HOT on the heels of the standing down of SWR’s entire Class 456 fleet (see Headline News, p9), January 21 saw the departure from south west London of SWR’s first Class 458 in advance of its rebuilding as a long-distance four-car unit for use on Portsmouth line services. Still in its five-car formation, No. 458507 was collected by Nos. 37510 Orion and 37611 Pegasus, which formed the 5Q94 10.31 Wimbledon Park-Long Marston. The unit is being stored there, prior to being moved to Widnes, where its rebuild will be undertaken. A second ‘458’, No. 458517, was hauled from Wimbledon Park to Long Marston by Nos. 37611 and 57312 on January 24.
DMU
CLASS 153
THE second Class 153 to be disposed of for scrap is No. 153366, which, following stripping at Nemesis Rail’s Burton depot, departed by road for Sims Metals at Beeston on January 12, arriving the next day. Its disposal follows that of No. 153302 to EMR, Kingsbury in July 2021.
Arriving at Landore for refurbishment by Chrysalis Rail on January 7 were the last two Transport for Wales sets to still carry East Midlands Railway colours, Nos. 153918/982.
CLASS 156 ‘SUPER SPRINTER’
STORED at the roundhouse since
