Class 158/159 recovery following Salisbury collision

[61653 HTAFC]

Just to summarise, am I right in my understanding that:
The vehicles with the most serious damage are the leading vehicle of the SWR unit; and both vehicles of the trailing GWR unit?

If so, and if we assume for the sake of argument that both operators would actually need any lost vehicles to be replaced, what would be the best way of doing so?
GWR would need an additional 2-car 158, that's fairly simple to do on paper, as a number of units will be freed up from TfW and EMR in the not-too-distant future.
SWR on the other hand, replacing the lost vehicle requires another unit (one of those freed up from TfW/EMR as above) to be split- leaving the owners with an orphan car without a home. Given the age of the 158s, having an additional spare isn't necessarily a bad thing though. One saving grace is that the damaged unit is a 159/1 with the standard 350hp engines, rather than one of the originals with the 400hp ones.

 

[swt_passenger]

Just to summarise, am I right in my understanding that:
The vehicles with the most serious damage are the leading vehicle of the SWR unit; and both vehicles of the trailing GWR unit?

If so, and if we assume for the sake of argument that both operators would actually need any lost vehicles to be replaced, what would be the best way of doing so?
GWR would need an additional 2-car 158, that's fairly simple to do on paper, as a number of units will be freed up from TfW and EMR in the not-too-distant future.
SWR on the other hand, replacing the lost vehicle requires another unit (one of those freed up from TfW/EMR as above) to be split- leaving the owners with an orphan car without a home. Given the age of the 158s, having an additional spare isn't necessarily a bad thing though. One saving grace is that the damaged unit is a 159/1 with the standard 350hp engines, rather than one of the originals with the 400hp ones.

In principle SWR don’t need a replacement for 159102, because its loss coincides with removal of the Bristol service that basically required one unit for each day’s services. I’m sure this has been mentioned already, but it seems to be disregarded.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

In principle SWR don’t need a replacement for 159102, because its loss coincides with removal of the Bristol service that basically required one unit for each day’s services. I’m sure this has been mentioned already, but it seems to be disregarded.

I was more wanting to understand how such a replacement would be sourced, IF it was required- given the fragmented nature of rolling stock ownership.

 

[Neptune]

Should GWR be looking for a unit long term (I’m not suggesting they are) then eventually 158889 from EMR could fit the bill.

Porterbrook owned and still has the original seats as per the GWR units. The first class area, which I believe still exists on this unit, can get replacement standard class seats from the withdrawn unit.

 

[LowLevel]

Should GWR be looking for a unit long term (I’m not suggesting they are) then eventually 158889 from EMR could fit the bill.

Porterbrook owned and still has the original seats as per the GWR units. The first class area, which I believe still exists on this unit, can get replacement standard class seats from the withdrawn unit.

There's plenty of the same "type" of 158 at EMR if need be also - 773, 774, 799, 806, 810, 812, 813 and 889 are all the same ROSCO ex TPE units and the only difference is the seats which are the same Grammer type as the GWR HST sets in use anyway.

However, the fleet may well have a longer term future with EMR than first foreseen so who knows what will happen.

 

[yorksrob]

That’s actually incorrect, as 458535 is the one broken at Clapham whereas 458534 has been withdrawn officially.

Can I ask what is leading people to think that the loss of one of the thirty 159s will be so badly felt? I genuinely doubt it will cause a problem.

As an annual traveller on the line for the past fifteen years or so, I used to find that some of the three carriage services West of Salisbury tended to be rather crowded, which leads me to believe that they could do with all the 159's and 158's they can get !

 

[adc82140]

For quite a while they were able to spot hire one unit a day to GWR, and allow another one to potter up and down the Lymington branch.

 

[Siemens Staines]

Should GWR be looking for a unit long term (I’m not suggesting they are) then eventually 158889 from EMR could fit the bill.

Porterbrook owned and still has the original seats as per the GWR units. The first class area, which I believe still exists on this unit, can get replacement standard class seats from the withdrawn unit.

As I understand it, GWR had been planning to reform three 2-car 158s back to two 3-car 158s for the start of the December 2021 timetable. The loss of 158763 led to that being postponend. So, GWR are not down in terms of the number of units that they have, just that two of them are now 2-cars instead of 3-cars. I do not know whether they still intend to reform them to 3-cars with vehicles from 159102, 158889 or elsewhere?

 

[150249]

Don't SWR have several 159s parked up at Salisbury?

 

[pompeyfan]

There are regularly short forms at Salisbury as it is. Just because there is stock there between peaks doesn’t mean it’s spare.

 

[Towers]

There are regularly short forms at Salisbury as it is. Just because there is stock there between peaks doesn’t mean it’s spare.

The Waterloos all seem shorter now though, not seen a 9 car for months?

 

[150249]

The Waterloos all seem shorter now though, not seen a 9 car for months?

I was on a 2 car 158890 for Waterloo to Exeter St David's on 13th December

 

[RedPostJunc]

The Waterloos all seem shorter now though, not seen a 9 car for months?

On Sundays, some Exeter trains are formed 9 car east of Salisbury.
That is probably because the stopping service is Salisbury - Reading, not Salisbury - Waterloo.

 

[northernbelle]

I was on a 2 car 158890 for Waterloo to Exeter St David's on 13th December

That's pretty unusual to be fair.

 

[swt_passenger]

The Waterloos all seem shorter now though, not seen a 9 car for months?

Plenty of variety showing on RTT today, various 6, 7, 8, or 9 departures from Waterloo for Salisbury. Of the total of 21 services, 5 still are 9 car.