(Track not included)
The origins of the Class 153 date back to 1990, when British Rail needed replacements for its ageing fleet of Class 121 and 122 “Bubble Car” diesel railcars for use on the quiet Cornish, Welsh, North-Western, Norfolk and Lincolnshire branch lines, as well as augmenting rural two car units.Originally built as a two-car Class 155 “Super Sprinter” by British Leyland between 1987 and 1988, using a construction technique similar to that used in the Pacers, pre-formed panels were riveted together, creating a lightweight body on a welded floor assembly.
The conversion to Class 153 was carried out by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock between 1991 and 1992, with 70 vehicles being produced. The layout of the original non-cab ends was different from the original cab end, so the ends are noticeably distinct with the vehicles not being symmetrical. The large number of windows makes the vehicles look unusually long, being built on such a lightly built body has led to a slight sag being apparent in certain coaches over time.
72 passengers can be carried in 2+2 high backing, mixed bay and airline style seats, with 15.5m2 of floor space available for standing. Each vehicle is fitted with a toilet cubicle, as well as a large parcels locker, as at the time the units were constructed in the 1980s, a large quantity of local parcels traffic was still conveyed by rail under the Red Star Parcels brand. This fell out of use in the period leading to rail privatisation and the large areas are now used as luggage space.
Powered by a 285hp Cummins NT855-R5 Diesel, working through a Voith Hydraulic transmission, the maximum speed of a Class 153 is 75 mph, making it perfectly suited for small cross country services. They are fitted with standard BSI auto-couplers, allowing them to work in tandem with other multiple units from the 14X and 15X Classes fitted with the same coupler, as well as newer units like the Class 170.
Units are numbered in the range 153301-335 and 153351-385. Individual cars are numbered 52301-335 and 57351-385 (originally 57301-335).
The Northern Rail franchise currently operates 8 Class 153 units, 153 358 was manufactured on April 4, 1988 at Leyland Bus and is one of 40 Class 153 units operating on the rail network.
We try our best to describe items and show accurate pictures of them. However, some manufacturing packaging and colours can vary. Packaging can sometimes be unavoidably damaged in the post. If the packaging is of importance to you please let us know in advance.
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You can find us at: Unit 1, Anchor Business Park, Castle Road, Sittingbourne. Kent. ME10 3AE.
Models come in many different designs, sizes and shapes. If you are unsure whether the part you are ordering is correct please contact us, we are only too happy to check this out for you. We ask that you give us as much information about your model as you can, including part numbers where possible, find so that we can answer your questions.
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