Is it bad, or does it deserve it?

[P156KWJ]

I know of two nicknames for 153s:
Flying Bricks, and Dog Boxes (and some people refer to them as bubble cars). Are the former 2 cruel and rude to these single coach units, or do you hate them so much you like it that way??

 

[Max]

At the end of the day, trains don't really have feelings (sorry Thomas fans )

 

[Kneedown]

Every single derogatory name that can be thought of (how about "Sardine tin" or "Iron Lung"?) is more than apt for these horrendous creations!

They couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, the cabs are horrendous and tinny beyond all proportion, and they nearly always end up wedged to the eyeballs, they're ugly, smelly, cold in Winter and stifling in Summer, they leak in the rain, they're draughty, they're falling to bits, and it is a disgrace that, in a supposedly modern Country, in the 21st century, these things are running around.

I've always believed that they are part of a deeper conspiracy to 142's look GOOD!

 

[1D53]

I dont mind them but still use the nicknames. If you like 90's doesnt mean you cant call them Skodas etc.

 

[Dennis]

Bricks - as heavy and aerodynamic as.

Rivetted bodywork on these - what's that all about then? Thought rivets were abolished in the sixties.

 

[me123]

Was going to bring the youtube song again, but it seems he's had copyright issues...

"All by myself... Just a 153..."

 

[16CSVT2700]

They're also known as Scuds I believe, You're fine until the engine cuts out.

 

[Respite]

Well I think My feelings towards 153's has already been mentioned!!!

I HATE THEM!!


As for names, "Scuds" is what we normally call them or "Skate", due to their habit of locking up & sliding all the while. "Dogbox","arthur unit", "Flying flea", "Drum machine" (due to the wheel flats they all have, see skate above.) ,"Baby shed", "**** heap", "Driver compactor" (#2 end), "Canton tape dispenser" (they are held together with all singing all dancing Canton tape, fixes 101 faults (just not the one that you have right now) ). "Bus", "scratch & sniff unit" (They always seem to stink, maybe the damp). Actually there are loads, but I cant be arsed to type them all right now!
I would even say I would rather drive a 175 than a 153, maybe thats because I've just had four hours of driving 153's. On the plus side they don't beep at you all the while like smegging 175's.
I was H.O.W line tonight, 153327 on the down, what a frickin shed! Draughty from corridor connection, It rode like a bag of squids & had no power whatsoever. Couldnt even maintain the 75mph linespeed past Marsh brook SB & thats downhill!
However I had 153303 on the way back & credit where credit is due this one was good for a scud.

If My post sounds a bit , blame the four hours squished in a 153 cab tonight.

 

[Gizmogle]

...it's a train. I don't think the train cares if people call it names.

I don't think they're that bad anyway.

 

[Techniquest]

Those names aren't that bad. Bloody hell, some loco classes got a lot worse. The 321s got nicknamed 'dusty bins' for no reason other than the popular TV programme at the time!

Besides, it is like GhostCav says, the cabs are tiny (especially at the former corridor connection end!), on the ATW ones the seats are too low (sometimes I can barely see through the window, the seat is that low. Most especially so on the FGW ones), some of them are almost-demic and can hardly move it seems.

On the plus side, they are very useful on things like the Heart of Wales where two carriages can't be justified most of the time. Although when a 153 turns up on a Maesteg to Gloucester through Cardiff at 1712, on its own, then you have problems.

All in all, I don't mind the 153s but I am not a fan of them. I would not say the nicknames are that bad, could be worse. I've not voted in the poll because I do not feel either answer summarises my views.

Sorry to hear you had to suffer 153327 on the Heart of Wales GhostCav. Horrid it must have been! I daresay you won't moan so much about a 175 now!

 

[Respite]

Sorry to hear you had to suffer 153327 on the Heart of Wales GhostCav. Horrid it must have been! I daresay you won't moan so much about a 175 now!

Well not until they make me drive a 175 again anyhow!!hock:

Third night on the trot with the heart of wales for me tonight (Good in the fact its a 5 hour job!! yay). Anyway 153362 (Dylan Thomas) on the down, what a shed again. It took notch 6 on the power before it would move (If anyone didnt know, 7 is flat out). It didn't even have the usual 153 problem of one sticking bogie brake cylinder, this normally holds them back at getting away.
Once again the returning unit from Llanwrytd was a lot better, 153320. It had to be caned to get anything out of it, but once it was up in notch 7 it went quite well for a 153.
150's are awesome on the HOW line, it's what should be used ideally all the time. Two cummins diesels for a start, no more failing in the middle of nowhere after trying to refill the engine coolant from the toilet header tank has failed, (yes 153's have this feature, quite a neat idea in principle). It's not like theres any assisting units around if you do fail. Oh & the sanders on the 150's make things a lot better with the many request stops/speed changes/driver operated road crossings & AOCL's.

 

[Techniquest]

Ugh, 153362. I do feel sorry for you. Not had 320 for a while or have any memories of it at this time, but it's not that great.

150/2s would be better on the HoW for the reasons you mention. Sanders to take off from the stops better (much less request stops these days though. In the last couple of years I believe 3 more stops are now in the timetable as complusory stops. Still enough to be annoying though!), two engines so you won't be stuck in the middle of nowhere if your engine goes out and, from a passenger eye's view plenty of capacity in case you end up randomly picking up a ton of walkers at Sugar Loaf or something.

362 must be bad off though to need power #6 to get it going! Most DMUs of that sort seem to made to get moving in 4 then the power gets knocked up to 7 (or whatever is necessary) as it goes on.

 

[Juniper Driver]

I like any train and most trains have a nickname.Arent the 150's called ice cream vans?

 

[driver9000]

I dont mind driving 153s, its the same with any type of traction some will be better than others. the exATN units we have seem to be far superior to the exFNW examples - I drove one of those today and waiting for the brakes to release was painful!

I prefer to drive them from the No.2 (small) end as there seems to be more legroom, and I dont catch my knees on the flap that covers the horn & wiper isolation cocks. I have had experience of seats that are fitted too low, I had the seat wound all the way to the top & still was only just above the gauges - and Im 6ft!!, all the fitter wrote was "Seat is fitted correctly"

They are easy to get locked out of though

 

[O L Leigh]

Just to be a bit controversial, I actually prefer the Cl153's to the Cl150's.

You get a lighter, airier saloon on a Scud with the external doors properly screened off to reduce drafts. I just can't abide the door and window arrangement on Cl150's, and the seating arrangements they've had in the past means that there are some really dingy corners (may still be as bad now). I also found that the engine noise seems to resonate more inside the saloon on a Cl150 when the driver's giving it the beans which is less than pleasant on the long 75mph drag across the Fens from Ely to Peterborough.

I would actually go so far as to say that I don't think the Scuds are so very far off the level of the Cl156's. The only thing I don't much go for are the metal strips inside the saloon which cover up the panel joins and the muck that accumulates inside the lighting diffusers (but that's a cleaning and presentation issue rather than a train fault). I have to confess that I was very disappointed when I last rode a Cl156 and comparing this experience to how I remember them when they were new. They really need better internal lighting and paler panel surfaces.

one TN

 

[Kneedown]

Three of the things blew up on EMT yesterday, and that was only in the morning!, one of them catching fire at Langford. Had to give it a shove to Newark Northgate!

Will the mods let me vote again cause i despise them so much? :razz:

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I personally prefer 153's over 150's lol. I've always quite liked 153s because they're quite a funny unit to ride on as **** as they are. Don't quite know why!