British Rail Class 156

British Rail Class 156
Super Sprinter
Arriva Rail North Class 156 in 2019
Interior of a refurbished Greater Anglia Class 156
In service16 May 1988 – present
ManufacturerMetro-Cammell
Order no.
  • 31028 (DMSL vehicles)
  • 31029 (DMS vehicles)[1]
Built atWashwood Heath, Birmingham
Family nameSprinter
Replaced
Constructed1987–1989[2]
Number built114
Number in service109
Formation
  • 2 cars per unit:
  • DMSL-DMS
Diagram
  • DMSL vehicles: DP244
  • DMS vehicles: DP245
Fleet numbers156401–156514[3]
Capacity
  • As built: 163 seats
  • As refurbished: 146–152 seats[4]
Owners
[5]
Operators
Depots
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Car length22.385 m (73 ft 5.3 in)
Width2.730 m (8 ft 11.5 in)
Height3.805 m (12 ft 5.8 in)
Floor height1.135 m (3 ft 8.7 in)
DoorsSingle-leaf pocket sliding (2 per side per car)[3]
Wheelbase
  • Bogies:
    2.600 m (8 ft 6.4 in)
  • Over bogie centres:
    16.000 m (52 ft 5.9 in)
Maximum speed75 mph (120 km/h)
Weight
  • As built:
  • DMSL vehicles: 38.6 t (38.0 LT; 42.5 ST)
  • DMS vehicles: 37.9 t (37.3 LT; 41.8 ST)
Prime mover(s)2 × Cummins NT855-R5 (one per vehicle)
Engine typeInline-6 4-stroke turbo-diesel[7]
Displacement14 L (855 cu in) per engine[7]
Power output430 kW (570 hp) total[3]
Transmission2 × Voith T 211 r (hydrokinetic, one per vehicle)[1]
HVACWarm air
UIC classification2′B′+B′2′
Bogies
  • Powered: BREL P3-10
  • Unpowered: BREL BT38
Minimum turning radius90.5 m (297 ft)
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (tread)
('Westcode' three-step)[8]
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemBSI
Multiple workingWithin class, and with Classes 14x, 15x, and 170[3]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Specifications as at March 1987,[9] except where otherwise noted.

The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel-hydraulic multiple unit passenger train. A total of 114 sets were built between 1987 and 1989 for British Rail by Metro-Cammell's Washwood Heath works. They were built to replace elderly first-generation DMUs and locomotive-hauled passenger trains.

  1. ^ a b Fox 1987, p. 45
  2. ^ Fox & Hughes 1994, p. 33
  3. ^ a b c d "Class 156". The Railway Centre. Archived from the original on 9 March 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ Bevan Brittan LLC (26 March 2014). The Northern Interim Franchise Agreement (PDF). London: Department for Transport. M-10204941-1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Brodies puts 156478 up for sale". Today's Railways UK. No. 262. December 2023. p. 57.
  6. ^ Fox & Hughes 1994, pp. 33–35
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Rail Accident Report 26/2006: Collision between train and buffer stops at Sudbury, 27 January 2006 (PDF). Derby: Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department for Transport. December 2006. p. 11. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  9. ^ Vehicle Diagram Book No. 220 for Diesel Multiple Unit Trains (Railcars) (PDF). Derby: Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Department, British Railways Board. March 1987. DP244, DP245 (in work pp. 83–86). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2023 – via Barrowmore MRG.