British Rail Class 168

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British Rail Class 168
Clubman
Chiltern Railways Class 168/0 at Birmingham Moor Street
Refurbished Class 168/0 saloon
In service20 May 1998 – present
Manufacturer
Built atDerby Litchurch Lane Works
Family nameClubman / Turbostar
Constructed1998–2004
Refurbished2007–2008[1]
Number built19 (plus 9 converted from Cl. 170/3)
Formation
  • 4 cars per 168/0 unit:
    DMSL(W)-MSL-MS-DMSL
  • 3 or 4 cars per 168/1 unit:
    DMSL(W)-MS-DMSL
    DMSL(W)-MSL-MS-DMSL
  • 3 or 4 cars per 168/2 unit:
    DMSL(W)-MS-DMSL(W)
    DMSL(W)-MS-MS-DMSL(W)
  • 2 cars per 168/3 unit:
    DMSL(W)-DMSL[2]
Fleet numbers
  • 168/0: 168001–168005
  • 168/1: 168106–168113
  • 168/2: 168214–168219
  • 168/3: 168321–168329
Capacity
  • 3-car: 204 seats
  • 4-car: 272 seats
Owners
OperatorsChiltern Railways
Lines served
Specifications
Car body constructionWelded aluminium, with steel body ends[5]
Car length
  • 168/0 DM vehicles:
    24.10 m (79 ft 1 in)
  • Other DM vehicles:
    23.62 m (77 ft 6 in)
  • Intermediate vehicles:
    23.61 m (77 ft 6 in)
Width2.69 m (8 ft 10 in)
Height3.77 m (12 ft 4 in)
DoorsDouble-leaf sliding plug (2 per side per car)
Maximum speed100 mph (160 km/h)
Prime mover(s)
  • All units except 168329:
    2–4 × MTU 6R 183 TD 13H[6]
  • Unit 168329:
    2 × MTU 6H 1800 R76[7][8]
  • (all one per car)
Engine type
Displacement
  • 6R 183: 13 L (790 cu in)[citation needed]
  • 6H 1800: 12.81 L (782 cu in)[8]
  • (all per engine)
Power output315 kW (422 hp) per engine[9][8]
Transmission
Acceleration0.5 m/s2 (1.6 ft/s2)[3]
Bogies
  • Adtranz/Bombardier
  • Powered: P3-23
  • Unpowered: T3-23
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc)
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemBSI[13]
Multiple workingWithin class, and with Class 165[14]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Sourced from [9] except where otherwise noted

The Class 168 Clubman is a British diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger train used on Chiltern Line services between London Marylebone and the West Midlands. The trains were built by Adtranz at the Derby Litchurch Lane Works in several batches from 1998.

The first batch was classified 168/0 under TOPS and resembled the Class 165 units previously built by BREL York. The Networker-design cab was an interim solution pending the design of a completely new cab for further Turbostar batches. Subsequent builds, subclassed as 168/1 and 168/2, were constructed at the same time as the Class 170 Turbostar and thus are part of the Turbostar family of trains.

The first batch of Clubman 168/0 carriages ordered by Chiltern Railways were the first units ordered by any train operating company since the privatisation of the UK industry in 1996. They were delivered as 3-car sets but later lengthened to 4-car sets.

One unit has been converted to hybrid operation as of 2022, but is to be converted back to normal specifications following failed operations.[15]

Description[edit]

Seating[edit]

A typical Class 168 consists of 2+2 standard-class seating throughout, arranged either around tables or in airline-style seating with pull-down tables. The majority of seats are facing seats. The Class 168 is carpeted throughout with luggage racks, air conditioning, and two or more toilets per set (one for disabled users, with baby changing facilities). Passenger information systems are fitted in every car and on the outside of class 168/2 cars.

Variants[edit]

Three different variants of the 168 were produced - 168/0, 168/1 and 168/2. Both Classes 168/1 and 168/2 are actually of the same design as the Class 170 Turbostar DMU trains, mainly due to the redesigned cab ends. The nine Class 170s that Chiltern obtained from First TransPennine Express were converted by Brush Traction to operate with the Class 168 fleet, and redesignated as Class 168/3.[16] 168329 has been converted by Porterbrook into a diesel/battery hybrid. It was tested in 2021 on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway[17] and entered service as "HybridFlex" in February 2022.[18]

Fleet details[edit]

Fleet details
Class Operator Qty. Year built Cars per unit Unit numbers
168/0 Chiltern Railways 5 1998 4 168001–168005
168/1 2 2000 168106–168107
6 3 168108–168113
168/2 3 2004 168214, 168218–168219
3 4 168215–168217
168/3
[16] 		8 2000 2 168321–168328
1 168329 ("HybridFlex" demonstrator)

Operations[edit]

Network SouthEast (NSE) originally planned the Class 168 for its expansion of service on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill or New Street. These units were planned to have a higher top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) and better acceleration than the Class 165 Networker Turbo DMU trains.

In the event, privatisation intervened before NSE acquired any units; Chiltern Railways operates these units, in similar diagrams to those originally planned by NSE.

Named units[edit]

The following units been named:

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Chiltern Railways: About us - Our train fleet". Chiltern Railways. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  2. ^ Class 170 & 171 Diesel Multiple Unit (PDF) (1A ed.). Derby: Porterbrook Leasing Company. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Class 168". London: Eversholt Rail Group. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  4. ^ Sherratt, Philip, ed. (2023). "ROSCO Fleets". Modern Railways: Review 2023. Stamford: Key Publishing. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-1-80282-569-5.
  5. ^ "Turbostar – United Kingdom". Bombardier Transportation. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  6. ^ MTU Rail Power for the UK & Ireland (PDF). MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. September 2018. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  7. ^ "HybridFLEX Battery-Diesel Train, UK". Railway Technology. London: Verdict Media. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d MTU Hybrid Powerpack Series 1800 for Railcar Applications (PDF) (01/22 ed.). Friedrichshafen: Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. 26 August 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  9. ^ a b Class 168 Diesel Multiple Unit (PDF) (1A ed.). Derby: Porterbrook Leasing Company. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Turbo Star" Class 168: Chiltern Railways Diesel Railcars with Voith T 211 rzze Turbo Transmission (07/2000 ed.). Heidenheim: Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG. G 1520 e.
  11. ^ "Cutting Emissions – cleaner, greener Turbostars". Rail Engineer. Coalville: Rail Media Group. 26 April 2022. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Hybrid Powerpacks for Railcars". Rail Solution Guide (PDF) (01/22 ed.). Friedrichshafen: Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. 26 August 2022. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  13. ^ System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles in support of GM/RT2190 (PDF). London: Rail Safety and Standards Board. 22 June 2011. p. 4. SD001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  14. ^ Webster, Neil; Hall, Peter; Fox, Peter (2001). British Railways Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2001. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. pp. 207–208. ISBN 1-902336-19-4.
  15. ^ "…But HybridFLEX Class 168 set to be de-converted". Railways Illustrated. No. 248. October 2023. p. 13.
  16. ^ a b Broadbent, Steve (4 March 2014). "Chiltern plots further expansion". Rail Magazine. No. 769. Peterborough. pp. 46–53.
  17. ^ "Porterbrook on LinkedIn: #HybridFLEX #finalgreenmile". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  18. ^ "First battery-diesel hybrid train runs between London and Aylesbury". BBC News. 10 February 2022. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Chiltern pioneer Shooter recognised with statue". Modern Railways. No. 899. October 2022. p. 16.
  20. ^ Bendall, Simon; Coward, Andy (May 2024). "Naming Update". Fleet Review. Railways Illustrated. No. 255. p. 22.

Further reading[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 168.
  • "First post-privatisation new train enters service on Chiltern Lines". RAIL. No. 332. EMAP Apex Publications. 16 June 1998. p. 11. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
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