skeg back in July last year, travelling back towards Grantham on a service comprised of a 153, 156 and 158 (making a 5-car train), most passengers chose to sit in the 153 and front carriage of the 156, leaving the 158 at the rear almost empty. You can guess where I chose to sit on that journey

I would have loved to have seen that combination, great photo opportunity. It's amazing how many passengers don't bother with the rear carriages or the front carriages depending on how long the train is.

 

[NoMorePacers]

I would have loved to have seen that combination, great photo opportunity. It's amazing how many passengers don't bother with the rear carriages or the front carriages depending on how long the train is.

Good way of finding a coach to yourself if the train's long enough.

 

[vlad]

I'd rather have a seat on a 153 than no seat at all on the Crewe to Derby route.

From personal experience if you don't turn up at Derby when the train arrives (20 minutes before it heads back west) then you won't get a seat.

Things are different in Crewe as the LNR train which leaves a few minutes earlier takes most of the passengers for stations to Stoke (except Longport) so it tends not to be as crowded.

 

[6Gman]

A bit harsh describing the guard as stupid because they were trying to get as many passengers on as they could, so as to get them to their destination, as especially of the service isnt very frequent. While it isnt the fault of the passenger a 153 has been diagrammed on a service that is not suitable, it's not the fault of the train crew either.

And it's not the "fault" of the 153 either. Let's face it - when they were "created" (and I was critical of it at the time) they allowed modern trains to be provided where they wouldn't otherwise have been seen. And even now they are really, really useful to provide extra capacity.

And the refurbished TfW examples are rather nice !

 

[Rick1984]

To be honest the toilet doesn't look like it takes up too much space. Just the luggage rack and parcel area gone

Image from railmagazine.com

 

[Anonymous10]

To be honest the toilet doesn't look like it takes up too much space. Just the luggage rack and parcel area gone

Image from railmagazine.com

Good quality refurbs I'll be sad to see them leave

 

[trebor79]

Good quality refurbs I'll be sad to see them leave

They'll still be noisy, cold in winter, stuffy in summer, cramped and stink of exhaust fumes.
Certainly don't miss them from Anglia. The 755s are an astonishing improvement and really show the 15x (and 153 in particular) up as tired old rubbish that is well past its sell by date.
Oh and a 75mph top speed is inadequate on today's railway.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Oh and a 75mph top speed is inadequate on today's railway.

Tell that to the 710s!

 

[Sprinter107]

Tell that to the 710s!

And the 230s

 

[sw1ller]

75mph isn’t an inadequate speed, the time it takes a 153 to get there is though!

 

[Jozhua]

I know I'm late but where I am I dream of getting the 158 it's a rare treat and one I love

When I used to commute on a 153/6 dominated route, I found the 158's a rare treat too!

EMR devises the perfect solution to replace a 153..

View attachment 75070 (photo copyright railcam)

Hahha, I bet the acceleration on that thing is insane!

And the 230s

We've already summed up that the 60mph top speed of the 230's is woefully inadequate. We've said it straight to their face

That's if it even gets to 60mph without setting on fire lol.

 

[Trainfan2019]

To be honest the toilet doesn't look like it takes up too much space. Just the luggage rack and parcel area gone

Image from railmagazine.com

Looks very nice but still has that 'old' feeling to it just like unrefurbished EMR carriages.

 

[Anonymous10]

They'll still be noisy, cold in winter, stuffy in summer, cramped and stink of exhaust fumes.
Certainly don't miss them from Anglia. The 755s are an astonishing improvement and really show the 15x (and 153 in particular) up as tired old rubbish that is well past its sell by date.
Oh and a 75mph top speed is inadequate on today's railway.

On the Welsh routes they are fine my branch still is a 75 mph route and won't go up

 

[ed1971]

They'll still be noisy, cold in winter, stuffy in summer, cramped and stink of exhaust fumes.
Certainly don't miss them from Anglia. The 755s are an astonishing improvement and really show the 15x (and 153 in particular) up as tired old rubbish that is well past its sell by date.
Oh and a 75mph top speed is inadequate on today's railway.

It would be an improvement if the more modern and quieter Cummins LT10R engines from Pacers could have been fitted to these refurbished 153s. Although only rated at 225bhp on Pacers, the L10 was rated at 290bhp on Leyland buses, (which is more than the 285bhp of the 153s Cummins NTA855R).

 

[Redmike]

Two 153s were on the Liverpool to Norwich service yesterday coupled to a 158.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Two 153s were on the Liverpool to Norwich service yesterday coupled to a 158.

Has been a regular occurrence since the New Year.

 

[hooverboy]

It would be an improvement if the more modern and quieter Cummins LT10R engines from Pacers could have been fitted to these refurbished 153s. Although only rated at 225bhp on Pacers, the L10 was rated at 290bhp on Leyland buses, (which is more than the 285bhp of the 153s Cummins NTA855R).

would be even more fun if they could squeeze in a spare 350hp cummins/perkins from the 158's(or better still the present Turbostar MTU power plants going spare once porterbrook start trialling the new hybrid power packs they are getting!)
those are pretty efficient fuel-wise,so a derated one to 350bhp should be very economical to run.more so than NT855.

acceleration would not be at all sluggish!

what's the 153's driveshaft and torque convertors maximum rating? could they handle 350BHP
could they be cleared for 90mph running instead of 75?

 

[youngiecj]

It seems the holiday-makers of Skegness aren't too bothered about travelling in 153s. The last time I visited Skeg back in July last year, travelling back towards Grantham on a service comprised of a 153, 156 and 158 (making a 5-car train), most passengers chose to sit in the 153 and front carriage of the 156, leaving the 158 at the rear almost empty. You can guess where I chose to sit on that journey

My favourite train working a Skegness service used to be 4 x 153 together. Plenty of luggage space and Toilets for the families!

 

[Fisherman80]

Love them or hate them,the 153 has been a good train. I think it's time to start thinking about a replacement single car unit though.

 

[dk1]

Love them or hate them,the 153 has been a good train. I think it's time to start thinking about a replacement single car unit though.

Time to think about another single car??? Whatever for? There is little place for them on today's busy rail network. We shouldn't go making that mistake again ever.

 

[Fisherman80]

Time to think about another single car??? Whatever for? There is little place for them on today's busy rail network. We shouldn't go making that mistake again ever.

So you dont think we need them for strengthening existing services or on lines that are quiet during the winter months?

 

[dk1]

So you dont think we need them for strengthening existing services or on lines that are quiet during the winter months?

Definitely not. Just use a 2-car unit and maintain full operational convenience.

 

[Fisherman80]

Definitely not. Just use a 2-car unit and maintain full operational convenience.

Take the Cumbrian Coast line,especially north of Barrow in Furness. At present the only class to operate that section of railway is the 156. At times a 2 car unit is not enough capacity,and a 4 car is too much capacity. So having a 153 attached to a 156 makes more sense.
The same could be said about the Settle to Carlisle railway. Fair enough Northern do run 3 car 158s over that route,but having the ability to run a 2 car 158 with a 153 adds more flexibility to to how services are run.

 

[Ashley Hill]

My favourite train working a Skegness service used to be 4 x 153 together. Plenty of luggage space and Toilets for the families!

In Wessex days we had a Three to the Sea working which IIRC was Bristol-Paignton-Cardiff. On the last day of that diagram it was arranged for it to run with 3 153 livery varieties.

Love them or hate them,the 153 has been a good train. I think it's time to start thinking about a replacement single car unit though.

They could be the modern equivalent of slip coaches

 

[Anonymous10]

Definitely not. Just use a 2-car unit and maintain full operational convenience.

I think a one car train (replacement to the 153) should be developed yes our railways are busy but there is routes they could be used Pembroke Dock branch and heart of Wales as well as the Cardiff bay branch are all routes which would be suited in the winter I have seen one car trains with only 4 people on at times

 

[Fisherman80]

I think a one car train (replacement to the 153) should be developed yes our railways are busy but there is routes they could be used Pembroke Dock branch and heart of Wales as well as the Cardiff bay branch are all routes which would be suited in the winter I have seen one car trains with only 4 people on at times

That's my point,primarily to add services that need extra capacity,or running as a single unit during quieter times.

 

[dk1]

Trouble is it never works like that. The 153s when converted from 155s in the early 1990s where expected to work on very quiet routes and on others to strengthen at peak times. Within months they where running around at all times often with chronic overcrowding. Following privatisation there was no chance TOCs where having these units sitting idle as needed to earn their keep to cover leasing charges. They have been dreaded by passengers and my work colleagues ever since and c
I cannot tell you what a different world it is with a minimum of 3 vehicles now on any local service we operate.

Add to this all the DDA requirements required these days and the gradual seating reduction in each vehicle and there cannot be any justification for anything less than a 2-car.

 

[Momo and diggy]

Two 153s were on the Liverpool to Norwich service yesterday coupled to a 158.

The 153s are sometimes coupled to a 156 on these services and there are reports of 4 153s coupled together.

 

[dk1]

I think a one car train (replacement to the 153) should be developed yes our railways are busy but there is routes they could be used Pembroke Dock branch and heart of Wales as well as the Cardiff bay branch are all routes which would be suited in the winter I have seen one car trains with only 4 people on at times

You have got to take into account the huge difference in cost of equipping driving cabs on today's trains. Even the 745 fleet made it more cost effective to have just two cabs in the 12-cars rather than four in the two 6-car units they actually are. The 720s will be 5/10 cars. Every buried in cab is extremely wasteful.

 

[Fisherman80]

Trouble is it never works like that. The 153s when converted from 155s in the early 1990s where expected to work on very quiet routes and on others to strengthen at peak times. Within months they where running around at all times often with chronic overcrowding. Following privatisation there was no chance TOCs where having these units sitting idle as needed to earn their keep to cover leasing charges. They have been dreaded by passengers and my work colleagues ever since and c
I cannot tell you what a different world it is with a minimum of 3 vehicles now on any local service we operate.

Add to this all the DDA requirements required these days and the gradual seating reduction in each vehicle and there cannot be any justification for anything less than a 2-car.

I take your point dk1,but I still believe there is a place for single car units. I'm sure it wouldn't be so hard to build a replacement 153 which is PRM compliant.