British Rail Class 151

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The British Rail Class 151 was a prototype class of DMU built by Metro Cammell in the mid-1980s.

Only two 3-car units were built and they were introduced into service in the spring and summer of 1985. The vehicles were aluminium bodied and each one was equipped with Cummins NT855 285HP diesel engines with hot-shift Twin Disc transmissions and Gmeinder final drives. Their maximum speed was 75 mile/h and they were very quick off the mark.

The units had one or two unusual features including hydraulically-driven alternators and cooling fans. The main cooler group and radiators were fitted in a pod on the roof of each vehicle. The bogies were non-standard and this combined with several other unique features lead ultimately to their premature withdrawal but not before they were re-numbered 003 and 004.

The two prototypes were withdrawn in March 1989 after losing out to the BREL-built Class 150 for full production. After withdrawal the units spent a number of years stored at Llandudno Junction carriage sheds until they were purchased by Railtest (later Serco Railtest) who had planned to convert them into test units. However for the same reasons which saw their withdrawal from service Railtest did not go ahead with any conversions and the units were again stored out in the open in the sidings of the Derby RTC.

In March 2000 they were bought by a company called Endeavour Rail who were planning to refurbish both units for spot hire to TOC's and they were transferred to Pete Waterman's LNWR Company at Crewe, but again the proposed refurbishment did not happen and the units remained in the open next to the main line where they stayed until they degenerated into graffiti-covered wrecks.

They survived until March 2004 when they were finally scrapped and cut up on site.

[edit] External link

• Train Testing site - Testing the Class 151 prototypes

British Rail diesel multiple units
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