First Class 156 up for disposal

[Towers]

Of course politics and paperwork are both endless hurdles, but overall it really would be quite something if a perfectly serviceable DMU leaves frontline use at the same time other TOCs are routinely cancelled scheduled services as they simply don’t have enough trains if it isn’t a good day on the maintenance front. Really sums up a few of the pitfalls of a deeply fragemented railway!

 

[380101]

What is the reason Scotrail handed it back?

Leasing cost maybe, or has it proven unreliable after it's rebuild?

It was the most reliable 156 in the fleet after Brodie Engineering rebuilt it. I was Always happy to drive it over the Springburn refurbished units.

The leasing costs for 156 478 from Brodies to ScotRail were £18,000 per month. Not sure what Angel charge them for their 156s, but I'd imagine it is similar.

 

[Bikeman78]

The four at Ely didn't go to Northern as they're owned by a different leasing company from the other ex-EMR units (Angel instead of Porterbrook).

Didn't they come from Northern years ago? I think as part of the four car west of Nottingham plan. The 37s on the Cumbrian coast replaced them. I could have made all this up!

 

[Townsend Hook]

They’re not PRM but are CET fitted. NR have acquired a few CET fitted Mark 2 TSOs from DRS, which are presumably to replace the hired ex-sleeper vehicles.

The DBSOs used in the ultrasonic sets have had CET toilets fitted, the sleeper vehicles were to provide cover while that work was undertaken and are more or less just brake runners now until they go off hire, which my colleagues on that team suggest is imminent. The ex-DRS Mk2s are simply used as brake runners, the toilets aboard them aren’t used.

 

[DanNCL]

Didn't they come from Northern years ago? I think as part of the four car west of Nottingham plan. The 37s on the Cumbrian coast replaced them. I could have made all this up!

They did but it was long before the 37s appeared on the Cumbrian Coast. I seem to recall it was linked to the Oldham Loop closing for conversion to Metrolink.

 

[Towers]

Any news on this yet?

 

[skyhigh]

Any news on this yet?

Auction ends 06/12.

 

[warwickshire]

Didn't they come from Northern years ago? I think as part of the four car west of Nottingham plan. The 37s on the Cumbrian coast replaced them. I could have made all this up!

This was something else, The x9 Class turbostars 170301 to 170309 two car units transfer to Chiltern railways from Transpennie Express which happened in two batches, involving the first batch of five, which left Transpennie Express short of four x 185 units in total, However Transpennie Express at the time hired in Four x 156s from Northern on, Of what I can Remember on the Blackpool North to Manchester Airport route, which in turn left Northern short for the Lancaster to Carlisle via Workington line from 156s, x 4 which then in turn led to Locomotive hauled on the above Cumbrian line services.

 

[Mat17]

Those are fair points. I wouldn’t say 153s (in terms of the base units rather than the equipment fitted to them) have been tremendously successful for Network Rail in terms of reliability, with at least one route having barred them from being operated as single units, so I could see a two-car unit being tempting from a redundancy point of view. This 156 does also come with the benefit that it already has a CET toilet fitted, for the driver and the on train technicians if it ran with any (the TRU needs OTTs aboard, the 153s don’t). While it is a different design to the TRU and the 153s, it’s similar enough that driver conversion at least wouldn’t take long. I’m not necessarily saying an IM conversion is likely, just that it’s a possibility.

I wonder if the 155s will follow the 153s to NR in time?

Easier than a 156 perhaps? Just a thought.

 

[Towers]

Auction ends 06/12.

Ah yes!

 

[m79900]

LSL do seem to like the scenic Scottish routes which would be perfect for this unit. I just can't see how a charter company or heritage line will get much interest in a 156 whilst there are hundreds in service every day

To be fair, I'm sure Mr Hosking could easily afford to fit it with brand new 3d printed Ashbournes, so that would sort the problem of it looking too modern.

 

[Bikeman78]

This was something else, The x9 Class turbostars 170301 to 170309 two car units transfer to Chiltern railways from Transpennie Express which happened in two batches, involving the first batch of five, which left Transpennie Express short of four x 185 units in total, However Transpennie Express at the time hired in Four x 156s from Northern on, Of what I can Remember on the Blackpool North to Manchester Airport route, which in turn left Northern short for the Lancaster to Carlisle via Workington line from 156s, x 4 which then in turn led to Locomotive hauled on the above Cumbrian line services.

Yes that makes sense. Thanks.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

A few weeks ago (likely 6/12/2023) I noticed the 156 had been sold.

This Item Has Been Sold via Make Offer

Sorry for the delay in mentioning it here, I thought I already had!

I assume noone's noticed it moving.

 

[diligentdave]

A few weeks ago (likely 6/12/2023) I noticed the 156 had been sold.

Sorry for the delay in mentioning it here, I thought I already had!

I assume noone's noticed it moving.

Won't be going anywhere for a bit. It's going to have a C6 and refresh.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Can't seem to get the above link to work, where is it off to once the above work has been completed

 

[bnsf734]

Won't be going anywhere for a bit. It's going to have a C6 and refresh.

Does this mean its heading to Northern?

 

[diligentdave]

Does this mean its heading to Northern?

 

[JModulo]

Won't be going anywhere for a bit. It's going to have a C6 and refresh.

Obviously it would make it non standard in the Northern fleet, but would be a shame if it lost its 240v sockets.

 

[simon7929]

Does this unit have the same seats that are fitted to the 5 ex Scotrail sets based at Heaton?

 

[JModulo]

Does this unit have the same seats that are fitted to the 5 ex Scotrail sets based at Heaton?

Yes.

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @D365 to update

 

[D365]

Thanks @Cowley

I’m 12 months late, but I thought it would be worth updating this thread.

Rail Magazine confirms that 156478 is now operated by Northern Trains:

Ex-ScotRail 156478 has moved to Northern, whose livery it now sports after an overhaul carried out by Brodie Rail Engineering.

On July 8, it was collected by 156487 and moved from Kilmarnock to Heaton, via Airdrie and Bathgate.

Brodie Engineering said it was “delighted to announce a five-year agreement with Northern for the lease of 156478”.

The two-car diesel multiple unit was delivered to BR in February 1989. In October 2000 it derailed near Craig, in Dumfries & Galloway. Then in December 2014, it was seriously damaged by floodwater near Mauchline, also in Galloway.

After this latter incident, it was written off by owner Angel Trains, but was acquired by Brodie Rail Engineering in Kilmarnock and repaired, to then be leased back directly to ScotRail from October 2016.

In May 2022, ScotRail ended that lease and it was effectively acquired by Porterbrook, when it acquired Brodie.

It’s not stated explicitly, but the article implies that Brodie still owns 478. Platform 5 (2024 Edition) says the same.

 

[The_Train]

Thanks @Cowley

I’m 12 months late, but I thought it would be worth updating this thread.

Rail Magazine confirms that 156478 is now operated by Northern Trains:



It’s not stated explicitly, but the article implies that Brodie still owns 478. Platform 5 (2024 Edition) says the same.

Thanks for the update. Great to see the unit getting a new lease of life

 

[D6130]

Thanks for the update. Great to see the unit getting a new lease of life

Has anyone seen it in service yet? To which depot is it allocated?

 

[Killingworth]

Has anyone seen it in service yet? To which depot is it allocated?

Seems to have been out and about today to Carlisle and now back at Heaton; https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G33078/2025-07-25/detailed

 

[D6130]

Seems to have been out and about today to Carlisle and now back at Heaton; https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G33078/2025-07-25/detailed

Thanks.

 

[WarrenTManager]

Thanks @Cowley

I’m 12 months late, but I thought it would be worth updating this thread.

Rail Magazine confirms that 156478 is now operated by Northern Trains:



It’s not stated explicitly, but the article implies that Brodie still owns 478. Platform 5 (2024 Edition) says the same.

As Brodies is partly Porterbrook does that mean it passed to them to look after?

 

[380101]

As Brodies is partly Porterbrook does that mean it passed to them to look after?

Brodie Engineering own the unit outright. They have experience of rolling stock leasing with 478, given they leased it to ScotRail for several years after they rebuilt it.

Porterbrook only have a 49% share in Brodie Engineering.