British Rail Class 153

British Rail Class 153
Super Sprinter
KeolisAmey Wales Class 153 at Ty Glas in 2019
Interior of a refurbished East Midlands Trains unit
In service1991–present
Manufacturer
Order no.31026[1]
Family nameSprinter
ReplacedBR First-Generation DMUs
Constructed
  • 1987–1988
  • (Converted 1991–1992)
Entered service1991
Number built70
Number in service33
Number preserved1
Number scrapped11
FormationSingle vehicle: DMSL[1]
Diagram
  • DX203[1]
  • (From DP248 and DP249)[2]
Fleet numbers
  • Units:
  • 153301–153335
  • 153351–153385
  • Vehicles:[1]
  • 52301–52335
  • 57351–57385
Capacity
  • Pre-PRM: 66, 72, or 75 seats
  • PRM modified: 59 seats[3]
Operators
Depots
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel[2]
Car length23.208 m (76 ft 1.7 in)[2]
Width2.700 m (8 ft 10.3 in)[2]
Height3.746 m (12 ft 3.5 in)[2]
DoorsSingle-leaf sliding plug (2 per side)[5]
Wheelbase
  • Bogies: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)[2]
  • Bogie centres: 16.0 m (52 ft 6 in)
Maximum speed75 mph (120 km/h)
Weight41.2 tonnes (40.5 long tons; 45.4 short tons)[3]
Axle loadRoute Availability 1
Prime mover(s)1 × Cummins NT855-R5
Engine typeInline-6 4-stroke turbo-diesel[6]
Displacement14 L (855 cu in)[6]
Power output213 kW (285 hp)[5]
TransmissionVoith T 211 r (hydrokinetic)
HVACWarm air & hot-water radiators
UIC classification2′B′
Bogies
  • Powered: BREL P3-10
  • Unpowered: BREL BT38
Minimum turning radius90 m (295 ft 3 in)
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (tread)[2][5]
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemBSI
Multiple workingWithin class, plus Classes 14x, 15x, and 170[5]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Converted from 35 × Class 155 units[7][8][9]

The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter are single-coach diesel-hydraulic railcars which were converted from two-coach Class 155 diesel multiple units in the early 1990s. The class was intended for service on rural branch lines, either where passenger numbers do not justify longer trains or to boost the capacity on services with high passenger volume.

  1. ^ a b c d e Fox & Hughes 1994, pp. 31–32
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Vehicle Diagram Book No. 220 for Diesel Multiple Unit Trains (Railcars) (PDF). Derby: British Railways Board. 1982. DP248, DP249. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2022 – via Barrowmore MRG.
  3. ^ a b Marsden 2011, p. 115
  4. ^ Clinnick, Richard (February 2023). "A grand plan for Scotland's railways". Rail Express. No. 321. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 76. ISSN 1362-234X.
  5. ^ a b c d Class 153 Diesel Multiple Unit (PDF) (1A ed.). Derby: Porterbrook Leasing Company. January 2014. pp. 17–18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. ^ a b Marine Engine General Data Sheet N/NT/NTA 855-M (PDF). Columbus, Indiana: Cummins Engine Company. 18 February 2002. p. 1. DS-4962. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Our Fleets - Regional Passenger Trains - Class 153". London: Angel Trains. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  8. ^ Barclay, Kenny (November 2017). British Rail in the 1980s and 1990s: Diesel Locomotives and DMUs. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4456-7005-8.
  9. ^ Thomson, Gordon (July 2016). Railways of Ayrshire. Marlborough: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-7850-0148-2.