31-502A Class 158 2 Car DMU 158901 BR WYPTE Metro

Scale 1:76, OO gauge

Era: Era 8: British Rail Sectorisation 1986 - 1995

 DCC Type: DCC Ready DCC Pin: Plux 22

The pinnacle of second generation DMUs, the Branchline Class 158 combines high fidelity bodyshells with an underframe that's adorned with separate components depicting the engines, electrical equipment, and auxiliary gear. It's the livery application which really brings these models to life and every element has been replicated in miniature. Whilst the main colours are spray painted, the myriad smaller logos, symbols and lettering are applied using a specialist printing process, using BR and corporate specification fonts, logos and colours. Driven by the low-level drive mechanism, which is fitted to each vehicle, the conductive couplings ensure that the two vehicles work together in harmony and enable the use of a single decoder for DCC operation.

MODEL FEATURES: Era 8 Pristine BR WYPTE Metro livery Running No. 158901 Two-Car Unit comprising car Nos. 52901 & 57901 Destination blinds for Manchester Victoria Equipped with a Plux22 DCC Decoder Socket - recommended Decoder item No. 36-570 Length 610mm MECHANISM: EACH TWO-CAR UNIT COMPRISES TWO POWERED VEHICLES WITH THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: Three pole motor with flywheel providing drive to the inner bogie Twin axle drive Separate metal bearings fitted to each driven axle Trailing axles run in metal pinpoint bearings Electrical pickup from all wheels Diecast metal, multi-stage gearbox, with gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities 16.5mm (OO gauge) wheels to NEM310 & NEM311 standards with authentic profile and detailing Working miniature BSI Couplings at the cab end Conductive couplings with integral close coupling mechanism at the inner end Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater DETAILING: Separately applied metal detail parts, including exhaust guards and interior luggage racks Bogies constructed from multiple components featuring brake and suspension detail Separately fitted underframe components Each model is supplied with an accessory pack comprising exhaust pipes, frame extensions and coupling tool DCC: Plux22 DCC decoder interface – one decoder required per unit Easy-access DCC decoder socket located behind removable panel on underside of Car A CLASS 158 DMU HISTORY The British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU), built specifically for British Rail's Provincial Services sector between 1989 and 1992 by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) at Derby Litchurch Lane Works and outshopped in Regional Railways Provincial livery. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, thereby reducing cost of operation, and to allow cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs. The majority of the 182-strong fleet of Class 158 units were built as two-car sets, with 17 three-car units constructed specifically for use on Trans-Pennine services. Similar three-car units were built for use by Network SouthEast but these were converted to Class 159 specification before introduced into service, with toilet retention tanks and other modifications to operate over the third-rail network. All the Class 158s remain in service today, with operators including ScotRail, Northern, Great Western (GWR), East Midlands Trains (now EMR), and Transport for Wales (formerly Arriva). Former operators include Central Trains. The Class has worked extensively across the UK network, even into East Anglia as far as Stansted Airport and Norwich. Some 158s have been converted to additional Class 159s and now operate for South Western alongside their original classmates.