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150's. They belong in the cess pool of history.
- Thread starter yorksrob
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RailUK Forums
Well, wait for some new trains to be built first to replace them. At least they are generally reliable.
Rail Quest
Member
Well said. - Northern commuter
Yes, new trains first but get rid.
The 153's were removed for this rubbish.
It's funny that the Government in London is keen to replace the IC225's, but has no interest in getting rid of crap loçal trains.
jamiearmley
Member
- Joined
- 25 Jun 2017
- Messages
- 228
I'm guessing you suffer the Northern examples.
They do have many good points, especially compared to a 195. They are more reliable. They have some suspension. They are easy to fix 'at the roadside'. They have opening windows - and once you have suffered a 195 with failed Aircon, you will understand how important this can be.
They are noisy and grotty however.
Try the TFW examples, which have 2+2 seating, tables, are better maintained, quieter, and an all round nicer train.
43096
On Moderation
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2015
- Messages
- 15,348
Rugged and reliable. Are those not benefits?
The GWR ones are fine and have been refurbished very well, other than a few seats with not much leg room. Except the acquired examples which still have 3x2 seats. It’s down to the TOC and how well l they were refurbished.
We don’t get them round here anymore, but would rather get on one of those with opening windows that a 158, Turbo or HST with knackered aircon.
We don’t get them round here anymore, but would rather get on one of those with opening windows that a 158, Turbo or HST with knackered aircon.
Pinus contorta
Member
They are better to travel on than the 142 units going back a few years.The problem we have up north is that the Treasury forked out for replacement for them a few years back and trying to get them to spend a lot on replacing the 150 units on heavily subsidised services in the North is nigh on impossible given the prime ministers disdain for rail travel.
gabrielhj07
Member
They're fine so long as they're not crush loaded.
19Gnasher69
Member
Actually they’re fine as long as you don’t have to get on them.
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
They're now around the same age (if not a little older) as the units they replaced were when they were introduced, so they're definitely getting on a bit. However as long as they work reliably (and as an added bonus are repaired using a toolkit rather than a laptop) they're better than a bus.
My main complaint (besides legroom) is the poor alignment of seats and windows. Not such a problem on Huddersfield to Bradford where there's not much scenery to see other than the bit between Brighouse and Halifax, but a disappointment on the northern section of the Huddersfield to Sheffield line... though I may be biased on that front!
My main complaint (besides legroom) is the poor alignment of seats and windows. Not such a problem on Huddersfield to Bradford where there's not much scenery to see other than the bit between Brighouse and Halifax, but a disappointment on the northern section of the Huddersfield to Sheffield line... though I may be biased on that front!
Pinus contorta
Member
The 150/2 initially replaced some of the corridor loco hauled carriages on the liverpoolManchester to Leeds Hull/York/Scarborough route so I expect we are just discussing the same discrepancies of lack of comfort that folks in the 1980's were upset about. Didn't they have to sit in 3 x2 seats? I can't really remember.
Topological
Member
For all we moan about 150s on Manchester - Cardiff, the TfW would be fine as 4-car. It is just a 2-car 150 that cannot really cope with the Marches. The actual interior is OK (the 197s are better, but they are new).
The 3+2 seats on Northern are less good and I remember they have poor legroom on some rows. However, the actual unit itself is fine enough with a bit of better interior design.
It is a shame that the TfW examples are having to retire because of corrosion because I do think Northern would gain a lot from having 150s in TfW style.
The 3+2 seats on Northern are less good and I remember they have poor legroom on some rows. However, the actual unit itself is fine enough with a bit of better interior design.
It is a shame that the TfW examples are having to retire because of corrosion because I do think Northern would gain a lot from having 150s in TfW style.
It is OK, in Wales we have a government who thinks IC225s are the future.
TT-ONR-NRN
Established Member
I live on a line served solely by TfW 150s and they’re in a disgusting state despite the refurbishment, and I cannot wait to be rid.
MichaelTrains
Member
Agree. Worst train ever made.
Give me a 142/144 over a 150 any day of the week.
Give me a 142/144 over a 150 any day of the week.
TT-ONR-NRN
Established Member
And me.
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
I'd forgotten that they had a spell on Trans-Pennine fasts, if I'd been old enough to experience it frequently I'd have been rather unhappy to move from mk2s to that! Within a couple of years thankfully the 156s came in (which compared well with pressure-ventilated mk2s) and later the 158s (which were a real step up other than overcrowding due to the improved frequency, which drove an increase in ridership).
Northern's 150s are just about bearable for short hops but the seating layout is atrocious, particularly the examples that still have the original seats. They really should have been given a "Wales & West" style refurbishment (though maybe with half-tables at bays rather than full ones) about twenty years ago. Of course it isn't worth doing now, as hopefully they'll be consigned to the dustbin in the next few years.
Can't see heritage railways (or their customers) being too keen on saving them to the extent that Pacers have been. At least the Pacers have an interesting history, and there's even a sort of "so bad it's good" charm to them... plus you can see out of the windows. By comparison 150s are just dull, and almost impossible to get a good window view from without getting overly familiar with your own kneecaps. That might not matter to your average commuter from Brighouse to Huddersfield, but it will to a family on a day out to Haworth who are already disappointed that it isn't a steam train.
The worst run on one I can recall in recent(ish) times was from Nottingham to Leeds in 2019. This was a /2 with the original seats subbing for a 158, and despite being comfortably under 6' tall I had to get up and walk the aisle before Chesterfield just to restore feeling to my legs. I'd honestly much rather it had been a 142 of the Northern Spirit variant!
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Snow1964
Established Member
I remember travelling on a few from Birmingham in mid 1980s when they were brand new. The first batch of 50 without end gangways. Used initially on some stupidity long journeys (the 156s and later 158s subsequently took these)
Light years ahead of the slow first generation DMUs some of which had basic bus style seats, and the bouncy 304s. At the time the 310s were better, and cross country was mainly mk1s behind 47s, with few newish HSTs.
Never got to experience the second batch with airline seating, as left Uni in 1987 and then worked in London which was in Network SouthEast mania
But 37 years later, standards have moved on, so maybe they do seem rubbish now.
Light years ahead of the slow first generation DMUs some of which had basic bus style seats, and the bouncy 304s. At the time the 310s were better, and cross country was mainly mk1s behind 47s, with few newish HSTs.
Never got to experience the second batch with airline seating, as left Uni in 1987 and then worked in London which was in Network SouthEast mania
But 37 years later, standards have moved on, so maybe they do seem rubbish now.
dk1
Veteran Member
Yes, I remember going from Norwich to Leeds so I could have a go on them across the Pennines. 3+2 seating with those awful black backs making them feel rather oppressive. I liked them though as was always keen on modern stuff. They were just a stop gap really until the 158s arrived.
dk1
Veteran Member
150213/217/227/229/231/235/237/255/257 (later 245 too) transferred to Norwich in the early 90s as Anglia became a TOU and where swapped back for 156s in the early 2000s to allow shorter dwell times in the West Midlands.
I always preffered driving 150s over 156s and was therefore chuffed when we hired in a 150 from Wales a couple of times in the 2010s. Very little if any difference cab wise but the 150s seem to brake/accelerate better.
It was nice travelling on them whilst in Cardiff two years ago, but that was for nostalgia, taking me back 30 years.
However, I wouldn't want to use them frequently. And to think that we now have Flirts performing the duties they once performed here in the East.
Back to the original question. Fully agree that a plan should have been in place a few years ago and they should no longer be in use on the national network.
However, I wouldn't want to use them frequently. And to think that we now have Flirts performing the duties they once performed here in the East.
Back to the original question. Fully agree that a plan should have been in place a few years ago and they should no longer be in use on the national network.
childwallblues
Established Member
We still get them around Merseyside on Lime Street to Oxford Road and Blackburn to Headbolt Lane services. Other than the 2 + 3 seating they are good reliable units.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of travelling on 150231 which had got on to a Manchester Airport to Holyhead service paired with a 158. Fantastic compared with a CAF 197. And the 2 + 2 seating and good bogies made it a memorable journey from Chester to Rhyl.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of travelling on 150231 which had got on to a Manchester Airport to Holyhead service paired with a 158. Fantastic compared with a CAF 197. And the 2 + 2 seating and good bogies made it a memorable journey from Chester to Rhyl.
I'm here now
Member
Couldn’t those weird diesel only flex units be used?
E100
Member
- Joined
- 29 Apr 2018
- Messages
- 149
Not a fan of the class either. With Northerns procurement of new trains and TfW 197’s still coming on stream is there any that are planned to be used for the foreseeable?
Gaz67
Member
Living in Northern land this is the one train I avoid like the plague, it is purely down to the layout and legroom, they are mechanically sound I presume but awful to travel on. The trains you mention above were largely the early (non a/c) mk2s with 4 seats around a table and a wonderfully view. Talking of trains that are all over the place internally I give you the Flirt, had the misfortune to ride one last week with the bruise to show, sat in the raised seats for 4 and forgot about the step down , fell onto a raised armrest which went into my ribs, agony, along with the ridiculous coridoor these units are all over the place, no way would this got past a 1 off evaluation unit in BR days IMO. Sorry about going off piste.
We get either a 150 or 158 on our services but they seem to me to be allocated back to fronot. The 150s are on the Sheffields which is over an hour and the 158s on the currently truncated Knottingley of half an hour. This is not 100per cent but usually the case from my observation. Given a choice I would have the 158 every time and this influences which service I get going to Leeds
chuff chuff
Member
- Joined
- 25 Sep 2018
- Messages
- 464
Is 150228 still on the go,had my first 'incident ' with that bugger.Overshot a station ,set back with permission got another couple of stops then told to de train the passengers as it had been booked for brakes the previous couple of days and run empties back to depot.