British Rail Class 159
| British Rail Class 159 South Western Turbo | |
|---|---|
A South Western Railway Class 159 in 2018 | |
Standard-class interior, as refreshed by SWR | |
| In service | 10 June 1993 – present |
| Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
| Built at | Derby Litchurch Lane Works |
| Family name | Sprinter |
| Replaced | Locomotive-hauled trains |
| Constructed |
|
| Refurbished |
|
| Number built | 22 (plus 8 converted from Class 158) |
| Number in service | 29 |
| Number scrapped | 2 vehicles |
| Formation | 3 cars per unit: DMCL-MSL-DMSL |
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity | 169 seats (23 first-class, 146 standard) |
| Owner | Porterbrook |
| Operator | South Western Railway |
| Depot | Salisbury |
| Line served | West of England Main Line |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Welded aluminium |
| Car length | 22.57 m (74 ft 1 in) |
| Width | 2.70 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 3.73 m (12 ft 3 in) |
| Doors | Double-leaf plug (2 per side per car) |
| Maximum speed | 90 mph (145 km/h) |
| Weight | approx. 38.5 t (38 long tons; 42 short tons) per car |
| Axle load | Route Availability 1 |
| Prime movers |
|
| Engine type | Inline-6 4-stroke turbo-diesel |
| Displacement | 14 L (855 cu in) per engine |
| Power output |
|
| Transmission | Voith T 211 rz (hydrokinetic) |
| UIC classification | 2′B′+B′2′+B′2′ |
| Bogies |
|
| Braking system | Pneumatic (disc) |
| Safety systems | |
| Coupling system | BSI |
| Multiple working | Within class and with Classes 14x, 15x and 170 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 159 is a class of diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger trains of the Sprinter grouping, built in 1989–1992 by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL)'s Derby Litchurch Lane Works as Class 158. Before entering traffic, the original 22 units were modified at Rosyth Dockyard to Class 159 to operate services on the West of England Main Line, replacing various locomotive-hauled passenger trains. The units were originally branded by Network SouthEast as South Western Turbo.