British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 Sprinter is a class of diesel-hydraulic multiple unit passenger trains; they were developed and built by British Rail Engineering Limited at York Carriage Works between 1984 and 1987, for use on regional services across Great Britain. The type is a second-generation design, built to more modern standards and based on British Rail's Mark 3 body design for longer-distance services. It was developed alongside the lower-cost Pacers, which were built using bus parts for use on short-distance services. Two prototype units were built, followed by 135 production units in two batches. Further members of the Sprinter group were developed subsequently and introduced to service, including the Class 155, Class 156, Class 158 and Class 159.
Background
By the beginning of the 1980s, British Rail was operating a large fleet of first-generation DMUs of various designs. While formulating its long-term strategy for this sector of its operations, BR planners recognised that there would be considerable costs incurred by undertaking refurbishment programmes necessary for the continued use of these ageing multiple units, particularly due to the necessity of handling and removing hazardous materials such as asbestos. In light of the high costs involved in retention, planners examined the prospects for the development and introduction of a new generation of diesel multiple units to succeed the first generation.In the concept stage, two separate approaches were devised, one involving a so-called railbus that prioritised the minimisation of both initial and ongoing costs, while the second was a more substantial DMU that could deliver better performance than the existing fleet, particularly on long-distance services. The initial specification developed for the latter type was relatively ambitious for the era, calling for a maximum speed of, a rate of acceleration comparable to contemporary electric multiple units, the ability to couple/work in multiple with existing EMUs, facilitate through-access for passengers, feature pressure ventilation, the ability to assist another failed unit and to comprise either a three or four-car consist.
This specification led to the development of the experimental diesel-electric multiple unit. However, to deliver the performance specified, it was found that relatively expensive equipment had to be used, particularly to provide sufficient speed, acceleration and through-passenger access; it also had maintainability problems due to space limitations. Despite these shortcomings, it was recognised that a production fleet that was assembled from proven components would possess both a greater reliability level and lower maintenance costs; it was forecast to achieve an availability rate of 85 percent. As such, the type had sufficiently demonstrated a promising reduction in maintenance costs was achievable, especially once initial teething problems were dealt with, as well as the wider value represented by a new generation of DMUs in the reduction of ongoing costs for BR.
By 1983, experience with the Class 210 had influenced planners to favour the procurement of a new generation of DMUs, but also to adopt a new set of specifications somewhat less demanding than the prior set. Specifically, it was decided to lower the top speed from, as testing had shown that the higher rate brought no perceptible improvement in journey times due to the typically short distances between the stations that the type was intended to serve. Furthermore, it was determined that a propulsion system delivering per tonne would deliver sufficient acceleration. The requests for compatibility with other rolling stock were eliminated, although auto-coupling and auto-connecting functionality were added. In addition to a good ride quality, the specification included a sound level of 90dB when at full speed, an operational range of and an interval between major overhauls of five years or.
In comparison to the previous generation of DMUs, which typically used a pair of engines for each power car, the new generation DMU would use only a single engine per car; sufficient cooling was also provided that even with one failed engine, a two-car unit could continue to perform typical services without incurring a major performance deficit. From an operational perspective, it was intended that the DMU could be assembled akin to building blocks, comprising between two and four cars that may or may not be outfitted with various passenger amenities such as toilets and luggage spaces.
Initially formalised as a business specification, these requirements were transferred into a relatively broad technical specification that avoided any specifics other than those deemed essential for compatibility purposes. Thereafter, it was issued to various rolling stock manufacturers for a competitive tender. As part of this process, these manufacturers submitted bids to construct an initial series of three-car prototypes as demonstration units. A relatively constrained timetable of 18months from the date of order to delivery of these prototypes was also specified; this has been blamed for restricting manufacturers to existing industrial practices for their submissions.
In response to the specification, several submissions were received by BR. The bid submitted by British Rail Engineering Limited was heavily based on its successful EMU, sharing its body and the majority of its running gear, albeit equipped with two different power trains. The railway engineering company Metro-Cammell also bid, offering its own design that employed rivetted aluminium construction; this feature was credited with enabling a meaningful reduction in weight over conventional methods. BR officials quickly opted to proceed with a pair of prototypes from both BREL and Metro-Cammell, issuing orders to these manufacturers thenceforth.
Design
The Class 150 is a two- or three-car diesel multiple unit. The steel bodyshell is shared with the Class 455 suburban EMU, with doors at 1/3 and 2/3. With the exception of units 150001 and 150002 in their original prototype configurations, each vehicle in the unit is powered by an underframe-mounted Cummins six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that develops. The engine drives a Voith T211r hydrokinetic transmission that in turn drives both axles on the inner bogie via a Cardan shaft and Gmeinder GM 180 final drive unit. The design speed is. The majority of units are formed of a DMS vehicle and a DMSL vehicle. Both vehicles are single class while the DMSL contains the toilet. The two prototype units were built as three-car sets with the addition of a MS vehicle. In common with other non-intercity stock of the time, the trains lack air conditioning, ventilation being provided though opening hopper windows. As built, passenger seating was in a 3+2 configuration.The second batch of production vehicles featured a new cab with gangway connection along with a revised interior.
Prototypes
During 1984, BREL constructed a pair of prototype three-car Class 150/0 units, numbered 150001 and 150002; the first unit was delivered to BR only 15 months following the date of order. 150001 was fitted with Cummins engines and Voith hydraulic transmission, and 150002 was fitted with Perkins engines and a fully automatic gearbox developed by the Self-Changing Gears company. Other than the power train, the two units were identical.The design specifications of the prototypes were similar to the later production units, but they were to remain as the only Class 150s to be built as three-car units. Additional three-car units were created later by re-marshalling a 150/2 car in the middle of a 150/1 set, but only the prototypes had purpose-built centre cars without driving cabs. Both cab doors are air-operated, unlike the Class 150/1 production model, but seen later on in the 150/2 variant.
Unit 150002 proved to be the worse of the two for reliability and was consequently chosen for use as the testbed for the. It was regeared to a maximum speed of and fitted with Cummins engines and Voith transmission, and with a Class 158 interior. One car was fitted with the twin disc hot-shift transmission, which it used successfully, once the control software was sorted out. To distinguish this unit, it was reclassified as the Class 154. It has since been returned to the standard configuration and reverted to its original number. Both prototypes were still in service with London Midland until 2011. Unit 150001 entered service with First Great Western in January 2012, with 150002 to follow after refurbishment and relivery. Units 150001 & 150002 then operated for Great Western Railway; the former was based at Bristol's St. Phillips Marsh Depot, primarily working the Bristol Parkway-Weston Super Mare route; 150002 was based at Exeter St. Davids Depot and mainly operated the Riviera Line alongside Class 143 Pacers. In April 2020, both units transferred to Northern Trains' Newton Heath Depot. Both units have since entered into service, initially being used mainly on the Manchester Victoria - Todmorden - Blackburn diagram, and subsequently on Rochdale - Manchester - Bolton - Clitheroe services. And now operate Huddersfield-Sheffield and Sheffield-Moorthorpe-Leeds services.
At the same time that BREL built the 150/0s, Metro-Cammell built two prototype units at its Washwood Heath plant. The two types of unit were exhaustively tested, with a view to placing further orders for the more successful. These tests revealed that the Class 150 had exceptional ride quality, as well as fully meeting the 50 percent engine-out performance requirements. In the event, the two Class 150 units proved to be more reliable and, as a result, an order for 50 two-car units was placed with BREL.
Production units
This second batch of fifty units was classified as Class 150/1 and numbered in the range. Like the prototype units, they did not have the front-end gangway connections which allowed passengers to move between two units that were working in multiple. Originally based at Derby Etches Park depot, these units were introduced in 1985, mainly concentrated around Birmingham and Manchester and, in later years, restricted mainly to commuter services.The final batch of 85 two-car units was built with front-end gangway connections. These units were introduced in 1987, classified as Class 150/2 and numbered in the range ; they were used on longer-distance services. The end gangways make them very similar in appearance to the Class 317/2 and Class 455/7 and 455/9 EMUs, also based on the Mark 3 bodyshell.
Some of the Class 150/2 units were later disbanded and the vehicles were used to make some of the Birmingham and Manchester-based Class 150/1 units into three-car sets. The units in Manchester were later returned to their original configuration, but the Birmingham-based units were renumbered into the 1500xx range by subtracting 100 from the previous number. This also gave the operational advantage of there being an extra set of passenger door controls within the train for use by the conductor, making it easier to collect revenue without having to run the full length of the unit between stations.
The Class 150 units have BSI couplers which enable them to work in multiple with,,,,,, and units, as well as with units of the same class. However, they cannot work in multiple with or units due to incompatible wiring arrangements.
When introduced, the Class 150s had unique interior door open/close buttons. In the north of England, they were square and blue; in the south of Scotland, they were yellow in colour and lit up turquoise when enabled; the button lit up bright yellow in the south of England. The illumination feature was intended to aid visually impaired people, although they did not meet the subsequent standards set out by disability regulations that were later introduced, because they had no raised braille and were too small for some disabled people to reasonably locate. During the 2000s, these blue buttons were replaced across the fleet by the standard EAO series 56 'easy to see, easy to press' raised circular door button, with braille writing for the visually impaired, over a yellow surround to comply with the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations.
The 450 Class was built using the Class 150 bodyshell and was operated by Northern Ireland Railways. It came to the end of its design life in 2014, so most of them were scrapped, although two remained.
One further unit was built specifically for testing duties. Originally numbered in the Class 180 series, the unit is now in the departmental series, numbered 950001 and carries the yellow Network Rail livery.
The performance of the Class 150 was such that BR decided to procure similar trains for the Provincial fleet, such as the Class 156 and Class 158 for longer regional routes, replacing a significant portion of the locomotive-hauled stock previously operated by BR.