GWR Class 158s being reformed into 2-cars

[cactustwirly]

The Turbos are expected from LTV following 387s becoming available after the Heathrow and Crossrail alterations. That is another story and has it's own thread.

No that's incorrect the 387s becoming available has nothing to do with the Turbo cascade west.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I wish this could have waited until the 158's were totally off the Cardiff - Portsmouth route. Ended up in a pretty busy 2 car 158 to Cardiff yesterday, with all GWR able to say is that it was short formed due to maintenance requirements.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

798 will be even more of an oddity at FGW now!

 

[northernbelle]

No that's incorrect the 387s becoming available has nothing to do with the Turbo cascade west.

Yes it does. There are currently 4 Turbo diagrams on the Paddington-Reading-Didcot corridor that were put back in to cover for 387s becoming modified for Heathrow Express use.

The takeover of Paddington to Reading stoppers by MTR will displace some 387s back on to the semi-fast workings and replace the residual Turbos on this route - in theory allowing them to head west.

A later dollop of Turbo cascade is then enabled by 769s arriving onto the North Downs and other routes.

 

[cactustwirly]

Yes it does. There are currently 4 Turbo diagrams on the Paddington-Reading-Didcot corridor that were put back in to cover for 387s becoming modified for Heathrow Express use.

The takeover of Paddington to Reading stoppers by MTR will displace some 387s back on to the semi-fast workings and replace the residual Turbos on this route - in theory allowing them to head west.

A later dollop of Turbo cascade is then enabled by 769s arriving onto the North Downs and other routes.

I thought it was only one diagram, which only releases 2 x 3 car 165s, these can't really head west, because they'll be a microfleet.

 

[CC 72100]

I thought it was only one diagram, which only releases 2 x 3 car 165s, these can't really head west, because they'll be a microfleet.

Not really an issue. The West already has (8?) 2-car 165s and 15+ 3 car 166s. I can't see why they couldn't cope with 2 3-car 166s.

They're much less a microfleet than say 150001 and 002 are compared to the main 150/2 fleet.

 

[Siemens Staines]

In September it was 3 pairs of 3 car turbo plus a 9 car IET that were standing in for 387s. The switch of HEX from 332 to 387 being put back until further in to 2020 appears to have allowed the 387 modification
programme to proceed at a slower pace, and so so one pair of 16x reverted back to 8 car 387.

Currently it is two pairs of turbo and a 9 car IET that are working former 387 turns, plus the initial pair of 387 that went over to IET in March that subsequently became part of the HSS timetable in May (1P10, 1D90/1G56).

(6)
2P16 0712 Reading - Paddington
2N27 0821 Paddington - Didcot
2P32 1003 Didcot - Paddington
2R32 1142 Paddington - Reading
2P43 1248 Reading - Paddington
2N38 1357 Paddington - Didcot
2P60 1532 Didcot - Paddington
2R55 1712 Paddington - Reading

(3)
2P07 0536 Reading - Paddington
2R11 0642 Paddington - Reading

(6)
3R06 1635 Reading TCD - Paddington
1R06 1757 Paddington - Reading

The second 3 - car for 3R06, 1R06 is often (but not always) the one that works 1P21 0931 Oxford - Paddington, another train that will not be turbo from the timetable change.

(9)
3P05 0549 Paddington - Reading
1P05 0657 Reading - Paddington
1R02 0808 Paddington - Reading
1P20 0923 Reading - Paddington

(9)
1R05 1842 Paddington - Reading
3P05 1936 Reading - Paddington

The third turn that switched from 387 to 165 from 09/09 until 07/10 and then back to 387 again was
(6)
1P92 0615 Reading - Paddington
3P09 0700 Paddington - Maidenhead
1P09 0744 Maidenhead - Paddington
2R19 0829 Paddington - Reading

(6)
2P62 1632 Reading - Paddington
2R59 1742 Paddington - Reading
2P73 1852 Reading - Paddington
(3)
2R68 1957 Paddington - Reading
(3)
2R69 2012 Paddington - Reading
(6)
2P86 2129 Reading - Paddington
(3)
2R80 2259 Paddington - Reading
(3)
2R81 2314 Paddington - Reading

 

[anamyd]

I had a nice surprise when I saw 158747 and 158750 in multi at Cardiff Central today, followed by 158760! Was especially nice to see 158747 and 158750 as they're 2 of the 5 ex-InterCity / ex-Virgin CrossCountry 158s!

 

[anamyd]

Photo info:

This post depicts two Great Western Railway Class 158 Diesel Multiple Units that have been recently reformed into 2-car units.

The units are 158747 and 158750, which haven't been 2-car units since around 2008, and the location is Cardiff Central railway station.

This is the first time these units have worn GWR Green livery as 2-car units, as when they were last 2-car units they were wearing First Great Western livery.

The top photo focuses on 158747, the middle photo focuses on 158750 and the bottom photo shows the whole train of the two units in multi with 158747 in the foreground.

A 2-car Class 175 Diesel Multiple Unit is right behind and one of the remaining GWR 3-car "hybrid" 158s is just out of shot to the right in the middle photo.


158747-158751 info:

Units 158747-158751 are significant for being the only five 158s of the original 182-unit Class 158 build that were operated by InterCity rather than Regional Railways in British Rail days, and are also the only 158s to have been operated day-to-day by Virgin Rail Group in the early privatisation days, as the only units in the mostly loco-hauled inherited fleet Virgin CrossCountry used from 1997 until the early 2000s and Voyager introduction.

The current operator Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western) had reformed their 18 2-car 158s, including 158747-158751, into 12 3-car "hybrid" units around 10 years ago. Recently, they've been reforming them back into 2-car units.

 

[sftfan1909]

Unsure how related this is but I've seen a service being worked by 3-coach 158957 advertised as only having 2 coaches?

 

[Esker-pades]

Unsure how related this is but I've seen a service being worked by 3-coach 158957 advertised as only having 2 coaches?

An electronic departure board having the wrong information is hardly rare. Especially when it comes to train formation.

 

[anamyd]

An electronic departure board having the wrong information is hardly rare. Especially when it comes to train formation.

The ones at my local station have said "train is formed of 4 coaches" and it turns up with 2; I also saw it say "train is formed of 3 coaches" once and it also turned up with 2 (no 3-car units can run on my local lines)

 

[Rich McLean]

I believe 6 Hybrids (plus 798 of course) are being retained in current formation at the moment. Three of them will be required for the Barny Services, and the remaining 3 will operate services in the Bristol area with 1 maintenance spare. Believe eventually there will be around 4 x 4 car 158 diagrams (8 units) on the Cardiff - Penzance corridor interworked with Castle sets with an extra unit available where needed plus 2 maintenace spares, Some diagrams will be 150 worked for the time being due to 158s required in the Bristol area to cover for 16x, with 143s statying on a bit longer to cover for those 150s lost on the Devon Metro.

Totals should be
7 x 3 car units
11 x 2 car units

However this seems to change from week to week

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Would someone please be able to say which Hybrids are still... well, Hybrids? And which are STAYING hybrids? Thanks so much

 

[ainsworth74]

Gentle reminder that this is about GWRs 158s not wider GWR rolling stock questions. Whilst the post regarding diagrams was very informative it is also a little off-topic so can we stick to the topic please

 

[GrahamD83]

I believe there are still six hybrids - 158950, 951, 956, 957, 958, 959. Not sure if any more are to be reforned

 

[Parallel]

The two car joined with three car units on the morning peaks down the Avon Valley is causing some issues.

The carriage formation is something like ‘ABCBA’ - You end up with passengers in the ‘wrong’ carriage A demanding reserved seats - when the reservations are at the other end of the train. I observed things getting a bit tense yesterday due to the above.

Would have been good if the guard could’ve announced ‘reserved seats are available towards the rear of the train’

 

[Apedlar12]

Would anyone be able to tell me whether any of the newly formed 158/0s will be used on the CDF <> PNZ route from December because I have been looking on RTT but it looks as if that all of them are either starting or finishing at Long Rock which do not store 158s so that would mean that they will all be 2+4 sets.

And there is 2 diagrams that start in Exeter and finish in Bristol and vice versa so I assume they would be but they do CDF <> TAU all day and my nearest station is Exeter St Davids so I was hoping that some of them will be used on the CDF <> PNZ route...

 

[PHILIPE]

Would anyone be able to tell me whether any of the newly formed 158/7s will be used on the CDF <> PNZ route from December because I have been looking on RTT but it looks as if that all of them are either starting or finishing at Long Rock which do not store 158s so that would mean that they will all be 2+4 sets.

And there is 2 diagrams that start in Exeter and finish in Bristol and vice versa so I assume they would be but they do CDF <> TAU all day and my nearest station is Exeter St Davids so I was hoping that some of them will be used on the CDF <> PNZ route...

What is the source that no 158s will be staying overnight at Penzance ?

 

[anamyd]

Would anyone be able to tell me whether any of the newly formed 158/7s...

They're not "158/7s". Units numbered 1587xx and 1588xx make up the 158/0 subclass. Only 158/9s have unit numbers (1589xx) that follow their subclass number. The 1587xx and 1588xx unit numbering of the 158/0s is for the same reason that 156s are 1564xx and 1565xx, and 153s/155s are 1533xx / 1553xx - so that the same 52xxx and 57xxx vehicle numbering system can be used on 150s, 153s/155s, 156s and 158/0s.

 

[Apedlar12]

What is the source that no 158s will be staying overnight at Penzance ?

Well at the moment, any diagrams ran by the 158/0s that head down to Plymouth or Penzance start and end back in Exeter or Bristol at the end of service which makes it look like they don't store them down there currently.

 

[Apedlar12]

They're not "158/7s". Units numbered 1587xx and 1588xx make up the 158/0 subclass. Only 158/9s have unit numbers (1589xx) that follow their subclass number. The 1587xx and 1588xx unit numbering of the 158/0s is for the same reason that 156s are 1564xx and 1565xx, and 153s/155s are 1533xx / 1553xx - so that the same 52xxx and 57xxx vehicle numbering system can be used on 150s, 153s/155s, 156s and 158/0s.

I know, I must have put it in by accident...

 

[PHILIPE]

Well at the moment, any diagrams ran by the 158/0s that head down to Plymouth or Penzance start and end back in Exeter or Bristol at the end of service which makes it look like they don't store them down there currently.

Things could change in the December Timetable. Out of interest There was a 158 at Penzance all day yesterday, 158760 failed for the 1644 Penzance to Exeter on Friday and stayed in the platform overnight and the Sleeper pulled in on top of it in the morning. At some point during the day it was moved to the siding next to Platform 4 (The Naughty Step)

 

[Rich McLean]

Things could change in the December Timetable. Out of interest There was a 158 at Penzance all day yesterday, 158760 failed for the 1644 Penzance to Exeter on Friday and stayed in the platform overnight and the Sleeper pulled in on top of it in the morning. At some point during the day it was moved to the siding next to Platform 4 (The Naughty Step)

There will be a pair of 158s stabled at PZ every night from the TT change.

 

[RPI]

I'm sure @Clarence Yard may be able to confirm this but I heard a rumour, not from a great source, that 798 is going to SWR and that GWR are receiving one of their 158's in return?

 

[PHILIPE]

I'm sure @Clarence Yard may be able to confirm this but I heard a rumour, not from a great source, that 798 is going to SWR and that GWR are receiving one of their 158's in return?

I'm sure that I read somewhere that this has been denied but can't turn it up a the moment. If it did happen, GWR would be a vehicle short in order to meet the required formations.

 

[Apedlar12]

I'm sure @Clarence Yard may be able to confirm this but I heard a rumour, not from a great source, that 798 is going to SWR and that GWR are receiving one of their 158's in return?

I saw a similar post about this on WNXX and the reply they got was that there was nothing planned for 798 to be going to SWR

 

[Apedlar12]

There will be a pair of 158s stabled at PZ every night from the TT change.

Thanks for the info

 

[Clarence Yard]

I saw a similar post about this on WNXX and the reply they got was that there was nothing planned for 798 to be going to SWR

It's wibble - 798 stays. The only DMU's due in or out are 150001/2 out in April and the 8 x cl.143 sometime next year, when sufficient stock (HST-GTi & 769) is available to replace them.

Several TOCs have eyes on the Wales & EMT cl.158 fleets but nothing decided as yet so the GWR cl.158 fleet of 43 vehicles remains as is.

 

[RPI]

It's wibble - 798 stays. The only DMU's due in or out are 150001/2 out in April and the 8 x cl.143 sometime next year, when sufficient stock (HST-GTi & 769) is available to replace them.

Several TOCs have eyes on the Wales & EMT cl.158 fleets but nothing decided as yet so the GWR cl.158 fleet of 43 vehicles remains as is.

Thanks for confirming that, it would seem odd to lose a vehicle!