London Midland Class 153s

[adrock1976]

Yesterday (19 November), I was on a trip in the West Midlands PTE area. During the course of the day, I made my way to Coventry to see what was on the Nuneaton shuttle. As it was a Saturday, I believe it is normally a pair of dogboxes that do the shuttle, however it was just a lone one (153375).

This got me thinking here slightly – there is 1 on the Nuneaton shuttle, I did not see any in the open when passing Tyseley Depot earlier on in the day, I believe that 2 singles are used on the Bletchley – Bedford Midland (with the third diagram being a Class 150).


The question is this: Where on earth are the other 5 LM dogboxes? It seems rather puzzling to me, or perhaps that is the whole idea of it all.

 

[MCR247]

Running around attached to 170/5s on Rugely and Hereford runs I imagine

 

[Great_Western]

There's deffinatley a few 153's diagramed to work with 170's on Hereford services out of New Street. On weekdays there tends to be a few stabled at Worcester, also.

 

[Kite159]

Yesterday (19 November), I was on a trip in the West Midlands PTE area. During the course of the day, I made my way to Coventry to see what was on the Nuneaton shuttle. As it was a Saturday, I believe it is normally a pair of dogboxes that do the shuttle, however it was just a lone one (153375).

This got me thinking here slightly – there is 1 on the Nuneaton shuttle, I did not see any in the open when passing Tyseley Depot earlier on in the day, I believe that 2 singles are used on the Bletchley – Bedford Midland (with the third diagram being a Class 150).


The question is this: Where on earth are the other 5 LM dogboxes? It seems rather puzzling to me, or perhaps that is the whole idea of it all.

Bletchley - Bedford services only use 1x 153 & 1x 150

As Great_Western mentioned, there is normally a few stabled in the Worcester triangle.

Weekdays I believe there is one/two Hereford services which are a 150+153 & 170+153

 

[MCR247]

Think the weekday working is just a 150. There might still be a 153+170 diagram on the snow hill side as well

 

[DarloRich]

Yesterday (19 November), I was on a trip in the West Midlands PTE area. During the course of the day, I made my way to Coventry to see what was on the Nuneaton shuttle. As it was a Saturday, I believe it is normally a pair of dogboxes that do the shuttle, however it was just a lone one (153375).

This got me thinking here slightly – there is 1 on the Nuneaton shuttle, I did not see any in the open when passing Tyseley Depot earlier on in the day, I believe that 2 singles are used on the Bletchley – Bedford Midland (with the third diagram being a Class 150).


The question is this: Where on earth are the other 5 LM dogboxes? It seems rather puzzling to me, or perhaps that is the whole idea of it all.

We have 1 x 150 and 1 x 153 on the Marston vale. Or several x bus when it breaks! Is Coventry - Nueaton also not just 1 x 153?

The others seem to tagged onto the back of various cross Brum trains for most of the day with i assume 1 on maintenance and on spare?

 

[HLE]

Think there is 5 or 6 diagrams daily with a couple of them used to strengthen the peak services around Birmingham.

Usually 1 or 2 spare/on maintenance at Tyseley although this isn't fact just what's been said in the past.

The bag of nails that is 334 seems to spend a fair amount of its time in the depot.

 

[adrock1976]

Many thanks for the replies.

I was simply in the wrong place on the wrong day at the wrong time.

Of note, I only require 4 of the LM dogboxes for haulage, so I will continue to keep a look out for them.

I have on a couple of occasions seen one attached to a Class 172 or 170 on the GWR metals on Mondays to Fridays, plus one attached to a Class 150 on the Birmingham NS - Hereford run.

Even though if the Coventry - Nuneaton shuttle turns out to be dud (as was the case for me on Saturday), I still require a lot of Class 350s for haulage, therefore it is unlikely I will leave Coventry empty handed.

Furthermore, am I right in thinking that it is normally a pair of dogboxes on the COV - NUN shuttle on Saturdays, or is that a construct in my mind?

 

[HLE]

No you're correct it's usually 2, but with the time of the year and wheelflats being more common, the units will theoretically need more time on depot. Bedworth alone is like a skating rink at this time of year, if the treatment train hasn't been through and worked its magic. And that's with a linespeed of 45mph so I hate to think what happens when they're bolted onto a 170 on the Birmingham routes. They slide on the way in, and slip on the way out!

Also worth noting a 150 special was operated on Saturday from Kidderminster to Bedford so it would have been prudent to keep a 153 spare in its place.

 

[adrock1976]

Thanks for confirming that my mind is not playing tricks on me.

 

[DarloRich]

No you're correct it's usually 2, but with the time of the year and wheelflats being more common, the units will theoretically need more time on depot. Bedworth alone is like a skating rink at this time of year, if the treatment train hasn't been through and worked its magic. And that's with a linespeed of 45mph so I hate to think what happens when they're bolted onto a 170 on the Birmingham routes. They slide on the way in, and slip on the way out!

Also worth noting a 150 special was operated on Saturday from Kidderminster to Bedford so it would have been prudent to keep a 153 spare in its place.

the 153's on the Vale have terrible flats at this time of year.

 

[185143]

I was on 153366 on a Rugeley diagram on saturday. 153375 was indeed on the Coventry-Nuneaton. I left on the 16:42 which was F+S, the scud also had horrendous wheelflats

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[HLE]

I was on 153366 on a Rugeley diagram on saturday. 153375 was indeed on the Coventry-Nuneaton. I left on the 16:42 which was F+S, the scud also had horrendous wheelflats

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

375's wheelflats were made worse the previous morning (the unit wasn't swapped overnight on Friday) - t'was a tad slippy, even at Arena on Friday morning. Unit was just sliding into Bedworth before the treatment train went through.

 

[Townsend Hook]

375's wheelflats were made worse the previous morning (the unit wasn't swapped overnight on Friday) - t'was a tad slippy, even at Arena on Friday morning. Unit was just sliding into Bedworth before the treatment train went through.

Didn't notice any wheelflats on 375 down to Hereford last night. Mind you, I might have just not been paying attention.

 

[MK Tom]

There's often a second 153 at Bletchley sidings in addition to the one on the branch in my experience.

 

[DarloRich]

There's often a second 153 at Bletchley sidings in addition to the one on the branch in my experience.

no there isnt - if you see that it means:

• Chug one has burst and a bus is running
  OR
• Chug one has burst and an emergency chug has hot footed it from Tysley

 

[Bletchleyite]

no there isnt - if you see that it means:

• Chug one has burst and a bus is running
  OR
• Chug one has burst and an emergency chug has hot footed it from Tysley

Agreed - there is never a spare unit at Bletchley if the two in normal use are working properly. This is the major cause of unreliability on the branch that needs to be solved, ideally by finding a way to keep a hot spare at Bletchley.

 

[HLE]

Didn't notice any wheelflats on 375 down to Hereford last night. Mind you, I might have just not been paying attention.

Might've had a visit to the wheel lathe in between - they were horrendous!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Agreed - there is never a spare unit at Bletchley if the two in normal use are working properly. This is the major cause of unreliability on the branch that needs to be solved, ideally by finding a way to keep a hot spare at Bletchley.

I'm sure if fleet could have one based there, they would. But the thing is that hyperthetical spare can only cover the marston vale, if one of the other units goes pop around the midlands and the nearest spare is 80 miles away...

 

[adrock1976]

Regarding the dogbox on the Bletchley - Bedford M, are they still swapped over on a weekly basis?

 

[PHILIPE]

Regarding the dogbox on the Bletchley - Bedford M, are they still swapped over on a weekly basis?

Yes. ECS to and from Tyseley on a Sunday

 

[adrock1976]

Thanks very much for confirming.

As I only require 4 for haulage (as mentioned upthread), I will most likely stick to the Birmingham and Coventry area to hunt them down in the future.