Porterbrook Class 150 gifted to Mid Hants Railway.

[UP13]

The 390 on the ‘Creighton-Ward Explorer’ had everything working from the 57.

I think the 390+57/3 combination has the same advantage that the Southern Region slamdoor EMUs had with the 73s and 33/1s. The 57/3s like the 33/1s were specifically adapted to run with those units, and in the 57/3 case do the 390 doors.

A problem with other EMUs, including the 365, is that they were never intended to be loco hauled in passenger service nor were any subsequent diesels adapted to run with them.

Any adaptation for a locomotive to operate the doors etc would require building a new system from scratch. Many heritage railways are struggling to pay the bills at the moment...

 

[D365]

Porterbrook are trying to get a non diesel 455 unit preserved, but the diesel powered 150s equivalent will be easier to preserve.

Can you elaborate on ”Porterbrook are trying to get a 455 preserved”?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Porterbrook are trying to get a non diesel 455 unit preserved, but the diesel powered 150s equivalent will be easier to preserve.

Is this the same preservation attempt mentioned elsewhere on this forum for 455 868?

 

[nanstallon]

...I agree and I think one or two of the 150/1's would be appropriate for the SVR - I think the earliest use of 150/1's in the West Midlands was when British Rail Provincial introduced them to a Birmingham - Cardiff Service that was routed via Stourbridge Junction and Kidderminster rather than the Lickey.

...

I remember many years ago 150001 working on the SVR all the way to Bridgnorth, as part of a diesel weekend. It was greatly appreciated.

 

[sad1e]

Hopefully they'll keep the 150 mainline certified, it would be interesting to see them do a railtour with it every once in a while , Would probably bring in quite a bit of extra money too.

 

[43096]

Hopefully they'll keep the 150 mainline certified, it would be interesting to see them do a railtour with it every once in a while , Would probably bring in quite a bit of extra money too.

Running a 2-car 150 on a tour is not going to bring in quite a bit of extra money. More likely it will lose a substantial amount.

 

[Class15]

Running a 2-car 150 on a tour is not going to bring in quite a bit of extra money. More likely it will lose a substantial amount.

LSL seem to manage it with a pacer?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

LSL seem to manage it with a pacer?

They've only ran 1 tour and they was a year ago, I'm still waiting for something
Also they do have a 2nd 142 at Eastleigh, meaning they'll be able to form 4 carriages together once it's ready.

 

[Bertie the bus]

They've only ran 1 tour and they was a year ago, I'm still waiting for something

2 years ago and there is no evidence LSL made quite a bit of extra money from it. Even if they did there are so many differences between LSL and the Mid Hants it doesn't follow that they would make any money running tours using their Sprinter.

 

[xotGD]

A 2-car 150 would be more than enough space for all of those who would wish to pay to have one on a railtour. These are among the worst trains still operating on the national network.

 

[UP13]

LSL seem to manage it with a pacer?

I suspect they knowingly and happily made a loss on it.

 

[s491]

I suspect they knowingly and happily made a loss on it.

I was about to reply but you saved me the bother

 

[Invincible]

I remember many years ago 150001 working on the SVR all the way to Bridgnorth, as part of a diesel weekend. It was greatly appreciated.

The Swanage railway diesel gala had a rail tour linked to the LU 4TC, but this year had the 4VEP which not not mainline. passenger certified, and the Hastings unit has had rail tours to MHR galas.
When the MHR Hampshire Unit is restored could release the 150 to do mainline railtours and appearances at diesel galas?

But generally diesel galas feature large diesel locos, so a DMU or EMU is a side show.

 

[UP13]

The Swanage railway diesel gala had a rail tour linked to the LU 4TC, but this year had the 4VEP which not not mainline. passenger certified, and the Hastings unit has had rail tours to MHR galas.
When the MHR Hampshire Unit is restored could release the 150 to do mainline railtours and appearances at diesel galas?

But generally diesel galas feature large diesel locos, so a DMU or EMU is a side show.

A two car class 150 will not be able to do railtours. The costs will far outweigh any money it will bring in.

Also a Class 150 will have limited appeal.

It's purpose is to provide a cheap early morning service, provide a non-steam option that doesn't require the existing coaches and to ease the pressure on Hammy.

It will have a niche at diesel galas in due time I suspect, but it will be road hauled or dragged.

 

[Invincible]

Also a Class 150 will have limited appeal.

Agree, but as 150s and 455s get withdrawn, the appeal of preserved 150s and 455s will increase to those who used them. Especially if only one example of each gets preserved? The 150 is easier to preserve as a working unit and as 2 car easier to store, we don't currently know what will happen to the last 455 4 car unit? From the SWR Metro fleet withdrawals thread someone has made a bid for it?

 

[duffield]

A few days ago I did feel that riding up and down the Penistone line on a 150, on a warm sunny day with all the windows open had quite a heritage vibe to it.

Also, although preservation purists wouldn't like it, I wonder if some preserved 150s could be modified to allow a through-cab view as per first generation DMUs? I think that would make them a more attractive prospect (to me, and to the general public).

 

[m79900]

Out of interest, is there anywhere that has the old 'Ashbourne' seats in storage to return Sprinters to original interior? To be fair, I'm sure these days they could be 3D printed easily enough.

 

[fgwrich]

Out of interest, is there anywhere that has the old 'Ashbourne' seats in storage to return Sprinters to original interior? To be fair, I'm sure these days they could be 3D printed easily enough.

Northern has plenty of 150s with the original Ashbourne seats in but, unless you are serious about restoring it back to an as built condition (you’d have to get around the PSVR robo-bog), why would you want to remove the flexibility that the Wales and West / Wessex layout brings? It is better for families and groups with its 2+2 seating and tables.

 

[UP13]

Agree, but as 150s and 455s get withdrawn, the appeal of preserved 150s and 455s will increase to those who used them. Especially if only one example of each gets preserved? The 150 is easier to preserve as a working unit and as 2 car easier to store, we don't currently know what will happen to the last 455 4 car unit? From the SWR Metro fleet withdrawals thread someone has made a bid for it?

It will appeal to some, myself included. It just won't appeal to enough people to make it economical to go mainline, especially with only 149 seats.

 

[43096]

It will appeal to some, myself included. It just won't appeal to enough people to make it economical to go mainline, especially with only 149 seats.

As the TfW 150s have 2+2 seats capacity is only 108 seats with 6 tip-up. So that makes it an utter basket case for mainline tours on its own. No catering, no first class - it’s not exactly an enticing option for a day out other than a very small minority of people who like them.

I am astonished at how many think it would make money!

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I am astonished at how many think it would make money!

Has a 150 ever been profitable ?

 

[s491]

Has a 150 ever been profitable ?

Depends how you look at it. For a TOC, very as they're relatively cheap to lease and maintain.

 

[43096]

Has a 150 ever been profitable ?

Depends how you look at it. For a TOC, very as they're relatively cheap to lease and maintain.

And I bet the owners have made a profit out of them!

 

[TheLancsNinja]

A two car class 150 will not be able to do railtours. The costs will far outweigh any money it will bring in.

Also a Class 150 will have limited appeal.

It's purpose is to provide a cheap early morning service, provide a non-steam option that doesn't require the existing coaches and to ease the pressure on Hammy.

It will have a niche at diesel galas in due time I suspect, but it will be road hauled or dragged.

You say that, but LSL ran a tour with their 142 and it sold out very quickly, so there probably would be a market for it - whether it turns a profit is a different question, but I would certainly be interested if they did!

 

[The exile]

You say that, but LSL ran a tour with their 142 and it sold out very quickly, so there probably would be a market for it - whether it turns a profit is a different question, but I would certainly be interested if they did!

Ah - but to do a food comparison, a Pacer rail tour is Marmite, a Sprinter is margarine. No one really objects to margarine - but who is inspired by it? I’m sure I’d have hated to have to commute on Pacers day in day out but as a rail tour experience give me one over a sprinter any day.

 

[StephenHunter]

I've never done a Pacer myself as a Londoner. I'd do a heritage line ride rather than a full tour though.

 

[Class450/4DES]

Are there any updates on when 150231 is coming to the MHR?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

A few days ago I did feel that riding up and down the Penistone line on a 150, on a warm sunny day with all the windows open had quite a heritage vibe to it.

Also, although preservation purists wouldn't like it, I wonder if some preserved 150s could be modified to allow a through-cab view as per first generation DMUs? I think that would make them a more attractive prospect (to me, and to the general public).

Not sure about 150s as it's a good few weeks since I've been on one, but Pacers have (or had) glass panels in the cab doors which were given an opaque laminate coating quite early on. If the laminate was removed then you'd have a forward view, but you'd have to stand in the vestibule to look through it.

If you could engineer something with a 150 you'd also need to change the seating layout, as there's currently seats with their back to the bulkhead wall. There's also a fair old gap between the passenger saloon and the cab, and two internal walls in the way- so it'd be a big job to provide a "heritage" style forward view. Cameras and screens would be easier and cheaper, or even do away with the screens and broadcast the camera feed using on-board WiFi which passengers could connect to with their phones.

 

[KevinBrum12]

Depends how you look at it. For a TOC, very as they're relatively cheap to lease and maintain.

For BR, they brought the subsidy down for "Other Provincial Services" as they were cheaper and easier to maintain and were not as heavy on the track as the loco hauled consists. Plus shiny new trains = extra bums on seats (especially if the predecessor was grotty).

 

[D365]

There's also a fair old gap between the passenger saloon and the cab, and two internal walls in the way- so it'd be a big job to provide a "heritage" style forward view. Cameras and screens would be easier and cheaper, or even do away with the screens and broadcast the camera feed using on-board WiFi which passengers could connect to with their phones.

It would be impossible as there’s electrical equipment behind the drivers desk. Forward-facing cameras would be the solution as you suggest.