GWR Class 158 Middle Cab

[Milo's Trains]

Does the cab in the middle still have controls or do not, and is it used as a guards area or does the 3rd coach decouple sometimes and run as a 2 car unit? Are the couplers changed in the middle or are they the same diesel ones and finally is the cab even used now?

 

[tiptoptaff]

Does the cab in the middle still have controls or do not, and is it used as a guards area or does the 3rd coach decouple sometimes and run as a 2 car unit? Are the couplers changed in the middle or are they the same diesel ones and finally is the cab even used now?

I wouldn't say they're "fully operational" cabs as the depots nick bits, but they are fully equipped, standard cabs.

They are reformed in to 2s and 3s every so often, using the redundant middle cabs as necessary

 

[Doomotron]

I'm pretty sure some kind of 'adapter' is used as the end gangways are at a different height to the gangways within a unit. I'm not certain though.

 

[Milo's Trains]

I'm pretty sure some kind of 'adapter' is used as the end gangways are at a different height to the gangways within a unit. I'm not certain though.

thanks

 

[Snow1964]

The middle cabs do not have yellow panels, so cannot be used as a reform without part repainting.

They are effectively a bodge that has become long term, due to insufficient numbers of 3car units being ordered about 35 years ago

 

[tiptoptaff]

thanks, also how would i change my username?

No idea

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Feb 2025 ==

The middle cabs do not have yellow panels, so cannot be used as a reform without part repainting

They do. A lot of them do. Just very heavily dirty ones.

 

[Milo's Trains]

The middle cabs do not have yellow panels, so cannot be used as a reform without part repainting

yes they do have yellow.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Feb 2025 ==

 

[Towers]

The middle cabs do not have yellow panels, so cannot be used as a reform without part repainting.

They are effectively a bodge that has become long term, due to insufficient numbers of 3car units being ordered about 35 years ago

They certainly do! They might be a tad grubby, but they’re painted in exactly the same way as the other cab ends.

 

[themiller]

Does the cab in the middle still have controls or do not, and is it used as a guards area or does the 3rd coach decouple sometimes and run as a 2 car unit? Are the couplers changed in the middle or are they the same diesel ones and finally is the cab even used now?

If I remember correctly, the couplers on the non-driving ends are different in that the latter don’t have the electrical connection box so, if a single car is removed, it would be done at a depot.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If I remember correctly, the couplers on the non-driving ends are different in that the latter don’t have the electrical connection box so, if a single car is removed, it would be done at a depot.

You also need a gangway adapter as the internal gangways on a 158 are wider than the end ones (unlike Classes 150, 155 and 156 where they are the same).

 

[fgwrich]

The middle cabs do not have yellow panels, so cannot be used as a reform without part repainting.

They are effectively a bodge that has become long term, due to insufficient numbers of 3car units being ordered about 35 years ago

Only Northern has done this with their recent Hybrid 150 conversions. GWR has, somewhat sensibly, remained the same.

 

[Juniper Driver]

thanks, also how would i change my username?

Best ask the mods I would guess.

 

[swt_passenger]

Best ask the mods I would guess.

It’s already been changed.