Whats the most successful Locomotive or Unit in the UK?

[xotGD]

Nope. I’ll skip over irony and state that in the early 2000s, the Mk3s were great for train enthusiasts and nostalgia over the last 20 years has only increased the appeal for that sub-culture. From the perspective of the public, stepping on to a train with automatic doors rather than messing on with the awkward door handles, spacious toilets rather than cramped cubicles (granted the pendolino has a few of those too), a ‘shop’ rather than a hatch looking out on to a cramped corridor for people to pass through, electronic seat reservations rather than the paper tickets, seats with proper head rests rather than those ones that were only shoulder height, and a faster journey time too.

No question, the Pendolino is better than Mk3 carriages.

Travelling in a Mark 3 has never made me feel like I might vomit.

 

[Purple Orange]

Travelling in a Mark 3 has never made me feel like I might vomit.

I’ve never had that experience on a Pendolino either. I suggest a visit to the chemists!

This forum attracts a lot of people with delicate stomachs.

 

[xotGD]

I’ve never had that experience on a Pendolino either. I suggest a visit to the chemists!

This forum attracts a lot of people with delicate stomachs.

I'm OK looking out of the window, but trying to work or read makes me feel decidedly queasy. Never happened on any other train.

 

[Purple Orange]

I'm OK looking out of the window, but trying to work or read makes me feel decidedly queasy. Never happened on any other train.

Does it happen on an IET?

 

[xotGD]

Does it happen on an IET?

No. Probably because they don't tilt.

 

[CBlue]

Travelling in a Mark 3 has never made me feel like I might vomit.

Funny, as my experience of Mk3 stock has been that they have a rather nasty "sway" to them which wasn't particularly pleasant when coupled with the ancient seats and creaking, rattling couplings.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Funny, as my experience of Mk3 stock has been that they have a rather nasty "sway" to them which wasn't particularly pleasant when coupled with the ancient seats and creaking, rattling couplings.

They don't make me sick, but yes, the Mk3 ride I always found to be quite poor in the way you describe, though the Mk4 is far, far worse, on parts of the north ECML I have genuinely considered pulling the handle as it felt like we'd come off, it was that bad. It was the Class 158 where BR got it really, really right - they glide over even the worst jointed track. I believe they've been seen on the Ormskirks (where other than the CWR section by Midge Hall it's all jointed rail which is over 30 years old in places), it'll be interesting to see how that feels.

In answer to the original question, perhaps Classes 150 and 156, basic but solid workhorses that just keep going. In particular the latter is a worthy descendent of the super-long-lasting Class 101 and likely to last even longer in service!

 

[Irascible]

The Mk3s required a certain gait to walk up & down them ( generally nearly running worked best I found ) but given the amount of sailing I did I never really noticed it all that much. Definitely never made me feel queasy, the original brake smell used to give me headaches, that's about it.

 

[Jamesrob637]

They don't make me sick, but yes, the Mk3 ride I always found to be quite poor in the way you describe, though the Mk4 is far, far worse, on parts of the north ECML I have genuinely considered pulling the handle as it felt like we'd come off, it was that bad. It was the Class 158 where BR got it really, really right - they glide over even the worst jointed track. I believe they've been seen on the Ormskirks (where other than the CWR section by Midge Hall it's all jointed rail which is over 30 years old in places), it'll be interesting to see how that feels.

In answer to the original question, perhaps Classes 150 and 156, basic but solid workhorses that just keep going. In particular the latter is a worthy descendent of the super-long-lasting Class 101 and likely to last even longer in service!

158s were on Ormskirk in September and they were welcome!

I'd say 37s - still going in the 2020s and they're a late-50s design! Miss them in Cornwall on china clay.

 

[Trackman]

I'm OK looking out of the window, but trying to work or read makes me feel decidedly queasy. Never happened on any other train.

That definitely sounds like motion sickness.

As for the original question I'll go with the HST and Class 86.

 

[Bevan Price]

Nope. I’ll skip over irony and state that in the early 2000s, the Mk3s were great for train enthusiasts and nostalgia over the last 20 years has only increased the appeal for that sub-culture. From the perspective of the public, stepping on to a train with automatic doors rather than messing on with the awkward door handles, spacious toilets rather than cramped cubicles (granted the pendolino has a few of those too), a ‘shop’ rather than a hatch looking out on to a cramped corridor for people to pass through, electronic seat reservations rather than the paper tickets, seats with proper head rests rather than those ones that were only shoulder height, and a faster journey time too.

No question, the Pendolino is better than Mk3 carriages.

Electronic seat reservations might have been a good idea - if they had been implemented sensibly. Those used in Voyagers, and especially Pendolinos - are much too small to be read comfortably by passengers in the central gangways. You get passengers blocking gangways whilst trying to find "their seat" or an unreserved seat, often delaying other boarding passengers on busy trains, and probably increasing station dwell times.

 

[Energy]

Electronic seat reservations might have been a good idea - if they had been implemented sensibly. Those used in Voyagers, and especially Pendolinos - are much too small to be read comfortably by passengers in the central gangways. You get passengers blocking gangways whilst trying to find "their seat" or an unreserved seat, often delaying other boarding passengers on busy trains, and probably increasing station dwell times.

The ones used in Pendolinos and Voyagers are much older dot matrix displays (like the ones used at most tills at shops) as this was the early 2000s, a CRT certainly wouldn't have been possible or any better. Hopefully they get replaced by more up to date ones when the Pendolinos get refurbished.

 

[D6975]

08s are undoubtedly the most successful diesel loco with the 20 coming in second place. 37s and 47s, very successful, but not as solid as 08s and 20s. The HST I have to agree was an immense success, despite hating it when introduced because it replaced the superior late Mk 2 coaches with real loco haulage. The ride of the Mk3 in pushmepullyou mode could be a bit bumpy but still far superior to Pendos which I find truly awful to travel in, so cramped and claustrophobic. Loco hauled Mk3s were noticeably smoother, the Mk 3s used by IE were wonderful coaches to travel in, especially with an 071 on the front. DMUs; the Met Cam 101s were surely the most successful, and as pointed out by others the 156 looks set to be similarly long lived. I prefer a 156 to a 158 (when properly fitted out and looked after of course). For EMUs I propose the humble 4SUBs which rattled on for so many years on the Southern. Most modern EMUs are generally pretty awful, with the notable exception of Electrostars providing you are in a 2+2 section.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Mk3s required a certain gait to walk up & down them ( generally nearly running worked best I found ) but given the amount of sailing I did I never really noticed it all that much. Definitely never made me feel queasy, the original brake smell used to give me headaches, that's about it.

The only UK train that ever made me feel queasy is the Class 180, not entirely sure why. The very soft, swaying ride of Canadian LHCS did for a bit as well though I got used to it (good job as the journey took a week). Oh, and for a short time being in the front coach of a Pendolino did but again I got used to it.

 

[hexagon789]

Passenger train set - HST, not 100% perfect but near as we've ever got

Diesel loco - 47 or 37

Electric loco - 86 (though I prefer 87s)

Passenger carriage - Mk3

EMU - difficult but until their last year's the 314s gave good service

DMU - either the 158 or 170, the former is probably the better design for the passenger but the latter seem more reliable

 

[Fisherman80]

Has to be the 156 for me. Never had one fail on me in 30 years.

 

[hexagon789]

Has to be the 156 for me. Never had one fail on me in 30 years.

That's actually a good point - and unlike 158s they worked pretty much out of the box as well

 

[Fisherman80]

That's actually a good point - and unlike 158s they worked pretty much out of the box as well

Yes they did work straight from the box. In fact some where delivered straight from the Metro Cammell factory in 1988 to Cardiff Canton I believe to cover for the 155s which had been taken out of service because of door issues.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes they did work straight from the box. In fact some where delivered straight from the Metro Cammell factory in 1988 to Cardiff Canton I believe to cover for the 155s which had been taken out of service because of door issues.

I remember reading about that, on reflection the 156s are probably the best of the late-BR bunch as unglamorous they may be compared to 158s say

 

[PeterY]

The class 20's. Again they've been around a long time.

HST, an iconic train and comfortable.

For pure sound enjoyment, Thumpers.

 

[Western Sunset]

If we're going for sound, then laying in the grass at High Dyke, listening to a Deltic droning out of Grantham on the climb up to Stoke.

 

[Deepgreen]

For steam, I'd suggest: LMS Black 5 and BR 9F - both numerous and versatile, able to handle a wide variety of duties over a wide variety of routes.
Plus an honourable mention for Hunslet Austerities - simple, tough and long-lived.

The 9Fs, though, had a shamefully short life.

 

[kermit]

Sorry I haven't had time to read all the posts, so apologies if they have already been mentioned, but the GWR 0-6-0 Pannier Tanks seemed to do well, if only in terms of ubiquity?

 

[Deepgreen]

Someone mentioned upthread the Class 73. Long lived and versatile so probably make my top 10.

Yes, they still perform important work, most recently straying about as far as is possble from their SR origins!

 

[Irascible]

Sorry I haven't had time to read all the posts, so apologies if they have already been mentioned, but the GWR 0-6-0 Pannier Tanks seemed to do well, if only in terms of ubiquity?

There are many classes of them though; there were two distinct sizes of them, too. It's somewhat akin to suggesting English Electric locomotives as our most successful diesel class ( not the best analogy I know given there weren't any express pannier tanks! but they did all use a lot of the same innards ).

Someone define success, please :P

You could consider the Mk1 more of a success story than the Mk3, given their continued ubiquity.

 

[Fisherman80]

I remember reading about that, on reflection the 156s are probably the best of the late-BR bunch as unglamorous they may be compared to 158s say

That's the beauty of the 156 I think,simple yet reliable. They also seem to cope better in poor rail conditions compared to a 158.

 

[Purple Orange]

If going on the number of units/locomotives built, which train was the most manufactured?

Purely looking at numbers alone, there are significantly more IET/AT300 trains than HSTs built. Even if we pair up every 5-car IET train and consider that to be one train, there are roughly 40 more units than the HST. It makes the case already for being an exceptionally successful train.

 

[D365]

If going on the number of units/locomotives built, which train was the most manufactured?

Purely looking at numbers alone, there are significantly more IET/AT300 trains than HSTs built. Even if we pair up every 5-car IET train and consider that to be one train, there are roughly 40 more units than the HST. It makes the case already for being an exceptionally successful train.

The 40 “additional” units are accounted for by LNER (Class 91 replacement and their new five car fleet) and TPE. Not disagreeing with your comment though.

 

[DustyBin]

If going on the number of units/locomotives built, which train was the most manufactured?

Purely looking at numbers alone, there are significantly more IET/AT300 trains than HSTs built. Even if we pair up every 5-car IET train and consider that to be one train, there are roughly 40 more units than the HST. It makes the case already for being an exceptionally successful train.

Personally I don’t think that’s a good measure of success. As has been mentioned, there were classes of steam locos built in very large numbers which were withdrawn after a handful of years in service. They may have been perfectly good locos but they weren’t successful (in my opinion). Whilst I’m not suggesting the first IET’s are nearing withdrawal, numbers alone don’t equal success. I’d say they represent a missed opportunity if anything....

 

[hexagon789]

That's the beauty of the 156 I think,simple yet reliable. They also seem to cope better in poor rail conditions compared to a 158.

I'd assume that is them having less power for about the same weight?

Either that or the brake blocks just make a better job of cleaning the wheel treads than Class 158 scrubber blocks.