A tribute to class 153 - leaving us in the very near future

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Love 'em or hate 'em?  My own view - coloured by my experience - at  http://www.mrug.org.uk/tribute153.html

Image under Creative Commons 4.0 license by Wikipedia contributor Smithdo43172

[grahame]

One of the 153 units - 153-361 - had small vinyls attached to celebrate the successful first year of the TransWilts trial service, and indeed this was one of the last 5 units to stay with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).     Here it is - on its own line - in late 2017:



BobM has caught up with this unit in recent weeks - and here you see it at Liskeard and Looe, then in Plymouth having come off a Gunnislake service and on it way back up to Exeter.










The variety of liveries of the 153s was perhaps greater than any that of any other class ... a couple more of my pictures - here at Trowbridge:



and at Chippenham:



With those crowd getting on, we were often nearly "every seat taken" even at the weekend



Here is what I believe was the very last day that a single 153 was used - Friday 15th June 2018.   Over previous months, 153s had become the exception rather than the norm - "thank goodness" by that time though we loved them dearly - they were just too small for the crowds.   It may look quiet on the platform - it was unbelievable inside!



More pictures at http://www.mrug.org.uk/tribute153.html - I have updated that thread and there's now a lot more to see.

[FarWestJohn]

Have fond memories of 382 in Prism rail days. It died on two separate Sundays leaving Falmouth town for Truro and we had to roll back to the platform and find our own way. I even have a Hornby model of 382 in Great Scenic Devon and Cornwall livery as a memento!!

[grahame]

I even have a Hornby model of 382 in Great Scenic Devon and Cornwall livery as a memento!!

Lovely models, aren't they?   



Sad to see them go ... been around since I first used a train from Melksham.   But we've grown up.    The old single car first generation units were known as "Coffin Nails" because they were one of the final steps towards the death of many a line.   Thank goodness the 153s are gone because they got too busy, not too quiet.

[martyjon]

I remember a day shortly after my local station, Yate, was reopened when travelling to Bristol Parkway in a first generation dmu. We stopped short of BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) at a signal and after a few minutes crept slowly forward into the then sole down platform stopping well short of the normal stopping point. There proceeded an unusual amount of activity from platform staff at BPW. This was to open both the doors on the platform side of the Guards Van and then both of the doors of same on the non platform side whereupon the old dmu inched forward until the coolant filler cap of the up class 155 from which the class 153's were derived was aligned with the open Guards Van doors. A watering can arrived and the contents were used to quell the thirst of that half of the up class 155 service but it was not enough and a second watering can refill was sought and emptied into the thirsty 155's coach before both services could continue.

[martyjon]

I even have a Hornby model of 382 in Great Scenic Devon and Cornwall livery as a memento!!

Lovely models, aren't they?   



Sad to see them go ... been around since I first used a train from Melksham.   But we've grown up.    The old single car first generation units were known as "Coffin Nails" because they were one of the final steps towards the death of many a line.   Thank goodness the 153s are gone because they got too busy, not too quiet.

I expect that model will, if it isn't already, be a collectors item in the future, wonder how much my diecast model of the Millenium Dome is worth now, bought it at half price in the dying days of that projects life before its re-incarnation as the venue it is today.

[RA]

I managed to have a trip on the 153 unit that worked a special Saturday charter service along the Melksham line on the 5th September 1998 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the route. In those days there was only the weekday peak 'work' trains on the route. Organised by the West Wiltshire Rail Users Group, tickets were sold in the local tourist information offices. £2 allowed a return trip from Westbury to Melksham and £3 a return trip from Westbury to Chippenham.

Complete with a commemorative headboard displayed in the cab window, 153353 in Regional Railways livery was provided to work the 2Z70 11:17 Westbury-Chippenham-Westbury charter train. A picture of the working (I can't recall seeing many as the event was reasonably low key) can be found in the book 'Wiltshire Traction'. I didn't take a picture myself unfortunately, although I have found the ticket.

[RA]

Further to my previous post, I will endeavour to upload some of my images of 153 units on the route next week. In the meantime, here is the ticket I purchased for the class 153 charter. The headboard had the same design as the upper image showing the rear of the ticket.

[bobm]

I must be something of a single railcar fan. As well as the 153 I have an affinity for the class 121 bubble cars which used to run on the Henley branch on a Sunday in the 1980s.

Quite like the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) railcars too but don’t remember them in service!

[Clan Line]

I have an affinity for the class 121 bubble cars which used to run on the Henley branch on a Sunday in the 1980s.

An "ex" Class 121 - at Warminster April 2008. I think this particular one is now at Swanage.

[martyjon]

I must be something of a single railcar fan. As well as the 153 I have an affinity for the class 121 bubble cars which used to run on the Henley branch on a Sunday in the 1980s.

Quite like the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) railcars too but don’t remember them in service!

I do ! 

[martyjon]

I must be something of a single railcar fan. As well as the 153 I have an affinity for the class 121 bubble cars which used to run on the Henley branch on a Sunday in the 1980s.

When I was at Slough and frequently visited Windsor the service was mainly provided with a bubble car which had attached to it a non-motorised second class driving trailer vehicle. It was 'a funny feeling' riding in the trailer particularly when the exhaust pipes were at the rear and you were sat in the front seats behind the driving cab and you got the drivers eye-view of the 'road ahead' whilst being almost silently pushed along.

[BBM]

I can just about remember the 121s in green on the Henley branch and I also remember the 2-train service when a pair of them would cross at Shiplake when the station still had two tracks after the rest of the line had been singled. Otherwise my main memory of them is as strengtheners or replacement cars on the mainline stoppers. I too would enjoy sitting at the front behind the driving cab so imagine my disappointment on at least one occasion I can remember when the front vehicle on a Paddington stopper was a 121 with the brake end leading so no forward view!

[eightonedee]

My memories of the Pressed Steel bubble cars goes back to the early and mid 1980s when I commuted from Tilehurst to London. If I took a late train back, there was a connection at about 11 pm where the onward train was a single car stopper from Reading to Didcot. It was about the time of the 150th anniversary, so sometimes we got a chocolate and cream one!  For some reason they did not run it from the west bound bay platform (6?), but it stood "back to back" with a 3-car stopper back to Paddington. There was no need to have A and B ends then on the old Platform 8 to use it for two trains in those days.

[RA]

A few images of class 153 units on Trans-Wilts services;


153333 near Broughton Gifford with the 10:47 Swindon to Westbury service on 06th April 2015.


153333 heading away from Bradford Junction with the 15:14 Swindon to Westbury service on 06th April 2015.


153333 passing Langley Burrell with the 10:47 Swindon to Westbury service on 05th January 2017.


153318 heading away from Hawkeridge Junction with the 07:32 Westbury to Swindon service on 27th April 2017.