155 Super Sprinters
155 Super Sprinters
| Fitted with Cummins NT855-R5 285HP engines and
Voith transmission, these Leyland-built two x 23m long units were (in my opinion) the
worst of
the modern generation of Sprinters. Built by Leyland Bus at Workington and
having no prototype to evaluate the units, this was a departure from the
practice at the time and they suffered from a number of serious problems,
particularly with gauging issues (footsteps) and door troubles. This was borne out by their early conversion
to the ubiquitous class 153 single car units or Scuds as they are
affectionately known. Later in 1988 the West Yorkshire PTE took delivery of seven further two car sets designated as class 155/3's which were also built at Workington and these units were the only ones not to be converted into 153's. Capable of 75 mile/h with Westinghouse 'Westcode' brakes they had BSI couplers and weighed in at approx. 40 tonnes each vehicle. The author spent some time on the type testing of the units which usually were out-and-back trips from the RTC and also at Tyesley depot Birmingham when the units were being commissioned. |
Click on the picture for a bigger image - pictures are the author's unless otherwise credited
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155301 pictured at an
unknown location in 1987 - possibly Leyland Works Author's collection |
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155301 at Craven Arms after a test run from Derby |
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155301 is pictured somewhere on the Mickleover
test track
Author's collection |
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Another view of 155301
Author's collection |
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Stabled at the Mickleover
depot site in late 1987 Chris Ward |
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155328 at Carlisle on 12th
April 1988, after a test run - possibly from the Leyland plant David Ford collection |
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155306 sits in the yard at
the RTC in company with a class 142 'Skipper' railbus - destined
eventually for Laira depot, Plymouth. Note the polystyrene on the 155 as
an aid to gauge clearance testing - if it got back with some missing
then clearances were too tight!
Author's collection |
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They did get into service and here's 155324 in Platform 7 at Crewe |
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In the West Yorkshire PTE
livery of red and cream 155341 stands at Leeds sometime during the late
1980's. These units were the only ones not to be converted into 153's Chris Ward |
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155326 pictured at
Birmingham New Street on 14th May 1988 Steve Jones |
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155310 departs Southampton
on 23rd January 1990 Steve Jones |
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155302 sits in the platform
at Southampton on 23rd January 1990 Steve Jones |
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155307 at Leeds on 25th May 2006 |
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This is what happened to the rest of the 155's. 153313 stands in Crewe with a service for Shrewsbury on 18th May 2006 |
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155345 at Leeds on 23rd July 2008 |
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155344 at York on 31st July 2018 |
More pictures will be added as time permits