They are all timed as 75 DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)

The 172s unlike the 170s are fitted with SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) - Selective Door Opening - which is how they will cope with short platforms. 

The original plan was to start training the Worcester crews first and run 172s on the Hereford-BNS^▸ (Barnes (not Birmingham New Street) which is actually BHM)) service because this would cause the least problems - with few stops between Droitwich and BNS , I don't know if this is still the plan, or if any of the crews have been trained on them, but the belief is that a pair will be in use from Worcester on Monday morning.   The two Hereford - BNS services have been chosen because they are considered by LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) management to be the worse two overloaded services and an extra coach with SDO operation is what they have been waiting for. 

As the 172s have corridor connections and the 170s don't, the intention is to try to replace the 170s that have to work in pairs (or with 153s) and use the 172s on these 2-unit, 4 and 5 coach services. So a current two coach service that does not need to be strengthened is likely to be a 170 in future, and a similar 3-coach is likely to be either one of the five 3-coach 170 or one of the fifteen 3-coach 172s, whereas a current 4-coach is likely to be a pair of 172s.

Once the are in normal service (post shakedown and crew training), most are expected to spend much of there working life running between Malvern-Worcester-Kidderminster-Stourbridge-Snow Hill. 

This is supposed to free up all the 150s and the 153s to be redeployed to other operators (FGW^▸ (First Great Western) in Devon and Cornwall and Northern around Leeds).

As for 150s in Hereford, they used to be very common before the 170s came along.  Now there is, I think, just one on a Saturday evening and perhaps another on Sunday.   

Thanks, interesting.

I know that Worcester drivers with a 170 that is down an engine won't attempt Lickey.

The 150/2 fleet was recently refurbished. 150 127 was one of two 150/1 units that Andrew Haines managed to procure for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) during his tenure - it came from London Overground and was fitted with 2+3 seating and looking a bit tired internally, plus painted in the old Silverlink livery. It was recently internally tarted up and has now been repainted.

Several more 150/1 units are heading FGW's way from LOROL^▸ (London Overground Railway Operations Ltd), so presumably they will receive the same treatment. Although why it wasn't repainted into the "standard" local lines livery I'm not entirely sure - maybe FGW are waiting until all the units have been transferred so that they can "wrap" them in the vinyls all at the same time.

Can also be for problems with alignment of through gangways if a particular vehicle has suspension issues.
If you've seen more of them recently it's probably due to a snow build up inside the coupler.

It was on a actual passenger service. I saw a picture on Trowbridge Jim's Photo Gallery of it stopping at Bradford-On-Avon with passengers getting on and off. it said westbury on the Dest board.

Iver also noticed this:

http://units.fotopic.net/p9519929.html

Was this the only WT refurb 158 that had those seats? And were the WT refurb 158s quite like the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) refurb 158s?

RUBBISH, utter rubbish. We do no such thing.

For ages now we have been repainting walls and replacing damged/missing toilet seats, towelmasters & soap dispencers by the dozen every week.

The reason things are declining currently is becuase it is getting to the point now where they are being broken so often that we are running low on stock of parts to replace/repair them and the other damage being done (acid etching/vandalism etc) is often too severe to be sorted on the FPXs the units have over night, which have very narrow windows for repairs, meaning they have to be deffered until the next A/B Exam.

The only people to blame for the state of the toilets on the west fleet are the people (i use that term very loosley) who use the trains. Some people are worse than animals, for example....

I was en-route to Westbury several weeks ago, riding a troublesome unit with a Mob Tech. Sat in the leading cab, arriving at Bath a rather attractive lady caught my eye on our platform and a quick glance out of the front set of doors confirmed that she boarded our unit.

Later on leaving Bradford-O-A we walked through the train to the back cab to take some voltage readings from the Train wire terminals and coinciently I notied her entering and locking the disabled toilet as we walked down the train.

When we arrived at Trow, the guard came down to the back cab looking pretty sickend and we asked him what was wrong. Speechless, he lead us down the train and opened the disabled toilet door which he had LOOU^▸ (Locked Out Of Use). We were greeted by one of the most disgusting smells and sights I have seen to date (and ive seen trains post one-under). There was feaces all over the toilet pan and rim, on the open lid and even in the area between the pan and the wall, literally running down the wall along with toilet paper crammed down the pan. It didnt even look like the person had sat down.

It was vile and we then realised that considering the timescale, it must have been the 'work' of the woman i noticed earlier, who we could see sat further down the next coach & as we left the unit at Westbury, she was seen causually walking down the steps to the subway. I couldnt believe that someone so innocent looking and well presented could do such a rancid thing...

It was simply vile and i really pitty the poor person who had the unfortunte task of cleaning up the mess.

On the Pompey Cardiff's just another 4 158's would allow it, although I stand to be corrected on that as I understand that the service requires 8 units. The 4 car has been running about for a couple of weeks as far as I am aware. Would be handy if it was available on Fri afternoons through Bristol, and weekends.

A couple from the 1700 that were mooted not that long ago is not too much to ask is it.