For those who were annoyed by FGW getting 142s

[whole diary]

[The SprinterMeister]

First Great Western are set to get enough 150s to replace all their Pacers starting next year.  Northern and Arriva Trains Wales are set to keep some Pacers until 2014.

A 2 car 150/1 turned up at St Ives branch today, never seen a 3+2 seating arrangement apart from in the Pacers.

The 150/1's are common user in the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) class 150 fleet and they get used in Cornwall to ensure Par and Pzed crews maintain their knowledge of them.

[northwesterntrains]

A 2 car 150/1 turned up at St Ives branch today, never seen a 3+2 seating arrangement apart from in the Pacers.

All the London Midland and Northern ones have 3+2 seating.  The original BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) seats were 3+2 and the former North Western Trains 150s have been refurbished to have 3+2 seating, but as the new seats are slightly larger it means very little leg room and a very narrow aisle.

[The SprinterMeister]

A 2 car 150/1 turned up at St Ives branch today, never seen a 3+2 seating arrangement apart from in the Pacers.

All the London Midland and Northern ones have 3+2 seating.  The original BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) seats were 3+2 and the former North Western Trains 150s have been refurbished to have 3+2 seating, but as the new seats are slightly larger it means very little leg room and a very narrow aisle.

Have the ex FNW 150/2's still got the enormous lavatory that seemed to take up most of the back end of the 52 car? Wessex had one on hire some years ago, the toilet compartment seemed almost Tardis like in terms of internal size.

As regards the 3+2 seating, some of the ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) 150/2's which have been subleased also have rather large 3+2 seating. Interestingly, none of the ex Wessex 150/2's that were sent over to Grumbly Gasworks Railways have returned to revisit their old stamping grounds, the contract is for 5 x 150/2 not 5 particular 150/2's so it's possible they might appear at some point.

[qwerty]

Sorry, I don't think I've got this yet. 4 coach 100mph trains are too small? And are going to be replaced by 3 coach 75mph trains (that are 32 years old). When is this likely to hit the press?

As already stated the 315's are 4 car. however the 321/9 units are 3 car.

[northwesterntrains]

Have the ex FNW 150/2's still got the enormous lavatory that seemed to take up most of the back end of the 52 car? Wessex had one on hire some years ago, the toilet compartment seemed almost Tardis like in terms of internal size.

Yes they've got an 'accessible toilet' which is much larger than the ones on 156s and 158s.  The door's on those units frequently jam (not great when Northern use them on 3 hr journeys in the North West)  They also put a 3 person bench seat (like on the 142s)opposite the toilet door, so if someone in a wheelchair wanted to use the toilet the people on those seats would have to stand up so they could access the toilet (and that's assuming the train isn't overcrowded.)

Arriva Trains Wales have a couple of these units but I think they are used on the Wrexham to Bidston (Birkenhead) route, which was a former FNW route.