2 car 153 unit, 153399

[Turbostar]

Is there any news on the condition of the burnt 150 car and whether it is expected to return to service anytime in the near future, or is this a longer term formation?....Personally I like it, it reminds me of some of the odd pairings of 1st gen DMU's in the early 1990's

The burnt car is still sat in one of the sidings in Laira depot, awaiting a decision & a slot as to when to repair it.

 

[SprinterMan]

The burnt car is still sat in one of the sidings in Laira depot, awaiting a decision & a slot as to when to repair it.

Part of me almost hopes they don't repair it, then 153399 will be around forever (hopefully)

 

[Yew]

Part of me almost hopes they don't repair it, then 153399 will be around forever (hopefully)

I know I like the look of it too. Or maybe make a 1 car 150. that would be an easier conversion than what happened on the 155's (more space for a cap)

 

[DavidBrown]

153399 was at Barnstaple this morning with 150239 to form a 4 car train - was a very odd sight seeing three 150 units with a random 153 car in the middle of it all.

 

[headshot119]

153339 was working 2F45 with another 150. Fairly odd sight.

 

[BestWestern]

Perhaps they should remove the FGW 150 and swap it with one of the London Midland hire-ins, just to mix it up a bit more

 

[159jim]

Any idea when 150221 will reunite with its partner???



Thanks,
Jim.

 

[SprinterMan]

Perhaps they should remove the FGW 150 and swap it with one of the London Midland hire-ins, just to mix it up a bit more

While that would be epic, it is unlikely as the 153 had it's snowplough on the now inboard end removed and it also recieved some electrical modification to make working with the 150 car easier.

 

[Turbostar]

Any idea when 150221 will reunite with its partner???



Thanks,
Jim.

Guess when Laira get around to deciding whether to fix it, or to ship it off to another depot to fix it. Forgot to have a look in the sidings when passing on the bus today, so assume it's still there at present.

 

[headshot119]

The other half of the 150 was still in Laira this morning when I passed.

 

[Turbostar]

Just gone past Laira, & it's still in the sidings.

 

[headshot119]

153399 was working 2F17 Paignton - Exmouth this morning in multiple with London Midland 153325.

 

[Turbostar]

Anybody heard anything in the grapevine as to what's the latest on car 52221??? Still see it's languishing in one of the back sidings at Laira depot. Seems FGW are not in a hurry to repair it at the mo.

 

[TEW]

Awaiting parts apparently.

 

[Turbostar]

Cool, thanks

 

[Jobsworth]

Just for the record, most drivers I know prefer the small cab of a 153 - more legroom.

So let's see how clever we all are. Why was it numbered 153399 and not 150299?

 

[schwa]

Just for the record, most drivers I know prefer the small cab of a 153 - more legroom.

So let's see how clever we all are. Why was it numbered 153399 and not 150299?

It's to stop the unit being put on duties where 153s would not usually be scheduled to go because of track clearance/gauging issues.

Hence naming it 153399, which in theory stops it going where it shouldn't. Hope I have attained the cleverness you were aiming for. :P

 

[Crossover]

It's to stop the unit being put on duties where 153s would not usually be scheduled to go because of track clearance/gauging issues.

Hence naming it 153399, which in theory stops it going where it shouldn't. Hope I have attained the cleverness you were aiming for. :P

I believe that is about right

I seem to recall reading it earlier in the thread :P

 

[TEW]

Yet it's still allowed to go to Gunnislake despite anything coupled except within unit being banned. Don't understand that. If you couple a 153 to a 150 normally it wouldn't be allowed. That said, it's all BSI couplers so it makes little difference.

 

[Turbostar]

Yet it's still allowed to go to Gunnislake despite anything coupled except within unit being banned. Don't understand that. If you couple a 153 to a 150 normally it wouldn't be allowed. That said, it's all BSI couplers so it makes little difference.

Don't understand what you're getting at? Both 150's & 153s run along the Gunnislake branch, & 153s run all the time down here on FGW with 150s, as well as on their own, & in 2s & 3s etc.

 

[louis97]

Don't understand what you're getting at? Both 150's & 153s run along the Gunnislake branch, & 153s run all the time down here on FGW with 150s, as well as on their own, & in 2s & 3s etc.

Class 153 units are banned from going to gunnislake attached to anything else, this is because of the curves on the line. They have tested this line for 153s with other units, and it did result in some broken couplers.

Same also applys for Looe I believe.

 

[Turbostar]

Pairs of 153s are allowed down the Gunnislake branch, & the Looe branch, as well as single 150s.

 

[TEW]

Pairs of 153s are banned from Gunnislake and Looe. Cl 153 cleared. In normal circumstances it is not permitted to couple any unit or units to Cl 153 unit over the section of line between Bere Alston and Gunnislake. (For Looe this reads between the main line and branch line at Liskeard.)

 

[Turbostar]

Well, I'm not getting into an argument over a trivial thing, but I know what I've seen in the past running over the line, seeing as I have lived here long enough. And, there are pictures on the net as well if you Google. Say no more.

 

[TEW]

It's a direct quote from the sectional appendix, the authority on what is and isn't cleared on routes. Pairs of 153s are regularly split at Plymouth before operating to Gunnislake because pairs are banned.

 

[BestWestern]

'399 spotted at Weston Super this morning, on the rear of a 6 car combo with a 150/2 in the middle and a 143 leading. Perhaps the boys on the shed are trying to see who can come up with the most obscure combination!

 

[43167]

It worked the 1600 Cardiff-Taunton which I did to Newport, before going back north on the WAG.

 

[BestWestern]

It's getting about a bit now, was out on a peaktime Bristol Parkway working this morning attached to a 158. Not bad, three different types of traction in a four car train!

 

[Jobsworth]

Well, we're all on the right track (no pun intended). In practice, 150's are frequently seen on Portsmouth services and occasionally the Brighton's. 153's aren't cleared beyond Southampton. I'm no expert on Devon and Cornwall and didn't realise there were restrictions down there.

 

[Turbostar]

Meant to have posted on fri, but been a bit busy. Anyways, went past Laira depot last fri (15/07), & car 52221 is missing from it's siding it had been sat in for quite a while. So, I'm assuming that a decision has been made, & it's been taken indoors to be mended, or it's been taken away somewhere else to be mended. Either way, it's missing from the sidings.