D365
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Unless Porterbrook can rehome them for another 5 years
but I don’t know if we have a speculative thread for TfW Class 150s.
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TfW withdrawals (Now just 150/158s to go)
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but I don’t know if we have a speculative thread for TfW Class 150s.
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BillStampy
Established Member
Given that pretty much every unit will likely end up at Unimetals within the next few years, I'm a bit uncertain whether to start a speculative thread on the topic. We've had one unit preserved, but will we get anymore is a question that'll remain unanswered until it likely happens!Unless Porterbrook can rehome them for another 5 years
Do we know that Romic won't be taking any more?
Many thanks sd0733. If at Canton just for a B exam, then probably less likely to be withdrawn imminently - unless something significant found.
That's nothing. 455913 spent seven months out of service and was then used for a mere three weeks before going for scrap. If it goes in March, 150242 will have been used for 11 months.
I see there is a 158 in West Wales this evening on a Cardiff to Milford Haven. Very rare for them to be working West of Cardiff these days. I assume they need to ensure Cardiff train crew work the services (I believe they only sign Milford and not Pembroke and Fishguard) or are there some Carmarthen train crew able to work them still?
craigybagel
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The service in question is booked to have several crew changes enroute, and at various times has a driver and guard from both Cardiff and Carmarthen. Whether the Carmarthen crew actually worked it or were piloted by Cardiff crews is another matter - although the unit in question is due to stable at Carmarthen tonight so I suspect there are still enough competent crews at Carmarthen to keep things going for now.
craigybagel
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Correct, after getting back to Carmarthen from Milford it then went on to Cardiff and is on its way North to Crewe now.
Cheers for the replies. I guess the reason one occasionally finds itself in West Wales is to ensure at least some of the train crew can remain competent on them for the occasions where they may still be required to work there.
Still no sign of 150279 - been over two weeks!
What does a B exam entail on a 150 - and how long does it usually take?
Are there any parts shortages that might be delaying its return to service?
BillStampy
Established Member
150279 was in the sidings itself on Saturday. If it was being worked on it would be in the main shed I would guess!
Many thanks Bill
I'm not sure in all honesty to any of those, just going by its status in the system.
If it Stabled outside it sounds like the latter point could be a reason why its taking so long to return.
Hmm, if so, that could explain why it hasn't worked since since 25th October - two and a half weeks ago. And nothing scheduled for it today either, according to RTT.
BillStampy
Established Member
Back in service this afternoon with 2B73, connected to 150259.
Yay! Hoping to be in Cardiff on Monday, and to get some miles on board.
Defiance149
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153327, 153361 and 153913 all ran from Canton to Landore yesterday (14/11).
Snow1964
Established Member
TfW has issued a maintenance tender for 158s for 3 years from 1st April 2026 to 1st April 2029 value up to £8m
Assuming this isn't some elaborate 1st April joke, does this mean TfW are keeping the 158s an extra 3 years ?
Assuming this isn't some elaborate 1st April joke, does this mean TfW are keeping the 158s an extra 3 years ?
Jacob Porrett
Established Member
Interesting. Guessing they aren't going anywhere soon then.
Snow1964
Established Member
Could the 3 year maintenance tender for 158s be an interim solution pending extra stock being ordered.
But it is interesting, if Wales intends to keep them, then presumably any English operator hoping to grab some off lease 158s is going to have to think again.
But it is interesting, if Wales intends to keep them, then presumably any English operator hoping to grab some off lease 158s is going to have to think again.
BillStampy
Established Member
I can see TfW holding their 158s back a few years as extra stock once they're not needed on the Cambrian. Although the only flaw to that is if there's depot space for them anywhere!
Anonymous10
Established Member
Holyhead sidings and landore perhaps?
BillStampy
Established Member
Counts on if Chrysalis lets them use Landore for active use, which I'm pretty doubtful about.
Where would they even go if not on the Cambrian? They obviously can’t run coupled to 197s or mk4s and I can’t imagine many, if any, people at Carmarthen still signed them and does anywhere else on the network need a fleet of 24 units? It seams more realistic to just delay new trains on the Cambrian and use the ETCS 197s to improve capacity and reliability on other lines and run to Birmingham so the Cambrian Coast can have 4 cars more often.
Having units sat around doing nothing still means lease costs and probably more maintenance if they ever came back into service. Would be a complete waste of money.
Does anyone know when the leases run out? The previous lease end date was October 2022. So I wonder if TFW were forced into a 5 year lease extension? Meaning they have another 3 years of the units before end of lease. They could of course then sublease the fleet to another TOC if they aren't needed within TFW.
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Holyhead sidings could have the space to store then, but there's no Depots of suitable size to maintain the fleet.
Canton have enough going on, Holyhead isn't big enough for heavy maintenance, Arriva Crewe unlikely.
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That is the most likely solution if it were to happen. Keep the 158's on the Cambrian routes.
Anonymous10
Established Member
Theyve allowed warm storage of the class 153 fleet so anything is possible with the right amount of money.
Cardiff123
Established Member
Could this extension for the 158s be because TfW anticipate more delays to their full new fleet entering service?
The 398s keep getting pushed back, and we know the final fleet allocations in the south are dependent on 398s entering service. The 231s can't enter service on the mainline until they are displaced by 756s on Rhymney services, which can't leave the Taff lines until they are replaced by the full fleet of 398s.
Meanwhile the 197s are left to cover 231s on the mainline and presumably there's no still option to extend the lifespan of the 150s, so those are going regardless.
Is the full fleet of 197s even in service yet?
At the same time, Welsh Government want TfW to look for more trains and think about more new services in the near future.
The 398s keep getting pushed back, and we know the final fleet allocations in the south are dependent on 398s entering service. The 231s can't enter service on the mainline until they are displaced by 756s on Rhymney services, which can't leave the Taff lines until they are replaced by the full fleet of 398s.
Meanwhile the 197s are left to cover 231s on the mainline and presumably there's no still option to extend the lifespan of the 150s, so those are going regardless.
Is the full fleet of 197s even in service yet?
At the same time, Welsh Government want TfW to look for more trains and think about more new services in the near future.
Id imagine if they held onto the 158s for a bit longer then they would be assigned to Canton if they were no longer used on the Cambrian. They could cover services that are currently 197s but shouldnt be (Ebbw Vale, Maesteg, Cheltenham) and also used to cover for 197s on the Marches and North Wales Coast. However this is all assuming there will be further delays moving the 231's and 756's onto the routes they are eventually meant to work.