155 to 153

[PHILIPE]

I have a picture of a 155 near Exeter st Thomas (taken through the windscreen of a class 101) and another of one on Laira so they did venture down there, I have no idea if it was normal or I was just lucky.

They did work as far as Penzance

 

[DarloRich]

Heaton Depot (HT) got 153s for use on branches in the North East and also the Cumbrian coast. The former helped with the cascade of 143s to South Wales and the South West; the latter saw Class 108 DMUs withdrawn.

I knew the Heaton ones very well. We often got them on Darlo - Boro runs. An improvement on the 143!

I moved south and now get a 153 to work!

 

[edwin_m]

They did work as far as Penzance

Simplifying somehwat, the 155s were new on the Regional Express routes in the South West, broadly corresponding to what FGW's 158s work today, and 156s worked similar routes elsewhere. When the 158s arrived they cascaded 155 and 156 units onto lesser services.

 

[noddy1878]

The definitely worked on the Falmouth Branch line as I used to often get them on my ride home from School. Then it went back to 1st gen units for a while before 150/2s arrived. One one occasion I even had a 158!

 

[PHILIPE]

Simplifying somehwat, the 155s were new on the Regional Express routes in the South West, broadly corresponding to what FGW's 158s work today, and 156s worked similar routes elsewhere. When the 158s arrived they cascaded 155 and 156 units onto lesser services.

158s don't work in the South West beyond Exeter (or occasionally Paignton) now.

 

[physics34]

This picture is an example of how an intelligently-designed and executed paint job can transform the look of a unit. The Northern 155s & 153s look appalling. This looks really smart.

Unfortunately the requirement now for the doors to be a different colours to the rest of the train body has ended the chance of having sleak liveries nowadays.

 

[Ash Bridge]

They did work as far as Penzance

Just found this in my slide collection, shot at Liskeard and dated June 1991 appears to be a Penzance -Plymouth local working,

(Apologies for the poor image quality but no scanner at the moment)

 

[03_179]

Amazing info thank you all

 

[455driver]

Simplifying somehwat, the 155s were new on the Regional Express routes in the South West, broadly corresponding to what FGW's 158s work today

So that would be Cardiff to Portsmouth, and Taunton to Bristol Parkway then!
The 158's don't normally venture any further South West than Taunton these days except for 1 which occasionally works down on a Friday night to Exeter.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The "body-sag" issue keeps coming up, but I have to say I can't see it myself. I've not seen any documentation to support it (not that such documentation would be available to myself unless it was leaked!) and it doesn't appear to show in my experience.

Assuming that the issue is either non-existent or can be rectified, surely reforming the 84 vehicles into 28 3-car sets would be doable, creating a reasonable fleet of units for services such as Harrogate services or even West Wales routes.

 

[03_179]

Using http://www.abrail.co.uk/DMU_formations.htm I found that there is no 153385 is this correct if so why not?

Unit Depot Liv V1 V2 NOTE
155301 CF PROV 52301 57351 Converted to 153301 / 153351
155302 CF PROV 52302 57352 Converted to 153302 / 153352
155303 CF PROV 52303 57353 Converted to 153303 / 153353
155304 CF PROV 52304 57354 Converted to 153304 / 153354
155305 CF PROV 52305 57355 Converted to 153305 / 153355
155306 CF PROV 52306 57356 Converted to 153306 / 153356
155307 CF PROV 52307 57357 Converted to 153307 / 153357
155308 CF PROV 52308 57358 Converted to 153308 / 153358
155309 CF PROV 52309 57359 Converted to 153309 / 153359
155310 CF PROV 52310 57360 Converted to 153310 / 153360
155311 CF PROV 52311 57361 Converted to 153311 / 153361
155312 CF PROV 52312 57362 Converted to 153312 / 153362
155313 CF PROV 52313 57363 Converted to 153313 / 153363
155314 CF PROV 52314 57364 Converted to 153314 / 153364
155315 CF PROV 52315 57365 Converted to 153315 / 153365
155316 CF PROV 52316 57366 Converted to 153316 / 153366
155317 CF PROV 52317 57367 Converted to 153317 / 153367
155318 CF PROV 52318 57368 Converted to 153318 / 153368
155319 CF PROV 52319 57369 Converted to 153319 / 153369
155320 CF PROV 52320 57370 Converted to 153320 / 153370
155321 CF PROV 52321 57371 Converted to 153321 / 153371
155322 CF PROV 52322 57372 Converted to 153322 / 153372
155323 CF PROV 52323 57373 Converted to 153323 / 153373
155324 CF PROV 52324 57374 Converted to 153324 / 153374
155325 CF PROV 52325 57375 Converted to 153325 / 153375
155326 CF PROV 52326 57376 Converted to 153326 / 153376
155327 CF PROV 52327 57377 Converted to 153327 / 153377
155328 CF PROV 52328 57378 Converted to 153328 / 153378
155329 CF PROV 52329 57379 Converted to 153329 / 153379
155330 CF PROV 52330 57380 Converted to 153330 / 153380
155331 CF PROV 52331 57381 Converted to 153331 / 153381
155332 CF PROV 52332 57382 Converted to 153332 / 153382
155333 CF PROV 52333 57383 Converted to 153333 / 153383
155334 CF PROV 52334 57384 Converted to 153334 / 153384
155335 CF PROV 52335 ????? Converted to 153335

 

[158722]

Using http://www.abrail.co.uk/DMU_formations.htm I found that there is no 153385 is this correct if so why not?

Missing off end of list, thats all...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/14581588@N05/6157904413/

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

There is and is now operated by East Midlands Trains

 

[gimmea50anyday]

153's do regularly work coupled to a 155 on calder valley and harrogate lines out of leeds, thereby theoretically being a 3 car 155 unit....

 

[61653 HTAFC]

153's do regularly work coupled to a 155 on calder valley and harrogate lines out of leeds, thereby theoretically being a 3 car 155 unit....

Indeed, but I was suggesting permanently forming all 153/155 vehicles into permanent 3-car sets thus meaning one accessible loo for every 3 cars. I believe the current plan though is to do no DDA work and restrict 153s to only working in multiple with a unit which has received the modifications. Where that would leave the 7 surviving 155s, I'm not sure though.