Sprinter (railcar)
| sprinter | |
|---|---|
 Class 150 and 153 at Bristol Temple Meads (2005)
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| Number: | 556 |
| Manufacturer: | BREL, Metro-Cammell, British Leyland |
| Gauge : | 1435 mm (UK) 1000 mm (Thailand) |
| Top speed: | 75 mph (121 km / h) (classes 150, 153, 155, 156) 90 mph (144 km / h) (classes 158, 159) |
| Motor type: | Cummins, Perkins |
| Power transmission: | hydraulic |
| Particularities: | with each other, with class 170 and with Pacer units, capable of multiple traction |
The Sprinter is a family of series of diesel multiple units in the United Kingdom manufactured by BREL , Metro Cammell and Leyland in the 1980s and 1990s . They are classified in TOPS classes 150, 153, 155, 156, 158 and 159. Most have Cummins engines ; 47 Class 158 units were fitted with Perkins Engines engines. The hydraulic transmissions are of the Voith type .
term
The name Sprinter was coined by British Rail , primarily to advertise their better acceleration compared to the first-generation railcars they replaced. Advertisements saying The Sprinters are coming ran in the local newspapers as the new trains went into service. The reduced travel times in many cases were also emphasized and the timetables were changed to take this into account. The construction is based on the car body type Mark 3 , the trains were intended for longer distances than the Pacer , which was built using omnibus parts .
Sprinters are used almost everywhere in Great Britain, on rural branch lines as well as in commuter traffic around large cities or in overland traffic. Currently (2015) the trains of this series are in use at Northern , Great Western Railway , Greater Anglia , Transport for Wales / Trafnidiaeth Cymru , South Western Railway , East Midlands Trains , West Midlands Trains , ScotRail and in their meter-gauge variant with the Thai company State railway .
Prototypes
BREL and Metro-Cammell each built two three-car trains as prototypes of the first series of classes 150/0 and 151.
| TOPS class | image | Top speed | number | Years of construction | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km / h | |||||
| 150/0 |
|
75 | 121 | 2 | 1984 | One of the two BREL prototypes was similar to the Class 150 series and had a Cummins engine and Voith transmission. The other was equipped with a Rolls-Royce (Perkins) engine and a Self-Changing Gears transmission . Problems arose with both components, the unit was later converted into the only representative of class 154 and was used to test components of class 158. |
| 151 |
|
75 | 121 | 2 | 1985 | Built by Metro-Cammell with the same Cummins engines as Class 150 and aluminum car bodies. Twin Disc's automatic transmissions shifted jerkily, which was never entirely fixed. BREL was awarded the contract with British Rail for Class 150. Class 151 was discontinued and went out of service in 1989. |
| 154 (conversion from 150) |
|
90 | 145 | 1 | 1985 | The only unit in this class was a conversion from a prototype of class 150, which had engines and transmissions that were different from the series. Class 158 components were tested on it; their problematic transmission was replaced by an improved Twin Disc automatic transmission with modified control software that allowed smooth gear changes. Air conditioning was also installed. Finally converted into the standard version of the Class 150. |
Series executions
With the exception of 17 units of class 158 and the 22 units of class 159, which were equipped with an additional intermediate car, all series vehicles were delivered as two-car trains. The class 153 single wagons are conversions from class 155.
Classes 150, 153, 155 and 156 have a top speed of 75 mph (121 km / h) and no air conditioning. Classes 158 and 159 have air conditioning and a top speed of 90 mph (144 km / h). All units except for the first two deliveries of Class 150 have transition devices at the ends so that in the case of multiple units, passengers can switch between the units during the journey.
All trains in the Sprinter family have type BSI center buffer couplings and can therefore run with each other and with trains of Pacer classes 142, 143 and 144 as well as class 170 in multiple units , but not with classes 165 and 166 due to different cabling.
Class 150 ( sprinter )
This series was intended for commuter traffic. In contrast to all other Sprinter designs, they have double doors each about 1/3 and 2/3 the length of the vehicle. Subclasses 150/0 and 150/1 are equipped with seats in the division 3 + 2 and have no transition facilities, so no transition between the coupled units for passengers is possible in the case of multiple traction. Similar car bodies were also used on Northern Ireland Railways' class 450 .
150/0
The two trains of the original version are currently (2015) in use at First Great Western.
150/1
The 50 trains of the first series version were initially used around Birmingham and Manchester and are currently (2015) in use by the following companies:
- London Midland
- First great western
- Northern Rail
150/2
The 85 built units of class 150/2 have transition facilities and the seat division 2 + 2. They were preferably used over longer distances. At times, some units were dissolved and their cars were coupled as intermediate cars in trains of the 150/1 series, so that three-car trains were created. This sub-series is currently (2015) in use at the following companies:
- Arriva Trains Wales
- First great western
- Northern Rail
950
In addition to the passenger version of class 150, a single unit with the same car bodies was built to be used to inspect the tracks on routes with a lower permitted axle load. Originally assigned to TOPS class 180, it was renumbered to class 950 for service vehicles in order to free up the number series for the Adelante trains from the Alstom Coradia family that were used from 2000 .
Class 153
These single wagons were converted from 1991/1992 by Hunslet-Barclay in Kilmarnock from two-car units of class 155, which were built by Leyland from 1987 to 1988. They were intended to replace first-generation single multiple units on lines with little traffic. The conversion included the installation of a driver's cab at the previous inner ends of the cars. Outwardly, the new driver's cabs differ slightly from the original ones, are shorter and protrude slightly into the entry area, so that the vehicles are not symmetrical.
Currently (2015) these cars are in use at the following companies:
- Arriva Trains Wales
- East Midlands Trains
- First great western
- London Midland
- Northern Rail
- Greater Anglia
Class 155 Super Sprinter
These railcars were built by British Leyland in Workington in 1987 and 1988. A technology derived from the Leyland National Bus was used for the car bodies . Of the 42 units originally built, only 7 are left, most of which have been converted into Class 153. Their top speed is 75 mph (121 km / h).
These cars are currently (2015) in use at
- Northern Rail
Class 156 Super Sprinter
The Class 156 units were built from 1987-1989 by Metro-Cammell (now part of Alstom) at the Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham. Their top speed is 75 mph (121 km / h). Like class 155 vehicles, they only have simple sliding doors at the ends of the car, as they were originally intended for longer journeys with few stops. The seat division is 2 + 2.
These cars are currently (2015) in use at
- East Midlands Trains
- Abellio ScotRail
- Northern Rail
- Greater Anglia
Class 158 Express Sprinter
The “Express Sprinter” class 158 were built by BREL in Derby from 1989 to 1992 . They replaced older diesel multiple units and locomotive hauled passenger trains. Compared to other members of the Sprinter family, especially class 156, they show significant improvements: full air conditioning (except in the driver's cabs), a top speed increased to 90 mph (144 km / h) and provisions for catering to passengers Trolleys.
Class 158 is therefore better suited for long journeys with fewer stops than the older Sprinter series and offers travelers a quieter and more comfortable environment than these. The seat division is 2 + 2 in the standard class and 2 + 1 in the first class, where this is available. The wagons have sliding doors.
Most of the two or three car units are fitted with Cummins engines, 47 have Perkins engines.
These cars are currently (2015) in use at
- Arriva Trains Wales
- East Midlands Trains
- First great western
- Abellio ScotRail
- Northern Rail
- South West Trains
An export version in meter gauge for the Thai State Railroad received inward opening doors and was delivered as four-car trains.
Class 159 South Western Turbo
Originally built as class 158 three-car units, these were converted before commissioning. 22 three-car units were built by Network SouthEast for use on the West of England Main Line and on the routes from London Waterloo to Salisbury , Yeovil and Exeter . They replaced hauled passenger trains with class 50 and 47 locomotives. Usually six or nine car trains run between Waterloo and Salisbury and three or six car trains run between Salisbury and Exeter. Individual three-car units ran west of Exeter until the end of service by South West Trains in late 2009 (until then, this company offered trains from London Waterloo to Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance).
Some otherwise redundant class 158 three-car units, which were transferred to the route of the West of England Main Line in 2007, have been upgraded to class 159 and re-classified as class 159/1.
These cars are currently (2015) in use at
- South West Trains
Unrealized projects
In addition to the types produced, two types were proposed but not implemented.
Class 152
In the early 1990s, British Rail proposed as a cost-saving measure for underutilized rural routes to convert the class 156 two-car units into single wagons, which should be assigned to class 152. The idea of a single-car Sprinter was actually implemented, but by converting Class 155 into Class 153.
Class 157
In the 1990s, Strathclyde Passenger Transport intended to modernize its fleet of vehicles for commuter and suburban transport in and around Glasgow , for which a new type of Sprinter should be acquired and classified as Class 157. However, due to the financial restrictions to which British Rail was subjected at the time and which led to privatization, this was not ordered. Class 170 was later procured instead .
admission
The new units were received positively on many routes. While the first-generation railcars had served well for many years, their reputation increasingly suffered from poor or poor maintenance, pollution and wear and tear, as well as leaks in the exhaust systems. Notwithstanding some objections to comfort and decor style, the Sprinters were welcomed across the country thanks to the fact that they were clean and new.
A disadvantage of the new railcars was the restricted view from the windows. The lower edges of the windows in the Mk 3 car bodies are much higher than in the first-generation railcars, and the seating and window arrangements are poorly coordinated. This problem affects many Mk 3- derived vehicle types. Travelers have particularly poor visibility in the seats near the doors, as the pockets in the sliding doors block their view, or at the ends of the car. In contrast to the first generation railcars, the rear walls of the driver's cab are not glazed, so that the passengers have no view of the route, which was particularly regretted by children and railroad fans.
replacement
After 20 or more years of service, the railway operating companies have started to replace the Sprinter . So London Midland decided to replace their aging fleet of Class 150 trains with Turbostars Class 172 Turbostars. This is beneficial for passengers as most Sprinters do not have air conditioning and their top speed is only 75 mph (121 km / h). Since the windows are opened for ventilation, noise nuisance is not uncommon, and the doors at the ends of the car are not pressure-tight. The released trains are very likely to be passed on to other railway operating companies in order to replace the Pacers there, which do not meet the accessibility requirements for the disabled and, if they are not fundamentally rebuilt, will have to go out of service in 2019, but at the latest in 2030 when they are too old to continue operating.
The Class 158 Express Sprinters have been replaced on many routes by Turbostars and Coradia trains, so that they are even transferred to lower services, where they replace older and less comfortable Sprinters , which in turn replace Pacer railcars. They were used for the five-hour journeys between Norwich and Liverpool when the Turbostar units were transferred from there under a new franchise to London Midland from November 2007 , and for the four-hour journeys between Birmingham Airport and Holyhead , where they were used there Class 175 trains for long-distance services between Holyhead, Llandudno, Manchester and Cardiff.
Further information
Individual evidence
- ^ David St John Thomas, Whitehouse, Patrick: BR in the Eighties . David & Charles, Newton Abbot 1990, ISBN 0-7153-9854-7 .
- ↑ Class 150 BREL prototype Sprinters .
- ^ The Class 151 Metro-Cammell DMUs .
- ^ Class 154 BREL prototype Sprinter .
- ^ Govia picked to run West Midlands franchise . Railnews . June 21, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
- ^ The Train Drivers' Union: Train / Freight Company Update . October 22, 2007. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
- ^ Metro Cammell Super Sprinter
