Class 156 experiences?

[ValleyLines142]

I've only been on two Northern 156's (156443), and that was a seven minute journey from the MetroCentre to Newcastle, and a peak time stopper from Stockport to Blackpool. They seemed relatively comfy, but I'm not sure about a 5 hour trip to be honest!

However, the SR 156's are currently being refurbished so maybe it won't be so bad!

 

[gazthomas]

3 friends and I took 156443 from Lancaster to Carlisle yesterday via Sellafield. He unit was filthy, inside and out, the outside looked as if it hadn't been cleaned all year.

It was comfortable over the 3.5 hours we where on it, though I agree with previous posts on engine noise - loud and plenty of vibration. Holding a conversation during station departures was very difficult.

The 158 we had later in the day from Carlisle to Leeds was refurbished and was much better. Quite a disparity from Northern Rail!

Photo of the 156 linked here:

http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/imaging.centre/showimage.php?gallery=X7&image=211012

 

[Blindtraveler]

are northern refurbing there 158s? News to me, as is SR refurbing there 156s. 25 sets were done a few years back, transport Scotland funded but not aware of any current work. Gen anybody?

 

[Lampshade]

are northern refurbing there 158s?

They've already finished

 

[Blindtraveler]

are thanks, not done one for a bit. They done much?

 

[harz99]

However, the SR 156's are currently being refurbished so maybe it won't be so bad!

Are you sure your not confusing the latest in the "coat(s) of many colours" with a proper refurb?

The SR 156 units are the only ones not to have had a decent refurb including new seats in their whole life. Ironically they even include the unit which was the prototype for many other interior refurbs; guess what happened to it? It was put back as original with the exception of the toilet which still has the curvy area round the washbasin.

As blindtraveller said above, a partial refurb was done to some of the units a few years back (think pale green seat frames), even that only included cosmetic changes and refurbishment of existing seat frames, and crucially re-used all the existing collapsed seat squabs/cushions with a new set of covers hiding the damage.

 

[ainsworth74]

are thanks, not done one for a bit. They done much?

Not really, fitted CCTV, given everything a deep clean, reupholstered the seats and I think that was it. It was more of a refresh than a refurb. Certainly it wasn't anything like the scale of the EMT refurbishment (which is a pity as those are probably the best 158s I've ever been on).

 

[Blindtraveler]

what seats are in the EMT sets? Personally quite fond of the INV based refurbed SR ones seating wise

 

[WillPS]

Chapmans in all the ex-Centrals, Richmond in the (yet to arrive) ex-Northerns.

 

[gazthomas]

are northern refurbing there 158s? News to me, as is SR refurbing there 156s. 25 sets were done a few years back, transport Scotland funded but not aware of any current work. Gen anybody?

All panelling, toilets, etc. we're very clean - didn't look like just a seat cover replacement.

 

[harz99]

All panelling, toilets, etc. we're very clean - didn't look like just a seat cover replacement.

Not clear whether your talking about 156s, 158s or even which TOC?

 

[Blindtraveler]

think he means northerns 158s

 

[Moog_1984]

Blotrail 156s are usually pretty clean and in the winter at least, not too wedged.

They are a bit noisy in cornering (despite the mod) and on banks, of which there are plenty on the WHL.

But IMHO the longer journey time over cl.37 hauled trains and the usual wedgedness with hikers, sheep dogs, selfish gits with two seats taken up makes it so unpleasant that I usually take the bus to Oban and drive to Ft bill.

 

[150222]

Chapmans in all the ex-Centrals, Richmond in the (yet to arrive) ex-Northerns.

You mean the ex northern 156's? (2 of which arrived this morning)

 

[4SRKT]

156s are perfect units for the Mallaig and Oban lines. I can't see why anyone would rather have a 158 on such a run, when the visibility from a 156 is so much better. TBH the idea of doing Inverness > Thurso/Wick in a 158 fills me with horror (last time I did it in 1993 was in a 156, and the three times before that with 37s ). 156s also make a very satisfying roar when storming up the gradients rather than the 158 whine.

 

[Blindtraveler]

far north very cumfortable in 158s. Much of the track, although lovly jointed track is not in good condition and the ride on a scotrail 156 would be hard going these days. Give them high back seats and then your maybe talking.

 

[ainsworth74]

far north very cumfortable in 158s. Much of the track, although lovly jointed track is not in good condition and the ride on a scotrail 156 would be hard going these days. Give them high back seats and then your maybe talking.

Want to know what would be even better than 158s? Steam heat Mk1s pulled by 37s now that would be a good way to spend a day or two...

Damnit was can't I have been born 20 years earlier! I missed all the good stuff

 

[Blindtraveler]

agree strongly!

 

[4SRKT]

Want to know what would be even better than 158s? Steam heat Mk1s pulled by 37s now that would be a good way to spend a day or two...

Damnit was can't I have been born 20 years earlier! I missed all the good stuff

OK chaps, now's the time for me to post this shot taken at Thurso in February 1984 on my first ever visit to the Far North (37175 if you're interested). Engage jealousy circuits now!

 

[sprinterguy]

Darn it, I'm going to have to dig out my Train Crazy books on Scottish 37s and feel morose over what I missed out on in those far off days before I was born! Though there were a few 37s still operating on the Highland Lines during the summer months when I was young, though I never saw any, even with summer holidays up that neck of the woods: My first memory of a 37 on the West Highland is of 37403 thundering through Glenfinnan at the head of the Royal Scotsman, when I was about five.

 

[Bittern]

I'm a regular user of ScotRail's 156s. Let me say that they are always a welcome sight in my eyes. When I see a ScotRail 156 roll up, I know I'm going to get to where I'm going and I'm probably going to get there in warmth and comfort.

As for the engine noise, I love it. It's loud, but not loud in an annoying way (like a ned), but it's part of the display that they are powerful units.

The 156s are, in my opinion, easily ScotRail's best units in terms of reliability and comfort.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
How anyone can hate on this is beyond me.

 

[sprinterguy]

How anyone can hate on this is beyond me.

Or even (Jumping on the band wagon of getting the photos out) this (Proper livery!):

 

[4SRKT]

That's a nice photo sprinterguy, but not, I would venture to add, as nice as mine in terms of subject matter. Look at that lovely steam rising into the cold February Thurso air! What a welcoming site.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The 156s are, in my opinion, easily ScotRail's best units in terms of reliability and comfort.

I agree, and posters will recognise that it's a very unusual occurence that Bittern and I agree on anything!

 

[sprinterguy]

That's a nice photo sprinterguy, but not, I would venture to add, as nice as mine in terms of subject matter. Look at that lovely steam rising into the cold February Thurso air! What a welcoming site.

Well, that goes without saying ; I can think of few railway experiences I would rather enjoy than a 37 and a rake of steam heat mark 1s, but I of course missed out on them in active service. Fortunately, on select days on the West Highland, it's still possible to enjoy steam heat mark 1s, even if there isn't a 37 at the head of it:

 

[4SRKT]

Well, that goes without saying ; I can think of few railway experiences I would rather enjoy than a 37 and a rake of steam heat mark 1s, but I of course missed out on them in active service. Fortunately, on select days on the West Highland, it's still possible to enjoy steam heat mark 1s, even if there isn't a 37 at the head of it:

Do WCRC have a tractor on standby at Fort William in case the kettle overboils? Some sort of kettle sabotage the day you are planning to go could well be in order. Obviously would be ETH so not quite the same. Or alternatively, wait until Sir Lamiel is rostered and it'll probably sabotage itself (and lots more besides) @Bittern

40135 had its boiler working at the ELR on Saturday. Looked great but I can't say I felt a lot of warmth coming through the stock from it. Ah well, this was often the case anyway, and ETH was no bad thing really.

 

[Moog_1984]

Well, that goes without saying ; I can think of few railway experiences I would rather enjoy than a 37 and a rake of steam heat mark 1s, but I of course missed out on them in active service. Fortunately, on select days on the West Highland, it's still possible to enjoy steam heat mark 1s, even if there isn't a 37 at the head of it:

I did about 10,000 miles on steam heat 37s, a lot of it on the WHL at 35mph! Good thrash but a bit og a waste of locos with so much wear and tear on tyres, Power units etc. 37/4s were much better suited with the lower gearing.

Better view out of mrk Is or IIs if you ask me and more space all round.

Did you know they fudged the outgoing Loco hauled timetable to make sprinters look faster? when they were actually 20 to 30 minutes slower to Oban and 40 minutes slower to Ft. Bill? They added 40 minutes to Dumbarton-QS timetable when 37s were on the way out.

For the tour glasgow-oban I prefer the bus to the plastic! It is a more scenic route to Oban. Ft Bill I could take plastic if I didn't have a car.

Oban - Mallaig Summer Heritage thrash with some 37's, 26s, 27s and 20s' anyone ?

 

[sprinterguy]

Do WCRC have a tractor on standby at Fort William in case the kettle overboils? Some sort of kettle sabotage the day you are planning to go could well be in order. Obviously would be ETH so not quite the same. Or alternatively, wait until Sir Lamiel is rostered and it'll probably sabotage itself (and lots more besides) @Bittern

40135 had its boiler working at the ELR on Saturday. Looked great but I can't say I felt a lot of warmth coming through the stock from it. Ah well, this was often the case anyway, and ETH was no bad thing really.

There is indeed a standby tractor typically stabled at Fort William during the Jacobite season, but sabotaging a Black Five would be a heinous act in my view, if the substitute were only electric heat! I can't imagine that there's many 37s or 47s registered for main line use that still have their steam heat boilers in situ (let alone operational). I'm always surprised when I come across the occasional preserved diesel providing steam heat (40135 is a flippin' beast for being an active steam heat whistler!).

 

[90019]

When I see a ScotRail 156 roll up, I know I'm going to get to where I'm going and I'm probably going to get there in warmth and comfort.

I don't

The last time I was on a 156, it was -12 outside, there was no heating and one of the doors kept getting stuck open. The train was eventually terminated at Stirling, being almost 30 mins late by this point.

 

[Blindtraveler]

those of us north of the border should have a meet on those next year!

 

[sprinterguy]

I don't

The last time I was on a 156, it was -12 outside, there was no heating and one of the doors kept getting stuck open. The train was eventually terminated at Stirling, being almost 30 mins late by this point.

From the reports that were coming in on this forum at the time, it seemed as though the 156s were one of the few constituents of the Scotrail fleet still operating and having a bash at it in the adverse conditions, while the majority of the much newer 170s were sulking in their depots wailing for a hot water bottle and a warm blanket!