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Class 158

photograph by Michael Taylor

Alphaline Wales and West unit N°158821 forming the 7:17pm Waterloo to Cardiffservice on 14th June 1999. The Alphaline Waterloo services were intended as Eurostar feeders
The Class 158 "Super Sprinter" was built be BREL between 1998 and 1992 to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly first generation DMUs. They were described as' key long-distance cross-country routes". A total of 182 units were built, mainly as two-car units. 17 units were built as three-car units; eight of which have since had the centre car transferred to different units of the class, whilst another eight have been upgraded to be Class 159s.

Currently South Western Railway operates Class 158 units 158880-888 and 890 from Exeter St Davids to Waterloo and on the Salisbury to Romsey via Southampton Central service. South Western Railway also operates the Class 159 units that were converted from Class 158 units 8 and 890. N°158885 was fitted with a ZF fuel saving transmission instead of the usual Voith T211rz or T211rzz hydraulic, but this was ultimately unsuccessful and the unit had reverted to the original arrangement by March 2017. Originally brought in to replace South West Trains class 170 fleet, SWT's class 158s saw a brief use on the former Reading to Brighton service, before the service was truncated at both ends within the new South Western franchise of 2007.

Click on the thumbnails for a larger image.
  • 158864
    Clapham Jn
    An unusual, in the historical context, destination for Clapham Junction! Unit N°158864 is working the 12:24 p.m. Alphaline Wales and West service to Milford Haven on 24th February 2001.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.

  • Salisbury
    Unit N°158870 is in Alphaline's Wessex livery and is seen here in platform 3 at Salisbury on the afternoon of 17th April 2002.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • 158827
    Clapham Jn
    Is this the fastest Cornish Pasty in the land? Unit N°158827 has been repainted as an advertisement for Ginsters of Callington and is seen here at Clapham Junction on 1st March 2003.
    Photograph by Richard A.
  • 158820
    Clapham Jn
    Unit N°158820 arriving at Clapham Junction on 30 December 2003 whilst it was working the 12:17 p.m. service from Waterloo to Millford Haven.
    Photograph by James Stearn.
  • 158820
    Clapham Jn
    Unit N°158820 is here shown painted in the Arriva Trains colours reflecting the change of franchise from Wales and Border trains.The new livery is not as attractive as the silver livery of Wales and Borders which it has replaced.
    Photograph by James Stearn.

This page was last updated 20 November 2020

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