DMU Sprinter Class 150109 and Single-Car DMU Unit Northampton Station 2017

Class 150109 'Sprinter' DMU Enters, Northampton

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

Out of service London Midland Trains DMU Class 150/1 150109 approaches Northampton from Rugby in April 2017 to pass through, non-stop, towing a one-car Super Sprinter DMU Class 153 - number unknown.

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The 137-strong Class 150 diesel multiple units, produced in three main subclasses - 150, 150/1, 150/2 and a small subclass, 150/9, consisting of two 3-car units (150/1 and 150/2 combined) for the Great Western Railway, were manufactured by BREL York between 1984 and 1987.

Class 150109 unit coach numbers are as follows: 52109  57109.

In 1984, BREL built two prototype 3-car Class 150/0 train units numbered Class 150001 and Class 150002.  The latter was fitted with a Perkins (Rolls-Royce) power unit and a self-changing-gears transmission.  At a later date the engine was changed to a Cummins engine and Voith hydraulic transmission.

Both Class 150001 and Class 150002 are still in use today in their original 3-car configuration, operating on the Reading to Basingstoke line in the new Great Western Railway green livery.

 

Although in the past a number of Class 150 dmu units were named, only three were carrying names in 2018:
150 129  Devon & Cornwall RAIL PARTNERSHIP
150 130  Severnside Community Rail Partnership
150 925  THE HEART OF WESSEX LINE

At time of writing (2018) Class 150 diesel multiple units are operated by four Train Operating Companies - Arriva Trains Wales, Great Western Railway, Northern, West Midlands Trains (formerly London Midland Trains). 

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Class 172345 3-Car London Midland Turbostar DMU Train Kidderminster 2016

Class 172345 'Turbostar' DMU Leaves Kidderminster Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

Looking sleek and shiny in the afternoon sunlight, London Midland Trains Class 172 345 Turbostar DMU allocated to TY - Tysley TMD (Birmingham) pulls away from Kidderminster railway station on a summer's day in 2016.

Class 172345 unit coach numbers are as follows: 50345  56345  79345.

This class of diesel multiple unit, seen here in the green, black and white livery of London Midland Trains, was built by Bombardier at their Derby factory between 2010 and 2011.  A total of 39 commuter train units were built - 27 for London Midland Trains, 8 for London Overground and 4 for Chiltern Railways.

This DMU photo was taken prior to visiting the adjacent Severn Valley Railway where I was lucky enough to photograph ex-Great Western Railway steam locomotive, 7802 Bradley Manor as it left the station heading towards Bridgnorth.

That same evening when it grew dark enough, I was able to take a night photo with a powerful torch of a number of milk churns stacked on a platform barrow .  

The milk churn photo is on the 'Along These Tracks' blog page - here.

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Class 153329 2-Car SuperSprinter First Great Western DMU Train St. Austell 2017

Class 153329 'SuperSprinter' DMU, St. Austell Station

         Photo:  Charles Moorhen 

First Great Western Trains DMU Class 153 329 allocated to EX - Exeter St. Davids, stands alongside the east-bound platform of St. Austell station, Cornwall, forming the front of a two-car local service about to leave for Par station in 2017.  Unfortunately, the number of the rear unit was not recorded.

Class 153329 unit coach numbers are as follows: 52329.


The sprinter Class 153 diesel multiple units were built by Leyland Bus between 1987 and 1988 as two-coach units before being converted to single-car units in 1991/92 by Hunslet-Barclay. 

The former Great Western Railway St. Austell signal box, seen in the background behind the train, closed on the 22nd March 1980.  It's future is still a matter of conjecture.

The covered lattice work station footbridge, above the rear of the two Class 153 dmu units, was built in 1859 and is a Grade II listed structure.  Regardless of this, the characteristic Great Western Railway bridge is threatened with demolition.  

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Ex GWR Steam Loco Manor Class 7802 'Bradley Manor' Severn Valley Railway 2016

Class 7802 'Bradley Manor' Steam Loco, Severn Valley Railway

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Ex-Great Western Railway steam locomotive 4-6-0 No. 7802 'Bradley Manor', pulls out of Kidderminster station, tender first, heading for Bridgnorth, on the Severn Valley Railway on the 2nd October 2016. 

 

  
Designed by Charles Collett, who was Chief Mechanical Engineer for the Great Western Railway between 1922 and 1941, 7802 was built at the GWR works at Swindon in 1938.

The locomotive worked on the Great Western Railway for 27 years, being allocated first to Old Oak Common (shed code 81A), and then Bristol Bath Road (82A), Machynlleth (89C) and finally Shrewsbury (84G), from where it was withdrawn from service in November 1965.

 

Train of Coaches Behind 7802 'Bradley Manor' About to Depart Kidderminster 
Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

They operated on most of the former G.W.R. railway system and on such secondary main lines of the former Midland & South Western Junction (M. & S.W.J.) railways.

The Manor class of steam locomotives were able to work over routes barred to the 'Halls' and 'Granges' class of loco being somewhat lighter.

In July 1966 the locomotive was sent to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Wales where it languished for thirteen years before being rescued by the 'Erlestoke Manor Fund'.

7802 'Bradley Manor' featured in the 2005 film, 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'.


Manor Class Locomotive Technical Specifications: (British Railways Classification).

Designer: C.B.Collett.
Origin: Great Western Railway.
Introduced: Jan 1938.
Purpose: Mixed Traffic.
Wheel Arrangement: 4-6-0.
Number Series: 7800 - 7829.
Driving Wheel: 5ft. 8in.
Bogie Wheel: 3ft.
Length: 61ft. 9-1/4ins.
Weight: 108 tons 18cwt.
Water Capacity: 3,600 gallons.
Cylinders: (2). 18in. x 30in.
Boiler Pressure: 225 lb. sq.in.
Tractive Effort: 27,340 lb.
Coal Capacity: 6 tons.
Power Classification: 5-MT.
Route Availability: Blue.

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Class 156411 SuperSprinter DMU Loughborough 2016 Night Photo

Class 156411 'Super Sprinter' DMU, Loughborough Train Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

This night photo of East Midlands Trains Class 156 411 2-car DMU, allocated to NM - Northampton Eastcroft, taken on a warm summer evening in August 2016 at Loughborough station, is one of my all-time favourites for a couple of reasons.

Class 156411 unit coach number are as follows: 52411  57411.

Firstly, it is the colours that were captured during the long exposure time (around half a minute). How the rich blues, reds, oranges and yellows of the East Midlands Trains livery create a vibrancy that I did not fully appreciate when I composed the picture.

Secondly, I believe that the bright, flared train headlight sets the whole image off a treat. Though, once again, I wasn't at all aware of this until I saw the final image.

In addition to all of this, I love the way the Brush Traction building, built in the 1800's, is  peeping cheekily above the cab roof of the dmu.

Constructed between 1987 and 1989 by Metro-Cammell, at Washwood Heath in the West Midlands, who manufactured such rolling stock as the Class 310 electric multiple unit, the Class 156 diesel multiple unit, known as a 'Sprinter', began entering service in 1988.

 

114 two-car sets (228 carriages) were produced bearing fleet numbers 156401 - 156514.  

The current (2018) operators using Class 156 diesel multiple commuter train units are; Scotrail, East Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia and Northern.

 

In 2018 twelve sets carry the following names:
156 416  Saint Edmund

156 418  ESTA 1965-2015

 
156 420  LA' AL RATTY Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

 

156 440  George Bradshaw

 
156 441  William Huskisson MP

 
156 448  Bram Stoker Creator of Dracula
 

156 459  Benny Rothman - The Manchester Rambler

    

156 460  Driver John Axon G.C.
 

156 464  Lancashire Dales Rail
 

156 466  Gracie Fields
 

156 469  The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (The Fighting Fifth)
 

156 490  Captain James Cook Master Mariner


News Update:

Seeing East Midlands Trains colourful livery of red, white, orange and red flashing along the railway tracks, will soon become a thing of the past.

Abellio will take over the East Midlands Trains franchise on Saturday 18th August 2019. The Class 43 HST Intercity 125 and Class 222 diesel multiple unit will gradually be phased out by brand new Hitachi trains that will be a variant of the bullet-nosed Class 800 bio-mode DMU.

The new trains will have a lavender livery and be branded with 'EMR' on both sides.

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DB Schenker Liveried Class 60017 Diesel Loco Wellingborough Station 2014

Class 60017 Loco, Wellingborough Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

DB Schenker liveried Class 60017 diesel-electric locomotive is seen here entering Wellingborough station from Bedford, hauling a freight train of petroleum tankers on the 27th June 2014.

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Nicknamed 'Tugs' by railway enthusiasts, Class 60017 was built at Brush Traction, Loughborough in October 1990.

When built, 60017 carried the name, 'Arenig Fawr', after the mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales, which is situated close to the Llyn Celyn reservoir.

In October 1996 the named was removed, and a month later 60017 was renamed 'Shotton Works Centenary Year 1996'.  At time of writing (Feb 2018) 60017 carries no name.

At present (2018) 18 DB Schenker Class 60's are available for operation while the remaining 73 are in storage.

In addition to being used in the transportation of petroleum, the Class 60's are used in the movement of stone, ballast, aggregate and steel.

As well as DB Schenker (DB Cargo UK), the 100-strong class of Class 60 locomotives have been operated by British Rail, English Welsh & Scottish Railway, and Colas Rail.

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Class 71000 'Duke of Gloucester' 4-6-2 Steam Loco Didcot 1988 Photo

'Duke of Gloucester' Steam Loco, Didcot Railway Centre

Photo: Charles Moorhen

                     

The same photo, but in my opinion looking better presented in black and white...more 'Age of Steam' 

An excellent example of British Railways Steam traction, Standard Class 8P 71000 'Duke of Gloucester', is seen here on display at Didcot Railway Centre back in June 1988, did not make much of an impression on me when I saw it, apart from appreciating the beautiful condition that it was in, due entirely to the fact that I knew nothing at all about it.  However, since doing some research on it, I realise now what an iconic steam locomotive it is.

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From my research here is a basic history of the locomotive:

In a perverse kind of way, it could be said that if it had not been for the horrific 3-train rail crash at Harrow and Wealdstone on the 8th October 1952, which killed 112 and injured 340, Standard Class 8 8P 4-6-2 No 71000 'Duke of Gloucester', would never have been built.

As a result of the Harrow and Wealdstone crash, Stanier 4-6-2 Turbomotive No 46202 'Princess Anne', was damaged beyond repair and a gap had appeared in the Pacific roster for the West Coast Main Line.  British Railways, who earlier had turned down a suggestion from British locomotive engineer, Robert Riddles, that an express passenger locomotive in the power class of 71000 'Duke of Gloucester', gave the go-ahead for just such a prototype steam locomotive to be produced.

Weighing in at a colossal 101 tons 5 cwt (without tender) , Crewe-built 71000 'Duke of Glousester', was put into traffic from Crewe North TMD in June 1954.

Beset with problems from the outset, the most significant being poor draughting and excessive water and coal consumption, the locomotive gained a reputation for being erratic and unpredictable and only remained in service for a mere eight years before being withdrawn in December 1962.

Following withdrawal, the cylinder assembly and valve gear were removed and retained by National Collection with the remainder sent for scrap to Woodham's on Barry Island, Wales.

Fortunately, in 1974, the Duke of Gloucester Locomotive Trust acquired the rusting locomotive.  Over a number of years restoration work was carried out until reaching completion in the autumn of 1986.  Further work was undertaken to bring the locomotive up to the standard requirements for main-line running, and in April 1990 it made its main-line debut.

'The Duke', as it is affectionately known by the railway preservation fraternity, has a website dedicated to it; offering membership to the society, history, merchandise and more.  To visit the site click here.


Standard Class Locomotive Technical Specifications: (British Railways Classification).
Designed: Derby Works.
Origin: West Coast Main Line of the London Midland Region.
Introduced: 1954.
Purpose: Express Passenger.
Wheel Arrangement: 4-6-2.
Number Series: 71000 (Duke of Gloucester) One only.
Driving Wheel: 6ft. 2in.
Bogie Wheel: 3ft.
Length: 70ft.
Weight: Engine 101 tons. Tender 55 tons 10 cwt.
Water Capacity: 4,725 gallons.
Cylinders: (3) 18 in. x 28in.
Boiler Pressure: 250 lb sq. in.
Tractive Effort: 39.080 lbs.
Coal Capacity: 10 tons.
Power Classification: 8-P.

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