Class 158s - anybody else find them horrid?

[tinselworm]

they're lovely, no train I know offers a seat quite as soft and easy to fall asleep on as the FGW 158

 

[Scotrail84]

I find them great to work from a guards point of view, and most of the ScotRail refurbs have pretty reliable air con. That said, I still prefer a 156.

Haha the air con is tom kite on these units. The only good thing about them is the door panels at every door. I find that the air con in 1 coach will work but the other coach will be far too hot even on cooling mode meaning having to open the hopper windows. They are my favourite unit to work though.

Some of them are in real need of a face lift 158 782 for example. If you've ever worked it you will know what i mean.

 

[Masbroughlad]

When they are looked after/ kept smart, I like them.

Northern's are shabby though compared to EMTs for example.

(Aside - What is the longest 158 ever run? Anyone any pictures? I believe there was a Sheffield - Leicester 10 car PR run in the late 80s/early 90s?)

 

[starrymarkb]

SWT have a daily 10car 158/9 formation with regular 9 car operation.

There was an attempt at a 12car 6x158s in BR days but the MU wouldn't work (I belive it has a max of 8 cabs in the formation)

 

[ACE1888]

always quite liked the 158's, when we had them down this way...the 'excessive' revving on departure each time was a bit of a pain though, always seemed to be waiting for a resulting 'bang'...

 

[2Dogbox]

158's are nice units but they have their problems like most others.

Speaking of EMT units as these are the ones I work, I do like the look of these trains - Stagecoach livery looks good on them (though not a patch on regional railways express livery).

There are 3 main problems I find with these, the first being that the air conditioning is notoriously unreliable. More often than not it's not working and pumping out hot moist air. These are the "liebherr" conditioning units - absolutely awful.

Next is the dreadfully narrow isles on our current refurbs - I'm not exactly a wide person but I have to walk like a crab to get through (this of course is refurb issue as originally they were fine!)

Thirdly is the dreadful luggage and bike areas next to stinking toilets - yuk - which usually are freezing in winter and boiling hot and festering in summer.

But I have always had a soft spot for these units - thought they looked modern and sleek especially when introduced in the ealy 90's.

 

[MCR247]

The Grammer seats are too wide for 158s, but they are comfortable!

 

[CarterUSM]

Haha the air con is tom kite on these units. The only good thing about them is the door panels at every door. I find that the air con in 1 coach will work but the other coach will be far too hot even on cooling mode meaning having to open the hopper windows. They are my favourite unit to work though.

Some of them are in real need of a face lift 158 782 for example. If you've ever worked it you will know what i mean.

Was that one of the silver bullets? They are pretty bad I have to admit. At central, we seem to get the worst of the class. I suppose it's only for Whifflet right enough!

 

[Scotrail84]

Was that one of the silver bullets? They are pretty bad I have to admit. At central, we seem to get the worst of the class. I suppose it's only for Whifflet right enough!

Aye 782 was an ex silver liveried unit. I had it for a Dunblane and a circle rapid last week. 5 hours on the same unit. :eek:. Couple of good things about it though it doesnt have an annoying PIS system and its still got proper buzzers behind the cabs, instead of the daft bleepers

 

[Crimson_Quiff]

I'm not a fan of 158s at all. They are just A to B trains for me.

 

[ashworth]

Having done numerous fairly long distance journeys over the years on 158's I find them very comfortable in comparison to Voyagers. I also find them more comfortable than 185's.
After journeys like Nottingham-Liverpool, Nottingham-Norwich, Leeds-Blackpool and Leeds-Carlisle I usually get off the train feeling fairly OK. This cannot be said for the backache that I feel after having done similar length journeys like Derby-Bristol and Preston-Edinburgh on a Voyager.
The only thing I do not like about them,especially on the Norwich-Liverpool route is the serious overcrowding but then that can be just as much a probelm with Voyagers. The major problem with many services these days is the short length of trains resulting in unpleasant onboared conditions created by the sardine effect rather than the type of train.

 

[WillPS]

The doors are in the wrong places for the work they carry out.

 

[yorksrob]

The doors are in the wrong places for the work they carry out.

I have to say, since I usually find them on the longer distance services, I would have to disagree.

 

[WillPS]

I think I'm objectively correct - as every modern order for similar units (with the sole exception of 175s, which were ordered to live a bizarre double life) have had their doors at 1/3 and 2/3, rather than at the ends.

Compare a 185 through Manchester Piccadilly 13/14 at peak times with a 158, and it's easy to see why.

 

[yorksrob]

I think I'm objectively correct - as every modern order for similar units (with the sole exception of 175s, which were ordered to live a bizarre double life) have had their doors at 1/3 and 2/3, rather than at the ends.

Compare a 185 through Manchester Piccadilly 13/14 at peak times with a 158, and it's easy to see why.

Well, by that logic, just give every ten people their own door

 

[Hydro]

well, by that logic, just give every ten people their own door

4 VEP! Legendary commuter door arrangement.

 

[yorksrob]

4 vep!

You may think that. I couldn't possibly comment

 

[WillPS]

It's not the amount of doors per person, it's the size of said doors and critically their positioning.

 

[yorksrob]

It's not the amount of doors per person, it's the size of said doors and critically their positioning.

I'd disagree. The size of doors doesn't really matter as long as you have a set of doubles which can take a wheelchair ect. After that, it's very much the number of doors per person.

 

[Blindtraveler]

the da day 156s go back on the far north
line wil be the day i stop using it! the refurbed sets that work it are great to travel on and although air con is an issue, they ride the bumpy track amazingly. All that needs to be done now is the haymarket units to be refurbed, sooner the better

 

[Anvil1984]

I have to say, since I usually find them on the longer distance services, I would have to disagree.

Depends what they are working on, with Northern its a mixed bag and in peak times people tend to nab the tip up seats in vestibule so they have a space to their own.

 

[dieselbashdave]

The 158s are on my local line and I don't have *great* experience of other trains but they seem quite good pieces of kit, a bit like a Mondeo (great mile-muncher, comfortable and powerful, reliable).

I'd rather a 158 than a 185 because I'm not thrown around the place so much! FSR (my TOC) seem to have great reliability and there was a refurb programme a few years ago which brought them up to date with new seats and carpets.

 

[318259]

I was on a ScotRail class 158 the other day.

It seemed to have come from somewhere else. It had large, square seats, partitions between first class and standard class, and another operator's safety notices (with the other operator's name removed). Would this be one of the Northern Trains transfers?

 

[317666]

That's probably one of the ex-SWT units, as Northern don't have first class.

 

[90019]

If it had red seats, it's an ex-SWT unit.

 

[150222]

I could not have wished more for a 158 when on a packed 142 out of manchester victoria the other night .

 

[Scotrail84]

I could not have wished more for a 158 when on a packed 142 out of manchester victoria the other night .

Maybe Scotrail and Northern could do a swap deal then?

 

[150222]

Maybe Scotrail and Northern could do a swap deal then?

Yes i can see that going down well . That service was booked for a 158 anyway. Do they have a shortage of 158's as well?

 

[MCR247]

Maybe Scotrail and Northern could do a swap deal then?

As if that would work, the Transport Scotland thought more 156s were below them when CT was going to do a swap with them

 

[Blindtraveler]

yay! 142s north of the border bring it on! Shots line maybe? Or fife circle?