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Class 150s in the North East?


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Does anyone have any record of Class 150s making it over to the North East in Provincial/RR livery? I know they have done more recently in Northern Rail guise.

 

I've seen the odd photo of Classes 155 and 153 around Newcastle during the 1990s, but never a 150.

 

Cheers,

 

Liam

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When I lived in the Durham area in the mid 90’s the only units I used to see on a regular basis were Class 142’s, 143’s, 153’s and 158’s.  Class 153’s were quite common in the North East as I used see them on a regular basis and Regional Railways Class 155’s had been converted into 153’s by the late 80’s, early 90’s.  The only remaining 155’s were the WYPT ones which remained in the Leeds area.
 

I think the closest a Class 150’s got to the North East was York and possibly Scarborough.

 

 

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Following the timetable change in Spring 1987 class 150/2s took over the N Wales-Scarborough services. Quite a comedown from class 45s and mk2s!  From memory, away from the North West and W Yorks others were deployed in Scotland working off Haymarket and down in the S Wales area. On that basis if would have been unlikely that they made it to Newcastle. That said, I once saw a Class 144 at Manchester Victoria replacing a failed 47-hauled service on a Sunday Newcastle-Liverpool so perhaps its not impossible, although less likely on the ECML given their top speed, that something similar happened northwards with a 150!

 

Simon

Edited by 65179
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150/1’s spent their early days from DY and mostly around the midlands. They were rare to spot anywhere beyond middle earth at the begining.

 

It took a few years to reach Manchester, when they did, they were separated and had 150/2 cars inserted to make them 3 car, at that point they got the same livery as the 150/2’s.

 

The first ever passenger carrying visit of a 150/2 to the Midlands was a railtour, from Ramsbottom to Kidderminster over Christmas 1988 iirc. 150201 was lead unit + 2 others, out and back via the Bury DC line, organised by Victoria Travel and promoted as such the event.
 

Never saw 150/2’s going up to Newcastle.. 47’s were still on Transpenine’s then, and 158’s supplanted them. The 150/2’s overwhelming congregated on NH initially (with only some at NL), the rest were CF and HA, largely due to the reliability mess that the 141/2/3/4 and 155 fleets were in and the various works they needed.

 

If anything Yorkshire’s units were going the other way, and WYPTE Red 155’s were often seen at Preston or Manchester Victoria class 158’s hadnt yet joined the sprinter party, but when they did Reg Railways livery was coming fast, with Network North West livery in between.

 

156’s certainly would have, they were on S&C workings in the late 80’/early 1990’s, and all over Cumbria, and a number based at NL.

 

 

Edited by adb968008
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When first introduced in 1987/88 the 150/2 were split between NL (even numbers up to 264) and NH (odd numbers up to 253). While the Newcastle TPN service remained LHS there were two additional TPN services an hour which were 150/2. These included the Scarborough services (where 150212 came to grief); I can remember 150/2 subbing the occasional LH TPN Newcastle service at Leeds I have no idea if they made it past York. Given the problems with unserviceable stock in West Yorks they were unlikely to have been allowed to stray.

 

As for 150/1 there was the hourly(ish) Nottingham to Leeds service but nothing north of Leeds.

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I've not travelled on them regularly for about 20 years, but the biggest problem with 150s is the 2/3 position doors, so the doors opening on a winter night isn't that pleasant, especially if used on services that sit for a while at major stations. Plus they had 2+3 suburban seating, which wasn't great when the units were used on long distance services. But no worse than any other 20m bodied Mk3 unit. 

 

I'd take one any day over a Pacer or a class 153. 

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8 hours ago, drjcontroller said:

Here's 150001 between Newcastle and Manors on 8/8/85, but not in passenger service, it was on a test run, but no idea what was being tested I'm afraid.

 

 

001 did a tour as both a demonstrator and test (clearance and track circuits). It spent most of the second half of August around Edinburgh and was used as a shuttle for the Haymarket open day on the last weekend.

Edited by Bomag
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They are drafty, noisy and the seats are cramped, and even when clean and newly refurbished they look cheap and nasty. Lots of unrelieved shiny plastic.  Ironically the original seats were the best, various refits since just got worse and didn't solve the problems of loose seat bases and random stabby bits of metal poking you in the leg. Worst of the lot are the ones aranged in bays, plenty of kneeroom but not enough footroom. I hate them more than Pacers, at least they were crap but quaint. 

 

I don't think they've operated in traffic in the north east as far as I can remember. 

Edited by Wheatley
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I'm quite sure that 150s have never operated in service in the North East (as opposed to Yorkshire), as by that time North East services were wholly operated by Heaton based sets which has never had an allocation of the class.

 

It's highly unlikely that the Yorkshire based units would have strayed into the North East, as the two areas local services were effectively separated by a 44 mile gap between York and Darlington which was mainly, if not fully, covered by Trans-Pennine services, the only remaining intermediate stations being Northallerton and Thirsk. At the time in question these would be generally 47 hauled, later going to 158s. Up until Newcastle depot being split for sectorisation in 1990 when I went to Intercity, I still worked the Trans-Pennines which were still 47 hauled - I never learned the 158s as these didn't come in until after the split.

 

In the unlikely event that a Yorkshire based 150 did stray north of York, it still couldn't have strayed far as, with none being based in the area, no North East crews were trained on them.

 

adb968008 commented that 156s would have worked in the North East as NL based sets did S&C workings.They do regularly work in the area as Heaton received it's own allocation of the class from around 1988 and it was this that led to the 143s being transfered away. Heaton's original Pacer allocation was all 25 of the 143 class only with no 142s. With the need for fewer Pacers when the 156s came, rather than split the small class of 143s they were all transfered away to Wales and replaced by a smaller allocation of 142s.

Since the Glasgow / Stranraer - Newcastle through services started we also get Scotrail allocated 156s working in on those.

 

 

Edited by Ken.W
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The 150/2s were quite a shock after loco-hauled services with plenty of seats on the Scarborough services. Not enough seats in a 2 car unit and as has already been said 3+2 seating where the seats didn't like up with the windows and you inevitably chose the seat with a loose base and no legroom due to the equipment box/heater in front. That said when I lived in Nottingham  I'd have been happy to see a Class 150/1 rather than a 153 packed to the gunwales!

 

Simon

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10 minutes ago, Ken.W said:

 

In the unlikely event that a Yorkshire based 150 did stray north of York, it still couldn't have strayed far as, with none being based in the area, no North East crews were trained on them.

 

 

I think from memory York drivers might have occasionally  taken 150s to Newcastle on the evening York-Newcastle (-Heaton) & return empties for attention at Heaton depot; almost any kind of Northern unit could go on that.   Before I retired (I'm not sure whether things have changed since), York drivers signed the route from York as far as Newcastle station, but if it was a type of unit that Newcastle didn't sign (such as a 150) the York driver could take it to Heaton depot with a route conductor driver from / to Newcastle Central.  They would only be moved empty though, not in passenger service.

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7 hours ago, Bomag said:

 

001 did a tour as both a demonstrator and test (clearance and track circuits). It spent most of the second half of August around Edinburgh and was used as a shuttle for the Haymarket open day on the last weekend.

 

SInce I posted the picture, I've discovered it was being used to launch Sprinter services in the North East and in fact worked the 11:15 Newcastle - Middlesbrough service the following day. It carries a headboard which says "Sprinter Link" in connection with the launch, perhaps it should have said here are the trains you are not going to get!

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4 hours ago, Ken.W said:

... Up until Newcastle depot being split for sectorisation in 1990 when I went to Intercity, I still worked the Trans-Pennines which were still 47 hauled - I never learned the 158s as these didn't come in until after the split.

 

In the unlikely event that a Yorkshire based 150 did stray north of York, it still couldn't have strayed far as, with none being based in the area, no North East crews were trained on them.

TPE services were worked by what became RRNE/Northern Spirit/ATN from the OFQ split until 2004 when the TPE bit was hived off and the FNW and ATN franchises combined, so it's technically possible that a NL 150 could have been stepped up into a 158 TPE diagram. However, as you say, it would have required a York crew to work it out and back and it would have lost time all the way so I doubt very much it was ever done. 

Edited by Wheatley
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On 16/09/2020 at 21:12, 65179 said:

The 150/2s were quite a shock after loco-hauled services with plenty of seats on the Scarborough services. Not enough seats in a 2 car unit and as has already been said 3+2 seating where the seats didn't like up with the windows and you inevitably chose the seat with a loose base and no legroom due to the equipment box/heater in front. That said when I lived in Nottingham  I'd have been happy to see a Class 150/1 rather than a 153 packed to the gunwales!

 

Simon


153’s didnt exist until 1991...

 

This is probably the last picture of 155325..

 

155’s were generally midlands, wales and south, unless they were red. Their reach around Manchester was typically Piccadilly on Cardiffs, or WYPTE units for Leeds, went to Victoria or Preston (via Blackburn)... so a 155 at Bolton is a rare event.. this one was on its way to Southport for conversion at Steamport and emerged as 153325 and 153375, hence its one way journey via Bolton & Wigan.

 

it was the mess these units caused (firstly their tendencys for opening doors whilst moving, and later this conversion), coupling with gearboxes on 141/2/3, and delays to 158’s is probably why 150/2’s didnt get to Newcastle, as the North West was in chaos.. the 104/110 had gone, 101’s were being drafted in from anywhere and freight 31/37/47 were operating passengers services, later replaced by 31/4 and 37/4.

Edited by adb968008
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Just now, adb968008 said:


153’s didnt exist until 1991...

 

Indeed, I was just contrasting my attitude in 1987 from that in 1996-2000. I should have added a "Later" to that sentence. 

 

Simon

 

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Hello

 

    So if there were no 150s in the late 80s, or indeed any other time, in the area what units would have been used in the late 80s?

 

                                                                               Cheers

 

                                                                                                  George   

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2 hours ago, George Woodcock said:

Hello

 

    So if there were no 150s in the late 80s, or indeed any other time, in the area what units would have been used in the late 80s?

 

                                                                               Cheers

 

                                                                                                  George   


1st or 2nd generation units?  If 1st generation it would likely to be 101’s and possibly 108’s.

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6 hours ago, George Woodcock said:

Hello

 

    So if there were no 150s in the late 80s, or indeed any other time, in the area what units would have been used in the late 80s?

 

                                                                               Cheers

 

                                                                                                  George   

 

P5 has, for 1989, 14x 108 DMBS/DTCL pairs, 16 lose 101 cars; 7x 142s and all 25 143s

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On 17/09/2020 at 00:50, drjcontroller said:

 

SInce I posted the picture, I've discovered it was being used to launch Sprinter services in the North East and in fact worked the 11:15 Newcastle - Middlesbrough service the following day. It carries a headboard which says "Sprinter Link" in connection with the launch, perhaps it should have said here are the trains you are not going to get!

 

There's a bit about the two cl.150 prototypes at traintesting.com:

https://web.archive.org/web/20200221082206/http://www.traintesting.com/Class150.htm

(I've used the Wayback Machine as the site seems to be down at the moment)

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