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These guys have been set the task of replacing these panes of glass. There are literally thousands of these panes of glass. I would think they will be at it for months.
13.12.2009 |MEGA UNDER ROCK| Victória Hall [São Caetano/SP]
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Ao Publicar as fotos dar seus devidos créditos:
FOTO TIRADA POR Kauê Sovethe
Contrate: kaaaue@hotmail.com
In our new house (only 30 years old) in Japan, the kitchen has hideous wallpaper that only its designer could love. We plan to replace the wallpaper when the time is right...
October 2010: Construction of the new University of Aberdeen Library to replace the Queen Mother Library (QML)
Gardeners replaced some of the cedar boards on the raised beds after 6 years in the gardens. They use an L bracket for the corners.
We applied for and obtained the building permit. We handled all inspections. We removed the existing concrete driveway. We removed all debris from premises. We graded and compacted all soil. We poured the new concrete driveway and walkways with 4000 PSI concrete with fiber mesh reinforcement. We hand troweled the concrete with a double broom finish. We cut all expansion joints accordingly.
Kitchen and bathroom fittings have been taken as a utility in the past and people did not use to care considerably about it but it has totally changed its utility over the years. Presently individuals set up all the higher class fitting in their kitchens and bathrooms to make it look stylish...
yourbuyonline.net/rewards-of-replacing-your-old-kitchen-f...
We heard that the Mile 0 sign in Key West is stolen and replaced roughly twice a week. At the time, I wasn't sure that I believed it. That is, until I saw it for myself.
Class 156 Super Sprinter information panel
The British Rail Class 156 “Super Sprinter” is one of the most successful second-generation diesel multiple-unit designs produced for British Rail. Built between 1987 and 1989, the 114 two-car units were intended to replace ageing first-generation DMUs and some locomotive-hauled regional trains. More than 35 years later, substantial numbers remain in regular passenger service, making the Class 156 an unusually long-lived member of the Sprinter family.
Development and purpose
The Class 156 emerged from British Rail's programme to modernise its provincial passenger fleet during the 1980s. The original Sprinter concept had produced the Class 150, which was highly successful but was principally designed around relatively frequent-stop regional and suburban work. British Rail wanted something better suited to longer journeys, where passengers would spend considerably more time aboard.
The Class 156 consequently occupied an important position between the Class 150 Sprinter and the later Class 158 Express Sprinter. It retained the basic philosophy of a relatively lightweight diesel multiple unit, allowing economical operation without a locomotive, while providing a more appropriate environment for medium-distance regional journeys.
The name “Super Sprinter” was part of British Rail's marketing terminology during the period. The branding subsequently became less important after the Provincial sector was reorganised as Regional Railways in December 1990, although enthusiasts and railway staff continued to use “Super Sprinter” for the class.
Construction
The Class 156 was built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. A total of 114 two-car units, numbered 156401 to 156514, were produced. Construction ran from 1987 through September 1989.
The design was deliberately more conservative than Metro-Cammell's earlier Class 151 prototype. The 156 used welded steel bodyshells, rather than the aluminium construction of the experimental 151. Some of the bodyshell construction was subcontracted to outside manufacturers, while Aston Martin Tickford was involved in interior fitting-out.
Each unit consisted of two driving vehicles. One vehicle contained a toilet, while the other incorporated space suitable for wheelchairs, bicycles and luggage. The units used Cummins diesel engines developing approximately 285 hp per car, giving each two-car set roughly 570 hp. They had a maximum speed of 75 mph.
One of the most recognisable characteristics of the 156 was its single-leaf sliding passenger doors at the ends of each vehicle. Unlike the Class 150, which had doors positioned to facilitate rapid suburban boarding, the Class 156's arrangement reflected the expectation that it would make fewer stops and spend more time running between stations. The resulting interior was also more appropriate for regional travel, with generally 2+2 seating.
The trains retained corridor connections between their two vehicles. This was useful operationally because staff and passengers could move through the entire train rather than being confined to one vehicle.
Entry into service
The first Class 156s entered service during 1987, with the fleet being delivered through 1989. They became particularly associated with British Rail's Provincial sector, whose objective was to provide modern, economical regional services outside the principal InterCity network.
Their introduction allowed British Rail to withdraw or reduce the use of numerous first-generation DMUs dating from the 1950s and 1960s. Classes such as the 101, 105, 107, 108, 120 and other elderly designs were increasingly displaced by Sprinters. The improvement was not simply cosmetic: the newer trains were substantially more reliable and economical to operate.
The 156 therefore became one of the principal symbols of British Rail's late-1980s modernisation programme.
Scotland
Scotland became one of the Class 156's most important homes.
The units were used extensively by ScotRail on regional and rural services, where their combination of relatively low operating cost, reasonable passenger capacity and good acceleration made them particularly useful. They appeared on routes extending across the Scottish Lowlands and into the Highlands.
Their duties included services associated with Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oban, Fort William, Mallaig, Stranraer and other Scottish destinations during different periods of their careers. The class also became familiar on routes where the ability to operate economically with only two vehicles was particularly advantageous.
Some routes subsequently received Class 158s or other trains better suited to longer-distance operation, causing the exact distribution of the 156 fleet to change over time.
The Scottish fleet has nevertheless remained one of the most important surviving concentrations of Class 156s.
Northern England
Northern England became the other great centre of Class 156 operation.
Following British Rail's transition into the post-privatisation railway, Class 156s were divided between different train operators. In northern England, Arriva Trains Northern and First North Western inherited examples of the type. When those operations were consolidated into Northern Rail in 2004, their Class 156 fleets were brought together.
The Northern fleet became particularly associated with the North West and North East.
Among the routes on which Class 156s have operated are the Cumbrian Coast Line, Tyne Valley Line, services around Cumbria and Lancashire, and various routes connecting Manchester and other northern cities. They have also worked routes extending towards the Yorkshire and North East networks.
Their suitability for rural railways became especially apparent on lines such as the Cumbrian Coast and Tyne Valley, where passenger numbers can fluctuate considerably and the ability to operate a relatively small train is economically valuable.
The Central Trains years
A significant portion of the fleet moved into the Midlands.
Following the creation of Central Trains in the 1990s, the operator inherited 20 Class 156s from Regional Railways. They were employed on a remarkably diverse collection of routes, including Birmingham–Nottingham, Birmingham–Hereford, Birmingham–Shrewsbury, services towards the Cambrian Line, Nottingham–Skegness, Nottingham–Lincoln and other regional workings.
There was an interesting proposed fleet exchange in the early 2000s. Central Trains was preparing to exchange its entire Class 156 fleet for an equivalent number of ScotRail Class 158s. Unit 156402 was even partially repainted into ScotRail colours in anticipation of the transfer. The proposed exchange ultimately did not proceed, however, and the Class 156s remained in Central Trains service.
When Central Trains ceased operating in 2007, its remaining Class 156s passed to East Midlands Trains.
The East Midlands fleet subsequently received a substantial refurbishment programme. This included interior improvements, cab work and CCTV installation, helping extend the useful life of trains that were already approaching 25 years old.
East Midlands operations
Under East Midlands Trains, Class 156s became associated with slower regional services rather than the company's principal inter-city routes.
They worked services including Nottingham–Skegness, Leicester–Lincoln, Nottingham–Worksop and Derby/Nottingham–Matlock, among others. Their relatively modest 75 mph maximum speed was less of a disadvantage on these routes, where frequent stops, junctions and speed restrictions limited the benefits of faster rolling stock anyway.
The fleet subsequently passed to East Midlands Railway when the East Midlands franchise changed in 2019.
The story then became intertwined with Northern's need for additional diesel capacity. Several former East Midlands units ultimately transferred to Northern, helping reinforce Northern's large surviving Class 156 fleet.
East Anglia
The Class 156 also developed an important East Anglian career.
Units operated by Anglia Railways and subsequently National Express East Anglia were used on routes such as Norwich–Great Yarmouth, Norwich–Lowestoft and other rural services in Norfolk and Suffolk. Their ability to operate economically on lightly loaded branch and regional routes made them well suited to this work.
A particularly interesting development came when some of these units were converted into Class 156/9 configurations. The modified units subsequently became part of the wider Northern fleet, creating an unusual link between East Anglia and northern England.
The Northern Rail era
The formation of Northern Rail in 2004 gave the Class 156 a renewed importance in northern England.
Northern's fleet was progressively adapted to meet changing service requirements. In 2011, fourteen Class 156s were fitted with GPS equipment as part of a trial, with the Esk Valley Line used for testing. Four units were also transferred to East Midlands Trains that year.
By this point the Class 156 was no longer a new train. Its continued use demonstrated that the basic design had aged remarkably well. The trains were comparatively simple mechanically, had proven reliable, and were inexpensive to operate on routes where electrification or newer diesel fleets were not immediately available.
Northern also began hiring Class 156s to First TransPennine Express in 2015 for Manchester Airport–Blackpool North services. When the new Arriva Rail North franchise began in April 2016, Northern's existing fleet transferred into the new operator, while the Class 156s acquired additional duties including Manchester Airport–Barrow-in-Furness and Oxenholme–Windermere services.
Arriva Rail North
The Northern franchise changed hands to Arriva Rail North in April 2016.
The Class 156s continued to be heavily employed, particularly in the North West. Their age was becoming increasingly noticeable compared with modern rolling stock, but their operational usefulness remained high.
A further five Class 156s transferred from Abellio ScotRail to Northern in late 2018, increasing the fleet available for northern services.
The arrival of newer trains did not immediately make the Class 156 redundant. Northern's extensive non-electrified network meant that there remained a strong requirement for diesel multiple units.
Northern Trains
On 1 March 2020, the Northern franchise was transferred into public ownership and the new Northern Trains operation took over. The Class 156 fleet consequently passed into the new organisation.
Northern subsequently acquired additional Class 156s from East Midlands Railway. The transfers began around the December 2021 timetable change and continued through 2022 and into 2023. These included units that had previously been associated with Abellio Greater Anglia and had been classified as Class 156/9s.
This process substantially reinforced Northern's position as one of the principal Class 156 operators.
Today, the type remains particularly useful on northern routes that are either unelectrified or where the capacity of a two-car unit remains appropriate.
Modernisation and adaptations
One of the reasons the Class 156 has survived so long is that individual fleets have been repeatedly modernised.
The basic mechanical architecture is relatively straightforward, while the interior can be refurbished without fundamentally altering the vehicle. Different operators have consequently installed different seats, flooring, lighting, passenger information systems, CCTV and accessibility equipment over the years.
The result is that two Class 156s built only months apart can have looked and felt quite different depending on which operator had most recently refurbished them.
Accessibility has also become increasingly important. The original trains were designed under standards that predated modern accessibility requirements, meaning later modifications have been necessary to bring them closer to contemporary expectations.
Why they lasted so long
The longevity of the Class 156 is partly explained by the environment for which it was designed.
A 75 mph diesel multiple unit is not particularly fast by modern railway standards, yet many regional lines do not allow trains to exploit substantially higher speeds. On a winding rural route with frequent stops, a Class 156 can perform its basic task perfectly adequately.
Its two-car formation is another advantage. Operators can run a single unit when demand is modest or couple units together when additional capacity is required. The standard Sprinter multiple-working equipment allows Class 156s to work with other compatible Sprinter-family trains.
The trains also avoided some of the complexity associated with newer rolling stock. Their diesel-mechanical/hydraulic propulsion and relatively conventional construction have helped keep them maintainable well beyond the service life originally envisaged for them.
The Class 156 compared with its successors
The Class 156 effectively filled the middle-distance role within British Rail's Sprinter family.
The Class 150 was better suited to stopping and suburban services. The Class 156 provided a more comfortable regional train with a 75 mph maximum speed. The later Class 158 Express Sprinter moved the concept further towards genuine inter-city regional operation, introducing air conditioning, improved accommodation and a 90 mph maximum speed.
The 156 therefore did not become obsolete when the 158 appeared. Instead, the two types developed complementary roles. A 158 could be assigned to a longer-distance service where higher speed and passenger comfort were important, while a 156 remained extremely useful on routes where economy, capacity and reliability mattered more than outright speed.
The class in 2026
The Class 156 is now approaching its 40th anniversary. The first examples date from 1987, meaning the oldest surviving vehicles have spent almost four decades in passenger service.
The fleet has been reduced from its original 114 sets, and individual vehicles have moved between operators and regions repeatedly. Nevertheless, Class 156s remain in regular service with Northern Trains and ScotRail, while the wider fleet history includes substantial periods with Central Trains, East Midlands Trains, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Arriva Trains Northern, First North Western, Northern Rail, Arriva Rail North and other operators.
Their continued presence is particularly significant because the railway environment that produced them has almost completely disappeared. British Rail no longer exists, the Provincial sector disappeared decades ago, many of the first-generation DMUs they were designed to replace have themselves become heritage vehicles, and much of the railway has been electrified or modernised.
The Class 156 nevertheless continues performing essentially the same fundamental task for which it was conceived: providing economical regional passenger services over non-electrified routes.
Overall significance
The Class 156 is arguably one of the clearest examples of British Rail's successful second-generation DMU philosophy.
It was not revolutionary in the way the experimental Class 151 attempted to be. Instead, Metro-Cammell produced a comparatively conventional, robust train that incorporated the lessons learned from the first generation of Sprinters. That conservatism proved to be one of its greatest strengths.
The original 114 sets helped transform regional railway services in the late 1980s. They replaced elderly trains, reduced operating costs, improved passenger accommodation and enabled more economical services on routes where locomotive-hauled trains had previously been used.
Over subsequent decades they survived privatisation, multiple franchise reorganisations, numerous changes of livery and interior, transfers between almost every major region of Britain and the arrival of several generations of newer trains.
Their story is consequently more than the history of one DMU class. The Class 156 Super Sprinter is a living link between the late British Rail railway of the 1980s and the regional railway of 2026. Its continued operation is a testament to a relatively simple design that happened to be exceptionally well matched to Britain's diverse network of rural and regional diesel routes.